Sunday, November 18, 2007

Periodically my parents ask me to solve problems on their Windows computers. It's a job I hate with a passion because (a) I don't use Windows (b) it's a lousy, buggy, insecure operating system (which is why (a)).

Right now I'm trying to help a friend of my parents install iTunes on her new Windows Vista laptop. Wow, is it slow. Like, 15 minutes to reboot slow. (If it were fast, I wouldn't have time to write this post.) A brand new computer shouldn't be this horribly slow on any OS. (It's a Sony Viao.)

It's come to this: for Chrismukkah, I'm buying my dad a Mac.

Labels: technology

11:42 AM

8 Comments:

Nice present indeedy. :)

By  R. K. Bentley, at 12:17 PM  

Windows computers come with every service running. All you have to do is stop the ones you don't need from running, and your computer runs faster. Of course, this isn't too easy and is a stupid thing Vista makes you do.
But just wait until Macs become more popular and hackers begin creating viruses for them. The only reason Macs don't get viruses is because hackers don't bother making viruses for a computer that 1% of the population owns.
Windows do have a lot of problems, though, most which are caused by the amount of ram each service and process takes up. However, viruses are caused by the user. If your pc is getting viruses due to it's alleged insecurity, it's purely your fault. Viruses don't sneak onto your computer while you do normal things on secure websites. They go onto your computer via sketchy websites that claim to offer you 'free' stuff or through bad viral porn.
Tell your dad to stop watching p... *cough*

I haven't gotten a virus in 5 years. Don't click the banner - you aren't the 1 millionth visitor to the page and you haven't won a prize.

Macs are nice - they just work differently.
For example, the way maximizing a window works to fill th whole screen, but leave space at the bottom for the toolbar has never sat well with me. Also, closing a window doesn't close the program. These aren't Mac's faults, just things I've never been able to get used to. Macs are good OSs, though. I'd buy one, but that would mean I'd have to buy one (cha-ching). I'm also more of a drag-n-drop kinda guy when it comes to mp3 player. I hate iTunes and how it works and the whole integration obsession Apple has with it's macs, video libraries, usic libraries, and so forth just get on my nerves. And iTunes is just the most clunky music and video organizing program I've ever used (besides windows media player 11, but who actually uses that?)
Winamp for life. :P

By  Anonymous, at 1:38 PM  

Leopard may still need a bit of work, but my word, at least you don't have to worry about it being slow!

By  Lee, at 3:07 PM  

My Dad would also continually call me about problems with his computer (he lives on the other side of the country, so asking me to drop by isn't an option). Most of the time I would simply say "It's Windows, and I don't know Windows." He bought a scanner and didn't use it for almost a year because he couldn't get it to work. Mac users can probably guess what I said.

Finally came the time for him to buy a new computer. I sent him links on switching to Macs. Told him that Macs were basically made for people like him. In the end, he bought a Dell. And it sat in the box for 2 weeks until someone came by to set it up. And he's already called me twice with problems.

And Carlo,

Macs actually make up 8% of the market now.

By  Tim W., at 3:49 PM  

I know macs are more popular now. I'm talking about the WinXp age where the internet was booming and viruses were-a-plenty.
I'm not sure you'll have less issues installing a scanner on a mac than a windows pc. If you're having problems, then it's probably not OS based. Windows and MACs both share around the same amount of drivers for those kind of peripherals and use them the same way.
I agree about Vista being slow, though. It's the main reason I don't like it. However, security isn't a problem. Whenever people tell me they can't write a paper or email be because their computer has a virus, I throw up a bit inside.

By  Anonymous, at 4:56 PM  

Have you considered installing a dual-boot of Ubuntu?

http://www.ubuntu.com/

It's free, fast, virus-free, and incredibly well-supported.

Here's 10 reasons why you might like it: http://www.softwarebattle.com/2007/11/12/10-reasons-why-you-need-to-download-ubuntu-right-now/

By  Xander Bennett, at 12:02 AM  

hey tim, I posted about this (yes, nice present!) Vista is the hebetudinous OS. My laptop falls asleep and when I try to awaken it, it has the personality of a drunken sailor.

http://bluestockingla.blogspot.com/2007/10/mini-rant-vista-hebetudinous-os.html

The Dell laptop I have is the cheapie and I am so surprised by how good it is, generally, but it has this falling asleep-waking up problem.

I love iTunes but it's finicky. It's hard to transfer your library to your other computers too (from desktop to laptop, etc.)
And here I was on your site ruminating about the MDQ and solving that for my script.

By  Bluestocking LA, at 5:32 AM  

{wishing for edit function}
that's what happens at 2:30 am, I meant hey Alex, not tim... do not know where oh where that came from? lol. sorry.
:-P

By  Bluestocking LA, at 5:40 AM  

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