Your vote for the 5 worst pieces of software?

[Staples]

Originally posted by: geno

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: geno
Does Xupiter count as a piece of software? :disgust:

the worst of the worst

I dunno. What's Xupiter?

Hehheh, hopefully you don't have to find that out the hard way

I think it is tied into porn. My stupid brother (just turned 11) was looking at stuff on the web and the home page always gets switched to something by that name.

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: SherEPunjab

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: SherEPunjab

Originally posted by: Dari
there's nothing wrong with AOL. Just because you guys consider yourselves computer 'experts', doesn't mean you should look down upon software that tries to help others that aren't at your level.



BTW, I don't use AOL.

I've used AOL several times before, when I was 'netless' and wanted to use their free trial periods. I must say it does get worse and worse each year. Yes, AOL does have a niche market that it caters to, but in terms of it being one of the most popular software packages and the fact that it is bloated, and consistently requires downloads before it logs you off, I would venture to say it sucks. Technically, the software itself doesn't suck, but the service with software combination stinks. I've tried surfing the web with the aol browser as well and it is slower. In addition, a lot of websites look funky on there, and you can't even post on sites like AT. Then, to top it off you are paying 23.95 a month for this. I have to hand it to them that even a dummy can surf now, but even for its ease of use and friendly navigation, it doesn't justify the fact you have to constantly download and pay that high a price, and its lagginess.

35 million customers think otherwise. And I don't think 35 million is a "niche" market. They are more like the microsoft of ISPs and most websites are geared towards AOL users.

"niche" does not mean small, it means best fit for a certain market:

from m-w.com:

2 a : a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted

AOL is best fitted for those that are novice-intermediate in internet knowledge and experience. Out of that, probably more novice than intermediate. Most websites are not geared towards AOL users. Many larger websites are, but these websites are only a fraction of the total websites in the world. I think AOL is suited for those that dont' want to think to much, those that dont' want to spend too much time looking for other isps, and those that are novices. I can't see any reason why anyone who knows better or has the time would prefer AOL.



edit: and 35 million customers dont' necessarily think otherwise. Plenty of us own products and services that we still continue to use despite the fact that it stinks.

relatively speaking, the internet is still pretty new. The irony is that most people get online via AOL. AOL is around for the same reason as many other products that are made for the masses. The other irony is that those that hate the program are usually technically proficient. Those that want to tinker with software codes and have their own CS center don't have to worry about using multiple programs for email, browsing, instant messaging, and BBs, all in one interface. For the masses, this is highly convenient and (relatively) easy to use.

 

[SherEPunjab]

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: SherEPunjab

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: SherEPunjab

Originally posted by: Dari
there's nothing wrong with AOL. Just because you guys consider yourselves computer 'experts', doesn't mean you should look down upon software that tries to help others that aren't at your level.



BTW, I don't use AOL.

I've used AOL several times before, when I was 'netless' and wanted to use their free trial periods. I must say it does get worse and worse each year. Yes, AOL does have a niche market that it caters to, but in terms of it being one of the most popular software packages and the fact that it is bloated, and consistently requires downloads before it logs you off, I would venture to say it sucks. Technically, the software itself doesn't suck, but the service with software combination stinks. I've tried surfing the web with the aol browser as well and it is slower. In addition, a lot of websites look funky on there, and you can't even post on sites like AT. Then, to top it off you are paying 23.95 a month for this. I have to hand it to them that even a dummy can surf now, but even for its ease of use and friendly navigation, it doesn't justify the fact you have to constantly download and pay that high a price, and its lagginess.

35 million customers think otherwise. And I don't think 35 million is a "niche" market. They are more like the microsoft of ISPs and most websites are geared towards AOL users.

"niche" does not mean small, it means best fit for a certain market:

from m-w.com:

2 a : a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted

AOL is best fitted for those that are novice-intermediate in internet knowledge and experience. Out of that, probably more novice than intermediate. Most websites are not geared towards AOL users. Many larger websites are, but these websites are only a fraction of the total websites in the world. I think AOL is suited for those that dont' want to think to much, those that dont' want to spend too much time looking for other isps, and those that are novices. I can't see any reason why anyone who knows better or has the time would prefer AOL.



edit: and 35 million customers dont' necessarily think otherwise. Plenty of us own products and services that we still continue to use despite the fact that it stinks.

relatively speaking, the internet is still pretty new. The irony is that most people get online via AOL. AOL is around for the same reason as many other products that are made for the masses. The other irony is that those that hate the program are usually technically proficient. Those that want to tinker with software codes and have their own CS center don't have to worry about using multiple programs for email, browsing, instant messaging, and BBs, all in one interface. For the masses, this is highly convenient and (relatively) easy to use.

agreed, but it is laggy and the consistent downloads suck. and the price does too. you have to admit....

 

[Staples]

Well, I don't like QuickTime much because it crashes all the time if you put it in the background however I use it all the time.
Realplayer I just hate. Have hated it equally for the past 4 years.
Rational Rose, I hate the class associated with the use of it so very much.
Although it is not specific to any software, I hate CD images because there are so many formats and each player supports only their own. Is supporting ISO, an open standard really that hard?

 

[Oakenfold]

Gator and LOP.
Their creator's should be burned and condemned to the nether regions.

 

[CraigRT]

1. Easy CD Creator
2. MSN Messenger
3. Real Player
4. Quicktime
5. anything made by Symantec

 

[radioouman]

Xupiter
Gator
Klez
Easy CD Creator
AOL

 

[cbeavers]

1) AOL Anything
2) Roxio or Easy Cd Creator
3) Netscape
4) Windows Millenium
5) Real anything player

 

[xospec1alk]

Originally posted by: rh71
Does RealPlayer/RealOne Player ever crash on you ? No? Didn't think so.

Just because it may contain ads doesn't mean it's the WORST software. It means it needs funding. You want ad-free stuff, you pay for it, like almost anything else out there... but it's no reason to single Realxxxxx out.

If you think it has spyware, why isn't Kazaa on anyone's list ? Yeah, thought so.

actually realone has crashed on me the last couple times i was trying to view streaming cnn footage....

 

[bjc112]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
I'm looking for the worst software that you just dread using. The worst of the worst. Maybe the thread will make other software look better by comparison. My list:

#1- Real Player
#2- Kodak Imaging Software
#3- Music Match
#4- Scott Studios-AXS
#5- Outlook Express

I have to use the bottom 3 daily. :shudder:

Outlook express..

What are you problems with that???

 

[bozack]

1. Lotus Notes
2. Lotus Smart Suite
3. Mishterm
4. Gator
5. Weather bug

 

[bolsen]

1. REAL PLAYER
2. Smartsuite
3. Nutscrape
4. Real Player
5. Real Player

 

[Siddhartha]

WinDVD. It screwed up my system leading to hard and soft crashes and blue and black screens of death.

 

[LakAttack]

Real (have hated it since the begining)
Windows 98
MS Word (bloated, bloated, bloated)
Netscape 4.x (still holding back web design)
Dreamweaver 4 (haven't tried mx yet, but i hate what dw4 does to my code)

 

[Turkey22]

has anyone ever figured out where xupiter comes from? I think I've finally wiped it from my system but I dont really want to get it again...
Gator is bad too. The absolute worst though is pron dialers that auto install. OMG they are freakin annoying!!!

 

[Iron Woode]

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: SherEPunjab

Originally posted by: Dari
there's nothing wrong with AOL. Just because you guys consider yourselves computer 'experts', doesn't mean you should look down upon software that tries to help others that aren't at your level.



BTW, I don't use AOL.

I've used AOL several times before, when I was 'netless' and wanted to use their free trial periods. I must say it does get worse and worse each year. Yes, AOL does have a niche market that it caters to, but in terms of it being one of the most popular software packages and the fact that it is bloated, and consistently requires downloads before it logs you off, I would venture to say it sucks. Technically, the software itself doesn't suck, but the service with software combination stinks. I've tried surfing the web with the aol browser as well and it is slower. In addition, a lot of websites look funky on there, and you can't even post on sites like AT. Then, to top it off you are paying 23.95 a month for this. I have to hand it to them that even a dummy can surf now, but even for its ease of use and friendly navigation, it doesn't justify the fact you have to constantly download and pay that high a price, and its lagginess.

35 million customers think otherwise. And I don't think 35 million is a "niche" market. They are more like the microsoft of ISPs and most websites are geared towards AOL users.

Hahahaha... hold on a minute.....hahahahaha. Ok i stopped laughing now.

AOL is not an ISP. And what does "most websites are geared towards AOL users" actually mean?

AOL is slowly going bankrupt and will soon dissappear. And when that POS software dies, it will leave a huge gaping wound in the world of spam, giving us all a break for a short time.

 

[kermalou]

GATOR

 

[billandopus]

Originally posted by: Renob
If you think it has spyware, why isn't Kazaa on anyone's list ? Yeah, thought so.


Two words<-----------------------> Kazza Lite

Kazaa lite.

Obviously the first quoted poster hasn't heard of Kazaa lite or can't figure out that it's the spyware not the software that's the problem. That's why Kazaa lite exists and that's why Kazaa should not be brought up in this thread.

 

[billandopus]

Originally posted by: yoda291
1. winME
2. winXP
3. Real anything
4. Outlook Express
5. Office XP

first, no one seems to have noticed nemesis left out win2k and nt4...I suspect that's what he uses( as do I )

-ME is crap until you hack it apart so that it has the functionality of 98, and makes you ask, why didn't you just use 98?
98 was fine so long as you changed your default shell to progman instead of explorer...no one ever did.
-winXP didn't improve anything in 2k except for system rollback which, to me, is bad because it just gives people another excuse not to make backups.
-Real sucks. hard.
- Selling a machine to a person with OE installed is kinda like selling an idiot a door with a 6 inch hole punched through it right by the doorknob. You should be patching it up, but you prolly won't.
- Office XP doesn't really add anything to o2k except the fact that the dlls are incompatible, meaning you have to reimport them to whatever functions that calls them and the software licenses cost an arm and a leg in comparison.

I like your OE comment. How true.

 

[calpha]

Cool Topic.

1. MS Bob was by far the biggest waste of crap.
2. Anyone that was ever ludicrous enough to try MS Sound System (any friggin version) on Win 3.1. Worse still.
3. Can't believe no one's mentioned Norton AV. Switch to Panda and you'll never leave it.
4. WinAmp3/MusicMatch--Don't know why Musicmatch gets such rave reviews. I even bought the lifetime upgrade way back at version 4.0 and I still don't use it. Too many locks/too slow
5. AOHell---not because it's not easy to use....but because it's so easy to muck up. Try putting a AMR modem on AOL 7.0 and see how much it likes it.

Biggest Bloatware:
Office XP
Windows XP (gimme 2k)
Anything Stardock (amazing technolgically IMO b/c I couldn't program it, but I don't have a 3.0 Ghz....so I'll take speed over beauty)
Real-anything---a decent product back b4 GS2 came out....but now I don't use it anymore b/c it's just too unstable
Macromedia Web stuff not including Flash/Cold Fusion ---gimme ultra edit any day.

PS.
Winrar is crap??????????
Try using it again. PPl use winrar b/c sometimes you get better compression then plain ol winzip.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: Dari

Originally posted by: SherEPunjab

Originally posted by: Dari
there's nothing wrong with AOL. Just because you guys consider yourselves computer 'experts', doesn't mean you should look down upon software that tries to help others that aren't at your level.



BTW, I don't use AOL.

I've used AOL several times before, when I was 'netless' and wanted to use their free trial periods. I must say it does get worse and worse each year. Yes, AOL does have a niche market that it caters to, but in terms of it being one of the most popular software packages and the fact that it is bloated, and consistently requires downloads before it logs you off, I would venture to say it sucks. Technically, the software itself doesn't suck, but the service with software combination stinks. I've tried surfing the web with the aol browser as well and it is slower. In addition, a lot of websites look funky on there, and you can't even post on sites like AT. Then, to top it off you are paying 23.95 a month for this. I have to hand it to them that even a dummy can surf now, but even for its ease of use and friendly navigation, it doesn't justify the fact you have to constantly download and pay that high a price, and its lagginess.

35 million customers think otherwise. And I don't think 35 million is a "niche" market. They are more like the microsoft of ISPs and most websites are geared towards AOL users.

Sorry, it fills 2 niches:
Niche 1: Morons with computers who don't know better, think AOL must be great because they advertise more.
Niche 2: Unfortunate people in locations without a better alternative.

My top 5: in no particular order
Winamp3 (disappointment after Winamp 2... remove bugs, not add bugs for a newer version!)
Real* (Go away and stop taking over my extensions. I don't want you playing those types of files)
Microsoft Bob
Spyware (gator, savenow, etc)
Microsoft's scandisk (vs the manufacturer's utilities... It warrants being on the top 5 just for demanding that I select shutdown properly on my computer rather than powering it off... I had to friggin power it off because windows crashed! )

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: Dr Smooth
WinDVD. It screwed up my system leading to hard and soft crashes and blue and black screens of death.

WinDVD does that... I've read that it's best not to install multiple software DVD players on your computer as they screw each other up somehow.

Who hated Lotus Notes? I think it's awesome if you use all the features... But, there are some obvious improvements that have still been left out (to make the upgrades worthwhile)

 

[Spencer278]

Eclipse -- Just let me use emacs
Quicktime
ATI Drivers / installer / media center
Acrobat Reader -- Even with a 19 inch monitor I can never read a document with out messing around with zoom, and they when it is right I mess up the zoom trying to scroll with the mouse wheel.
Rational Rose -- The program could not a have a worse interface and it is so unstable.

 

[GoodToGo]

WTF is MS bob?

BTW my choices are:

i) Real Player - never stops giving pop ups, is really unstable. I really wonder why people still use it as the primary video streaming software as comapred to WMP:|

ii) AOL - dont bother.

iii) EZ Cd creator - OMG, I cannot imagine how people use this POS. It is the most obstrusive, useless POS software ever. I uninstalled this software the first time I used it.

iv) MSN messenger - interferes with your TV tuner, crashes like crazy, dunno why my family uses it

v) Weatherbug- OMG, its going to rain today so I am going to make sounds that are going to drive the user insane and give 100 pop ups

EDIT: forgot Zone Alarm, OMG that program makes you wanna get off the internet.

 

[Afro000Dude]

AOL: There's more to the internet than AOL!!
RealPlayer: Why can't people just use normal file formats!?!?
Winamp3: Keep it simple!!
Quicktime: See RealPlayer ^
Kazaa: Stupid popups!!

WinRAR is not bad! It works just as well as Winzip and doesn't yell at me every time I open a file.
I have never had any problems with Adaptec Easy CD Creator 4... very simple to use. I don't see how you could mess that one up...