Posted on 02/04/2005 7:54:13 AM PST by 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?
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Next new PC is a G-5 for me too, but they do have to fix the fan...TOO NOISY!!!!
San Francisco Chronic hammering Windows.....hmmmmmm.....Welcome to Appleland.
LOL. But IBM will tell you that Slotus Bloats isn't an email client, it's a "database". BWAHAHAHAHA....
"Despite the EULA that is built like a fortress and Corporate practices that make Genghis Khan look like a choirboy, Microsoft is fast nearing the end of the time when they can foist obviously flawed and architecturally creaky software on a captive market (As this article evidences).
In a just world, Microsoft would have had their A$$es sued of and been required to move aside and let innovation and competition exist. In the 'Real World' they have taken their initial advantage and turned it into a Dictatorship of the Marketplace. Fortunately, the dike is springing a few leaks and MS may not have enough fingers to plug them all."
LMAO keep dreaming.
blaming windows for those problems is like smashing your car into a lightpole and blaming ford...
"LOL. But IBM will tell you that Slotus Bloats isn't an email client, it's a "database". BWAHAHAHAHA...."
Lotus Notes IS groupware...NOT JUST an E-mail client. Outlook is an e-mail client.
Lotus Notes is an evil system. I had to migrate a system from WFW 3.11 (yeah it was a while ago) to an actual NT server and it was not pleasant.
Someone else mentioned that they should never load the SBC software, I agree 100%, there's no reason to.
You ought to be more concerned with the Linux zealots.
At least OS X has a competent user interface.
Actually, if this "journalist" did its homework, it would have found that the Internet is actually shrinking because people are find other things to do that are less frustrating. And before you MAC losers get into the discussion, take it easy. It is a PC world. If Steve "I abandon my children because I'm a dirtbag" Jobs hadn't been an egomaniac and destroyed his company from within, we would probably have a better alternative to MS products.
Lastly, why is it Microsoft gets a pass? If I bought a car that had a problem and needed to be recalled, the manufacturer would fix it? Why is it Microsoft is not forced to fix my computer because of their faulty product? Can you imagine buying a blender and having to fix it yourself at least once a month?
Sorry, had to vent.
"she"?
Let's go through this one more time:
1. Dump IE and go to Firefox;
2. Download and run Avast anti-virus
3. Download and run Ad-aware SE
4. Download and run Spybot
5. Download and run CCache
6. Run everything behind a firewall, harware or software
All the above packages (for 6, use Zone Alarm) are free, and I haven't had one virus or malware issue since using them.
If a person doesn't like windows, they shouldn't use it.
Is it on a flat surface?
= )
What are the payments on your second mortgage?
blaming windows for those problems is like smashing your car into a lightpole and blaming ford.
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You mean like having your F-150 catch on fire and blaming ford? LOL
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/ford_f150_recall.html
Sued for what?
Let's place the blame where it belongs...with the hackers of this world. Without their virus programs and spyware, we wouldn't have to spend so much time and money trying to combat their malicious crap regardless of which computer we use.
Hackers should be publicly executed!!!
I would change only one of your suggestions. Microsoft's new (OK, it's a beta) Antispyware is the best, fastest antispyware program I have used. It is effective at finding and removing programs that Ad-aware, Spybot and Spyware Doctor couldn't. It also resides in the running task tray to keep protecting you from spyware. Yeah, it may be Microsoft, but it is good.
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