Are Microsoft Products really that bad?

[hashish2020]

"Instead of making these uninformed claims, try searching the web and learning a bit about Linux and Open Source first. You'll probably be surprised at how good it is."

Im sure Linux is good actually positive, but I also think Microsoft is better!...

Right...so when's the last time you used a well set up version of Linux...never??

 

[Charlie Brown]

"Right...so when's the last time you used a well set up version of Linux...never??"

My point exactly

 

[chrissie]

i dont know if its windows or the programs written for windows, but it all comes down to this... what makes it right to have to reformat your box every 6months-year just to get it running fast again? its like a downward spiral. the same does not seem to be true for apple, and i have no idea about linux.

 

[haste]

^^ I think that comes as a result of the vast amounts of crap that Windows stores during its day to day operation - it becomes bloated (more than it is) and unorganised.

 

[Prince_Albert]

If it wasn't for m$, ciomputers wouldn't have spread as they have. Sure, their os migh suck at times, but at least they did got to bring a pc to my bedroom.

 

[Charlie Brown]

Chrissie quotes - dont know if its windows or the programs written for windows, but it all comes down to this... what makes it right to have to reformat your box every 6months-year just to get it running fast again?

Ive never had this problem and Ive got a 140gb hard drive which is full of data and applications...running Windows XP, multimedia..I dont think its Windows more the hardware you are running!!!

 

[chrissie]

then you are one of few. seriously, if you reformat and reinstall all the apps, you notice a big difference. then it just goes downhill from there. we've had 2 boxes and 2 ibm laptops we had to reformat every so often so its not my hardware.

 

[Charlie Brown]

then you are one of few. seriously, if you reformat and reinstall all the apps, you notice a big difference. then it just goes downhill from there. we've had 2 boxes and 2 ibm laptops we had to reformat every so often so its not my hardware

That is just a ridiculous way to run a computer...so you have to back up all your data...spend 3 hours reconfiguring and installing apps!!! that sounds abit over the top, not to mention if you were running a network and the machine happens to be a server that holds all the names of the user logins or your critical email server...you would have to devise very careful strategies to back up these...

Windows wasnt designed, i guarantee to be reinstalled every 6 months or 1 year, it probably does happen to some people but i think you would be in the minority not the majority. Only event one should reinstall is perhaps to have a whole new machine without all the previous applications and settings left over from a previous user OR if the machine had a unrepairable windows problem which causes it to malfunction.

Not trying force my opinion all anything but that info is just not correct...You must be running an application which causes a memory leak in anycase a reboot would correct the problem anyway....

Probably you are running Windows 95 or 98 or ME and I would understand cos they are really crap O/S's what are you running?

 

[Petersko]

Anti-Microsoft types love to play up the need to reinstall every so often, but they dramatically overstate the case.

Last time I reinstalled was about 2 years ago, when I switched OS's. My version before that was 3 complete years. Not once did I reinstall.

My work PC ran for four years before it was swapped out. It ran NT with a number of application development suites, each of which went through several upgrades. Despire large scale application upgrading, again, not once did I have to get it reimaged.

Sure, some people do - but it seems to me that most do not.

 

[haste]

The only time I've had to re-instal Windows was to rid myself of a virus (SirCam Virus) - well the virus I deleted, but the devastation it left my pc was a mess - the best solution was to format and start again.

Having said this, I still believe that Windows does slow down in performance over time, but not to the extent that would make me re-format. thats my experience anyway.

 

[DigitalDuality]

I've had to re-install multiple versions of Windows.. i can't count the times i did for 95/98. I knew better than to fuck with ME, and XP i've had to reinstall twice...

 

[haste]

^^ what made you re-install?

 

[chrissie]

hey, im not an anti-microsoft type
im just stating the facts in my case

there is a huge difference after u reformat. you dont have to, but when your box gets slower and slower it seems quite necessary. and i KNOW im not the only one who feels this way

 

[chrissie]

oh and i know windows wasnt designed to have you reformat... things are designed to break. its just the way it ends up

and im using windows xp

 

[FoxyKel]

I've never had any problems with Microsoft products. All the ones I have used have served their purpose well, imo. I am no software-snob, microsoft is good enough for me

 

[DigitalDuality]

^^ what made you re-install?

mostly not being able to find what's causing various programs to crash continually..

continual booting problems

continual speed/RAM being hogged to no end..

even re-installing the programs... and keeping a high maintenence on my computer.. i still get all these problems continually.. I've never had any of that with Linux (some minor boot errors that's it really)

 

[haste]

continual speed/RAM being hogged to no end..

Thats what I've been experiencing that past couple of months myself.

 

[nowonmai]

chrissie, instead of reformatting, run a registry cleaner and do a defrag, that should restore a lot of the slowdown you're experiencing.

 

[nowonmai]

anyhow, the original question.
For 99% of end users, Windows XP or 2000 is going to do everything you need. If you can live with the fact that a little email-borne nasty can hose your hdd if you're nor careful, then why bother with Linux.
Personally I use Linux for almost everything... I only use Windows on my home machine because I have yet to get Winamp5 running in Wine(X).
Much as I disagree with MS's business practices, they have done a lot for the user. The problem is that they do it with complete disregard, and in a lot of cases, utter contempt for their 'fellow' software houses and developers.
Another reason to hate Windows is that since XP raw sockets is now a feature. Not a problem in a secure OS like Linux/Unix, but in Windows, for god's sake... it's like handing a teenage delinquent a gun and telling them they can do what they want and guaranteeing them no repercussions.

 

[Finder]

Anyone who says their Windows machine runs just as well as the first day they fired it up is full of shit.