Coming to terms with Win XP after using Win 98

[Mxsmanic]

In fact, Bill Gates owns about 10% of Microsoft stock.

And someone else owns the other 90%.

 

[Mxsmanic]

Microsoft's profit margins are 80%.

Which makes them lower than a lot of other software companies (and
sometimes hardware companies as well--I've seen margins of 95% and
better on things like memory).

Microsoft's empire is supported almost entirely by Americans ...

Most Microsoft revenue comes from outside the US.

Microsoft outsources its jobs to India ...

Everyone outsources its jobs. Northwest Airlines even plans to
outsource its flight attendants.

 

[Mxsmanic]

True, but NT/2K were not OK for gaming. XP is better for that.

Yes. Microsoft isn't very good at being consistent in the market it's
aiming for, but the usual tendency is to target the consumer market
(often unconsciously), because that's the only market that Microsoft
really understands. Windows NT was a strictly-business system, but
subsequent operating systems built on the same code base have been
increasingly consumer oriented. And it sounds like Vista is going to
be nothing more than a glorified TV set, controlled remotely by
Hollywood and the RIAA.

 

[Mxsmanic]

A Microsoft defender suggesting that the many years of work on XP
before its release were an allusion ...

An allusion to what?

... that Microsoft employees were sitting around twiddling
their thumbs.

Considerable work went into XP, but the code base is still NT.

So it magically appeared at the wave of his idle Steve Ballmer's
hand.

No, it had to be derived from NT/2000.

Which doesn't include most consumers.

But does include a lot of business customers.

Which doesn't mean that Windows XP would be offered to consumers at
the same price as prior consumer versions of Windows.

Marketing is a separate issue from technical matters.

 

[Mxsmanic]

Microsoft Office is one application, in your opinion?

Yes, in the same way that a Linux distribution is one operating
system.

 

[Mxsmanic]

Horse hockey. Microsoft defenders have always blamed Windows crashes
on driver problems.

That's where most crashes come from. On NT-based system, this is even
more true, since only privileged programs can bring down NT and its
brethren.

 

[JAD]

tell me, after reading this particular piece of garbage from the doegirl,
have you figured out that she is just cutting and pasting everything she is
spewing?

Please stop encouraging anymore typing from her.

 

[David Maynard]

John Doe writes:




Which makes them lower than a lot of other software companies (and
sometimes hardware companies as well--I've seen margins of 95% and
better on things like memory).

Not to mention that bandying around "profit margin" numbers is misleading
because it's not bottom line 'profit' as was, undoubtedly, the intended
false impression. It's an accounting tool for keeping track of direct
product cost but everything else, management, finance, marketing, R&D,
manufacturing overhead, support, and the rest, come out of the margin (with
was is, or is not, in the margin vs direct cost depending on the particular
company's accounting practices).

And anyone naive enough to go into business thinking it's all 'profit' will
be sitting there wondering how the hell they ended up with only 5 bucks
after selling their $100 "80% profit margin" doohickie

 

[No One]

someone bought the XP Home upgrade from 98SE for me and it sat in the drawer
for 3 months. That was the stupidest 3 months I have spent computing.
Putting up with all those 98 BSD's and memory problems.

The day I loaded XP was the day I've never looked back. A great OS.

Mind you some will say otherwise.......I suspect.

And those of use who went from 2000 Pro to XP Pro went "ugh"!

 

[Ed Medlin]

John Doe wrote:

Horse hockey. Microsoft defenders have always blamed Windows crashes
on driver problems. It's always been the same old story, it's the
same excuse always used for prior consumer versions of Windows.

Never have problems with XP unless I cause them. Bad drivers DO cause
problems too, but not usually to the point that XP crashes and won't boot
at all. I am on my linux install now because I screwed up my XP install
tinkering around with overclocking and corrupted some files. If I had
booted to linux first, I probably would have had the same thing with this
OS. I have everything backed up and will not have any major problem getting
my XP install back working just fine. XP is a robust and very stable OS and
for my personal use, much more useful than linux. I enjoy fooling around in
linux and do it more as a hobby than anything else. When it comes to
productivity for the family as a whole, XP is by far the better of the two.

Ed

 

[Jim]

And if you walk into a software store, you might be able to find
something other than Windows software, and you certainly won't find
Linux software.

Because most Linux software is either already on the distribution CD/DVD
ready for installation or readily available for free download. But you
knew that, right? No need to give CompUSA or others your cash.

Right. That falsifies your claim "I no longer use MS".

OK, got me that time. Should have said I seldom use MS as I no longer
use them as my primary OS. Having it installed and actively using it
are in fact two distinctly separate factors. 99% or better I use Linux.

 

[Mxsmanic]

Because most Linux software is either already on the distribution CD/DVD
ready for installation or readily available for free download.

That's only possible because there is so little Linux software
available. But you certainly won't find 250,000 applications for
Linux, whereas you can find that number for Windows.

OK, got me that time. Should have said I seldom use MS as I no longer
use them as my primary OS. Having it installed and actively using it
are in fact two distinctly separate factors. 99% or better I use Linux.

You must be quite hellbent on Linux to be willing to run two different
operating systems. I prefer a single system that doesn't have to be
rebooted to change applications.

 

[q_q_anonymous]

No doubt there must be benefits in using Windows XP over Windows 98...
apart from being easier to shut down... but I seem to be finding a lot
of DISadvantages so far...

Does anyone know of a website whose theme is: Things people hate about
Windows XP and how to overcome them?

Some things I would like XP to do:

1) be able to drag an .exe file from filing cabinet onto the desktop,
and have the resulting desktop icon actually execute its programwhen I
click on it (in all cases).

2) set the filing cabinet to display files as list, with details, by
default every time..

maybe to do with Tools..folder options..view..apply to all folders

3) Have those details include the file extension.

Tools..folder options..view..uncheckl hide extensions for known types

--

just google each issue individually and you'll find solutions. There
are dozens more annoyances in win xp.

My file of win xp annoyanches on my computer is growing all the time.
It has some pesronal stuff so don't want to paste it all here, but
here's an idea

"checking drive _ for consistency (wait a mo and it'll be done, don't
press a key to skip, or it will ask again)
-
turn win messenger service off 'cos website use it to advertise and it
looks like adware
--
ending explorer.exe issue, sys doesn't shut down. there is a reg hak
for that

If your 'Show Desktop' icon has
disappeared, go here:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/uti­ls/xp_showdesktop.htm

3 points also in annoyances (maybe want notification of update)
install xp
*turn off automatic update, (unless you wnat your comp restarting
without asking)
*turn on the windows firewall, (off in office or if LAN n no net
conection - so you can se all the others)
*turn off automatic restart (may want notifications. Notifications are
good)

may want TweakUI for XP, to turn off bubbles

"

This one's kind of an Office annoyance
start in
For WMP, it just goes to the last directory you opened a file from
MS Word Tools..options..file locations..documents..modify
MS Excel Tools..options..general..default file location

--
These things are all googlable. Pray that you don't run into them
all!!!

A great site is Kelly's Korner. When you google probs you often find
the fix listed there. In a great table

 

[q_q_anonymous]

I can assure you will get to love XP if only for RESTORE.

W98 had scanreg to do approximately the same thing. push the registry
back.

 

[David Maynard]

W98 had scanreg to do approximately the same thing. push the registry
back.

Scanreg only restores a backup of the registry if the working copy becomes
corrupted and it's not even close to the same thing as XP's automatic
check/replacement of corrupted system files and multiple point user
selected restore capability.

 

[John Doe]

All the computer stores near me carry at least Windows, Mac OS X,
and several of the ten million distributions of Linux.


Not necessarily.

According to information technology professionals.

As a general rule,

Your general rule?

once your initial configuration is
in place, it tends to remain stable, if you use your computer as a
tool.

Those of us who actually use tools would love an ability to morph
our tools to do new things.

 

[John Doe]

All the computer stores near me carry at least Windows, Mac OS X,
and several of the ten million distributions of Linux.

I live on Earth, and you will be hard-pressed to find non-Windows
software in most stores which carry software here on Earth.

 

[John Doe]

The usual troll

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From: David Maynard <nospam private.net>
Newsgroups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Subject: Re: Coming to terms with Win XP after using Win 98
Date: Wed, 28 Dec 2005 22:53:23 -0600
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Translation. John Doe hasn't a clue so he whips out whatever insult comes
to mind.



ROTFLOL

Go ahead. 'Cite' me what XP looks at to determine when activation is required.


Congratulations. You've finally made it down to about the maturity level of
a 14 year old.

 

[John Doe]

But seriously. Just because the narrowminded troll uses his computer
in a way that does not run into Windows Product Activation doesn't
mean that WPA isn't problematic to others.

 

[David Maynard]

The usual troll

Would somebody please put a new disc in the Chatty Kathy pull sting doll?
That one's only got one word left on it.