UGH! Stop the Microsoft Bashing!

[TBi]

finally, someone mentioned this!

to each, their own. i'm a solaris admin by trade and we always bash windows at work. not because we don't like it. but because there are things that it can't do while solaris can. same goes with the windows guys, they always bash solaris for the things that it can't do. although it's not that many

I generally don't bash any system, whenever i do it's just in a joking way. Everyone of them has it's merits.

There are good things about Linux, Unix, OSX and Windows. There are also bad things about them. There will always be things you don't like about any given system. That is what they are all different. People think differently to each other. Some people relate well to OSX, others to Windows and others love the Linux mindset.

Why waste time bashing others just because they think differently to you?

Talking about solaris, you could probably set up solaris in minutes to do what he wants. Mainly because you are knowledgeable with the system. It's harder to work on other systems because you are expecting it to work the way you want. For me personally setting up the Mac on the network took longer than i'd hoped, mainly because i was looking where i'd look in windows. (Although having to turn on file sharing in a special program rather than through a control panel applet was a bit strange).

 

[Poseidon]

Like the Zune, or Vista?
What else have they come out with recently?

i've used vista, and i'm not totally against it. unlike many of the people here, i find the operating system usable, snappy and, yes, somewhat pretty. i can get past that os x has had integrated search for two years, and i can get over the fact that flip3d is a crappy version of exposé. i think vista offers more good than it does bad, so i guess i kind of like it. however, please do not use the xbox 360 as a quality microsoft product. everyone i know has had it replaced at least once, most of whom more than once. the quality issues with that console remind me why i hate microsoft so much; they just simply don't make quality products. combine that with years of bad windows design, and you're going to get some bashing. and it's going to be deserved more often than not.

I actually would use the Xbox 360 as an example of a quality Microsoft product.

From a gamer's standpoint - and I'm definately one of those - my experiences have been almost entirely positive with it. Most of the games that I've bought have been enjoyable and worth the money, especially with some of the advances made in gameplay mechanics and appearance.

I've also been very impressed with the online aspect of the 360 - it far surpasses anything that Sony has been able to do and Nintendo is willing to do. They've done a nice job pulling together all the different elements of online interaction through the Dashboard mechanism and I've appreciated the wide range of content (both free and pay) made available for downloading.

By the way, I have actually had to return my unit for what I believe was an overheating problem. While I was annoyed that it happened - especially since this seems to be a somewhat common occurence that MS hasn't addressed - I was pleasantly surprised by the warranty/repair process. All I had to do was make one fairly quick phone-call and then send my 360 back in a prepaid UPS box - the repairs were made and then the unit was returned to me. No hassles, no extended phone calls or arguments with MS and no extra cost to me.

 

[dpaanlka]

Microsoft has done some low things in the past, but it's not like everything they come out with now is crap.

It's pretty close. In fact, this whole web site is just really scary.

This whole paragraph is annoying. Who do you think they're referring to?

"Past success in software and computing didn't require a diligent focus on user experience. Sure, it happened from time to time, but in the big scheme of things it was a novelty or an aberration that wasn't tied to market performance or product success in most cases. Even computers and software that defined their markets and were delightful to use simply didn' t capture the consumer imagination enough to become standards."

Why bash Microsoft when you can caress...


View attachment 71198

...Or lick!​

Where can I get that shirt!

 

[jadekitty24]

Just ignore it and let it go. This is what I do sometimes, when someones opinions differ from mine. You can't actually stop the bashing anyway.

- Scott

I couldn't have said it better myself.

I hate how people can be so petty and bash EVERYTHING that comes out of a particular company out of misguided loyalty to another company, low self-esteem, the need to feel superior and smug, the list goes on. Everyone has the right to voice their own opinions, but when someone is being blatantly immature on certain topics just ignore it. Don't let it get under your skin. And know that getting upset over such people will never change how they are. There will always be asshats among us.

Just my advice...

 

[dpaanlka]

You're forgetting that a lot of people have been using computers since before Windows 3.1. Some of us have a long, long list of reasons to hate Microsoft and snicker at everything they do today to try and change our opinions.

 

[princealfie]

I love Windows CE actually. In fact, that's just as stable as Mac OS X

 

[nateDEEZY]

Where can I get that shirt!

Linked from digg

 

[TBi]

You're forgetting that a lot of people have been using computers since before Windows 3.1. Some of us have a long, long list of reasons to hate Microsoft and snicker at everything they do today to try and change our opinions.

Such as?

I mean, it's not like you were forced to use microsoft now was it? Unless i missed that part of MS history...

Also if you needed to use windows to use some piece of software then maybe it was the software itself that was crap. Why blame microsoft.

Also you can blame driver companies too.

You know Windows runs perfectly stable on a computer using known hardware, that's why it's so stable on Mac's. Intel hardware, with Intel tested parts and intel drivers. The only time i ever have trouble with windows is on cheap old systems with no name parts with drivers written by a bunch of sloppy programmers.

You blame everything on microsoft when a lot of the problems arise from the hard ware and third party software.

 

[dpaanlka]

Such as?

I have no intentions of posting 15 years or so of PC problems. Rest assured, there were way more problems with my 20 or so PCs than with my 80+ Macs.

I mean, it's not like you were forced to use microsoft now was it?

Yeah, actually, thats exactly the case. Our family had a PC before I was born, and I had a fortunate early start with computers. If your six, and your parents refuse to buy anything other than a PC, and all your school has is PCs, well that pretty much qualifies as being forced to use them.

Also if you needed to use windows to use some piece of software then maybe it was the software itself that was crap. Why blame microsoft.

I'm well able to ascertain the difference between Windows and WordPerfect. One ran horrible and gave me nothing but trouble. One was a pleasure to use.

Also you can blame driver companies too.

We were too poor at the time to have peripherals. Just a desktop and a display.

You know Windows runs perfectly stable on a computer using known hardware, that's why it's so stable on Mac's. Intel hardware, with Intel tested parts and intel drivers. The only time i ever have trouble with windows is on cheap old systems with no name parts with drivers written by a bunch of sloppy programmers.

Would you like me to go around my dormitory (which is about 70% PCs and 30% Macs) and take a photograph of every PC and Mac that runs like ****?

Yeah, I suppose if you ONLY run Windows, and bundled Windows software like Word Pad and Solitare, you probably won't have many problems. Well actually no, running IE will eventually lead you to trouble.

You blame everything on microsoft when a lot of the problems arise from the hard ware and third party software.

Yeah, but like, a lot of it has to do with Microsoft too. And it's not just *problems* either. Windows, when working perfectly fine, is just super annoying to use. And I grew up on Windows.

 

[TBi]

Linux was around back them i'm sure, and so was OS/2 Warp. Two alternatives that i can think of off the top of my head

I'm guessing if you were having that much trouble then you weren't using an intel machine.

I'm sorry for your woes though. In all my years of windows usage i've only ever had trouble with windows when i started mucking around with settings i shouldn't go at and beta drivers. Oh and also when i used VIA motherboards, but i blame that on cheap VIA chipsets and drivers.

I've done loads of work on my various computers over the years. Installed lots of software and never had serious problems.

I put this down to a PEBKAC

 

[IJ Reilly]

Bashing for the hell of it is wrong - bashing when something truly deserves it is not.

Exactly. It isn't bashing when you have a good reason for criticism.

I find, the more a person knows about Microsoft, the less they like the company, and the less they want to see them exerting such enormous influence over the direction of the technology industries.

 

[dpaanlka]

I find, the more a person knows about Microsoft, the less they like the company, and the less they want to see them exerting such enormous influence over the direction of the technology industries.

Reading Fire in the Valley really gave me a distaste for Microsoft. It also was like a gazillion pages. This was before I ever owned a Macintosh, during the Windows ME days, and was probably one of the primary reasons I started looking into Macs. Additionally, it probably gave me the interest in the older hardware that I have now.

Look where I'm at now...

 

[TBi]

<snip> and the less they want to see them exerting such enormous influence over the direction of the technology industries.

I agree in a way this is bad but one thing it did do was standardise things. Documents have been standardised around word, file systems have standardised around FAT, and so many other things that were forced down our throat but we reap the benefits these days because now we don't have to support everything.

(By standardised i don't mean everything is that but that everything supports it)

 

[Poseidon]

Such as?

I mean, it's not like you were forced to use microsoft now was it? Unless i missed that part of MS history...

Yeah, actually, thats exactly the case. Our family had a PC before I was born, and I had a fortunate early start with computers. If your six, and your parents refuse to buy anything other than a PC, and all your school has is PCs, well that pretty much qualifies as being forced to use them.

Come on Dpaanlka - that's a pretty weak argument. Microsoft is to blame because your school and family weren't willing to buy a Mac?!

I'm not disputing your experiences or your opinion of MS - but blaming them because someone else bought their computers seems a bit over the top.

 

[dpaanlka]

Come on Dpaanlka - that's a pretty weak argument. Microsoft is to blame because your school and family weren't willing to buy a Mac?!

Of course Microsoft isn't to blame for parents and schools buying their products, that would be ridiculous. Microsoft is to blame for making the products such underwhelming crap.

That was a pretty good try though.

 

[someguy]

1. Lack of originality.

2. Bill Gates can spout off all sorts of utter bullsh*t and the general population won't know any better, for instance:

"Nowadays, security guys break the Mac every single day. Every single day, they come out with a total exploit, your machine can be taken over totally. I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine."

Um. What???

 

[IJ Reilly]

Reading Fire in the Valley really gave me a distaste for Microsoft. It also was like a gazillion pages. This was before I ever owned a Macintosh, during the Windows ME days, and was probably one of the primary reasons I started looking into Macs. Additionally, it probably gave me the interest in the older hardware that I have now.

Look where I'm at now...

A bankrupt, Apple fanboy?

I developed a real distaste for Microsoft during the mid-'90s. It wasn't about the products, which I have always been prepared to take or leave (mostly leave), but about their business practices. This was well before they were found by the courts to be illegal. Most people are unaware that Microsoft has been engaging in restraint of trade since the late '80s at least.

I agree in a way this is bad but one thing it did do was standardise things. Documents have been standardised around word, file systems have standardised around FAT, and so many other things that were forced down our throat but we reap the benefits these days because now we don't have to support everything, and that these practices have resulted in the massive, dominant Microsoft that we know today.

(By standardised i don't mean everything is that but that everything supports it)

Microsoft has been the sworn enemy of standards for decades. I'm talking about real standards, the kind that are open and held in common. Microsoft has understood the power of owning and manipulating standards, to the advantage of nobody but Microsoft. A standard is not a standard when it is proprietary. A proprietary standard is just another word for monopoly.

 

[Poseidon]

Such as?

I mean, it's not like you were forced to use microsoft now was it? Unless i missed that part of MS history...

Yeah, actually, thats exactly the case. Our family had a PC before I was born, and I had a fortunate early start with computers. If your six, and your parents refuse to buy anything other than a PC, and all your school has is PCs, well that pretty much qualifies as being forced to use them.

Come on Dpaanlka - that's a pretty weak argument. Microsoft is to blame because your school and family weren't willing to buy a Mac?!

I'm not disputing your experiences or your opinion of MS - but blaming them because someone else bought their computers seems a bit over the top.

Of course Microsoft isn't to blame for parents and schools buying their products, that would be ridiculous. Microsoft is to blame for making the products such underwhelming crap.

That was a pretty good try though.

Errrrr product quality wasn't even brought up in the original statement.

TBI originally asked if you were "forced" to buy MS products. Your response was "Yeah, actually, thats exactly the case..." My only contention was that it was silly to blame MS for a decision made by your parents and/or school - I said nothing about product quality.

That was a pretty good try though.