Comments for 3 moments in Vista that make me consider Linux

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#11 /* 14 months, 15 days ago */
I'm going to organize community supporting old hardware under Vista. Who interesting contact me sux11mail@gmail.com
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Gravatar jacks Anonymous User
#12 /* 14 months, 15 days ago */
I've been using Linux full time for five years, settling with Ubuntu three years ago. My wife upgraded from XP to Ubuntu on her laptop 3 years ago, with Windows 2K in VMware (will be in VirtualBox soon). It took a while to learn my way around, just like it took a while to become a power user in Windows 95, or Windows 3, or MS-DOS 3.2, but it has been worth every bit. I watch (almost) anything I want with mplayer (nobody in Linux can handle WMP 10 files), I burn anything I want with K3B with never a coaster, I listen to anything I want from my huge CD collection that has been ripped to Ogg Vorbis files. If you decide to make the plunge, you can start with dual-booting - Ubuntu makes it easy. Once it is installed, make friends with ubuntuguide.org.
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Gravatar Michael Anonymous User
#13 /* 14 months, 15 days ago */
I feel your pain.
No, wait! I don't feel your pain.

I could feel your pain, because my wife has to use Windows on her work PC, but those folks aren't dumb enough to use Vista.

To date, the only time I've even seen Vista is when I check out new computers. Sounds like I need to keep it that way.

As to Linux, you'd be amazed at how much works how well how easily. The big problem is specialty apps. For example, my wife needs specialized mortgage software. It runs in Windows and nothing else.

VM is a workable solution at the cost of some complexity. More to set up and more to go wrong, but, once you've got it going, a great way to have the best of both worlds. Some apps also work fairly well with WINE, a windows API layer for Windows, but you are more likely to succeed with some form of VM.

You really ought to bite the bullet and make the switch. VM lets you hold on to the old while you search for the new.







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Gravatar dinotrac Anonymous User
#14 /* 14 months, 15 days ago */
My wife just bought a Dell Inspiron 1720 with Vista Home Premium on it. She knows nothing about setting up computers, so I'm doing it. The laptop uses the 1.8 ghz Intel Centrino chip. Vista runs pretty fast on this computer -- usually. There are times when it seems to just go into "hold everything" mode and do god-knows-what-system-stuff. Then it resumes it's speed. I've run into install issues with Vista: Photoshop 7 and Irfanview plugins did not install. These programs run fine via Wine in both of my Linux installs. Oh the irony of it. UAC is worse than I thought. I mean, I setup an Admin account and two user accounts (one for my wife and one for me.) Set up according to this proper protocol, does Vista really need to ask me about EVERYTHING? I tried turning UAC off but then I would get constant messages telling me it was turned off. ARRgh.

Vista also is showing it's "long goodbye" bug. It is very slow to delete files.

Vista may be the future of Windows, once the rough edges are polished off. But in the long run, I don't think it's the future of computing. That would be open source and Linux.

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Gravatar Doug Roberts Anonymous User
#15 /* 14 months, 14 days ago */
If you do try Ubuntu be sure to check out the ubuntuforums.org and help.ubuntu.com sites. There are lots of other great ubuntu sites but those are great ones to start with.
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Gravatar Anonymous User
#16 /* 14 months, 14 days ago */
Much of your bad experiences with Microsoft Windows Vista, and "probably" XP are just the reality of using Microsoft products, no matter the anecdotal responses from those who "never" experience faults in the OS.

I suspect however that your reluctance to consider another OS like Mac, GNU/Linux and/or PC-BSD/FreeBSD has more to do with general human psychological behavior than with Visual Studio, Windows Games or a "special" Windows-only application. Unfortunately most humans stay bound in their comfort zone - no matter how limiting/prickly the experience, and only take "necessary" leap out when there is no alternative to getting things done.

I sincerely hope you can break away - sooner rather than later, since learning to use e.g. Eclipe or QT developer, the same or alternative to your "special" proprietary app and the growing list of "cross-platform" games will probably prove more worthwhile and enjoyable that the misery of remaining a slave to Microsoft's unimaginative and poor quality software.

W. Anderson
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Gravatar W Anderson Anonymous User
#17 /* 14 months, 14 days ago */
you know, other than the DRM, those are two of the top things that drove me away from windows...

Except I left when XP was still in it's adolescence. I wanted to leave earlier but couldn't bring myself to do it.

Why do you put up with it?
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Gravatar Alex Morse Anonymous User
#18 — Author comment /* 14 months, 14 days ago */
I suspect however that your reluctance to consider another OS like Mac, GNU/Linux and/or PC-BSD/FreeBSD has more to do with general human psychological behavior than with Visual Studio, Windows Games or a "special" Windows-only application. Unfortunately most humans stay bound in their comfort zone
I put up with it because it still just about allows me to do what I do the best. I'm not saying that as some sort of Windows-loving, Linux-hating person. I love Linux. I play in it and work with it when I can. I'm comfortable doing things about it.

There really are just a few things that are stopping my full time migration.
  1. Games. It's not Linux's fault that game developers chose Windows. It will change with time but for now, it's a real killer.
  2. VS.net and ASP.net. Java/JSP done right. Solid framework and a kickass IDE.
  3. Office. Best of breed. Other office apps do work but they're just not as polished as Office 2007.


And that's the key to it, I think. MS do make good applications. They make damned good software when they put the effort in. FOSS can do it too but they take a little while longer to get in gear. For example, Open Office is a functional replacement for MS Office but it has less polish than Office 97. Mono is a functional replacement for the .net framework but it's a little fiddley -- especially in terms of interoperation.

Moving on. Why do I put up with Vista rather than dropping back to XP? Because I gave it a chance to see if it wasn't all that bad. In that time I have seen improvements. I like the improved window-styling. I adore the changes made to explorer that allow you to navigate around so much faster.

I've tried moving back to XP and it felt a lot like when I tried to move back to 2000. I didn't need XP. Nobody needed XP. It was a ton of bloat with a few updates here and there. Just corner-rounding. But I couldn't stick with it because I missed little things like nice mice, high-colour support on icons and other crazy-small things that you'd never assume when you started using XP.

Hell I daresay I could move back to 2000 if they released the latest DirectX for it. I could hack in a different shell that emulates XP/Vista or build my own but I only intend on remaining on Windows until Linux works for me.

I know it works for lots of people already and I'm happy for them. I just want you to know that I'm not blinkered. I know what's going on in the Linux world and as soon as it's ready for me, I'm ready for it.
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Gravatar Oli Numero Uno
#19 /* 14 months, 14 days ago */
@chan: Why go back to Windows XP when you can have a modern and working OS in Linux?
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Gravatar Ken Anonymous User
#20 /* 14 months, 14 days ago */
I would suggest that you simply upgrade to Linux, and use a Virtual machine to run WinXP and the windows programs you require.

I program in MS.NET using Visual Studio 2005, and this is exactly what I do.
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Gravatar tracyanne Anonymous User
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