Well it's certainly not worthless to the millions of businesses who've depended on either the windows operating system or spin off applications such as word, excel, powerpoint etc...over the past 20 odd years.

The availability of such software has enabled businesses to adapt and evolve.


I for one would register it. The only really considerable alternative is linux, but that is certainly not a suitable operating system for the general public. Aside from windows and linux where are the alternatives?...there are none!


It's a good job you aren't a lawyer..."joe *most likely* killed fred so let's lock him up and throw away the key"


XP hasn't crashed in the two years I've had it installed. I'd say most crashes are down to external influences such as virii and user activity. I treat my pc with respect and in return it behaves well. I keep my antivirus software active at all times and the virus definitions up to date, I keep my firewall rules tight, I make sure all the software I install is compatible with the operating system and I frequently defragment my drives and scan the disks for errors. A lot of crashes come about as a result of not treating the pc properly.

Anyone who has not crashed XP, is not using it. Seriously. It hangs, it dies, it "loses" internet connections -- and the SP2 is not due out for another year, it seems. I run XP and it crashes regularly. MORE so than ME did, even. I guess it's what you use it for.

It's pointless to go on, but I've used every version of windows since 1.0, and almost everyone I talk to would switch in a minute if there was an alternative. M$ made sure there wasn't, but Linux is catching up. More applications are being ported, and they don't have to worry about compatibility -- or more exactly --> forced incompatibilities.

Soon, very soon, people will have the real choice to use purely open source software. M$ days are numbered, and it's not even wishful thinking any more.

*ANY* computer can run web-based applications regardless of operating system, or even browser choiices. TCP/IP and CGI, along with Java and browser-based scripting have equalized the playing fields. Even CPM made a comeback in hand-helds and PIM's.

So, I stand by the statement window's is not worth $1000's, and I refuse to pay for it. I only take it if I can't get it removed from my machines -- and I resent every $$ spent in this "tax." I remember the "Windows Tax" M$ tried in the 80's.

Some of us have long memories.

So, if you feel you "need" windows, you are the type of customer M$ counts on.

But, *please* don't think most people in the world "value" any version of windows at $1000's.

M$ and Windows have COST everyone $1000's in anti-competitive, low-quality, buggy, EMBARRASSING software. I remember a time when a programmer would have hung his head in shame over code like Windows -- M$ is PROUD of it!!! Norton Anti Virus even tried to remove Windows 3.0 kernal as a virus!

(and there is still stuff in windows that classifies as a virus... <sigh>)

Bill Gates once said why would anyone ever need more than 640 K of Ram... now he has programs that can't even run in 64 MEG of ram.

There is no question in my mind M$ should have been broken up long ago. EVERYONE would have been better off, and if they are broken up tomorrow, the world will survive, and be a better place in a matter of months. Windows is LOUSY code, and once people get over the "fear" of being without it, they will find themselves much, much better off. Windows has HELD BACK advancements, not hearalded them as M$ would like you to think.

But... this debat is pointless.

As I said, I was commenting on the value of M$ operating systems, VS GT programs, which I'm running completely under UNIX.


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I use it daily for graphic design and intensive internet downloading - by intensive I mean 30+ concurrent downloads. It hasn't hung or crashed once. It has slowed down, but that's understandable.

There are a few incorrect statements in your post that I'd like to correct, but I'll refrain.

You telling us that its never crashed on you? If so, you are one lucky guy!

I am using the latest patches, and it still crashes on me! If I had the option, I would go back to 2000. It was much more stable...at least on my system.

Cheers

Andy (mod)
andy@ultranerds.co.uk

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Yup, as far as I know.

I can't remember the last time I had to reboot my pc other than when installing new software.


It's likely that your crashes are down to something unstable installed on your system or intensive usage, rather than a bug or flaw in the core operating system. The systems that tend to crash the most are those with low cpu and low memory, which is completely understandable and is not the fault of the OS. It's like asking someone with diabetes to run a marathon - they will collapse.

I'm running a 2.7 Athelon.. with 512Mb RAM... I don't think its a case of not having enough processing power. It crashes even on the most basic tasks, such as trying to open up the 'Desktop' folder via Windows Explorer

Cheers

Andy (mod)
andy@ultranerds.co.uk

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I've moved this Windows XP discussion to the proper forum.

Cheers,

Alex
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