What's Wrong With Microsoft? Well, it makes users stupid

[Omkar™ 0]

Firstly, I would like to congratulate the author of this article for an ashtonishingly great article! He/She does it safely - doesn't curse Microsoft openly & just comments on the facts cleverly. I like his/her style!.

 

Well, its right - you have to congratulate Microsoft for one thing and then curse it for the same thing! Maybe the intensions of Microsoft weren't that bad, but it just happened (it was obvious though, as human mentality goes). It is true that you can protect a Windows PC and run it for a lifetime without ever getting infected by any virus or malware. That's exactly why anti-virus companies and firewall makes are surviving!

 

But the point is that the USERS are to blame. They're intelligent enough to mess up Linux or MacOS the same way by not knowing anything about it! I have a solution below -

 

All OS distributors should sell PCs with a program installed at-the-factory and configured to run just once, as soon as the user first starts his PC. It should be a tutorial on the world of Computers and internet, depending on the OS that they're going to install. It should make them aware of all aspects of the Computer. It should be done just as though people are being notified of a deadly disease and about its vaccination. It would be then, when users will know that the very first span they get is fake and they wouldn't spread it on.

 

Its no use blaming Microsoft - their only mistake was that they started it!! If Linux would have got pre-dominance, then maybe the PC wouln't have spread to the masses so fast & users would have to get educated first in order to operate on PCs. But that is the correct way, isn't it???

 

-Omkar Ekbote

[xboxrulz1405241485 0]

true and not true, there may be less people using computers but the technology industry would be 2x further than it has been for years. Why? No new innovations from Microsoft or any large companies. The opensource community has been providing most of our innovations like networking, mainly thanks to the BSD community. Most of the great OS designs are thanks to the modern UNIX OS.So, I guess without M$, we won't suffer that much.xboxrulz

[yeh 0]

I think if someone has a time travel machine and he/she would to travel back to the past and somehow stop Microsoft from being created and then travel back to the present time, he/she would discover that the same present discussion would still be going on, except some other company has taken over the place of Microsoft. Why? Becoz the majority of people would never want to learn how OS and other software actually work. It is just like buying a car. You would not want to go for 20 hours of mandatory learning of the new car before you can drive it on the road, even though you already have a driving license. And to me, mishandling a car can have far more dangerous consequences that mishandling a software product. Once a significant majority of the users support a particular standard, and it doesn't matter if all of them only knows how to double click, it does confer a significant advantage to that standard. Other software companies would offer their products first on that standard. That is why if you are into gaming on PC, then most probably you would have to use Windows. If Linux wants to unseat Windows, then it would have to be as user friendly as Windows. There is no doubt in this. And I do hope Linux succeed. This would help curb the monopolistic behavior of Microsoft. And for the technologically advanced, they could finally run all their software on a free OS.

[xboxrulz1405241485 0]

yes, that is somewhat true, but remember, you still need to go through and get a driver's license. Which they will teach you how to drive the thing. On Windows, the software itself is your chaffeur. On Linux, you're the driver and if you want, the body shop.So really, you do get much more from Linux than Windows.About the time travelling thing, we'll never know, we could have a company that's even worse than Microsoft, a company like Microsoft and a company that better than Microsoft.xboxrulz

[Chesso 0]

Just remember that thing's like cars and such were invented for the purpose of people not having to learn to build their own, can openers were invented so people don't have to manually attempt to open a can. So Microsoft built an Operating System to ease things for users..... considering what most inventions are for what is wrong with it?You can't wholly blame Microsoft for virus's and malware, it's not Microsoft that writes them, if someone wants to crack something silly bad enough they probably will.

[xboxrulz1405241485 0]

true, but much more people understand how a car works and fixes 'em, however, when it comes to computing, everyone shifts their mindset and think that a computer must be easy and cannot crack open to access under-the-hood (software-wise). However, Linux is more like a car, where it is easy to operate and you can still go under the hood. In Windows, it's like a subway train, you cannot open the hood and just fix it because there's a problem, you need to find a technician to go under-the-hood.xboxrulz

[Chesso 0]

I go under the hood and I'm not a technician lol depending on what you mean, I obviously don't program it myself as it's not open source, so I just write my own applications to do the work so meh.

[vicky99 0]

Dear FriendsI admit that Windows user generally know less about the working of things compared to other OS users such as Linux or UNIX. The article is quite right in the sense that the windows systems are less protected. But with all its demerits Windows have brought the computer to mass which is earlier used by experts only. It is quite an achievement, isn’t it? It has given Personal Computing a new dimension. Moreover, windows can be used quite safely if the users make a little effort. Windows Xp SP2, according to me, is quite secured.If a non technical person wants to use computer in his business for keeping inventory records or may be use it for accounting purpose, I guess Microsoft’s Windows OS would be best option for that person.I don’t know how people hack computers rather break into some network; according to me Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition is very much secure. I have heard that in Server 2003 one has to open ports manually. In Windows Server 2000 these ports used to listen automatically and were vulnerable.

[xboxrulz1405241485 0]

acutally, it was the Mac platform that first brought computer to the masses, but Microsoft took on the role after they copied and stole the GUI idea.xboxrulz

[Chesso 0]

As opposed to Mac and Microsoft, it all depends on what you consider mass doesn't it? Iv'e only known a hand full of people to have ever owned a Macintosh machine let alone heard of the company period. But mention Microsoft.... and yep you get a response.Apple may have started out on top but they obviously weren't there for very long....

[xboxrulz1405241485 0]

funny, over here in Toronto at least 90% of people here know what a Macintosh is. Same with in Hong Kong and other major cities in North America.Furthermore, in my school there are more people w/ iBooks/MacBook (Pro) than Dell laptops.Rank for the most of each laptop in my school:1. iBook/MacBook (Pro)2. Dell3. IBM Thinkpad4. Toshiba5. Acer6. Samsung (There are only 2 people w/ this, I am one of 'em and it doesn't run Windows, it runs Linux only)7. Othersxboxrulz

Edited June 14, 2006 by xboxrulz (see edit history)

[Chesso 0]

Oh I don't use laptops/notebooks what ever people are calling them these days, they ren't powerful enough and if I'm out I'm usually on my skateboard so a portable computer isn't much use to me.I was thinking of the Desktop market.Not to mention the ridiculous prices for less powerful computers....

Edited June 15, 2006 by Chesso (see edit history)

[BitShift 0]

Everyone complains about how how much malware and stuff gets into Windows PC's.If a more then average computer user uses windows for a long time they really shouldn't have much spyware at all.Spyware and MalWare comes from clicking on emails you don't know who is from, going to bad sites, clicking on advertisements, and using Internet Explorer.I use firefox, avast antivirus, and zonealarm firewall. I never get spyware, viruses or anything.Of course I have my computer to scan for viruses, malware and spyware once a week, and stuff but I never get anything and I am on the internet 24/7 with a broadband connection.Its not that Windows is completely unsafe its just people who don't know any better unknowingly exploit Windows weaknesses.I think Windows is great software. Yes I am well aware of its many security holes and all that other crap but as long as you pair it up with a solid virus scanner, firewall, and a browser other then Internet Explorer most of its problems are fixed.Microsoft releases new security updates every week, and I am sure they are working every day to find and fix as many as they can, but with an operating system as massive as windows, its impossible to fix them all.Someone used a car analogy earlier in this thread well its not the car your driving ( windows) thats unsafe, it is whoever is driving and controlling the car. Sure you can have a piece of crap, but put a good driver behind it and your fine.

[xboxrulz1405241485 0]

BitShift, I do see your point, but the chances of people not running into those email is so low because a lot of people aren't as educated than most of the people here at Xisto. You do have to put in mind about newcomers to computers or people who really don't care and they just want it to work.Chesso, there's still a lot of people running Mac hardware (desktop/laptop) especially if they're into design and architectural work because usual PC hardware isn't as powerful as Mac hardware. Mac is 2nd to Windows (based PC) [2nd as in percentage using a computer], so there's a significant percentage uses a Mac.xboxrulz

Edited June 15, 2006 by xboxrulz (see edit history)

[Chesso 0]

What other (Major Desktop) Operating Systems are there besides Windows and Mac OS? rofl none.I wouldn't really count Linux as a major desktop Operating System, more of a unix tilted slightly more to being like windows or something odd like that.Of course Windows has spyware and virus's flying out of it's ears, it's used more then anything else, basic proportion. Alot of people seem to think if Windows users jumped ship to Mac OS or Linux that they wouldn't have even close to as many problems, I would beg to differ though, stronger security will only attract smarter people anyway....