Why Does Windows Still Suck? Why do PC users put up with so many viruses and worms?...

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 2/4/5 | Mark Morford

[SmithL]

So about a year ago, the SO finally upgraded her Net connection to DSL, carefully installed the Yahoo! DSL software into her creaky Sony Vaio PC laptop and ran through all the checks and install verifications and appropriate nasty disclaimers.

And all seemed to go smoothly and reasonably enough considering it was a Windows PC and therefore nothing was really all that smooth or reasonable or elegant, but whatever. She just wanted to get online. Should be easy as 1-2-3, claimed the Yahoo! guide. Painless as tying your shoe, said the phone company.

She got online all right. The DSL worked great. For about four minutes.

Then, something happened. Something attacked. Something swarmed her computer the instant she tried to move around online and the computer slowed and bogged and cluttered and crashed, and multiple restarts and debuggings and what-the-hells only brought up only a flood of nightmarish pop-up windows and terrifying error messages and massive system slowdowns and all manner of inexplicable claims of infestation of this worm and that Trojan horse and did we want to buy McAfee AntiVirus protection for $39.95?

Four minutes. And she was already DOA.

My SO, she is not alone. This exact same scenario, with only slight variation, is happening throughout the nation, right now. Are you using a PC? You probably have spyware. The McAfee site claims a whopping 91 percent of PCs are infected. As every Windows user knows, PCs are ever waging a losing battle with a stunningly vicious array of malware and worms and viruses, all aimed at exploiting one of about ten thousand security flaws and holes in Microsoft Windows.

Here, then, is my big obvious question: Why the hell do people put up with this? Why is there not some massive revolt, some huge insurrection against Microsoft?

[Petronski]

But, your Dell can be saved. Your mother could use it to find out the internet isn't full of perves (not completely, anyway).

[cyborg]

Actually, she is going to get some computer lessons. It's time for her to put down the stone tablet.

[auboy]

Ditto!

Most of the OS threads can use more humor. And to think that the Dems and MSM say we're all alike. I didn't realize we all have RED computers. Ha!

[LTCJ]

Lotus Notes is required by my company

Ditto. All I can figure is that al-Qaeda has infiltrated our IT group. Truly a terrorist plot.

I have two choices - either run Lousy Notes or give up doing anything else on the network without rebooting.

[tiamat]

Amen!

You are right, auboy.

NO reason we need to be at each other's throats...


Red computers:

I wanted a Ruby iMac a few years back, but had a reasonable Bondi Blue onee still and couldn't justify it!

[Dysfunctional]

I would not say worst thing ever- but not a good update.

The security portion was not a bad idea.

I have used AVG for a while.

Now I use firefox and spywareblaster instead of explorer browser.

[chronic_loser]

Does it occur to anyone that one of the reasons so many viruses and worms are written for PCs is because it is the largest, most widely used, target platform?>>

The thought has occurred to me...., mainly because the MS crowd recites it about as frequently as OBL intones "There is only one God, Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet." I have heard this same INCORRECT bit of drivel posted about a million times, and if it is posted a million more, it will still be incorrect.

It has just enough truth in it to make a surface appeal, i.e, if everybody used ABC operating system, then all the criminals and hackers would target ABC OS and some of them would be able to write exploits for it. That much is true, and that is where the similarity ends. Why open source operating systems (linux, and now Apple) are so much more effective in erecting security barriers and stopping exploits is a topic I have posted on so many times I am tired of putting it up.

Lets just leave it with stating 1) the source of the exploit can be identified by ANYONE, not just an engineer with access to the tightly held "source code" 2) the kernel of linux/apple is continually being refined "at the core" rather than stitched together to address an individual exploit. Ofentimes multiple exploits can hit one problem source in Windows and the MS engineers don't know how to "fix" the problem without rewriting the kernel, and you can't put that out in a "patch" if you want to keep a copyrighted system.

As long as money moves over the net, thieves will seek to get it, and no software is stupid-proof. However, that does not equate to a situation where all the OS s out there are the same, because everyone it trying to break them.

Linux is a long way yet from being ready for the masses, but when it does finally get there (I hope), millions of us will breather a sigh of relief, and strictly for security reasons.

[smith288]

Hey don't knock it, my wife divorced me for looking at internet porn. Best thing that ever happened to me, LOL.

So you chose marriage over a special connection to someone for life? Nothing says I love you like skanks on the net... Sheesh.

[ShadowAce]

all laptops are paper weights.

Not mine.

Mine has a 16" screen, a 3.2Ghz HT CPU, 120GB of HDD, a CDRW/DVD writer, 1 GB RAM, 4 USB ports, a DVI port, a firewire port, extra mouse/keyboard port, TV out, 128MB ATI 9600 Radeon graphics card, modem/network built in, 5.1 sound, with builtin CD player, video camera serial port, builtin-in MP3 player/thumb drive (currently using a 512MB SD card for storage), and a floppy drive.

It's faster, more versatile, and more usable than many desktops I know.

[smith288]

.which won't happen as long as it, the linux desktop, is a clunky, weird and bizarre interface that only geeks are at home with!

Couldnt agree with you more. Just plop Windows XP interface on Linux... But then you would get sued like Lindows (Linspire) did.

[dhs12345]

"Four minutes. And she was already DOA."

About right according to the statistics.

Wonder if she had a router/firewall? Probably not.

Virus software + anti-tracking software + firewall + firefox will greatly reduce the risk.

[Sicon]

Why open source operating systems (linux, and now Apple) are so much more effective in erecting security barriers and stopping exploits is a topic I have posted on so many times I am tired of putting it up.

Fair enough, but aren't you trying to live in a Utopian dream? The simple fact is that most Internet users AREN'T running Linux or Mac OS, and unless and until they are, we're going to have lots of people dealing with viruses and worms. At this point, its kind of like trying to convince everyone to switch to Betamax from VHS. The market made its choice long ago, and it isn't likely to change anytime in the near future.

[tfecw]

Now that security is important Microsoft is plugging the holes as they come.>> you are kidding, right? the real scenario is that someone DISCOVERS a huge hole that has always been there, but no one knew about how to exploit it

you agreed with my statement 100 percent. I don't think you know anything about anything. If you outlandish conspiracy theory riddled, anything that does better then me must be bad, completely false claims that MS steals people's patented software because they won't get sued had any iota of truth, Lawyers would be lining up around the block willing to do pro bono work for a piece of the MS pie.

But thats not happening, so i suspect your claims are false, and based on personal speculation and biased all stemming from the fact that you weren't breast fed or were dropped as a child.

Take the tin foil off

[smith288]

Not mine.

What is it? I need a laptop but yours sounds WAY over my budget.

[Caesar Soze]

#include <apache_rebuttal>

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[ShadowAce]

I have a Sager, but the model is now obsolete (Mine is a modified NP8990). There are others on that site that may meet your needs/budget.

[Squantos]

Some of the first "old toshiba" laptops (for big laps) had tempest approval stickers on em when we got em given to us for travel and office use.........I want to say that was 1987 or 88 when we got issued those. That an the old brick motorola cell phone !

We were indeed high speed, high tech, low drag then ...whooo hooo !

Yesterday I got a lift to lunch in a friends Suburban that had a Drivesoft system. It had a pizza box sized flat antenna on top that was hardly noticeable between the luggage rack on top. We were about 60 miles from any large town yet you can watch live direct TV, surf the internet, GPS rolling map, trip computers, diognostics, , make sat cellular hands free calls, watch DVD's, XM radio, x-box and play station etc etc etc ....even had his HAM radio intergrated into the system.

Progress............albeit expensive. Heck if I had that I'd never get out of the driveway !.......:o)

[Woodman]

I just did Windows XP Pro and SP2 this morning on a slower P4 in about 1 1/2 hours, maybe I did it wrong?

[2111USMC]

LOL!