Posted on 05/27/2005 3:19:50 PM PDT by Halfmanhalfamazing
Every year or so I like to see how Microsoft is doing in its attempt to make a desktop operating system as usable as Linux. Microsoft Windows XP, Home Edition, with Service Pack 2, is a tremendous improvement over previous Windows versions when it comes to stability and appearance, but it still has many glitches that keep it from being competitive with GNU/Linux for everyday users, including a tedious installation procedure, lack of productivity software included with the operating system, hardware compatibility problems, and a price so much higher than any of the Linux distributions I've tested lately that I don't feel this product is a good value for most home or small office users
(Excerpt) Read more at os.newsforge.com ...
What it does definately outline is the skew that your normal "review" has in it.
Linux is far easier to use than most give credit for.
Whoops. In the topic field it only outlined "humor" but here it shows "political humor".
Ehh... I guess it happens. I'm still new here and learning.
Probably, but then most have no clue about it. As someone with a clue about it, I say it is still quite some way away from being usable by the general public. Its getting better though, but I am not holding my breath.
Hardware compatiblity issues? Windows?
Compared to Linux?
Thats laughable. Windows is infinitely more compatible with mainstream and little known hardware in comparison to Linux.
A lot of times you're completely screwed when it comes to Linux drivers for some hardware.
Windows XP Home works just fine for me.
And the professional version at work runs the stuff it's supposed to.
Its a hack article, about as "balanced" as CBS or Al Jazeera.
I have since replaced our other three home systems on our home netwrok with Dell's (the most expensive of which was $475 and each of them has XP Home SP2 ranging from 2.4 to 2.8 Ghz machines).
For our purposes, it is worlking very well. Since we have a son still at home who is in High School, we were able to purchase MS Office Home and Teacher Edition 2003 which included a three license pack for the full blown MS Office series and it cost us about $175.
So, all in all, we are very happy and very productive.
"...but it still has many glitches that keep it from being competitive with GNU/Linux for everyday users, including a tedious installation procedure, lack of productivity software included with the operating system, hardware compatibility problems, and a price so much higher than any of the Linux distributions I've tested lately that I don't feel this product is a good value for most home or small office users..."
BAWHAHAHAHAHAHA!
From those royalties on the Dragon's Fury series, I bet. And you needed a new computer to write your next novels.
Actually, while I hope you did make some money, I've done enough writing myself to know it's unlikely you made a lot. "You can make a fortune as a writer, but you can't make a living" as someone said.
I had to reinstall XP Pro just this past week on my wife's machine. It was the last ditch attempt to clean up the system that got messed up during a storm. It was fairly uneventful but there is still too much aggravation for the computer novice to put up with. But it does work well when it is installed. I've no experience with Linux
On that point I do have an agent now for the entire series who is shopping it and has convinced me to let a well known literary editor go through it and improve it...ooops, there went all of the profits!
My point on this thread was that with the new computer systems Windows XP came included, and MS Office was very affordable too through the Home and Teacher Edition and its three licenses.
Edison set to debut indoor light bulb...
Ford says Horse-less carriage rumor true!
I agree. Most stable OS for gaming of all windows versions.
I'm pretty comfortable with Windows and I actually like XP.
Same here.
I liked it so much that I upgraded/replaced all of my other home machines which were still running 98 SE.
I'm not sure why 'Roblimo' still has XP on a computer. Why doesn't he just replace it with Linux and send me the XP software he doesn't like?
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