Re: For those in need of some amusement.....

[Rich Perna <richp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----

Even though I'm not the person you're replying to, I'll have a go.

From: W Guy Finley <wgfinley@ameritech.net>

> this time you're coming from having known another OS and you want your new
> OS to be your old OS and come simple to you.  Well, it doesn't usually
> happen that way.  So you've forgotten when it was difficult for you to use
> Windows.

Windows is as difficult or as easy as you make it.  Even though MS has
ripped off some of the best UI ideas from other companies, they've spent
millions making it as easy as possible to use a computer.  I've seen many
first-time PC users use Windows and be proficient enough to load/use
programs, print, etc. without any hassle at all.  You can't tell me in all
sincerity that Linux/various GUIs are as easy to use and user intuitive.

> In fact, you're being a little hypocritical here.  Your zealous
endorsement
> of HTML is similar to the "bigotry" you refer to later on.  Assuming we
all

Yeah, you do have to be pretty naive to send HTML to Usenet or a Linux
mailing list.  Arguing about it with people more experienced is a sign of
someone who needs a new job.

> Yes, MS is working hard to make their systems easy to learn and easy to
> accept rather than looking for the best product.  MS products are great if
> you want to do things EXACTLY their way.

They're an unethical business, what can I say.  Windows' current usability
is pretty good, though.

> adjuster who is a wirehead.  I get called away from my desk several times
a
> DAY to do mundane garbage like copy a file to a floppy!  View a JPEG!
Find
..
> yet is exposed to it every day.  I think that would explain why every time
I
> call the Help Desk on a legitimate issue (like my umpteenth bad Dell
laptop)
> I'm on hold forever (and no, my company has plenty of resources to hire
> people).

It sounds like your company has a somewhat inept IT staff.  User training?
(good) Hardware standards?  Your daily rebooting of Windows is not typical,
and points to your company not having an experienced hardware/Windows
person.  The only app at my current job that I see die on a regular basis is
Outlook 97, which is an utter piece of sh*t.  Nothing to do with Windows
itself, and it rarely brings Windows down (my users understand ctrl-alt-del
"End Task").  Out of curiosity, what apps are you running when Windows dies?

> blue screen o'death?  Never have that huh?  I see one daily and I consider
> getting Windows to work correctly a daily chore of chasing bugs between
> Windows, software drivers, etc.  Where's your standardization now?  Lovely

Eh, unless you change hardware every week, you're being melodramatic here.

> how M$' next new thing is just another thing to crash my system (i.e. IE4,
> DX6 and others on their initial release).  Yes, M$ products are so great
> they never have to release umpteen fixes and service packs!  Better yet,
> they don't have to BUILD IN Win98 a system to get said fixes and service
> packs!

Heh, I don't see how you can knock Windows for this when Linux is much
worse.  Windows 98 has had one service pack in the past year; how many new
kernel releases has Linux had?  I also consider a good web browser to be
important; Linux has none.  Communicator is good every other Friday, except
on odd numbered days, but most days it just dumps core.  When it does work,
the speed and graphic capabilities of IE5 make Communicator look like a
joke.

> This is pretty interesting Chris, I've seen people get on this list and
ask
> some pretty dumb questions and rarely a harsh rebuke.  Sure RTFM is a
little
> strong but it's TRUE.  If you're having a problem with something you
should
> always check the documentation first.  Just like all those nifty README
> files in Windows you just skip over.

Yeah, he's probably referring to Usenet, but I'm just guessing.

> were miraculously solved when I directed them to the README file.  I find
> your advocacy of Windows' "ease of use" to be a complete joke.  There
> couldn't be anything out there more unstandardized or buggy.

Again, there you go with the pot/kettle thing.  Buggy, yes, but Windows is
*very* standardized, from a UI perspective.  KDE is very nice, but still
needs a lot of work to even approach the usability of Windows for most
users.

> Oh, this one is rich Chris.  I was writing an estimate on a guy's car
today
> when I had one of my usual Windows lockups thus requiring a reboot.  I
> happened to be writing a 100+ line (each line is a repair operatoin) $8000
> estimate on a guys car.  I was 75% done when my system locked up.

Like I said previously, this is almost certainly NOT a Windows problem.
When was the last time your laptop had a fresh OS install?  It could be a
seedy bit of hardware/driver, or a rogue application.  If you upgraded to
Windows 98 from either 95 or 3.1, you really need to reformat and start from
scratch.  The whole Microsoft upgrade thing is a sham, their operating
systems are too fragile to work reliably afterwards.  If anything, you want
to do fresh installs of new MS OSes for purposes of speed, if nothing else.

If it is a fresh install, look at what applications you're running.

> Well Chris, I got news for ya, I don't expect that which probably explains
> why I'm learning Linux and drive a Honda!

I personally believe at least 50% of Honda drivers are a-holes, and
everybody knows Toyotas are the best Japanese cars.  Wait, you've had good
luck with your Honda and you're not an a-hole?  You generalize about things
too much.  You don't know that even though the popular opinion is that
Windows sucks, the reality is that person has an incompatibility problem
through hardware or software.  I know that the "Windows Sucks" belief is
great ammunition for OS bigots fighting imaginary wars, but the truth is
that once properly set up, Windows will pretty much take care of itself.

> Secondly, YOU have to realize that Linux is CUTTING EDGE, and in its
> infancy.  You're expecting a fault free product right out of the box.
> They're working on it!  Sure, it can be a little difficult now but does
that
> mean its inferior?  Hardly.  I call a big fat resource gobbling GUI on top
> of an ancient operating system inferior (read WINDOWS).

It's inferior to people who don't have the time to learn Unix or have the
patience to find out how to set up things like printers or PPP.  God forbid
they crash and don't know fsck!  Also see:  VHS vs. Betamax.

> Actually, Microsoft is doing a great job of employing people.  Like I said
> earlier, my company is CONSTANTLY hiring Help Desk people because of

That explains a lot.  It's possible you need to hire a competant hardware/
Windows guru, not just "let me show you how to print in Windows" people.

> Oh, and "minutely few cases where reliability is life critical".  Gee
Chris,
> stuck in the 50s are we?  Everything from traffic lights to telephones is

Yeah, this guy is obviously infatuated with Microsoft.  I don't understand
the mindset that feels like it needs to justify shoddy service or products.
Like I said, though, both his and your perception about Windows crashes is
wrong.

> The American public ACCEPTED gas guzzling unreliable cars and bought the
Big
> 3 line on why Hondas and other imports were no good.  Well, a few "cutting

And they paid the price.  My opinion is that Microsoft is starting to get
burned the same way the Big 3 did, though in the server market and not in
the desktop space.

Rich