Ever so often I suddenly get interested in one particular topic and then go trawling the web for everything I can find about that one subject. Last week, it was Scientology, and I ended up watching a couple of hours of videos about it, including BBC documentaries, Wikipedia articles, Uncyclopedia articles and Scientology’s own website.
This week’s winner, however, happened to be
See, I like Windows. Actually I don’t, Not much. But being a product of a society that’s always been a victim to Bill Gates and his omnipresent monopoly, being part of a middle-class Indian family that wouldn’t be able to afford a Mac even if they’d heard of it at the time they bought their first PC, being someone who really doesn’t have the time to install and learn enough Linux to work my way around it comfortably, I’ve never really had much choice with my operating system. It doesn’t help that most of the software I’ve gotten used to over the years was always Windows-compatible (and none of it ever looks like it’ll be compatible with anything else).
But Vista really was the pits. For those of you still in the dark, the whole concept of using a graphical user interface (GUI in basic geek-speak), icons and the like was an Apple iDea. Excuse bad joke. Microsoft, needless to say, flicked it. That was the most famous of the events in the old days; a copy-all policy that Microsoft follows till today. Vista is a cheap clone of Apple’s Mac OS X. Shameless one too. Gates has gone on live television claiming credit for Apple innovations. Indeed, as is said in the industry, “Windows 95 was Mac 85″. Redmond seems out to prove that if Cupertino can do it, so can we. Sorry, so will we. At $200 less. I’ll save pictorial evidence for another post.
Windows XP was pretty lousy by itself, what with all the bugs and blue-screens, but Vista beats it hands down. Which is why today, I choose to go Vista-bashing. Some of today’s samples.
Voice Wreckognition
More Voice Wreckognition
In case you’re wondering, Vista really IS the Lithuanian word for chicken.
Finally, I’ll let this video speak for itself.
If you’re anti-Windows AND have time to kill, you may want to go look at his sort of stuff on Uncyclopedia.
EnJoY.
3 Comments
Ah, I knew i wanted to read this one
Anyone who decides to make an OS without a GUI must be an idiot. So what if it was flicked,it’s still a great idea. Bashing Microsoft for the GUI of all things is probably the worst argument you can come up with. So r u saying formula one cars with rear wings are stupid because they copied the first car manufacturer that used them? Imagine computing without GUIs!
As for windows xp, i’ve never had a single virus/spyware/bsod with any version i’ve used. it’s all about staying informed and treating your comp nicely. most crashes are because of something the user did or installing mistrusted software. and viruses aren’t made to affect other OSes because no one uses them anyway
you havent really said what’s good about the mac. Have u ever used one? is it really better? i can’t comment on that myself.
And as for linux, you just said it yourself. not too many people have the time or inclination to learn to use it.They’d rather pay for windows. Why? not because they don’t want to change, but because there really is a problem. Ubuntu has been doing some good work to bridge the divide, but then most linux distros are still horribly user unfriendly, require the user to resort to the command line for many functions, have bad fonts (in case you didn’t realise, that’s a BIG problem for the desktop user – something that Microsoft and Apple have been great at. look at the latest vista fonts for instance) You can also find innumerable blogs criticising LotD(Linux on the Desktop). Oh and I forgot to mention that open source graphics still have some way to go, so that rules out most videogames.
Oh btw, have you noticed that apple also forces you to buy their own hrdware? You don’t have a choice with apple. You can only get what they give you. Don’t forget they’re still closed source, patent software and are just as evil as microsoft in that sense.
And if you’ve got a problem with microsoft’s cost cutting policy, then you’ve got a problem with capitalism. You get something that serves your purposes for a lower cost, who won’t go in for it?
I like windows because it is probably the only OS that can be used by a wide range of people with a short learning curve. My primary OS these days is Linux because it serves some of my purposes better than windows. But I don’t think it is the same for the general public. I also support the free software movement for the principles it stands for, and am against commercial software companies regarding issues such as software patents. But still, they exist, and they have their own reasons for that. You can read Bill Gates’ open letter to hobbyists for an idea. Not everybody is an altruist. Which is why I have deep respect for free software developers.
I just had to put that down. So many people just go around bashing windows. Some on technical details that maybe valid, but they don’t concern common folk (i’d like to direct attention to the switch to linux animation on the ubergeek website), and most because that’s what everyone else is doing.
Oh and as for the speech wreckognition, comeon!that was a WiP demo. You should know better than to cite that. It’s like criticising google products. You can’t, because they’re all beta versions!
@ Nushi:
Good old you. I expected this.
So let’s begin dissection.
GUI : My problem isn’t with Microsoft using GUI but with them trying to claim it for themselves. I believe it’s happened in the past and I really can’t recall my sources right now because I read it a long time ago. But somehow I don’t have trouble believing it, considering how closely Vista’s GUI resembles OS X, coupled with the fact that Microsoft claims it’s an original design.
Viruses/spyware : I treat my computer nice, trust me. I’m very, very careful. And I still get BSODs for absolutely no reason. No viruses or spyware, thank you, I keep my antivirus software updated. Most of my BSODs have been traced to OS problems. Maybe you just got lucky, because every other computer I’ve seen running Windows gets them. Or maybe you just don’t get as many attacks on your computer because (and I’m taking a shot in the dark here) you’re using Linux more. While we’re on the topic, remember Windows 98 crashing at launch? I happen to have watched that live on TV. Please don’t tell me someone wrote malicious code for an operating system even before its official unveiling.
The Mac : I’ve used an older version a few times. Not OS X yet, though I’ve seen other people I know using it. I did mention it’s rather expensive, albeit indirectly. And yes, the fact that it happens to be made specifically for the hardware it’s sold with makes a difference. It works better but it does require better hardware. The fact remains that it hasn’t really been given much of a chance because of Gates’ marketing techniques. Mac is better for a lot of purposes, and Microsoft ought to try catching up – WITHOUT claiming Mac innovations for themselves. Apple forces you to buy their hardware, accepted, but the fact remains that their computers work much better that Windows. On the contrary, I’ve seen Vista asking for manual clearance for a Microsoft mouse. That image on the post happens to be from Uncyclopedia but I’ve actually seen it happen.
Linux : Yes, it has a long way to go but remember it’s only just taking off. It really does look like it’ll soon catch up. It’s promising enough to be a viable alternative – like you yourself write – for some purposes. For most purposes except gaming, in fact. And there’s no excuse for Microsoft to claim certain Linux concepts for itself. Bad fonts really aren’t the Linux developers’ main worry right now.
FYI, I only mentioned the other operating systems to point out which parts of them Microsoft happens to be claiming for itself and why I’m unable to switch though I’d prefer to.
Maybe you ought to read the post carefully. My entire problem is not with Windows as such. I don’t even have a problem with their capitalist principles or whatchamacallit. What I do have a problem with is the fact that they often try to sell others’ ideas as their own. The fact that their products do have more glitches than they should. The fact that Vista seems to ask for a confirmation for everything you seem to do on it (Yes, I’ve used Vista). Like I’ve already mentioned, that image of Vista asking for clearance for a MOUSE was taken from Uncyclopedia, but I’ve personally seen that box come up. Not only for mice but anything and everything else you try to do on Vista. Don’t spew some rubbish about security, because security doesn’t necessarily involve such annoying stupidity as an “advanced” operating system unable to recognize basic hardware components. As for voice-recognition screwing up, you ought to realise that the first of those videos is from the official for-the-press demonstration by Microsoft. If they haven’t got it right yet, why show off as if they have? Shades of the Windows 98 launch again? Rich boy never seems to learn, does he?
To Microsoft’s credit, they’re regular and honest with their announcements of bugs and fixes. Probably, as a Microsoft spokesman once said, they seem to have more glitches only because they publicly announce and accept all of them. But the question remains – shouldn’t they have fewer glitches? Mac is a lot more robust – why can’t Microsoft ensure that Windows is rather more robust before they launch it? How come their APIs escape their corporate secrets vaults so easily (a minor example – the theme API which was supposed to remain closed-source but got out within weeks of launch.) Escaped APIs doallow the public to tinker with their OS but they also throw the gates open for malicious programming. Shouldn’t the company be more careful with protecting their code to prevent problems, rather than repeatedly taking weak defensive stances?
I still hate the fact that I’m forced to use Windows. I’ll shift operating systems as soon as I can afford to buy myself a Mac. And knowing you, all this stuff I’ve typed won’t convince you. Nothing ever will. But it ought to clear up some points for other readers.
Oh, I totally forgot about this post and I see that you have replied.
First, I want to make my stand very clear. In the light of the facts that Linux seems to be hard to use/learn for the average user, and you get whatever the Mac does at a much cheaper rate with your choice of hardware, Windows does seem to be the best option for an OS.
And you have a moral problem with Microsoft? That’s fine, but just to let you know, most people don’t give a shit. They don’t care who copied who and claim it for themselves. They’re getting the same features for less, and you can’t beat that. And how come no one talks about Apple copying the GUI idea from Xerox? The Xerox Star was the first computer to feature a GUI/Mouse and it’s well known that Steve Jobs ripped the idea.
No one gets BSODs for absolutely no reason, and I’m saying this with reference to XP SP2. This is now one of the most stable and reliable OSes. Faulty hardware, unknown software, etc, etc… No one can believe the amount of spyware they have on their comps, but almost everyone i know has had them. People just need to be more informed and careful.
And right now, the spyware/viruses/security issues/leaks affect mostly only windows, and the reason is purely because it is the OS used by the majority. I am pretty sure we’ll hear more reports for other OSes as soon they get popular. Nobody cares if anything malicious they do is going to affect a handful of people.
As for Linux, if developers aren’t going to get concerned about fonts, then they can forget about LOTD. The look is pretty important when it comes to the average user, and we can see how Apple tries to capitalise on that. It can be irritating seeing chunky text and primitive looking windows. But a more serious problem is the lack of standards. There are so many Linux versions that it becomes impossible to keep track, making learning and usage all the more difficult.
And finally, no one is forced to use any OS. You always have Linux if you can’t afford a Mac. Not learning to use it is your fault, not the OS’s or anyone else’s for that matter. And I’m not sure what you’re trying to convince me of. You should probably first get what I’m trying to say before you start off on your programmed “I hate Microsoft” rant.
The following links should provide some insight into the whole Microsoft vs. Apple thing. I personally find comments sections of most blogs far more interesting than the blogs themselves.
Post on Apple Matters
Post on Scobleizer