I had to use Windows today :(

[Frisco]

Today I started a new contract job and was forced to use Windows for the first time in 9 months. I was very confused and frustrated. I didn't truly realize how good Mac OS is until today.

What Windows version was I using? I don't know--it seemed like a combo of Windows 2000 and XP--if u can believe that. (Some eye candy here and there, but not everywhere.)

Everything just seemed counterintuitive to me. I thought to myself, "How can 95% + of the computer world be using this *****? We have all been brainwashed. Microsoft is the computer experience that has become the norm--sadly to say.

Apple is by no means perfect, but compared to using Windows it is.

I know Windows has some things Apple doesn't have, but using it today really sucked!

Sorry for the bad taste left in my mouth.

Please don't accuse me of being a Mac Zealot. I bash Apple when they are wrong too, like yesterday's $250 iPod Mini!

All I am saying is that I am not looking forward to work tomorrow.

[Macmaniac]

Maybe its NT, or Me, if its ME I feel bad for you. It had to be the worst version of Windows ever. We all have to use PCs once in a while, but it makes you appreciate how great the mac really is.

[bousozoku]

Maybe you were using WinXP with the "Classic Windows" interface. The last place I worked made certain to not allow users to have the new interface.

It's not really that bad--it's just that you haven't used it for a while.

[MacFan26]

That's too bad, I have to use Windows XP on my computers at school. The thing that sucks about it is that I'm not just doing word processing or something, I'm doing programming, so it sucks to know that I could be using a Mac to be more productive.

[ShadowHunter]

You were probably using WinXP with the classic theme, as someone else said. Hey, look at the positives. While Windows is still a joke as an OS, and about as dynamic as a concrete wall, WinXP is the best one to use out all of them for ease of use and stability. I mean, you could have been using Win98 or ME, YUCK!

[mcs37]

Sounds like XP with a classic look and the domain controller set up, so you have classical Win2K login.

I'm still using Windows here since I'm waiting for graduation when I get my G5 PowerBook (please release G5 PowerBook by summer, please release G5 PowerBook by summer...). There are lots of things that just piss me off about windows and I'm counting the days till my graduation present can be purchased.

Longhorn actually does look pretty decent, as I've seen some demonstrations and they've finally taken some cues from Apple. But it's still bloody Windows. By the time Longhorn comes out in 2005, it will have taken MS 10 YEARS to give users the option to look at the date / calendar without having to change the clock settings. (double click time in the task tray)

Vector-based graphics and the OS demands a 3D accelerator: it's about time. WinFS wasn't too impressive, however, since it appears to be NTFS with an extra layer of SQL Server.

I am curious personally where OS X will be in 2005. We should be at 10.4 around then, but how can you improve Panther? Expose is the neatest thing ever! If only Windows could have caught up.

But iPod sales are definitely good for bringing people over to the Apple world. All that Apple needs to do now is improve its customer care/policies and we'll be all set.

[Frisco]

Thanks for all of your replies!

Tomorrow I am going to impress some people and piss off others. How? I am bringing in my Ti Powerbook!

[Horrortaxi]

Originally posted by mcs37
Longhorn actually does look pretty decent, as I've seen some demonstrations and they've finally taken some cues from Apple.
Finally taken some cues from Apple? They've been taking from Apple since Windows 1.0! Sometimes they copy so poorly you don't notice that they copied from Apple, but they did.

[Duff-Man]

Duff-Man says....hey, I have to use *and support* windoze (and its users) 5 days a week....and I tell y'all I am grateful to have my TiBook at my desk beside the Dell (guess which one I use more....)....oh yeah!

[manitoubalck]

Ah, get over it. It's more than likley an operator fault, or save that, A really old system using an new operating system, with squat RAM.

There are two things I really hate in OS's.
1: Pop ups (I've turned all of mine off)
2: Pointless animation that gobbles resourses.

The mac OS gobbles system resourses, windows however does not. My 3 year old AMD 1GHz, Runs windows XP like a dream, try running OSX 10.3 on a 3 year old mac and see how well it holds up.

[Horrortaxi]

Originally posted by manitoubalck
try running OSX 10.3 on a 3 year old mac and see how well it holds up.
I run OS X on 5 and 6 year old Macs and I think it holds up very well.

[warcraftmaster]

Originally posted by manitoubalck
Ah, get over it. It's more than likley an operator fault, or save that, A really old system using an new operating system, with squat RAM.

There are two things I really hate in OS's.
1: Pop ups (I've turned all of mine off)
2: Pointless animation that gobbles resourses.

The mac OS gobbles system resourses, windows however does not. My 3 year old AMD 1GHz, Runs windows XP like a dream, try running OSX 10.3 on a 3 year old mac and see how well it holds up.


what is your problem hmmm
xp is a old OS to 10.3
i think its 10.2 or 10.1 is as old a xp
the only thing windows do better then mac is freeze(o ya macs dont freeze:rolleyes: :eek: )

[Flowbee]

Originally posted by manitoubalck
...try running OSX 10.3 on a 3 year old mac and see how well it holds up.

OSX 10.3 holds up very well on both of my 3+ year old Macs. Thanks for asking.

[notmenotyou]

Originally posted by manitoubalck
Ah, get over it. It's more than likley an operator fault, or save that, A really old system using an new operating system, with squat RAM.

There are two things I really hate in OS's.
1: Pop ups (I've turned all of mine off)
2: Pointless animation that gobbles resourses.

The mac OS gobbles system resourses, windows however does not. My 3 year old AMD 1GHz, Runs windows XP like a dream, try running OSX 10.3 on a 3 year old mac and see how well it holds up.

what are you talking about? I am running MacOS X 10.3 on my first generation TiBook 400, and it runs like charm. by far, this is the best OS money can buy. Windoz XP!?!?!? you must be kidding me...

[LoopHoles]

Originally posted by manitoubalck
The mac OS gobbles system resourses, windows however does not. My 3 year old AMD 1GHz, Runs windows XP like a dream, try running OSX 10.3 on a 3 year old mac and see how well it holds up.

running 10.3 on a 1999 350 MHz G3 (3 times less clock speed than 1 GHz) and works fine. Sure, if you use that 1 Ghz, quartz-extreme enabled powerbook regularly, it seems slow as hell, but only in comparison.

[5300cs]

I have my VAIO lying around that I still use every once in a while (like with my damn Clie until my iPod comes back from repair) and it has XP on it. All it does is serve to remind me how much windows sucks.

And what's with the recent influx of windows-apologists on this board now? Almost everytime someone says something negative about windows, someone else has to come in and defend it. Where can I go to get away from these people??? :confused: :mad:

[edesignuk]

Originally posted by 5300cs
And what's with the recent influx of windows-apologists on this board now? Almost everytime someone says something negative about windows, someone else has to come in and defend it. Where can I go to get away from these people??? :confused: :mad:
Sometimes it needs "defending", there are a lot of people who need reminding that XP is not a bad as they seem to think. Things have come a long way since Windows 95 (and the beast that was ME http://upload.edesignuk.net/uploaded_data/smilies/rollinglaugh.gif). I use my PC and my Mac all the time, neither of them ever crash. And get rid of that awful default fisher price theme and Windows looks perfectly nice to.

I can't stand it when I'm browsing PC forums and people are having a go at Apple & OS X when they have never used the thing, like wise it drives me mad to hear Mac users mindlessly bashing PC's.

Fine, so you prefer OS X/Windows over the other, that doesn't mean to say that the other is unusable.

[CrackedButter]

My ex gf's XP machine is still here, i leave it running for kazaa only and boy is that enough to annoy me. Its an AMD 2600XP and it seems to run so slow and i miss expose, the windowing in windows seems to ask itself "How big can i go today", i'm constantly resizeing everything.

While i don't fault the hardware i think the OS is bog slow (with all fancy settings turned off) , my alubook feels faster by far. I bet if i put linux on it everything would feel snappy.

[5300cs]

Originally posted by edesignuk http://upload.edesignuk.net/uploaded_data/smilies/rollinglaugh.gif I love that smiley :D

I, personally, love it when people post all their comments on how much windows sucks. I'm always up for a windows-bashing fest. I hate it when someone comes along and rains on the parade by trying to make it fair. If I wanted to know how wonderful it is over on the otherside, I'd hang out on Cnet.

I suppose everyone once in a while is ok ...

[zoetropeuk]

Originally posted by manitoubalck
Ah, get over it. It's more than likley an operator fault, or save that, A really old system using an new operating system, with squat RAM.

There are two things I really hate in OS's.
1: Pop ups (I've turned all of mine off)
2: Pointless animation that gobbles resourses.

The mac OS gobbles system resourses, windows however does not. My 3 year old AMD 1GHz, Runs windows XP like a dream, try running OSX 10.3 on a 3 year old mac and see how well it holds up

I've been meaning to make this comment for sometime now but I couldn't be bothered but enough is enough.

I don't know why manitoubalck joined MacRumors. I've never once seen a positive, helpful or constructive post from him/her. Why waste your time and our time by continually posting worthless and irrelevant comments.

If you love MS, AMD, Intel and the other mind numbingly dull companies and love using their products why don't you just crawl back under your PC and leave us in peace.

When you have a comment that actually adds to the thread then by all means join in. But until that happens do us all a favour and POQADCB (old aussie saying)

[whooleytoo]

Originally posted by manitoubalck

The mac OS gobbles system resourses, windows however does not. My 3 year old AMD 1GHz, Runs windows XP like a dream, try running OSX 10.3 on a 3 year old mac and see how well it holds up.

Very well indeed. I was going to dump my old G3/350 until I installed Panther on it. It runs very nicely indeed, the UI is very responsive, the fast searching in Finder, Preview etc. works far better than I would have expected. Try finding a 350 MHz PC that'll run the latest version of XP!

[edesignuk]

Originally posted by manitoubalck
The mac OS gobbles system resourses, windows however does not. My 3 year old AMD 1GHz, Runs windows XP like a dream, try running OSX 10.3 on a 3 year old mac and see how well it holds up.
Hmm...yes and no. Now well all know that OS X loves memory, this much is true. XP is better IMO (in that it doesn't need as much), but it's not much better.
I must say I find it hard to believe that XP runs "like a dream" on a 1GHz Athlon, my family had it on an 800MHz Athlon w/ 640MB RAM, and it was really quite slow, usable, but slow.
Apple on the other hand do seem to be unique, in that with each new OS they release, it seems to make older computers run faster than they could with the previous OS. A great characteristic that others could and should learn from.

[mcs37]

Originally posted by Horrortaxi
Finally taken some cues from Apple? They've been taking from Apple since Windows 1.0! Sometimes they copy so poorly you don't notice that they copied from Apple, but they did.

In all honesty, let's not forget that Apple stole the GUI idea from Xerox Park. So when Apple claims they were the first, they were certainly not. Apple and MS have copied each other on multiple ideas, although in general I think MS stole more from Apple. :D More examples:

-- MS stole (trash can|recycle bin) from Apple
-- Apple stole (quick launch|dock) from MS
-- MS stole (plug & play|it just works) from Apple
-- Apple stole fast user switching from MS

quid pro quo, and the wars proceed.

On a side note, I was interviewing with Google the other day in NYC, and it was amazing seeing the blend of systems in use in their Manhattan office. Lots of Windows, some Linux boxes, and plenty of PowerBooks. It's good not to be bound to any OS at work. :)

[jeff.macaddict]

-- MS stole (trash can|recycle bin) from Apple
-- Apple stole (quick launch|dock) from MS
-- MS stole (plug & play|it just works) from Apple
-- Apple stole fast user switching from MS

Well, yes I admit it. Apple did borrow some ideas from MS, but they did hell of a lot better job with what they used. Like fast user switching. On windows, it is a joke and slow. (on a 3 GHz Dell, with good guts in it, it belonged to a relative)

And the dock, well, Apple didn't just steal the idea, the reinvented the concept. If you've used the dock, then the task bar with start menu, you know what I mean. If you don't mind, here are some things apple did first,

32 bit processor
Graphical User Interface
Built-in LAN networking
Built-in sound
3.5 inch floppies
PostScript printer
MS Word, Excel
Built-in SCSI plug and play
Multiple monitors
Multitasking
16 million colors
32 bit Operating System
Built-in file sharing
Built-in CD-ROM
FireWire
FireWire 800
64 bit processor

This is all I can think of now......add if you got somethin on your mind.:D

[5300cs]

Originally posted by mcs37
In all honesty, let's not forget that Apple stole the GUI idea from Xerox Park. So when Apple claims they were the first, they were certainly not...

They didn't steal it :rolleyes: Xerox offerred to share their research info and Apple offerred them stock options in return. When the Macintosh was released and sales eventually went up, those Xerox people I'm sure made quite a lot of money.

[7on]

The Dock is a take from NeXT, which is pre-Win95. So the Dock is not a stolen Windows taskbar.

[johnnyjibbs]

I used to use Windows until I switched to Mac in September (new PowerBook :)). We were using Windows 98 but have just got a new home PC - Dell with Windows XP.

I have to say that it is no longer justifyable to say that Windows crashes all the time. XP simply doesn't. I know OS X doesn't either, but I'm glad they've finally fixed that on the Windows side (goodbye '98 and blue screen of death!).

What I don't like about Windows, and why I won't be looking forward to Longhorn, is Microsoft's whole design philosiphy! Microsoft simply doesn't understand the user interface. It's not just Windows, it's in everything they ever make!

For example, try going to the help centre on Windows XP. You get a dialog box with about 200 questions on it. It was so overwhelming I shut it down immediately. In contrast, Mac OS X help is simple and uncluttered (and now fast in Panther!). I then had a look at Windows Movie Maker 2. What a POS. Then look how simple iMovie is. (I hate the fact the Windows app makes you work in low quality WMV only!).

I hate all the sidebars on the left hand side of windows explorer windows as well. They are new for XP and you can't seem to get rid of them. Apple's 'copy' (the Finder sidebar) is much simpler and nicer by comparison.

Microsoft seems to love 'Wizards' as well. Plug a USB flash drive in and all these wizards open up with complicated options. In Mac OS, the drive just mounts on the desktop where I can see it. Simple.

I wish Apple would build certain bits of Windows' functionalilty in though. Some better contextual menus and the like. There are some Windows features I miss.

I guess this has turned into a bit of an anti-XP post. Windows is all right when you get used to it, but I just think Microsoft needs to try and think before designing anything. Why can't they design a simple interface with anything, like Apple can?

[jeremy.king]

If you really miss your mac and work allows it, try this out. Make sure you get and OS X theme.

http://www.stardock.com/products/windowblinds/

There are similar programs from the same company that will even allow you to change the icons.

Pretty fun.

[Hodapp]

Oh you poor poor baby you had to use windows.

http://urkel.langasm.com/megarolleyes.gif

[5300cs]

Oh look! It's another mature comment...
Originally posted by io_burn
[B]http://urkel.langasm.com/megarolleyes.gif

windows can be a traumatic eXPerience for anyone

[SiliconAddict]

Originally posted by Frisco
Today I started a new contract job and was forced to use Windows for the first time in 9 months. I was very confused and frustrated. I didn't truly realize how good Mac OS is until today.

Everything just seemed counterintuitive to me. I thought to myself, "How can 95% + of the computer world be using this *****? We have all been brainwashed. Microsoft is the computer experience that has become the norm--sadly to say.

Apple is by no means perfect, but compared to using Windows it is.

I know Windows has some things Apple doesn't have, but using it today really sucked!

Sorry for the bad taste left in my mouth.

Please don't accuse me of being a Mac Zealot. I bash Apple when they are wrong too, like yesterday's $250 iPod Mini!

All I am saying is that I am not looking forward to work tomorrow.

Funny I can navigate around windows with my eyes closed. Literally I can. Its all in what you know and frankly I LOVE the START menu. Everything is built into one location. Command line? Start -> run -> cmd. Programs? Start -> Programs. System settings start -> control panel. I really like it. The file browser is a powerful tool once you turn off MS's auto preview crap that slows everything down. Have a four tile session open while sorting files is nice as is the address bar. It’s a very fast method of browsing to the file or directory you want to go.
I've never understood why Mac users crap over Windows GUI or the OS itself. Its not THAT bad and isn't all that different then OS X. Stability wise XP and 2K are right in line with OSX. *shrugs* I’ve been using windows since 3.11 and I know it backwards and forwards. I’ve been frustrated with it at times and many a time have I cursed the name Gates dreaming of slashing the guy with a broken Windows 98 CD. But I deal with it just as Mac users deal with crap like 10.2.8’s initial release bugs or Panther’s filevault of DOOM. No OS is perfect. *shrugs*
However if you are using Windows ME you have my sincere condolences. Somebody at Microsoft is going to hell for that one. It can truly claim the title “Worst OS EVER” I’ve yet to see a single install of ME that doesn’t break with 6 months of install. I mean it. The OS acts like it has an internal timebomb as to when it will make a squishing sound ;) in your computer as you BSOD.

[SiliconAddict]

Originally posted by kingjr3
If you really miss your mac and work allows it, try this out. Make sure you get and OS X theme.

http://www.stardock.com/products/windowblinds/

There are similar programs from the same company that will even allow you to change the icons.

Pretty fun.


Ya and that's the point in time where I or a fellow IT person comes up to your computer and B-slaps the crap out of you for installing non approved software.
Objectdock WILL slow, crash, hang, or decimate your computer down further. It’s not a presumption. It’s a guaranteed certainty to happen. And never mind the fact that it does some seriously nasty things with your system files along with some programs. There are plenty of progs that do NOT play well together with Windowblinds. Now if you are looking for a taste of home try Object Dock (http://download.com.com/3000-2341-10247845.html?tag=lst-0-1) and download icons for the dock here at www.wincustomize.com . But again that last sound you hear before hitting the ground could be a B-slap for installing software that could make things worse then before although ObjectDock is pretty harmless.

[5300cs]

Originally posted by SiliconAddict
...But I deal with it just as Mac users deal with crap like 10.2.8’s initial release bugs or Panther’s filevault of DOOM. No OS is perfect...

As much as I love Apple, those 2 issues were pretty big. And the issue with Panther erasing entire FireWire 800 drives? I'm sure m$ had a good laugh about that one.

Meh, take the good with the bad -- in Apple's case, the good has far out-weighted the bad for me.

[manitoubalck]

Originally posted by edesignuk
Sometimes it needs "defending", there are a lot of people who need reminding that XP is not a bad as they seem to think. Things have come a long way since Windows 95 (and the beast that was ME http://upload.edesignuk.net/uploaded_data/smilies/rollinglaugh.gif). I use my PC and my Mac all the time, neither of them ever crash. And get rid of that awful default fisher price theme and Windows looks perfectly nice to.

I can't stand it when I'm browsing PC forums and people are having a go at Apple & OS X when they have never used the thing, like wise it drives me mad to hear Mac users mindlessly bashing PC's.

Fine, so you prefer OS X/Windows over the other, that doesn't mean to say that the other is unusable.

Maybe my 3 year old comment was a little out of place, sorry about that one;) However I still maintain that a 3 year old mac wont run the current mac OS, as well as my 3 year old K7 based system runs the currnet PC OS.

Thank you edesignuk, for your wordds of wisdom.

[MattG]

I have to use Windows EVERY DAY. Well, M-F at least. So I feel your pain. Hopefully my boss will order my G5 soon, and all will be well :)

[jeremy.king]

Originally posted by SiliconAddict
Ya and that's the point in time where I or a fellow IT person comes up to your computer and B-slaps the crap out of you for installing non approved software.

(1) Hence why I said "if work allows it"
(2) I doubt you could B slap me around :eek:
(3) Where in Burnsville? I grew up and graduated in Lakeville.

[agreenster]

Originally posted by io_burn
Oh you poor poor baby you had to use windows.

http://urkel.langasm.com/megarolleyes.gif

I second that.

Gawd, WindowsXP isn't bad at all--in fact there are many times I prefer it to OSX (10.2.8)

How many times has my powerbook's finder relaunched and lost server connection because it cant display more than 200 frames of an animation in a finder window? Like, umm, every time. How many times has that happened with WXP? Never.

Use both, appreciate both. They are both good. Nuff said. I'm sorry you arent smart enough to be able to handle 2 operating systems.

[SiliconAddict]

Originally posted by kingjr3
(1) Hence why I said "if work allows it"
(2) I doubt you could B slap me around :eek:
(3) Where in Burnsville? I grew up and graduated in Lakeville.

Woo hoo another minnesotaite ;)

I live off of Cliff Road a stone's throw away from Eagan.

[mactastic]

I use XP daily, and it never gives me all that many problems. Until the day Autodesk deigns to port AutoCad to OS X I will continue to use windows daily. I don't mind, and I really enjoy bringing my TiBook to work with me to show it off. Although around here it's considered pretty much of a toy since it can't do the one thing we really need it to. But the GUI is very impressive to the Wintel crowd here, and Expose really turns heads. Plus when I show them Safari's snapback feature that is pretty snazzy too.

I'll gladly admit I prefer the mac OS, but it's not like I HATE windows or anything. I am more productive on a Windows machine than I am using AutoCad in VPC. ;)

[sparky76]

IK think there must be a problem with your hardware if OS X runs slowly on a 3 year old machine. Every version of OS X has, without exception, run faster on the same hardware than its predecessor. Why? Because Apple's customers are computer users, whilst MS's customers are HP/Compaq, Dell et al - hardware vendors. In other words, Windows SHOULD run slower in each version to encourage you to upgrade your hardware.

[neoelectronaut]

If anyone refers to http://www.xvsxp.com , the author notes that while the macOS edges out Windows by a little, they're not really much far off from each other.

[mikepctp]

IMHO;

I have been heavily using Macs (since the IIFX crash monster) in the printing and publishing industry for years and years. You always had windoze machines running in the shop but usually in the accountant's office.

My take is that once Microshaft found out that there was more to computers than computing (ie the folks that run them need not be rocket scientists and the computer is just another tool for the masses) they 'decided' to migrate towards an OS that someone could run efficiently and easily.

I believe Apple started their life designing around the user and working the system so the user didn't need a phD to navigate or punch in massive strings of code and syntax to carry out a command. Apple is still by far the slicker GUI and now has kicked some major patooie with the hardware as well (G5s of late).

The two directions of the companies have finally converged to the point that both systems can run together in an environment and with a few funky translations along the way; cross platform pretty well.

We have 6 computers on a network in the house here and we incorporate XP, 2000, OS 8.6, 9.2.2 and 10.2 all in harmony (well sorta kinda most of the time). I prefer the Mac OS (any one of them) simply because I can find EVERYTHING very easily. When I delete an application from my Mac... IT'S GONE!!! ALL of it.

I am not a computer guru and don't want to learn the OS to the extent that I need to in order to keep XP and 2000 running as well as the Mac OS does with little effort. When all else fails; rebuild the desktop...or start with no extensions...:D

I can run all the systems fairly well but prefer the Mac for true productivity and flexibility in my graphical world. My accountant uses a garage-built, god knows what's inside or where it came from, clone Windows box and employs an IT guy to keep it running right. Oh ya, my Mac can make coffee too; provided I have the extension on... :)

MP

[mcs37]

Originally posted by jeff.macaddict
Well, yes I admit it. Apple did borrow some ideas from MS, but they did hell of a lot better job with what they used. Like fast user switching. On windows, it is a joke and slow. (on a 3 GHz Dell, with good guts in it, it belonged to a relative)

Graphical User Interface


Yeah, Windows FUS does suck, and the dock is much nicer than quicklaunch. Still, Windows was first on both of those. Just because Apple does it better doesn't mean they did it first.

Again they stole the GUI idea from Xerox. And someone posted to say they didn't steal it -- well, perhaps not, but they certainly didn't come up with it on their own.