Windows Vista or A.N.Other?

Freakish_05 · 3 Dec 2006 at 07:59

I've been in turmoil these past couple of days. With the upcoming release of Vista (and its appauling EULA and WGA!!!) I decided to dual boot Linux (kubuntu) on my laptop with a view to migrate fully before the release of Vista to consumers at the end of Janurary next year.

Of course, we all know that linux is far from a user friendly O/S and requires lots of work to get things working properly (webcams etc, don't even get me started on wireless :rolleyes:

). While Linux is fine as a 'normal' desktop out of the box, I've found myself having to boot back into windows a fair few times to do little things. There are probably linux workarounds for it all but still, that adds to the work

This just got me to thinking, has Microsoft been so successful that despite Windows' shortcomings we are unable to waver from it? How many people will try to move away from Windows instead of upgrading to Vista?

Discuss.

NathanE · 3 Dec 2006 at 09:21

Just buy a legal copy in January for about £70 and be done with it. It's a lot cheaper than spending months/years relearning the wheel and/or waiting for Linux to catch up.

Other than ****ing off pirates, I can't really think of any shortcomings that Windows has for legit users.

Freakish_05 · 3 Dec 2006 at 09:50

NathanE said:
Other than ****ing off pirates, I can't really think of any shortcomings that Windows has for legit users.

Spyware, Adware, some 60,000+ viruses, bizarre crashes and BSOD's. Thats just for your average home user.

What I'm trying to get at is that Windows, despite its fantastic compatibility etc, is full of **** that no-one needs and is subject to attack and things that just make it not work (excuse the non-technical terminology, its Sunday

).

I'm just trying to see how many people will at least try and break free of the stranglehold that MS has on us and our wallets! Personally, I don't want to go Vista because of the new EULA (which states that we are paying £100+ to RENT MS's software!) and so that I don't have to worry about constant attacks.

SiHH · 3 Dec 2006 at 11:09

Why not move to Apple Mac then ?

Freakish_05 · 3 Dec 2006 at 11:15

siloleth said:
Why not move to Apple Mac then ?

Good point. Shame about the price tag :eek:

dirtydog · 3 Dec 2006 at 11:49

Freakish_05 said:
Spyware, Adware, some 60,000+ viruses, bizarre crashes and BSOD's. Thats just for your average home user.

What I'm trying to get at is that Windows, despite its fantastic compatibility etc, is full of **** that no-one needs and is subject to attack and things that just make it not work (excuse the non-technical terminology, its Sunday ).

I don't have those problems. I presume you already have Windows XP so just stick with that.

NathanE · 3 Dec 2006 at 12:12

Freakish_05 said:
Spyware, Adware, some 60,000+ viruses, bizarre crashes and BSOD's. Thats just for your average home user.

What I'm trying to get at is that Windows, despite its fantastic compatibility etc, is full of **** that no-one needs and is subject to attack and things that just make it not work (excuse the non-technical terminology, its Sunday ).

I'm just trying to see how many people will at least try and break free of the stranglehold that MS has on us and our wallets! Personally, I don't want to go Vista because of the new EULA (which states that we are paying £100+ to RENT MS's software!) and so that I don't have to worry about constant attacks.

But you're on OCUK so I doubt your an average home user...

You have always "rented" Windows, infact almost any software, you never "own" it. Nothing has changed in this regard with Vista's EULA. WGA is a non-issue and infact a bonus for legit users.

*nix isn't anywhere near as secure as people like to make out. If you don't know what you're doing (and if you cant keep your Windows PC secure without using AV/Firewall crap, that's you) then you'll wake up one day with your PC rooted. Linux gets more patches in a day than Windows in a month... but it doesn't have any auto update mechanism like Windows so you really have to be proactive about security.

clv101 · 3 Dec 2006 at 12:37

Freakish_05 said:
(and its appauling EULA and WGA!!!)

What are the specific problems here, apart from there being no 'u' in appalling?

stoofa · 3 Dec 2006 at 12:49

Freakish_05 said:
Spyware, Adware, some 60,000+ viruses, bizarre crashes and BSOD's. Thats just for your average home user.

What I'm trying to get at is that Windows, despite its fantastic compatibility etc, is full of **** that no-one needs and is subject to attack and things that just make it not work (excuse the non-technical terminology, its Sunday ).

I'm just trying to see how many people will at least try and break free of the stranglehold that MS has on us and our wallets! Personally, I don't want to go Vista because of the new EULA (which states that we are paying £100+ to RENT MS's software!) and so that I don't have to worry about constant attacks.

What a load of rubbish.
Your average home user is no longer going to be running their OS at a full Administrator level so half of the things you are talking about cannot be installed automatically.
Add in the default settings of IE7 (remember you said average home user, so they won't be playing around with the deeper settings) and you've got an extremely robust system that will prevent Adware & Spyware.
Many of the older viruses won't actually effect Vista - so unless there are going to be 60,000 new viruses ready for the January release...

Bizarre crashes and BSOD??
I've not had one of those since I left the world of hybrid 16/32bit OS's when I first made the move from Windows 98 to Windows 2000.
Windows XP built on top of that - don't think I ever saw a BSOD or unexpected crash in WinXP (Note I didn't say it never crashes, but I know that when it did it was my own doing).

You may want to go and do a little more research on this "new" EULA you talk of because it sounds like you're using some information that is very out of date.
The same restrictions that have existed in the OEM versions of WinXP will carry over - transfer of license not allowed, license tied to motherboard etc.
The retail license is more or less the same as well.
As for the "renting of the OS" - in effect you've been doing this since Windows 95.
Go on, go back and read the EULA from Win95 and then look at Vista's.
It's not MS's fault you don't bother reading them.

The whole reason MS are selling so many different versions of Windows is so that users can choose the version that they need.
They can buy the Home version - which is more or less the same price as WinXP and WinME before it which will satisfy the needs of most.
If you are a more advanced user you'll spend more on the OS that offers you the features you need.

Sorry - I'm just seeing your post as the usual anti-MS ramblings.
Plenty of content, just no quality or substance, just ramblings.

Burnsy2023 · 3 Dec 2006 at 12:52

NathanE said:
You have always "rented" Windows, infact almost any software, you never "own" it. Nothing has changed in this regard with Vista's EULA. WGA is a non-issue and infact a bonus for legit users.

Like I have said more times then I care to think about: You don't purchase software, you purchase a licence which is the right to use the software under the terms of the licence agreement.

NathanE said:
*nix isn't anywhere near as secure as people like to make out. If you don't know what you're doing (and if you cant keep your Windows PC secure without using AV/Firewall crap, that's you) then you'll wake up one day with your PC rooted. Linux gets more patches in a day than Windows in a month... but it doesn't have any auto update mechanism like Windows so you really have to be proactive about security.

I'm currently running OS/400 and Redhat Linux, and I'd have to agree that you need to be more proactive with security in *nix, however, redhat does include an auto patcher, but the amount of updates you get dwarfs Windows.

Burnsy

Burnsy2023 · 3 Dec 2006 at 12:59

stoofa said:
Many of the older viruses won't actually effect Vista - so unless there are going to be 60,000 new viruses ready for the January release...

This is very true, a lot of viruses will become obsolete when Vista becomes mainstream.

Vista RC2 crashed on me once, but it's not a final release so it's expected. The Full release will most likely be more reliable then XP which let's be honest as long as your running WHQL drivers in very robust.

stoofa said:
As for the "renting of the OS" - in effect you've been doing this since Windows 95.

Your just spouting crap now mate, we've been 'renting' Windows since Version 1 or even MSDOS, get your facts right

stoofa said:
The whole reason MS are selling so many different versions of Windows is so that users can choose the version that they need.
They can buy the Home version - which is more or less the same price as WinXP and WinME before it which will satisfy the needs of most.
If you are a more advanced user you'll spend more on the OS that offers you the features you need.

Whilst this is the plan I'm dubious to it's sucess, I think the vast amount of products will just confuse the consumer, but only time will tell.

Burnsy

NathanE · 3 Dec 2006 at 13:19

siloleth said:
Why not move to Apple Mac then ?

The OP cares about security so I doubt that is an option for him.

Apple + the concept of security is a combination probably capable of destroying cities.

If I had a choice between Vista, some desktop variant of Lunix or OSX... I'd choose Vista. It is by far the most secure platform out-of-the-box and I'd expect it won't take long for it to be acknowledged all over the world as being the most secure desktop operating system to date.

dirtydog · 3 Dec 2006 at 13:21

NathanE said:
The OP cares about security so I doubt that is an option for him.

hehe

Security through obscurity seems to be the Apple way doesn't it.

DanF · 3 Dec 2006 at 13:28

Windows is sooo easy to keep secure now, install good antivirus (nod32), install firewall if your going to more dodgy sites or the built in one is fine. Run auto-updater. Don't download loads of dodgy Warez etc. Sorted.

Vista really is much more secure than previous windows anyway.