Please, don't make my mistake.

ipapis · Mar 9, 2013

Hello, my friends,

I'm here to share my experience with you so you don't make the same mistake I did.

Well, I was a happy owner of a Macbook air 11 and a Macbook White 13.3. But I decided to give the first to my father and the last to my wife. Well, since I love games, I thought: " Why not try a Windows laptop again? After all, I was a heavy Microsoft user before and I did just great. And, this Windows 8 interface looks very friendly."

So, in my arrogance and naivety, I ordered a laptop with a Core I5 with 1Gb dedicated GPU. And I really thought I was being so smart: a similar Macbook Pro would cost twice and wouldn't let me play Windows games natively.

Oh, how could I be so wrong.

It all starts with the package. When I received it, the first thing I thought was:
"Well, it is not an IPad or MBA box, but this doesn't matter, because the laptop will be a rocket!"
Then, after I saw the laptop:
"Well, it is not a MBP, but if you look if from the side, under a weak light, it is beautiful. Well, surely it doesn't have the aluminum case, but who wants aesthetics?"

And then, I made the biggest mistake of my life (If you have a faint heart, please, stop Reading now):

I TURNED IT ON!

At first I thought that the interface was really clunky and not even intuitive. But surely, it was just me being too critic. After I thought that the mousepad wasn't responsive. Well, but that's why I bought a gaming mouse, right?

Then, I started to "play" with my new toy:

-Where's the dock?
-Why this Skype doesn't accept my 10 year old account?
-Why this Outlook doesn't synchronize?
-Why do I have to download 765 updates?
-Why is my computer unprotected?
-Why so many warnings?

-HEEEEELLLLP.

-I'm overreacting. This is a good machine. So, let me install the antivírus and update Windows 8.

-Oh, I was forgeting about the drivers. They need to be updated, too.

Well. After exactly 4 hours updating and installing the basic, my beautiful, powerful, incredible PC laptop froze. I resetted it. The system couldn't find my wireless adapter. I pluged it directly to the router. The system couldn't find my network adapter.

After 2 hours trying to solve the problem, and did a recovery deleting all the work I have done.

-How could I be so wrong? How could I be so naive?

Right now I'm writing this in my powerful machine, in which the mouse cursos lags, believe it or not. My old Core 2 Duo Macbook is much sharper.

Please, my friends, don't do the same mistake.

Sorry, I have to go now. I have a vírus scan to make.

jmoore5196 · Mar 9, 2013

I cannot help but think of John Ruskin's quote:

"There is hardly anything that a man cannot make a little cheaper, and people who consider price alone are this man's lawful prey."

Microsoft has been preying on the public for years. They've successfully lowered the common denominator for computing experiences to the point that what you've gone through is the norm. Why make hardware to an exceptional standard when the OS it's designed to run is complete crap?

Nermal · Mar 9, 2013

Yesterday I was booted into Windows to play a game. I'd nearly finished an objective (at which point I'd be able to save) when the game suddenly quit without warning. My first thought was that it had crashed, but nope, Windows had decided to force a reboot to install updates.

That alone reminded me why I prefer OS X.

PaulCostello · Mar 9, 2013

Wow! Lol Thanks for reminding me why I switched all my PC's over to apple. Ill never look back! Thx for post. btw, I really was laughing out loud.

Weaselboy · Mar 9, 2013

Nermal said:
Yesterday I was booted into Windows to play a game. I'd nearly finished an objective (at which point I'd be able to save) when the game suddenly quit without warning. My first thought was that it had crashed, but nope, Windows had decided to force a reboot to install updates.

That alone reminded me why I prefer OS X.

I have not used Windows since XP, but it looks like you can still tell it not to automatically install updates like that. That is how I recall having XP configured.

Michael Goff · Mar 9, 2013

ipapis said:
Hello, my friends,

I'm here to share my experience with you so you don't make the same mistake I did.

Well, I was a happy owner of a Macbook air 11 and a Macbook White 13.3. But I decided to give the first to my father and the last to my wife. Well, since I love games, I thought: " Why not try a Windows laptop again? After all, I was a heavy Microsoft user before and I did just great. And, this Windows 8 interface looks very friendly."

So, in my arrogance and naivety, I ordered a laptop with a Core I5 with 1Gb dedicated GPU. And I really thought I was being so smart: a similar Macbook Pro would cost twice and wouldn't let me play Windows games natively.

Oh, how could I be so wrong.

It all starts with the package. When I received it, the first thing I thought was:
"Well, it is not an IPad or MBA box, but this doesn't matter, because the laptop will be a rocket!"
Then, after I saw the laptop:
"Well, it is not a MBP, but if you look if from the side, under a weak light, it is beautiful. Well, surely it doesn't have the aluminum case, but who wants aesthetics?"

And then, I made the biggest mistake of my life (If you have a faint heart, please, stop Reading now):

I TURNED IT ON!

At first I thought that the interface was really clunky and not even intuitive. But surely, it was just me being too critic. After I thought that the mousepad wasn't responsive. Well, but that's why I bought a gaming mouse, right?

Then, I started to "play" with my new toy:

-Where's the dock?
-Why this Skype doesn't accept my 10 year old account?
-Why this Outlook doesn't synchronize?
-Why do I have to download 765 updates?
-Why is my computer unprotected?
-Why so many warnings?

-HEEEEELLLLP.

-I'm overreacting. This is a good machine. So, let me install the antivírus and update Windows 8.

-Oh, I was forgeting about the drivers. They need to be updated, too.

Well. After exactly 4 hours updating and installing the basic, my beautiful, powerful, incredible PC laptop froze. I resetted it. The system couldn't find my wireless adapter. I pluged it directly to the router. The system couldn't find my network adapter.

After 2 hours trying to solve the problem, and did a recovery deleting all the work I have done.

-How could I be so wrong? How could I be so naive?

Right now I'm writing this in my powerful machine, in which the mouse cursos lags, believe it or not. My old Core 2 Duo Macbook is much sharper.

Please, my friends, don't do the same mistake.

Sorry, I have to go now. I have a vírus scan to make.

So there's no way you could have a bad machine?

It's simply impossible?

Edit: Also, some of your problems come from "why doesn't Windows work like OS X". If I had come to OS X expecting it to work just like Windows, I'd probably have been disappointed too.

Nermal · Mar 9, 2013

Weaselboy said:
I have not used Windows since XP, but it looks like you can still tell it not to automatically install updates like that. That is how I recall having XP configured.

I did find and change the option, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a stupid default. Nothing should ever close your apps without asking.

TheMacBookPro · Mar 9, 2013

I hope OP isn't serious. Why isn't there a dock? Because it's Windows, not OS X

Nermal said:
I did find and change the option, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a stupid default. Nothing should ever close your apps without asking.

The default is a pop-up window that asks you if you want to reboot to complete installing updates, and gives you 10 minutes before automatically doing so.

Michael Goff · Mar 9, 2013

TheMacBookPro said:
I hope OP isn't serious. Why isn't there a dock? Because it's Windows, not OS X

The default is a pop-up window that asks you if you want to reboot to complete installing updates, and gives you 10 minutes before automatically doing so.

Actually, Windows 8 will automatically restart your computer if you don't manually restart it within... 2 days.

>_>

thejadedmonkey · Mar 9, 2013

Michael Goff said:
Actually, Windows 8 will automatically restart your computer if you don't manually restart it within... 2 days.

>_>

So what did we learn? OP got a new PC, expected it to be a mac, got upset after it told him it would install updates for 2 days, and then did so, and got upset that it won't connect to the internet or that he had to remember passwords. Sorry, but while Windows isn't like OS X, it's hardly a mistake.

Mrbobb · Mar 9, 2013

I wouldn't trash Windows so readily. Sure it's not smooth but the fact that many games are only Win-based...

I find that when there is a problem in Windows, there are 10 work- arounds. With OSX, sometimes is a black box. Am thinking just because the user base is so much larger.

racer1441 · Mar 9, 2013

Good warning. Windows 8 is like getting screwed by a rusty pole by a guy named bubba.

Avoid at all cost!

Abazigal · Mar 9, 2013

Michael Goff said:
So there's no way you could have a bad machine?

It's simply impossible?

Edit: Also, some of your problems come from "why doesn't Windows work like OS X". If I had come to OS X expecting it to work just like Windows, I'd probably have been disappointed too.

OSX knows when to work like windows and when to do stuff its own way (else there would be no reason for me to switch over from windows). Granted, it still has quirks of its own, but generally, it does have me scratching my head and going "um...why didn't windows do this right from the get go?"

Brian Y · Mar 10, 2013

I had to use Windows 8 to test a website in a virtual machine - oh my god! Now I'll admit up front that the last time I used Windows as a full-time OS was Windows 2000 - but seriously - what the hell have they done to Windows 8.

I mean, to turn it off, you have to hover the mouse over to one site, go to settings, then choose power off. Cause the "power" is a setting >.<

rbrian · Mar 10, 2013

Brian Y said:
I mean, to turn it off, you have to hover the mouse over to one site, go to settings, then choose power off. Cause the "power" is a setting >.<

I briefly had a job installing broadband in homes (briefly because there wasn't enough work - I mean seriously, who can't read the instructions in the box or locate a 12 year old to do it for them?)

At that time, I only used Windows; Macs were foreign to me. It took quite some time to figure out how to turn an iMac on. I mean who hides the power switch round the back of the screen where you can't see it?

All computers should have something like this:

Sleepy01 · Mar 10, 2013

I tried to go back to PC also. Not sure why ? Maybe nostalgia since my first computers were PC's.

Laptop experience. (Why is my trackpad broken) It was not, the glass Macbook trackpads spoil us all.

Desktop experience. (Why does my desktop sound like a washing machine) ?

Windows 8 experience (Just plain WHY ?)

Meh, the cheapest Mac is a better user experience than the most expensive PC

abz1981 · Mar 10, 2013

Wow that a story. Are you going to sell this pos and return it and go back to a mac?

MuffCabbage · Mar 10, 2013

Updates restart computer in 2 days on Windows 8.
There's built in AntiVirus.
Trackpad may suck.. Some are good some are bad. Its what you get when you go cheap sometimes. Driver updates may help.
Updates are what keeps you safe. Its just what happens these days with electronics.
SuperBar>Dock for me.
Now that all the initial updates are done its not going to be an issue anymore.
Did you not look at the computer before you bought?

Sent from my HTC6990LVW using Board Express

tekno · Mar 10, 2013

I think it's time for a third operating system to start pushing through. Windows is widely regarded as fairly awful, OS X is becoming quite long in the tooth and with more and more people looking to Android, Apple's many devoted May be looking elsewhere.

I think the time is ripe for Google to create a desktop operating system.

elppa · Mar 10, 2013

tekno said:
I think it's time for a third operating system to start pushing through. Windows is widely regarded as fairly awful, OS X is becoming quite long in the tooth and with more and more people looking to Android, Apple's many devoted May be looking elsewhere.

I think the time is ripe for Google to create a desktop operating system.

They've already got one, it's called Chrome.

tekno · Mar 10, 2013

elppa said:
They've already got one, it's called Chrome.

I don't think anyone would see Chrome as a competitor to OSX and Windows - its cloud-based set-up makes it fairly useless as a true OS.

Personally, I'd like to ditch OS X, but Windows is too dangerous for me to commit to. And those are my only options. So I'm stuck with OS X.

DisplacedMic · Mar 10, 2013

thejadedmonkey said:
So what did we learn? OP got a new PC, expected it to be a mac, got upset after it told him it would install updates for 2 days, and then did so, and got upset that it won't connect to the internet or that he had to remember passwords. Sorry, but while Windows isn't like OS X, it's hardly a mistake.

nobody is saying it's a "mistake." in fact that's what makes it frustrating: it's a feature (or perhaps even a necessity if stack mem overflows are still a windows problem)

what happens is sometimes that popup doesn't trump the GPU so yo don't notice it's ticking until your machine reboots.

it's by no means a deal killer, but it's definitely "one of those things"

certainly apple OSs have a few of their own - but not as many imo.

PraisiX-windows · Mar 10, 2013

I find it odd considering how awful skype is for mac, it should be okay for windows.
Is your post serious? it seems like a joke the way you build up suspense for the punchline. My troll/sheep combo detector definitely buzzed a bit reading this.

ilifecomputer · Mar 10, 2013

2/10 for me.

Sent from my RM-820_nam_att_100 using Board Express

Kissaragi · Mar 10, 2013

Seems a bit suspicious for a first and only post. Tim, is that you?

Please, don't make my mistake.

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