Why do you use windows?

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: TheOmegaCode

three dimensional operating system

OpenGL apps run very nice on open source operates.

I think I once came across a Mesa-based 3-dimensional file manager. Trippy..

 

[NeoMadHatter]

why not?

 

[rh71]

Because it's what I learned when I first started computers - with WIN3.1 on a 386. It's simply easier. If and when I have the opportunity, I will explore Linux more... but I have a long list of must-learn-first software before learning another OS... namely IBM Websphere... that's a true bear. :frown:

 

[pulse8]

wasn't comparin it to linux, and I know no OS is perfect, but windows is like a bright red target for hackers with new vulnerabilities found practiaclly every day.

I've been running a Windows 2000 (then went to XP) system on a cable connection for over 2 1/2 years (it's always on) in my apartment and I've never had anyone hack my machine.

 

[dexvx]

1) Ease of use

No Linux/Unix system, even GUI'ed commercialized versions like RH and Mandrake has this level of ease. There are people that love to type lines and lines of code to get something to get some simple thing to work properly (I can understand coding for an advanced firewall/ router), but to me its just ridiculous when Windows has a 1 button for the same task in a nice friendly GUI setting.

2) Changing Resolutions on the Desktop

You can even change the resolution without exitting the shell. Thats lame.

3) Documentation

When I first started out, documentation for new users was close to nil, it was mostly documentation for adv users. It takes a rather long time to find out every config file and every command out yourself.

The only thing thats making me use Linux is scalability and cost. If I want a counterstrike/FTP & HTTP server, I do NOT want to boot in GUI mode that wastes memory. Command line is fine.

 

[Descartes]

Every OS has it's pros and cons. Windows is superior in many more facets than any other platform on the planet. I don't see how this can be feasibly argued.

On the other hand, I prefer *nix for a lot of things; neither is a panacean OS. I just use whatever tool is right for the job. I leave the dogma to the /. wannabes.

 

[mpitts]

I use Windows basically for ease of use and games. I do not use Windows exclusively. I have 2 Redhat 7.3 machines and a Mac running 10.2 at home. I like all three OSes and each of them has features that I like and use.

 

[Sketcher]

My next will be a MAC.

Already have 7 Windows PC's.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Ameesh
because im not a scared FUD spreading communistic turn coat.

You work for MS, isn't that right? You should learn to represent your company in a more positive manner. I use Windows and always have since 3.11 but statements like that from an MS employee, explicitly implying that I must use your company's product or I am un-American, are BS. That's a serious amount of contempt you must have for your customers. :|

 

[Platypus]

Every piece of hardware I've thrown at Linux works just fine, even dual monitors, and CD burner. It took a little work to make it happen, some driver and code editing, but hey, I have complete control over it. As for why I dual boot with XP, I have to use windows for most of the programs I need for my university education. I mainly use linux because it's fun.

 

To play games. If it weren't for games I would have bought a Mac a long time ago.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: notfred
4) Product Activation

Originally posted by: Ameesh
4) Don't steal, it wont be a problem.

I disagree, and it's why I still use my legal copy of Win2kPro. That which has to be activated can be de-activated (which is a key feature of Palladium, is it not?). One issue MS has always had is convincing regular users into upgrading. So what's going to happen 3-4 years from now when someone reinstalls their old copy of XP on their old P4 backup machine and gets to the 30 day Product Activation? Here's what I think that phone call to MS would be like: "I'm sorry, sir, but all product support for Windows XP, including Product Activation, has been discontinued. I suggest you upgrade to our new Windows **."

edit: and why do I use Windows? Compatibility. Isn't that everyone's reason?

 

[ObiDon]

<---- Ducks into thread without reading

Games and good hardware support from the OS.

I'll leave you guys to arguing "I only do REAL work on my computer" now.

 

[nord1899]

Work: I'm forced to. The software I work on only runs on Windows. Hopefully the next version will be multi-platform, but thats not my decision. Also, we use Exchange, so I'm forced to use Outlook for e-mail. But I get away with using Mozilla and other non-MS software at times.

Home: Only reason I stay with Windows is games. I would be using some distro of Linux (probably Mandrake) if there was some way to run all the Windows games on it. Or if they developed the games for both OS's. There is no other reason or piece of software other than games that keeps my Windows machine running Windows.

I guess that makes me some sort of communist. Promoting and using technologies not firmly entrenched in Intellectual Property laws.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: gopunk

Originally posted by: civad

Windows 2000 is WAY faster than Red Had 7.3 on the exact same machine

Dont use RH 7.3: wont use RH 7.3 if what you say is indeed true.

Still thinking how could a Windows OS be "free"...

ms gives away a ton of software.... i got 3 copies of xp pro and 2 copies of visual studio .net for free. most of the giveaways are to developers and students.

I'm not a developer or a student and I got free legal copies of WinXP and VisualStudio.NET from Microsoft.

nik

 

[Soybomb]

Originally posted by: dexvx
1) Ease of use

No Linux/Unix system, even GUI'ed commercialized versions like RH and Mandrake has this level of ease. There are people that love to type lines and lines of code to get something to get some simple thing to work properly (I can understand coding for an advanced firewall/ router), but to me its just ridiculous when Windows has a 1 button for the same task in a nice friendly GUI setting.

2) Changing Resolutions on the Desktop

You can even change the resolution without exitting the shell. Thats lame.

3) Documentation

When I first started out, documentation for new users was close to nil, it was mostly documentation for adv users. It takes a rather long time to find out every config file and every command out yourself.

The only thing thats making me use Linux is scalability and cost. If I want a counterstrike/FTP & HTTP server, I do NOT want to boot in GUI mode that wastes memory. Command line is fine.

1.) Ease of use
I totally disagree with you here. You may think its easier to point and click through 20 screens and drop down menus to configure a webserver, but for me its alot easier to just edit a text file. The apache config file is full of comments too so you know exactly what you're changing. I'm afriad its alot quicker and easier. I also only have to type "apachectl restart" to restart it too. It doesn't seem much harder than clicking to me, infact easier.

2.) Changing Resolutions on the Desktop
Actually its much easier than windows. It has a hotkey. Just press CTL-ALT and then the + or - on your numeric keypad. Its different than windows but you can't blame the os if you're not familiar with it and didn't read the book on it.

3.) Documentation
I don't know when you started, but when I started with slackware in about 95 the linux documentation project was going pretty good as I recall. People on newsgroups were more than willing to help me out too. I find it easier to find linux documentation relevant to whatever I'm trying to do than I do for windows.

All that said, I still prefer windows for my day to day surfing and gaming. It does it well. I do feel linux is far more suited for server applications

 

[ElFenix]

games.


soybomb... as for documentation, how many n00bs even know about newsgroups? i mean, theres a thread here at AT once a month about "whats a newsgroup?"

 

[Armitage]

I don't
Here's why:

Stability/reliability
Sorry, but windows still doesn't cut it. It's gotten alot better, but still not good enough. Particularly when you're working on clusters of remote machines a continent away. But then, Windows has lousy remote access anyway.

speed
Ok, it's been a few years, but awhile back I benched some of my code on NT vs. Linux on the same box. NT got smoked.

remote access/
Windows still doesn't have decent remote access. I'm regularly logged in to 3 to 5 machines in 3 different timezones, on 4 different OS (SGI, Sun, FreeBSD, Linux). It's as good as being there.

ease of use
Sorry, but navigating a tree of menus with a mouse isn't ease of use. I don't want to drag & drop to move files, or click a menu in a seperate application to reorder a file list. Opening a seperate application just to find a value in a directory tree full of files?? How can you live without grep at your fingertips Learn some sed, and you don't even have to open an editor!

If I have to reach for the mouse to do these sorts of trivial things, it's cumbersome.

And multiple desktops ... I can't believe MS hasn't grabbed that idea yet. That's one of the most painful things when I have to work on a Windows box ... being contrained to one desktop.

source
I've customized, modified or fixed several apps that I regularly work with.
I've also suggested improvements to apps that got incorporated in days.

freedom/control
I own my OS. I control my computer & my data. I don't have to agree to a license that says somebody else is allowed to remotely alter my system without my knowledge. My data isn't bound up in proprietary, undocumented, unsupported-in-the-next-version file formats. I don't have to ask nicely for a new license if I move my disk to a new computer. I'm not beholden to the MS continuous upgrade cycle.

ethics
Microsoft plays alot of dirty pool. Frankly, I feel better about myself not supporting it.

 

[edmicman]

Originally posted by: ergeorge
I don't
And multiple desktops ... I can't believe MS hasn't grabbed that idea yet. That's one of the most painful things when I have to work on a Windows box ... being contrained to one desktop.

I think that with the PowerToys comes an app that lets you use multiple desktops with windows....at least for XP anyway

Just some general comments....I don't get the argument about how typing arcane commands is easier than a point and click interface? Why should you have to know and remember "xteejls" or some other non-intuitive string command to do some basic function that can easily be graphically represented? It seems that all too often the *nix fanboys are are on their high horse because "we aren't with microsoft" rather than "this does it better"

I do think that for server situations, the nix croud probably has an edge at this point. I think Win2k Server is pretty good, and haven't had any problems in my experience, and when MS lets you boot a server to just command line thereby saving resources, that'll be a closer step. But for day to day regualr use, windows and macs win. Processing screens of text to use your computer just because its 'cool' is retarded. And how come it always comes down to win vs linux? Theres the mac crowd, but they always seem to just be "there" Macs seem to have a pretty good following, and they're just as much if not more GUI than windows. The recent OS's now have the command line stuff behind it, but it wasn't always that way.

Maybe they should just start making server OS's on a chip....if the OS was hardware based, it shouldn't crash, no? Slap on something to use as storage and there ya go heh

Just my $.02

 

[vash]

Win32 is what I know, use and utilize for paying the bills. My current expertise is in Win32, I consult for numerous Win32 platforms, so its my bread and butter. As far as "using' my computer goes, I'm pretty happy with Linux and its applications, but the only thing holding me back is the lack of a Half-Life client port to Linux. If Half-Life's client was ported to linux, I'd convert immediately.

vash

 

[Electric Amish]

Because I can play my games on it....

Because that's what the company uses....

If I could play all my games in Linux, I'd be using it.

amish

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: edmicman

Originally posted by: ergeorge
I don't
And multiple desktops ... I can't believe MS hasn't grabbed that idea yet. That's one of the most painful things when I have to work on a Windows box ... being contrained to one desktop.

I think that with the PowerToys comes an app that lets you use multiple desktops with windows....at least for XP anyway

Just some general comments....I don't get the argument about how typing arcane commands is easier than a point and click interface?

Because it's much faster & more powerful.
There is certainly a learning curve involved. But once you get there, it's like the difference between touch-typing & hunt-n-peck.

And FWIW, I'm a convert. About 4 years ago I took a job that was completly UNIX based. I hated it. Fought it tooth & nail, tried to "drag them kicking & screaming into the modern computing era (ie. windows)". Now I wouldn't use windows for anything serious. I still get ribbed by people who remember that.

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: PSYWVic

Originally posted by: notfred
4) Product Activation

Originally posted by: Ameesh
4) Don't steal, it wont be a problem.

I disagree, and it's why I still use my legal copy of Win2kPro. That which has to be activated can be de-activated (which is a key feature of Palladium, is it not?). One issue MS has always had is convincing regular users into upgrading. So what's going to happen 3-4 years from now when someone reinstalls their old copy of XP on their old P4 backup machine and gets to the 30 day Product Activation? Here's what I think that phone call to MS would be like: "I'm sorry, sir, but all product support for Windows XP, including Product Activation, has been discontinued. I suggest you upgrade to our new Windows **."

edit: and why do I use Windows? Compatibility. Isn't that everyone's reason?

i seriously doubt that'll ever happen. and even if it did...so what? you could just install 2k, and be back where you are today. no loss, and you even again some from being able to have used xp for a while

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation
Every piece of hardware I've thrown at Linux works just fine, even dual monitors, and CD burner. It took a little work to make it happen, some driver and code editing, but hey, I have complete control over it. As for why I dual boot with XP, I have to use windows for most of the programs I need for my university education. I mainly use linux because it's fun.

too much work for me, esp. when windows lets me have it all with no work at all.

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: PSYWVic

Originally posted by: Ameesh
because im not a scared FUD spreading communistic turn coat.

You work for MS, isn't that right? You should learn to represent your company in a more positive manner. I use Windows and always have since 3.11 but statements like that from an MS employee, explicitly implying that I must use your company's product or I am un-American, are BS. That's a serious amount of contempt you must have for your customers. :|

man get off your weird horse. NOBODY is going to stop using microsoft products because ameesh called somebody a communist. what are you retarded or something?