Author Topic: Windows sucks. No really.  (Read 30647 times)

Qhimm

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Windows sucks. No really.
« on: 2001-02-28 11:41:00 »
I've recently fully realized Linux is the way to go, Windows is a sinking ship. If Microsoft gets away with their new program registration system, I hope they'll go bankrupt. It completely overweighs all of the advantages of Windows (ease-of-use, common platform, etc.).

For those of you who haven't heard of the new system (coming with Windows XP), it works like this: Everytime you install a product like Windows or Office, the installation programs scans your hardware and compiles this information into a 'hash' ID. This, together with the product code, is sent to Microsoft.com for storage. Now, consider this: If you upgrade your PC (eg. new gfx card) or get a new PC altogether and want to (re-)install the program, the hash ID is different from the one stored at Microsoft, and installation is halted. Basically, Microsoft has locked the program to a specific PC, with a specific hardware configuration. The good news in all this? There are none, except that I doubt Microsoft will be able to get a way with such a stunt.

So whatever you do; don't upgrade above Windows 2000.


Jedimark

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« Reply #1 on: 2001-02-28 13:58:00 »
Wow.... can Microsoft realy get away with doing that. It must be illegal. What happens then if you have a computer without access to the internet then?  :x  :-?

The SaiNt

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« Reply #2 on: 2001-02-28 14:08:00 »
I remember reading about that a few days ago in my local tech papers. Fortunately, I seriously doubt their ability in doing that cause the market will cry for sure and that will make them bankcrupt for sure.

halkun

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« Reply #3 on: 2001-02-28 14:34:00 »
Nice of you to see you over here on the good side. If you want a little more proof, to a search for "secure audio path" which also comes with XP. Basicly it does a "secirity check" on your sound card drivers and the mp3 to make sure that the audio stream isn't getting piped off to somehing else like an mp3 encoder or hard drive. If the audio is tapped upstream, it would be encrypted and useless. The sound driver does the decryping and playing keeping you out of the loop.

A side shot is that things like winamp plugins, that use the raw sound streams to make the pretty fluff on the screen will no longer work, but Microsoft Windows media player will work great.

-halkun


ficedula

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« Reply #4 on: 2001-02-28 16:11:00 »
Oh yeah, I've heard about this. Personally I'd be surprised if they actually went ahead with this ... surely they realise how much trade they'd lose by doing it. MS have backed down in the past from things they realised were completely going to fail - lets hope this is going to be another one of them.

CKtalon

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« Reply #5 on: 2001-02-28 17:55:00 »
Well u can easily plug out ur modem line or any connection to the internet...
But reading that XP really disappoints me...
And MS will get to meet CJ Jackson again..

ficedula

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« Reply #6 on: 2001-02-28 18:04:00 »
Well, no, you can't pull out your modem line. Because then Windows doesn't register and won't install.

But I doubt they'll actually be able to do that, the amount of bad publicity they're getting about it already is quite impressive.


The SaiNt

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« Reply #7 on: 2001-02-28 18:52:00 »
Fice, honestly I have to agree with you that Microsoft will even implement that feature. Basically, what if these people own winmodems? They can't install windows that way!

Sir Canealot

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« Reply #8 on: 2001-02-28 20:24:00 »
HAHA If bill go ahead with it there will be a patch/crack out for every mayjor program in about 10 seconds after XP relace.
This is the most stupid idea ever. What the point? And about that MP3 on You could also get a crack for that as well! haha nice try bill

cHiBiMaRuKo

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« Reply #9 on: 2001-02-28 20:41:00 »
Only Windows XP retail will have that feature, not OEM. And someone called haxxor will save the day anyway  :)

dagsverre

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« Reply #10 on: 2001-03-01 18:50:00 »
Linux had to go through a lot of trials to make it posibble to have buggy DVD playback on it. It is going to get worse in the future. If Windows lock down digital music, it is not an initiative by Microsft. It is done by the recording industry. In the future music is going to be protected before it hits the computer. Meaning that Linux won't even be able to play that music in the first place, so going to Linux isn't going to help you.

I'm not defending Microsoft, they should die and Linux rules forever. ;-)


CKtalon

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« Reply #11 on: 2001-03-02 14:14:00 »
Yeah Crackers will simply crack Windows XP to work for us..haha

Jedimark

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« Reply #12 on: 2001-03-04 12:29:00 »
The question is should Microsoft have access to that information?

This is just another stunt so that Mcrosoft can make more money. Obviously they are not satisfied with having Windows installed on almost every home computer, but now they expect you to get a new copy every time you upgrade! Its rediculous! Microsofts arrogance at thinking everyone will buy windows again and again just because its windows will lead to its undoing. I have thought of going over to Linux on several occasions: - it is meant to be much more stable than Windows 98/ME, and Possibly 2000, but the big problem with linux at the moment is lack of support. You have to get special linux copies of games to play them, and only a few games do that, and the apps are no where near as good as office. But, I agree. if linux gets the support it deserves, it could put a stop to windows once and for all.


Jedimark

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« Reply #13 on: 2001-03-04 12:30:00 »
What is Windows XP by the way? I haven't heard anything about it!

CKtalon

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« Reply #14 on: 2001-03-04 13:38:00 »
Well if you have heard of Windows Whistler
Well that's the new name of it..
Its based on the Win2000 kernel not the Win9x kernel
It has a professional version for businesses and a personal for gamers..
That's pretty much I know..
Linux really needs supports from software developers just like the MAc...

cHiBiMaRuKo

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« Reply #15 on: 2001-03-04 21:03:00 »
I think if you are upgrading your computer, you don't have to buy a new version of XP, but you have to notify Microsoft that you are upgrading. Nevertheless, I'll get an OEM version so I won't have to deal with all of this!


Joey

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« Reply #16 on: 2001-03-05 16:31:00 »
Well, after bearing with that unstable Windows 98/95/NT/2000/ME, NOW THIS? Whattha heck? We All heard of MS's efforts to curb piracy, but this is TOO MUCH!!!!!!! Alright. The anti piracy thing in windows started in Windows 2000 where downloading of EXE files is forbidden. AND now hardware detection? Someone make a crack for windows XP!!!!! Well, I really hope that what Qhimm said was just a beta which MS will remove that feature in the retail version. Did the geeks from MS just came out from an asylum after getting mad in studying programming? Woh would be stupid enough to go online 24 hours. It will cost a bundle. For those of you who do not know about the darkside of MS, a mag 2 years ago said that Bill Gates had attached a device in Windows that if anyone talks bad about windows or MS in any way, t windows will crash. I don't know how true this news is, but anyway please don't say that I'm lying and calling me horrid names. And Linux is quite good except the interface and its support for other programs like Windows which is emulated by WindowsX. If a programmer EVER develops linux to an extent where it supports all programs, MS will be dropped like a hot potato.

The Skillster

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« Reply #17 on: 2001-03-05 16:44:00 »
hahaha  :D
downloading exe is forbidden? i dont think so, ive got win2000 and i dont thinkso!
unless the admin has done it

dagsverre

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« Reply #18 on: 2001-03-05 17:35:00 »
Joey, you got it all wrong. Linux already support all programs. All LINUX programs...who said that Windows programs are the only programs? The *only* windows programs I would carry over to Linux is the games and the MS Office suite. The games can in most cases be emulated, and the open-source alternatives to MS Office is getting better and better.

The whole point of Linux is open-source. You don't expect your Windows programs to run flawlessly, because Linux have better alternatives. That is, in a programmer's mind they are better, though they tend to be a lot less user-friendly. Please remember that Linux is a OS made by programmers for programmers and so most people using it think user-friendliness gets in their way...

You will always be able to use the older Windows versions in a dual-boot. This means that if you don't like Windows XP, simply don't upgrade. Stay to Win2K and 98, and the problem goes away. All programs must support the previous windows versions anyway (at least they have until now).

If the new office won't run on earlier windows versions, use the old one. Office hasn't improved too much since Office 6.0 for Win3.1 anyway.


Ant

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« Reply #19 on: 2001-03-05 17:46:00 »
I'd have to say that Micro$oft Vi$ual $tudio is also pretty kewl.  It is infact what most PC Games developers use nowadays so it must be the best for Win Games Programming.

ficedula

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« Reply #20 on: 2001-03-05 18:14:00 »
Linux has better programs? *Some* better programs, sure, but not always....

Case in point: My current setup.

Netscape: Crashes randomly. Sometimes every 2 mins (literally), sometimes not at all during a day. I can't upgrade to a newer version because NS6/Mozilla don't support every website properly, including my bank. Which I need for online banking.

KMail: Email program. Last week, deleted all of my old email. WHY? No apparent reason.

Java: The java implementation I have doesn't work under Gnome, which is a pity, because I prefer Gnome to KDE.

I could go on...

Linux as an O/S is more stable than Windows, but out of the box, I've found Windows apps (whether MS or not) to be far more stable for me. Probably if I *wanted* to I could spend ages finding patches to make all these programs run better on my Linux setup - but why on earth should I bother, when everything runs far better under Windows with no work required?


halkun

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« Reply #21 on: 2001-03-05 18:45:00 »
I use several unix systems at work (actully three Linux systems and a Sun station) And I can tell you that I have never once had a catastophic program failure that wan't because of my own stupidity. Even then it wasn't that terrible. My main mail client is pine so all I have to do is telnet in from school to see what's going on. I use mozilla as my browser of choice. Because pine manupulates the mail spools directly I have no problem importing/exporting the mail to ther clinets. (Mozilla can use the mail spools too)  I use procmail for my filters and can filter out spam with well written regex. (Regular expressions) I show down X every day (but not the system) to flush any open shared libs I happen to have open and so far haven't needed a reboot for a system crash. (I do dual boot one machiene into windows once in a while to write out my Japanese homework, I can't do it in linux because the higher ups won't allow me to bring in my japanese keyboard from home)   Linux is, and always will be, a text-based os. If you think that X11R6 is a GUI for linux, next time you have a chance, just type "X" on the command line (capital letter) and see what X really looks like, won't be much.

-halkun


dagsverre

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« Reply #22 on: 2001-03-05 19:16:00 »
 
Quote
I'd have to say that Micro$oft Vi$ual $tudio is also pretty kewl.

Believing that is your priveliege of course. Just have to say I strongly disagree. Why? Well, for instance I'd like a C++ compiler that manages to compile C++ code. I once talked to a really experienced C++ programmer (well, he mostly use Java now) and I asked him about VC++. He laughed and said:

VC++? Hehe. VC++ isn't a C++ compiler!

That pretty much sums it up.

Try doing this in VC++:
template
class SomeClass
{
//class...
};

That is all standard C++. But VC++ doesn't compile it. And yes, I do need it and it is a really useful snippet of code. Also take this:

template >

This line of code is crucial to STL (standard template library) which is a crucial part of the C++ standard library. Does VC++ support it? NO! VC++ have it's own version of STL to hack it's way around the problem, introducing a lot of bugs in the process.

If I could count the hours wasted in Legacy because we want to be VC++ compatible and can't use standard C++ code...we were about to drop VC++ compatability once when we found a fix in the last minute.

I could go on...

If you meant Visual Basic I apologize, you probably don't want me to get started on why everyone should hate that one...

Quote
It is infact what most PC Games developers use nowadays so it must be the best for Win Games Programming.

They don't use it because it's best. They use it because of Microsoft's dominance in the market.


CKtalon

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« Reply #23 on: 2001-03-05 20:56:00 »
Well..watever...
Microsoft may win in the end..

Bill Gates will be reveiling in 2003 when MS starts to go bankrupt for lawsuits....

Microsoft Linux!!!!

since linux is open source...


cHiBiMaRuKo

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« Reply #24 on: 2001-03-05 22:49:00 »
What lawsuit? The DoJ anti-trust lawsuit will drag on FOR YEARS up to the point that it's not relevant anymore. That's Microsoft tactics. Microsoft won't fall before Bill Gates' death at least.

[This message has been edited by cHiBiMaRuKo (edited March 05, 2001).]