Why Windows XP sucks.

[Mav451]

Um, for me its pretty simple.

Use Firefox. Use Thunderbird and don't open attachments period.

That's it.
With those two simple rules I keep out spyware, viruses, and with SP2 a half-assed (hah) firewall is up by default (but better than nothing). That's with 0 effort on my part.

I guess with all the free time left, I can go play CS:Source, watch movies, or fool around in Photoshop, or play around in iTunes as you so put it (and yes I actually do use iTunes).

Mac users make it seem like hell, but i've been using XP for the past 2 years, w/o any formats, and its just fine here.

 

[Mav451]

...not only XP but everything Windows, I've been using mac's for nearly ten years and everything Windows or PC is a joke, take putting a new system on for example.

My old mans Dell Lap Top upgraded from 2k to XP just as bad if not worse, so:

• Boot from ME floppy
• Format C:
• Not supported because the HD has some crazy partition going on
• F Disk delete non logical partition then create logical partition
• Format C: (again with success)
• F Disk (name the b*stard)
• Boot from CD
• invalid system disk, please retry
• Scream throw everything at the wall, cry, kiss my G5.
• Boot again but hit return before the time out kicks in and it works!
• Wait a week for it to install and crash three times
• Install a SP update that makes everything worse than before.
• Re do all the above six months later.

On a mac:

• Insert CD hold down C
• Disk Utility - wipe required drive
• Install

I love Apple, and my old man is beginning to see the light and is looking for a G4 iBook.

If by ME you are referring to the Millenium Edition, then that's your problem there. How do I set up a new system? Uh, format the old partition, create a new one, then let XP run through the install.

3 steps. Its not even close to what you exaggerated it to be.

 

[daveL]

Well, I finally got my wife to switch from XP to an iMac G5. She couldn't be happier, and I'm happy too, since I don't have to maintain that piece of crap (1.8 GHz P4 Dell) anymore. I spent more time screwing with that thing than I did with my 2 Macs and a Linux box. Sometimes people just don't want to admit that they went down the wrong road, like the majority of the population. A cheap price with a ton of marketing doesn't make something good.

 

[Mechcozmo]

Use Firefox. Use Thunderbird and don't open attachments period.

That, right there, is about 200% more than you should need to put into a computer. A browser, made and distributed open source (aka, free) should not have to be the default browser that you must use! There is a Safari/FireFox argument, always will be one (well, most likely) and that is moot. Because Safari has less holes than IE. It is the default browser. The Mac side, it is a preference thing. The Windows side, you must go to FireFox or risk the consequences. And that is not right for a default browser and 10% of the freakin' operating system! Same argument with Thunderbird.

You can use Mail and be happy. Period. But try Outlook Express! That is like taking an open wound and dumping rotten meat in it, then closing it. You will be infected.

 

[hulugu]

Ironic though that we've gone through this thread assuming that most XP users aren't techie enough to understand critical upgrades, updating virus definitions, checking for spyware, installing a different browser, using a popup blocker - let alone understanding not to click on just any window. And then we slag off XP for treating people like they don't know jack. Or perhaps it's just that XP's little messages emphasise the wrong things.

XP has a tendency to do both: it treats power-users with a series of idiotic questions and wizards, and makes users who are clueless feel like they have some idea about their systems. XP manages to be too easy to use at first and then has an excedingly difficult power curve to keep it up.
OSX is easy at first and then allows power-users to do even more powerful things without the system getting in the way.
XP messages are meaningless jibberish almost all the time, and while OSX can spit the the occasional WTH? most of the time the alerts make sense and are always phrased in a specifically blameless way.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

I haven't made this assumption personally, but I think this is a related technical issue. Windows makes you know scads of things an ordinary user should not have to learn. I don't believe the consuming public would tolerate any other product that demanded so much care and feeding in ordinary daily use but at the same time treated them like they were dopes.

There's one other thing I should bring up about Windows XP (Pro) - it is so poorly designed that if you don't go into Group Policy (available ONLY in Win XP Pro, not Home) and disable Windows Messenger then restart, once you've set up a Passport like it demands that you do, you'll get bombarded with ads and spim (IM spam) once the bad guys find your account (if they haven't already), which usually takes less than 1 week.

 

[jeremy.king]

Another weakness of Quick Launch is that the icons aren't true proxies - that is, you can't drag stuff to the icon to open it with that application.

I can Do it all the time.

The only problem I see is that the icon doesn't change state (like highlighting or something) when you drag a file over thaticon to show you you are actually on top of that icon - cause if you miss...well, you got a new quick launch item.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

I can Do it all the time.

The only problem I see is that the icon doesn't change state (like highlighting or something) when you drag a file over thaticon to show you you are actually on top of that icon - cause if you miss...well, you got a new quick launch item.

I forgot that you can do that, but the lack of feedback from Windows is annoying, and hides the fact that this functionality exists.

 

[Mav451]

Hah, what do you know, I learn something new. I didn't know you could do that in Quick Launch, but I just tried to drag a file over the icon in Start Menu, and voila, it works.