Microsoft... Grrrr!

[Podunkfla]

My darn computer refused to boot to Windoze last night. So I had to do a "repair install" of Windows XP Pro from the console. No biggie... usually. After some fiddling around, because I sort of forgot how to do it (it's been about 4 years); I got it re-installed. Then, whadda ya know... Up pops a window: "You have 30 days to register your copy of Windows". Say what? This does not normally happen with a repair install. You don't even have to type in your product number? Well, not this time. So I click on the On-Line Registration link in the window that poped up. I figured, this wouldn't take long... The window said about 6 minutes to register it. Wrong! It would not work on-line. Gave me a number to call to complete the registration. So I call the number... and I get an Indain woman. I am sure I am talking to someone in Calcutta or somewhere... She can't speak English I can understand and has a BAD attitude too boot. But, I hung in there out of frustration at having to do it all over again. I had to type in my product number and then read this humongious long number it generated on my screen to her. It took 5 trys to communicate a number to her that would work? Or that she understood? Then she had to give me another 44 digit number for me to type in... That was a riot too... I had to repeat each three digits back to her a few times till we agreed I had them right... for all 44 digits. It finally worked... after an hour and 45 minutes on the phone! Not toll free by the way.

I am not a happy camper... What a PITA

I know Bill Gates wants to make sure the world pays for his software... And, I agree he is entitled to it. But he sure punishing us honest folks.

[Miriam C.]

Glad you were able to fix it. My explorer goes down all the time. IE is getting real bad and so is IM live.

The Firefox is still great though.

Ya know if you tell the non-English speaking person to get someone else they will. I got someone in NC once. Shocked me royal.

[tonyj]

We are living the dream where computers have made our life absolute joy.

Excuse me while I reboot and go pour another scotch . . .

[dhazard]

Brick, why didn’t you step up to Vista









and fall off the cliff?

[Podunkfla]

Brick, why didn’t you step up to Vista

and fall off the cliff?

I have a new Toshiba Laptop that came with Vista... I am NOT impressed! I may very well replace it with WinXP Pro. A lot of software has problems with Vista. Plus... They want and extra $150. to upgrade from Vista Basic to the real deal? I think that is a ripoff. All kind of "watch dog" things are inbedded in it like "Digital Rights Management" that is like big brother telling me I can't play a bunch of the music I have. I am definately going to wait a good long time before I install it on my main PC... Just like most of the business community out there.

[toypusher]

Brick,

Get an imaging program like Norton Ghost or Acronis TrueImage and make frequent backup images of your machine. Then when things happen you can boot from a floppy or CD and just reimage the machine. You might lose a couple of days of stuff, but it only takes 10 or 15 minutes to restore usually.

[emiller]

I just bought a new computer with Vista and had a few issues with my older programs but it takes you to there web site for solutions that fix it pretty qiuck. I think now that Vista is the Windows of choice for new computers most software is being upgraded to work on Vista. My I.T. guy here at work cringed when I mentioned Vista but so far it's been great.

[b.bodemer]

I bought a new laptop at Christmas and it was "vista ready". But after talking to a few people I'm sticking with my Windows XP. I can always do it later. Seems that Vista sales are slow and I have a lot of older programs and that was the biggest concern other voiced.

My laptop should do just fine. I bought it to work on photos and editing my videos so I already have great programs for that. It sounds weird but my part time job driving for the orchestra 16 weeks out of the year can be very boring at times because the driver position has so much wait time in between run.

I can also use it to do some fun projects for the dogs I train the rest of the year and I bet dog owners would love some pics or a dvd of their pup or dog's training time with me.

It'll be fun figuring it all out. The funny thing is I bought the laptop at Xmas and just set it up to take it with me for a driving week starting Monday.


Barb

[mikeschn]

I have a new Toshiba Laptop that came with Vista... I am NOT impressed! I may very well replace it with WinXP Pro.

I bought a new HP 17" laptop that came with vista. I've already wiped vista and put XP back on it.

Mike...

[angib]

What nobody has told me about is a good, positive reason for getting Vista. It does seem to slow machines down and doesn't like some old software and hardware. I've been told it's very pretty and has a fancy start menu, but that's not exactly a sales pitch, is it?

Andrew

[Nytewyng]

Thats why I have a Mac..........just my 2cents

[Elumia]

you got a mac cuz it's very pretty and has a fancy start menu????

[Nytewyng]

No I got a Mac because it works all the time.........so far

[Mike B]

What's with this "register" stuff? There are operating systems out there that don't cost anything and there ain't no such thing as "register". The only thing that warmed-over Windows NT brings to the party is a really cool acronym:

V - Viruses
I - Infections
S - Spyware
T - Trojans
A - Adware

And really, really bad DRM (Digital Restrictions Management)



Mike
Hayden Lake, ID

[curiouswill]

For those of you wondering what is wrong with VISTA, go here...
http://badvista.fsf.org/. Lots of articles showcasing tons of issues with VISTA and other news articles on it.

Also about the "snappy new look" of VISTA, this is one of the reason why I don't like microsoft. They hypes too much of their product too much. For example, they had repeatly described their new display managing program as "innovative", "top of the line", never been done", and whatever similer crappy phrases. Here is why I don't think good of their display ability, There is a program made for Linux released a while ago thats does soo much more and uses soo much less computer resources.

XGL links,
Official Site
YouTube of the XGL (5:20 min)

At least one of the best positive news that I've heard about VISTA is that it have been encouraging tons of people to switch over to MAC or LINUX. (Maybe not that many but there are more people checking it out then ever before and at least, possibly, this is a start of the movement AWAY from MICROSOFT)

P.S. Sorry, I just hates microsoft software and whatnot. The only reason that I can see everybody could want to keep XP is cause everybody is used to it and many programs are limited to it. For sure, I believe, when more people start to use other alternatives such as MAC and LINUX, we will be seeing a more user friendly LINUX popping up and more programs for both MAC and LINUX.

A possible MAC user in the near future,
Will