Re: OT: I've had it with Windows - got Linux working

I hope I'm not a coming across as a blinkered Linux evangelist;

And I hope I'm not coming across as having any interest at all in any particular operating system. I just thought it was kind of amusing that your description of being rid of Windows doesn't exactly sound like much of an improvement. I forgot the goddam smiley face again. :-)

I recently got a computer which runs on Windows Vista. The only software that would not run on it at all was my old, very old, Paperport scanning and OCR software, and something called WinFax. Took a little screwing around to get another very old program called Ecco Pro to run, but it runs fine now. Before that, I never had any problems with operating system compatibility.

The recent problems with Vista are okay, though. It was high time for me to get a better scanner, so I did. I missed WinFax until I discovered that my new Brother multi-function printer/scanner/copier/fax has equivalent software packaged with it. [Off-topic plug for a product I highly approve of: Brother MFC 7820N. $250 after rebate, totally bitchin' so far. I love it.] There were early software incompatibilities with Vista, but most publishers have got up to speed now. I like Windows Vista, it's fast and so far very stable. I'm using Vista Home Basic, just as I always used XP Home. No need for the bells and whistles.

Maybe I've just been lucky, I don't know, but I've managed well with Windows machines for a long time. But, at the same time, if it were easy and economical, I'd ditch Microsoft in a heartbeat, just because I don't like anything that big, powerful and uncaring. But, it's neither easy nor economical.

What amazes me is that we, as consumers, put up with the unbelievably clunky way that all operating systems work. They're better than they used to be, but there's no reason why computers should only be easy to use for experienced users. My mom ought to be able to use hers without having to call me several times a week. There is no other consumer product with such a steep learning curve, while at the same time having such enormous potential for no learning curve at all! The problem is clear: The ones who could make computers easy to use have no interest at all in doing so, because they are all computer geeks who don't recognize that there's a problem. Those idiotic Apple ads with the two guys calling themselves Mac and PC summarizes it perfectly: The computer world is happy to continue bickering about whether Mac or PC is better, ignoring the fact that neither one is worth a ***, considering how long they've been around and what the current state of development ought to be. It's like people who endlessly bicker about which is better, Republicans or Democrats, which renders them unable to acknowledge that they're both hopelessly corrupt and inept, and equally bad for this country.

Knowaddimean?
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