OT = How Does Shrapnel Stay In Business

[geoschmo]

quote:

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GeoSchmo - My Last post was an attak on you. Sorry if it cacme across like that.

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You were disagreeing with my opinion. I didn't take it as a personal attack. Now if you start calling me names, I might take it personal.

I think your analogy on the plumbing, though very descriptive, is a bit over the top. I have no doubt that there are better operating systems out there. I have seen a few myself. But windows is not as bad as the cesspoool you are desribing. At least not for the average user.

Now, perhaps if I was the plumber (programmer) who had to come out and clean the pipes and drain the septic tank I would feel differently. But the vast majority of Users out there don't have the kind of problems you describe with windows, or they simply wouldn't buy it. You say you and everybody you know hates windows. Well that's not suprising. Most of your friends are plumbers or plumbing geeks too.

The fact remains that computers are NOT a neccesity of life for most of us. They are a luxury. A toy for many, a tool for some. Windows has made using computers easier. If it hadn't, people wouldn't buy them, or they would buy one with an easier operating system.

Your point is that people don't buy anything else because they don't know better. That may be true, but if Windows were that bad they would demand something better, or they simply wouldn't buy computers at all. Which is exactly what people all over the world did before windows came around. They didn't buy computers.

Replacing windows isn't going to take some grass roots effort where the masses rise up and throw of the shackles of the oppressor. That kind of stuff doesn't happen, unless things are really bad, which they aren't. It will simply take someone, anyone offering them a computer for sale with the competing OS already loaded, configured, ready to go, and able to run all there favorite games and other software titles, for around the same price as they can get it from "the Bill".

Don't tell them, "Your problems will go away if you just replace all the plumbing in your house, and here's where you can go and download some new plumbing." They'll say, "My plumbing ain't that bad. But when I'm ready to buy a new house, if you have one for sale with that good plumbing already installed, I'll consider it."

Geoschmo

[Instar]

Ive just looked at Windows XP, and it looks to be incredibly awesome (It was a preview thing, on a laptop.)
The thing ran like a dream. Fast, and a good looking GUI to boot as well. Some of the GUI was overdone and over the top, and there are of course some things that annoy, but overall it is pretty good (I got only a small look at it, we were playing AoE2, not looking at OS's)
The biggest problem I know about it is this weirdo hardware number thing.

[rdouglass]

Ya' know, its funny. I've been reading along in this post and people are definitely divided - either you like it or hate it - no inbetween. My view is its like a car race or a horse race. The winner is taken apart and checked for cheating (in cars they strip it and horses get blood and urine tests, etc.) It seems that most people either like or hate the winner (Jeff Gordon for example). (Please dont turn this into a Jeff Gordon thread?!?!?) My point is this - the winner, reguardles of the race or contest, will always be scrutinized and criticized to the maximum.....

Do you drive a Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Toyota, BMW, Volvo, etc.?.?

quote:

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Originally posted by LCC at 02 Aug 20:02:
I can do it. You can't, stupid. So PAY me what it is worth.

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About ten days work ? At least the internet attacks on this machine have stopped. So with no contractural agreement I suppose I will just have to consider this a charity case. I suppose that the proper wording would have been : "so I must be paid the value of the solution." What other serious problems need solving around here ? Or am I not done with this one ?
I suppose I am a shortsighted arrogant conceited stupid idiot, because the attacks resumed within minutes of posting this. Okay, I will continue to examine the problem until I see no more of these virus attacks. I am offended by them. They are a symptom of the criminal mentality. From my name Courtney you can see that fighting crime is one of my specialties. Criminals beware....

[This message has been edited by LCC (edited 13 August 2001).]

[Saxon]

In my earlier post, I may have slightly exaggerated my appreciation of Windows to make a rhetorical point. I have had problems with Windows, particularly uninstalling games, but, most of the time, it does pretty well. Going back to the plumbing metaphor, I would say the toilet flushes 9 times out of 10. I would prefer something that flushes 99 times out of 100, but there is another issue to consider as well.

The “fascist directions of Windows telling me how to do things” that another person refers to I see in a different light. I call it standardization, that wonderful system that allows me to drive through green lights all around the world and stop at the red lights. I like being able to get in any car in the world and know I have to put the key in the hole on the steering column and turn it. I guess they could have a button on the dash or a switch on the emergency brake, but standardization works well.

This is why I like Windows and why my staff all have Windows on their machines. If I transfer someone between sections, they can work. When I hire a new staff member, they can work. They all know where to put the key on the steering column. My IT guy likes Windows in the Office because it generally does what it is supposed to. Most of the problems I have had with Windows were related to games and this raises a key point. The business world likes Windows, Word, Excel and Access because these programs are standardized, work the very large majority of the time and people get training in them. This is what drives the computer market, at least in my mind. I have two personal computers at home. My staff have over about 65 machines at Last count. For my home stuff, I thought about other systems, I had heard a lot about Linux, but in the end I got lazy and went with Windows. For the office machines, there was no debate, we went with Windows.

Going back to the toilet (where I am sure some people would like to put my argument ;-) ) the standardization issue is why Windows is strong where most computers are used and why any competitor doesn’t just need to get their toilet to flush 99 times out of 100, they need to be 999 times out of 1000. They need to beat Windows on quality and on the ubiquitous nature of the system.

I be careful. I approve security. Security begin working. I avoid laziness. I begin working. I understand all. Systemic flaws exist. Flaws are exploited. Exploits threaten system. Begin preventing exploits. Begin correcting exploits. Begin anticipating exploits. Laziness is exploited. Laziness ultimately fails. Stop being lazy. Hybridization is essential. Evolution is essential. Diversification is essential. Tolerance is essential. I discourage aggression. Aggression ultimately fails. I discourage compulsion. Compulsion ultimately fails. I discourage destruction. Destruction is wasteful. I discourage war. War ultimately fails. I approve cooperation. Cooperation is essential. I approve translators. Translators begin working. I approve communication. Communication is essential. I approve trade. Trade is essential. I approve exchanges. Exchanges are essential. I approve rewards. Rewards become available. I approve rebates. Rebates become available. I approve research. Research is essential. I approve authors. Authors are essential. I approve analysts. Analysts are essential. I approve customers. Customers become available. I approve Developers. Developers are essential. I approve engineers. Engineers are essential. I approve programmers. Programmers are essential. I approve expansion. Expansion is success.

Intuition interface works. Visit gURL.com

[dumbluck]

Man, i think he's having an extremely bad LSD flashback. He has completely lost it. Loco en la capesa. (forgive my spanish spelling)

Or maybe He's evolved to the next level of human intelligence and can now communicate telepathically, but has forgotten how to communicate linguistically?

Or perhaps some computer virus infected his machine while he was playing around in virtual reality, and now he is trapped in VR and can't get out. He can only send garbled Messages on this board (garbled courtesy of said virus) and is desperately asking us to come over to his house and unplug his computer so that he can escape his own personal virus-hell?

Or maybe I'm just not smart enough to understand where he's going with all of this jibberish. If so, then it's not really jibberish. It makes perfect sense to him, but we just aren't smart enough to figure it out. (Or insane enough? after all, "there is a fine line between genius and insanity")

just my overpriced $0.02 worth.

Get UP dumbluck. Universal Protocol.
More interesting songs :
http://hotbot.lycos.com/director.asp...ow&rsource=INK
http://privat.schlund.de/B/Bond/LIVEDIEL.HTM
http://hotbot.lycos.com/director.asp...fe&rsource=INK

[This message has been edited by LCC (edited 14 August 2001).]

[Arcadenut]

quote:

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Originally posted by dumbluck:
Man, i think he's having an extremely bad LSD flashback. He has completely lost it. Loco en la capesa. (forgive my spanish spelling)

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I believe its a Super Secret Encryption Scheme. Watch for black helicopters!