My Top 5 Complaints on Windows

2008-04-08 | Mike Acker

[Mike Acker]

my personal top 5 gripes about windows

1. INEFFECTIVE SECURITY
2. CAP LOCK KEY
   • should be context sensitive: hold setting when we switch windows
   • should implement the DOS TSR CAPSLOCK function: if the user holds SHIFT and presses a letter turn off the Cap Lock key and output a capital letter like the user wants
3. SCROLL WHEEL DOES NOT SWITCH WINDOW CONTEXT
4. LACK OF STICKEYNESS (products reverting to "My Documents when the should remember where you were working)
5. MS Word trying to guess how you want to format a document
6. Access
   • using banker's rounding instead of half-adjust as everyone expect it to do
   • incorrect handling of NULL strings

[Xenalyte]

Maybe if you brush up on your counting skills ...

[untrained skeptic]

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

Virtual Desktop Manager

Manage up to four desktops from the Windows taskbar with this PowerToy.

I'm betting it took me no more time to do a quick search and find the tool to give you the virtual desktop you are complaining is missing than it took you to type your complaint that it is missing.

[untrained skeptic]

Take your computer, disconnect it from the internet and any other network.

Don't insert any external media that might possibly contain a virus.

Tada! You have the security you are asking for!

You always face a trade off between security and and functionality.

You're complaining that Windows doesn't offer you all the features you want, and doesn't offer completely perfect security.

If that wasn't absurd enough, a number of the features you are complaining about being missing, exist either already in Windows or in easily installed add-ons. You're just too lazy to take a few minutes to figure out how to take advantage of those features.

If security is so important to you, you can make a step towards having a more secure computer by running a Linux distribution instead of Windows.

However, if you think Windows is difficult to configure and to add features that aren't included, I doubt you'll be happy.

Some distros such as Ubuntu have come a very long way in terms of ease of use and functionality, and a lot of the functionality that might not be there in the default install is available. Some of it is even very easy to install and configure. Some of it isn't.

If security is a priority for you and you are willing to make some trade offs and are willing to invest some time in getting your computer set up the way you like it, Ubuntu might be a reasonable choice for you. It's even free, so all it costs you to try it out is your time.

However, since you're complaining about a lot of mostly trivial things, I'm guessing that you're likely better of with Windows despite its many limitations.

[untrained skeptic]

Wordperfect was a pleasure to work with; Word is a PITA

Word Perfect was an even worse piece of crap than Word.

However, since Word Perfect had it's own and different way of doing many things, people that were used to it preferred it.

[discostu]

Hmm only 1 of those, security, is an actual Windows issue, everything else is on the PC itself, software made for Windows, or you need to pay better attention because that’s actually how it works (like holding shift with Capslock on makes your letter not caps, which is how I jsut typed the word “caps”).

[discostu]

There’s no such thing as a shutout in security. As long as you let “good guys” in (which you have to, otherwise the OS is pretty useless) then “bad guys” can get in too.

[MarineBrat]

I'm betting it took me no more time to do a quick search and find the tool to give you the virtual desktop you are complaining is missing than it took you to type your complaint that it is missing.

Then you must be pretty superior!

OK,  I take it back, but I leave it there as a jab in return.

The reviews I've found of the add-on program you mention are heavily in the against column.  Have you used it?  Do you know anyone who has?  I may still give it a try, and I thank you for bringing it to my attention.

[stainlessbanner]

No CAPS_Lock problems in Linux (snort)

[untrained skeptic]

Have you used it? Do you know anyone who has?

No I haven't.

A friend recommended Virtual Dimension to me a while back. I've never used it, but he said he liked it a lot.

http://virt-dimension.sourceforge.net/

I personally don't care for multiple desktops. I just use two monitors and have a tool bar manager that allows me to easily move application windows from one to the other.

However, everyone is entitled to their own preferences and to use what works best for them.

[Mike Acker]

==>Word Perfect was an even worse piece of crap than Word.

Not true: WP did what YOU told it not what it though should be done. the biggest fault in Word is trying to produce a list of number paragraphs, like a outline. WP did this beautiful, Word STINKS

[Petronski]

Why don't you just get Word Perfect?

Forty bucks.

[Mike Acker]

==>There’s no such thing as a shutout in security.

Not true. all that has to happen to get the shut-out is: only programs and program changes and updates that YOU AUTHORIZE get on your system

One should note that software makers must assume responsibility for product liability so that they take the trouble to insure that only programs they have authorized are included in their distributions

Anyone who claims security cannot be obtained is incompetent and should not be programming

[Mike Acker]

I use PolyEdit. It was cheaper yet. Has faults but doesn’t bug me like Word

[Petronski]

Then what the hell are you bitching about?

[Mike Acker]

evidently you're not familiar with the CAPSLOCK program i referred to

this used to be a little DOS/TSR you could load. That's SOFTWARE

All it did was simple: If you had CAPLOCK on and held shift and pressed a letter it would turn CAPLOCK OFF and output your capital letter

It was like dumping a stone from your shoe on a 10 mile hike

you might have a program that needs CAPSLOCK on. I have 1. and so that is why in Windows which is suppose to be and advanced system should implement context sensitive CAPSLOCK

CAPSLOCK is so bad there is even a CAPSLOCK growsing site out on the web

If it was up to me it put the change into the keyboard interface chip

[Mike Acker]

I have to use Word here and there , that’s what

[Mike Acker]

I could probably think up a few more

[Mike Acker]

==>It isnt quite as simple as you are saying, no matter how much you dream it to be. Those three days also had a year of preparation and the best they could come up with was a third party app that had to be used in such away that 99.9999999999% of all users would never be effected by such an attack. A shutout is a nice dream however.

Are they going to do away with "Patch Tuesday?

One of the worst aspects of malware right now is what are known as "Zero Day Exploits". In these ZDE the hacker gets the patches and then reverse engineers them to find that esoteric weakness you properly refer to

And the ZDE then does as much damage as it can while everyone is scurrying around getting patched up

One essay I just read stated that online fraud of all types is reaching $100bn in the US. Where it used to be that "military intellegence" was everyone's favorite oxymoron now the term "computer security" is about on a par with "honest politician". might get you a good guffaw in the local bar; that's about it

[MediaMole]

Try the Virtual desktop manager powertoy. It isn’t as nice as the default Linux versions, but it does exist.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

[discostu]

Sorry but it is true, shutout security has never and will never exist ever, not in software, not in the physical world, never, it is not possible. As long as legitimate access exists, which of course it must, illegitimate access can always be accomplished by convincing the system that you’re legitimate.