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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

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 ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: California; US: Illinois; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: computer; markie; morfordite; sandinvagina; thebearsstillsucktoo; whydogaysstillsuck; whydokookssuck
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To: SmithL
I've been using PCs since the old 286 days. I immersed myself in every aspect that I could to keep these machines running as well as possible. Amongst friends and family, I became the "go-to guy" on DOS, then Windows machines.

25 months ago the frustration level with our Pentium Compaq machine became so great that I threw up my hands, collected the wife, the credit card, and headed to the Mac store.

I was less than pleased to do this for a few reasons:

1. I had invested so much time on the PC that learning even 50% more to be an advanced Mac user was a thought almost too much to bear.

2. The fear of not being being compatible with 90%+ of the world's computers was worrisome.

3. Those Apple machines were expensive.

The result:

-The Mac is so easy to use, I have since FORGOTTEN 50% of what I've learned about computers.

-There isn't any computer with which I have compatibility issues.

-A couple months went by, the credit card charges were paid off and forgotten.

Further, in the last two years there have been a grand total of ZERO crashes on the (TWO) machine(s). Every device that I have plugged into it has worked flawlessly and simply. I have no viruses (virii?). I have no spyware. There isn't anything that I can't do on the Mac that I can on a PC, but I can do much more than a PC will allow.

I suggested in a PC help thread here on FR that the user should switch to Mac. One Freeper jumped into my stuff suggesting that switching from "a Ford" to "a Chevy" was unhelpful, useless and cynical. My retort, should I have posted it, would have been that Chevys and Fords do indeed break down at similar intervals. The dirty truth is that PCs have serious, maddingly and unacceptably high failure rates and that the Mac is a true alternative. In other words, the Ford-to-Chevy and Apple-to-PC comparison is worthless.

In the past, I have been excited to get a new computer or OS, but that excitement usually wore off in a few weeks. Two years later I am STILL excited about what my Mac can do. As a footnote, I am neither an Apple zealot nor a Metrosexual, just a very satified customer.

Do yourself a HUGH favor and check out the new $499 Macs. You can still use your old keyboard, mouse, display and printer. All that you lose is the Advil.

61 posted on 02/04/2005 8:31:52 AM PST by Restore
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To: Gforce11

"Outlook is an e-mail client."

Not a very good one, and not one that I would run...


62 posted on 02/04/2005 8:32:14 AM PST by babygene (Viable after 87 trimesters)
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To: Snardius
"This is like blaming the lockmaker because the deadbolt wasn't long enough after the burglar beat in your door with a sledge hammer.

If the lock was defective I WOULD have a problem with the Manufacturer. Does this mean I absolve the burglar - Hell no!

I fail to see where my post offers any excuse for a Hacker's nefarious activities. I do acknowledge the existence of the Dark Side of the human condition that seeks to senselessly destroy and degrade value but that is in no way any excuse for their activities.

63 posted on 02/04/2005 8:33:41 AM PST by drt1
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To: Shortwave
"You think Windows sucks, try using Lotus Notes as your email client. That really really sucks!" Wrongo. I use Microsoft Outlook and in my previous job used Notes. Notes was by far better. Outlook is as lame as it gets.
64 posted on 02/04/2005 8:34:00 AM PST by reagandemo (The battle is near are you ready for the sacrifice?)
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To: SmithL
Dear God in Heaven... when will people learn? I've been a PC user for 10 years. I've been in tech support for the same amount of time. I've been a server admin and a web site publisher. The problem here? People think they have to install every piece of software that they're told will make things work.

Problem #1 here? They installed the Yahoo DSL software. XP, hell, most OSes since 95, can be configured to run DSL without any proprietary software. READ THE FREAKING MANUAL!

Next? When you get a popup that says you MIGHT be infected, you should click on the little X in the corner or you WILL be infected. Pop ups don't show up for no reason. They show up because you installed something you shouldn't have or didn't know existed.

I encourage ALL new PC users to go out to their Add/Remove Programs control panel and look for things that don't belong there. Did you purposely install "PornoBot 2004" or "Shopping Coupons 4 U"? If not... delete. If you did, stop reading this, unplug your PC and throw it in a bathtub full of water... you're useless.

Finally... ask your computer manufacturer to send you a CLEAN copy of the OS on your machine. Some will comply, and you'll get a barebones copy of XP. MANY PC companies install HUNDREDS of useless, inane or otherwise space-consuming programs that may be linked with your email address or offer ads to your computer BECAUSE THE COMPANY HAS A CONTRACT WITH THEM. Yes, many companies do make advertising revenue with companies for adding ad-ware to your new PC.

And one other thing... do you use AOL? If so, why? You do understand that AOL is NOT the internet. It's simply another operating system installed on your PC that is a horrendous memory and hard disk hog and will reconfigure things faster than you can say Bill Gates. Consider some research into the use of AIM, Yahoo IM or MSN messenger, get yourself Mozilla or Firefox, and get on the REAL internet. Content is prolific, and you don't pay $19.95 on top of your already pricey ISP.

65 posted on 02/04/2005 8:34:40 AM PST by rarestia
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To: 1L

I've never had a virus or worm, knock on wood. This writer blames Windows, but the real culprit was probably Internet Explorer (which, since it is packaged with Windows, may be what the writer means). Microsoft is pretty fast at patching up Windows security flaws, which are available by activating automatic updates.

So I agree generally with your list (post 32), but the most important are Zone Alarm, uninstalling IE (it's not enough just to leave it on your computer while using another browser), and using another browser. I've been using the old version of Mozilla (Firefox's parent) for years with great results.

Then there as some simple practices that can keep your computer clean--something like good hygiene:

1. I quit using a local email client and use Yahoo exclusively. They screen all attachments with up-to-date virus checkers, and do a pretty good job of screening out spam.

2. Don't click on any mail or open any attachment from someone you don't recognize. Mark it spam, which dumps it.

3. Don't maintain an address book in your browser or email client. A lot of malwear uses this to send itself to your friends and associates, who then open it, thinking it is from you. Do your friends a favor by keeping their addresses in other software.

4. Install all Windows updates immediately.



66 posted on 02/04/2005 8:36:15 AM PST by B.Bumbleberry
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To: drt1
Does this mean I absolve the burglar - Hell no!

Without the burglar the is no need for the deadbolt...unless you don't want to be caught doing something wrong by your mother...

67 posted on 02/04/2005 8:38:48 AM PST by Snardius
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To: First_Salute; Swordmaker
We are stuck with Windows OS because accountants do not press for Peachtree and some others, to be on the Mac and Linux.

Dittos to that. My daughter uses Peachtree on a Gateway pc for our business. This machine is a stand alone and not connected to the net.

68 posted on 02/04/2005 8:40:50 AM PST by tubebender (Can someone remind me what my Near Years resolutions were...)
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To: 1L

I was using Avast and something(s) got into my machine, Avast was unable to detect them.
I downloaded and tried KAV antivirus, found 8 viruses in 30 files.
KAV, supposedly, is one of the best at catching viruses. However the there is only a trial version which lasts one month, then its 40some dollars for a year.
Honestly, if it works out well, I'll gladly pay for it.


69 posted on 02/04/2005 8:41:14 AM PST by Paradox (Occam was probably right.)
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To: SmithL

Somebody should interrogate the author of this piece (which describes a significant problem at length without one attempt to blame it on George Bush or the Republican Party) to find out who he is and what he did with the real Mark Morford.


70 posted on 02/04/2005 8:41:39 AM PST by steve-b (A desire not to butt into other people's business is eighty percent of all human wisdom)
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To: mak5
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.

Actually, it isn't Microsoft. Microsoft bought the company (Giant) to get their anti-spyware product.

And by the way, I learned something on one of those "Microsoft is Evil" threads. Microsoft has rigged the product to install spyware and then find it so you think it's a good deal. It must be true if I read it on FR.

71 posted on 02/04/2005 8:42:14 AM PST by Fresh Wind (Where does bandwidth go when it is wasted?)
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To: SmithL
An unprotected Windows system on the Internet will be compromised in a matter of hours, according to the HoneyNet project.

http://project.honeynet.org/index.html

A pal running a Linux honeypot saw longer average lifetimes before compromise (days and even weeks), but he also observed successful Trojan installations taking less than 15 seconds using scripted attacks.

An interesting little tool which will show you the attempts against your system is NFR's BackOfficer Friendly.

72 posted on 02/04/2005 8:42:30 AM PST by angkor
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Comment #73 Removed by Moderator

To: Shortwave

I just wanted to join in with the Lotus Notes bashing. We use it at work and it's the biggest piece of crapola ever.


74 posted on 02/04/2005 8:44:11 AM PST by caver
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To: Fresh Wind
Actually, it isn't Microsoft. Microsoft bought the company (Giant) to get their anti-spyware product.
Actually it IS microsoft. Microsoft bought them. Do you own your car or does Ford or whomever own it?
75 posted on 02/04/2005 8:47:28 AM PST by tfecw (Vote Democrat, It's easier then working)
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To: cinives
"Add Firefox and Thunderbird and you'll really be garbage-free."

Actually we use Opera and it's email client, M2. I've enforced a strict rule of only using IE as a last resort. I'm an Opera snob, I've used it for years and love it. I've tried Firefox (have it on my computer at home) and while it works as advertised, I find it a little clunky and slow compared to Opera. I much prefer Opera.
76 posted on 02/04/2005 8:48:02 AM PST by TruBluKentuckian
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To: stylin_geek
The thing that drives me crazy about XP, as a Systems admin, is that there is not a stripped down version available for business computers.

Honestly, there is absolutely no reason for MSN Messenger to load by default when one is setting up XP Pro.

I like the remote desktop capabilities of XP and the stability, but so much of the other crap is just that, crap.


Here here! However, I suppose that if they stripped out all the crap that most businesses don't need in a Pro version (Messenger, WMP, MSN Explorer, Outlook Express), they couldn't justify charging lots o' cash for an upgrade.

This reminds me of a complaint my uncle (he's a network consultant) and I (I'm a sysadmin / do consulting on the side) have had about business computers in general: if I'm buying an Optiplex workstation for a company that has spent thousands on a SAN or NAS, why do network-geared PCs like the Optiplex come with a 40 or 80gb hard drive?

Whatever happened to 10 - 15gb hard drives for a workstation? All the damn thing needs is something to boot the OS and some apps on - if your users are maxing out an 80gb hard drive on their workstation, something is seriously wrong...
77 posted on 02/04/2005 8:51:31 AM PST by Jinjelsnaps ("Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana" - Groucho Marx)
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To: TommyDale
Why do people blame Windows? If they had half a brain, they would learn how to protect against viruses, browser hijackers and spyware.

And they never seem to blame the a**wipes who actually write and deploy that stuff either!

If a burglar broke into your house and took your stuff, would you blame him or the guy who built the door or window?

78 posted on 02/04/2005 8:52:19 AM PST by Mannaggia l'America
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To: SmithL
carefully installed the Yahoo! DSL software into her creaky Sony Vaio PC laptop

Use a DSL router with a firewall! One's PC should never have a public IP address!

79 posted on 02/04/2005 8:54:31 AM PST by Mannaggia l'America
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To: goldstategop; SmithL
SO IS a woman??

Well, she's a woman now. Probably wasn't born that way.

80 posted on 02/04/2005 8:56:13 AM PST by Ignatz ("Scribe of the Unwritten Law". ( Hey, someone's gotta NOT write this stuff down! ))
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