[plug] windows - a rant

[senectus]

I won't comment on how long it takes to install updates.. cause I run
Gentoo, and the download then compile then install time can at times be a
long one..

But I've just about finished building a win2k3 server.. and the critical
updates alone take up 9.4 meg already.. in 12 months time I'd expect that to
be at least 200 meg (include SP's)

And this is a BASIC install of standard server... without exchange, IIS etc 


-----Original Message-----
From: plug-bounces at plug.linux.org.au [mailto:plug-bounces at plug.linux.org.au]
On Behalf Of Garry
Sent: Friday, 7 May 2004 11:35 AM
To: plug at plug.linux.org.au
Subject: [plug] windows - a rant


Decided to do a XP update this morning. What a trauma.

During "Critical Updates", it didn't want me to open new programs (or take 
the focus). OK, fair nuff, it's not multitasking.
Then it decides that there is a IP address conflict on the network. Fixed 
IPs... Click "OK" a few times. Restart the update.

Once all the criticals are done, it's time for the others.. I click them 
all, only to be told that if I update one (Directx9 I think) all the others 
are deselected.. So I do all except that one.. 14MB d/l. At 13.8MB it sits. 
Ahh well, guess I'll have to restart that too.

After using Linux, simple networking stuff in Windows is esoteric - 
bordering on cryptic. And they say this is good interface design! This is 
separate, a few days ago.


Something that is often said in the media is Linux is "not ready for the 
desktop". For some engineered difficulties in/and specific tasks this is 
true. But if those commentators were fair, they'd have to say that Windows 
isn't "ready for the destop" either. The difference is, Windows has OS 
structural baggage which limit it, Linux has application limitations. So if 
the commentators were not locked into file formats or whatever, the Linux 
experience would be what the Windows experience *should* be.


Garry

the only reason I bother with windows is streaming WMP radio. Guess I 
should try to get wine to do WMP, but I'd rather not infect my nice stable 
laptop with MS software..


-- 
Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/
_______________________________________________
PLUG discussion list: plug at plug.linux.org.au
http://mail.plug.linux.org.au/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/plug
Committee e-mail: committee at plug.linux.org.au