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I had to use Windows today :(
- Thread starter Frisco
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johnnyjibbs
macrumors 68030
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?
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
macrumors 603
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.
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.
spercharged69
macrumors 6502a
SiliconAddict
macrumors 603
Re: I had to use Windows today-- I went to Hell!
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. Its 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* Ive been using windows since 3.11 and I know it backwards and forwards. Ive 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 10.2.8s initial release bugs or Panthers 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 Ive yet to see a single install of ME that doesnt 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.
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. Its 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* Ive been using windows since 3.11 and I know it backwards and forwards. Ive 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 10.2.8s initial release bugs or Panthers 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 Ive yet to see a single install of ME that doesnt 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
macrumors 603
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. Its not a presumption. Its 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 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
macrumors 68000
Re: Re: I had to use Windows today-- I went to Hell!
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.
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
macrumors 6502a
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). 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.
jeremy.king
macrumors 603
(1) Hence why I said "if work allows it"
(2) I doubt you could B slap me around 😱
(3) Where in Burnsville? I grew up and graduated in Lakeville.
Originally posted by io_burn
Oh you poor poor baby you had to use windows.
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
macrumors 603
mactastic
macrumors 68040
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. 😉
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. 😉
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.
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.
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...😀
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
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...😀
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
macrumors regular
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.