Windows lovers Don't read any further.
I've been running some costly form of Windows for many years.
I've been running Ubuntu (FREE) for 6 months.
Comparison:
Windows Ubuntu
Registry mechanic $40 not necessary
Ccleaner - free by their graciousness not necessary
Eset SS $50 not necessary
Windows upgrades $200 Free
defragmenter not necessary
pop-catcher no pop-ups
help - non free free help of sorts
threats for non legitimate copies no threat
UAC hassle non
all the things I have missed non
Since I am mentally challenged, help me to understand why a company as large as Microsoft can't do better than one
expensive crappy OS after another and a new comer like Ubuntu has their act together. Don't get me wrong IMHO
Ubuntu needs to get rid of the DOS like commands and use the mouse a LOT more to be up to date.
I can speculate on the reasons:
1: kick backs from third party cronies.
2: microsoft programmers can't write decent code
3: they don't care
4: they don't take pride in their work
5: crappy management
6: to big to change
7: money machine
8: all the things I have missed
I wonder how much forced money I have paid to Microsoft over the years??
Must be at least $1,000. The used to have upgrades for $30. Now their $200. Why the jump?
Used to be able to leave out items that you did not need. Now I guess it includes every language on the planet.
I ONLY need English. To me that's unnecessary bloat.
Do I sound bitter? Do I rant to much? Excuse please because I am mentally challenged.
Hutch if you want to delete this, your the boss.
enough
The main reason is that 90% of the worlds software runs on windows and not linux.
Linux just for Professional, not for me! :wink
i was expecting a "priceless" punchline
disappointed :(
Dave, you're Hilarious. :lol
I would use Ubuntu or a variant, but it simply cannot do everything I do in Win. Also, that would entail learning a completely new assembler topology. ::)
Thanks guys for bothering to read my post.
Responses:
Jimg: So true. That is why monopolies are so bad. No choice. I want choice.
Utillmasm: Like I said Ubuntu needs to get rid of their stupid command line and get up to date otherwise I have no problem with it.
It does however have one major good point. It's FREEEEEE.
Solar Assembly works with Ubuntu, if you can figure out how to use it. Personally I would like my programs to work in
Windows and Linux. More exposure and all that. Besides Linux is gaining market share.
Dedndave: Now Dave I ask you, how do you expect one that is mentally challenged to come up with a "priceless" punchline. :toothy
Mark Jones: I'm not sure I agreed that Ubuntu can not do everything Windows does but I am to new with it to be pedantic.
Again Solar Assembly is very similar to MASM32 as far as I can tell. Learning yes, but not 100%.
Again it is a question of exposure. Is more exposure worth the effort? Consider putting all your eggs in one basket
with our beloved Monopoly, "Microsoft". That not what I like to do.
At the present time I never use Windows to get my e-mail or browse the web. It's all done in Ubuntu. I do use Windows to play Bridge on the BBO but that is the extent of it. Ubuntu works very well for these two endeavors.
But I'm still not a happy camper. Microsoft has been screwing with my mind for years cramming things down my throat that I don't like.
I'm a believer in choice in programming and do I dare mention Politics..... :bg
Sad to say Jack the command line dependence in Unix variants is what keeps it in the dark ages and Ubuntu has not fixed this. A modernised and properly documented set of command line tools would go a long way to making Unix variants usable but as long as it maintains its 1970s interface below the modern user interface it will never get very far.
This is unfortunate as the user interface works well and as a working system, Ubuntu peforms well, is very stable and can be set up as a very good web server.
Vista 64 BIT ULTIMATE MSDNAA Edition : 0 $
I wished they had payed me to use it :bg
Joke aside, how much do you think that your time costs ? I am an expert Windows user and I work very efficiently under that Operating System. Learning how to use Linux is a big time eater. And in my case it's especially impossible because I'm a gamer.
time eater..... gamer - lol
oh well
i used to play games a lot - not so much any more
i do play spades online
as for unix-based OS's, i have worked a few contracts where all the coders used linux or some other unix follower
i really think those OS's are intended for technical based use - math - engineering - etc
i don't see too many every-day home users running them
i will say that unix and c seem to go together well
if i was a c-coder, i might be more inclined to try red-hat or ubuntu or something
as it is, i am old enough that i do not want to set out and learn any "big new thing"
i avoided 32-bit code longer than i should have - that's as big as i want to get and hopefully the last big one for me
with luck, XP will still be in use when i cross over to the other side, cuz i don't plan to change
To Hutch,
I couldn't agree more. As I previously said I only use it for email and browsing. It's very good for that.
There so engrossed in the old way of doing things that I doubt they will change and that is a shame.
I had to memorize 10,000 DOS commands and I did because there was nothing else. I'll be darned
if I am going to memorize 10,000 sudo commands to use Ubuntu.
To Dedndave,
Now Dave you must be half my age. We've got to keep open minds in the computer field as it has been in
constant flux for ever since I can remember. I started with punched cards and thank God that era is over.
It will still be in constant flux when you and I are gone. The puter on my desk top is probably several hundred
times more powerful than the IBM 360 I started with 64K(not M) of memory. Hard drive of two Meg 5 or 6 platters
and 12 or so inches in diameter. Thank God they are gone. Anyway have fun...
i started with the same crap - fortran I - don't make any typos
EDIT:
lol - "fortran I"
i dug out my old college book
it was FORTRAN 77
Jack,
My first sighting of a computer as a kid was an IBM system 360 with all of the bits you describe, 64k core storage memory, 12 inch disks, reel to reel tape and was loaded with punch cards. While I confess to having been more interested in a couple of punch card operators, it really was a fascinating gadget in an air conditioned basement of the building and the guys who ran it all wore suits.
about 1980-1983 i worked at sperry flight systems
they had a huge room for computers
on that system, you logged into one "processor" or another, depending on the language
at the prompt, for example you could type "@fortran" and it connected you to the fortan computer
there was another for cobol, ansi fortran, basic, and even pascal, i think
they had a huge lazer printer to handle the large demand
it required 2 full-time people (young kids, usually) to stand behind it and stack the paper
a few times, i saw that thing scroll paper almost to the ceiling - what was it - 21' wide, i think
this was all fairly modern compared to the little 360 we had in college
the bottleneck on that thing was the card-reader - had to stand in line to enter your cards
at that time, they had about 20 card-punch machines (each with it's own waste basket, of course)
and one crt terminal - only the advanced students were allowed to schedule time on the crt
Those were the days. Thank God they are gone.
So puters are still in a state of flux. Can't get your nose out of a book because it's changing so fast.
I need to come up for air.
Well fine. So be it. I'm waiting for the puter that will let me operate like "Scottie". I mean one where the
keyboard will be almost obsolete. Probably another 10 years.
yah - beam me up, too
i just want things to stay the same long enough to become proficient
as time goes on, that takes longer and longer
it's either a snowball effect or circling the drain - dunno which - don't have time to see
Hi shankle,
You have some options to save money. Here is my list.
To keep clean the registry, you can use Sandboxie to install some applications in an isolated environment. Virtualization is another solution if you have a powerful computer.
Studying and analyzing the registry with a tool like regshot, you can keep track of modifications in the registry database. This utily has also the ability to show the modifications in the file system.
Use Avira to protect your system. It has both the free and paid versions.
DropMyRights (http://nonadmin.editme.com/DropMyRights) is a very good tool to run browsers, email clients and other applications as non-administrator. Even if your account is a member of the Administrators group, DropMyRights will run IE or Firefox ( or any other application ) with the privileges of a normal user. Naturaly, you have the choice to access the internet under a restricted user account.
Having a good knowledge of how the OS functions will help you to avoid some 3rd party tools to secure your computer.
Hi Vortex,
Thanks for your suggestions. I will certainly check them out.
1: I use Sandboxie. It's a very nice program.
2: I tried virtualization but can't remember why I gave up on it. I think it's because I am triple booting and found a very nice way
to control the MBR with a free Program called "Easybcd" by Neosmart.
3: I will have to look into "regshot". Could be very useful.
4: I am Using ESET SS and it has served me well for years. If Avira does all that ESET does and is free then I must change.
5: DropMyRights, I will definitely check out.
also - i use a program called mbrWiz to backup/restore the mbr
i have been looking for a similar one to do the same with the boot sectors
EDIT:
i also use this program to access OEM recovery partitions by changing the partition ID byte (or "type")
very handy
Jack,
I think what you are after is the perfect Apple MAC, a computer that does what you think. Glad I don't have to write the software for it. :bg
To Dedndave,
I will check out mbdwiz but I think "Easybcd" will solve any mbr problem.
To Hutch,
Remember the old vcr debate? The good versus the bad one.
IMHO Apple Mac should go the way of the bad one.
If somebody gave me one I would either sell it or give it away.
I don't think the Apple talks or can be like the one "Scottie" had yet.
not an apple fan here, either
my younger brother uses them for accounting and seems to like them
i guess they are widely used for publishing, as well
my older brother still likes his amiga's
(he still has an altair with 8" floppies that boots up on an OS called "MS Basic" - lol - he used to work for altair)
i guess, by comparison, the apple doesn't look so bad
from what i understand, it costs bucks to write software for apples
that makes it useless for me, as i am not going to spend money
everytime the manufacturer decides to update the OS
it's a shame, too - 68K family asm is fun
Quote from: dedndave on May 15, 2009, 01:39:40 PM
from what i understand, it costs bucks to write software for apples
You mean the Xcode?
AFAIK it's already bundled for free with Mac OS Leopard, but not installed by default.
oh - well - i played with older macs - they had zero-zip-nada for free
to my way of thinking, every OS should come with an assembler and a debugger (optional installation, of course)
i think all the versions of DOS came with link, exe2bin, and debug (nothing to generate OBJ's though - lol)
(i think i still have masm 3.0 and basic compiler 1.0)
Maybe programmers in the future will need a digital signature. Without it, the OS will refuse to run the code.
It's heading that way.
yah - it seems "big brother is watching" is taking on a whole new meaning
they already invade our privacy as it is
thing is - they will be stealing each other's sigs
i know one thing for sure - if i can't write code to run on my own computer - linux here i come
i ain't gonna be paying for a sig, either - lol
To Dedndave,
Your last statement says it all.
I'm already half way there.
If they push hard enough, I totally gone.
But they will say, who cares, just another non "C" programmer.
Again I'm mentally challenged and for the past 30 or so years I have never been able to understand
the thinking of an individual that programs in a high level language. Yes I have heard all the arguments
and I say nuts. If you want to do something do it in the best way you can and that's not a high level language.
I guess that statement will crucify me. But so be it. It's been on of my major pet peeves.
This will be my last post about this, so people won't be to annoyed with me.
I love Windows because I can do what I want with it. I'm more powerful than the programs running, I can manipulate/exploit them in all possible ways.
But when I boot linux I feel like a nubcake. It's too esoteric (and boooring). Windows is like open hunting season !
Hi shankle,
As an additional system maintenance task, you have also the option to run imageX.exe from BartPE to backup your windows installation :
Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=94BB6E34-D890-4932-81A5-5B50C657DE08&displaylang=en)
Bart's Preinstalled Environment (BartPE) bootable live windows CD/DVD (http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/)
ImageX is a file based imaging tool and it's a member of WAIK