Comments on: Windows activation not working for you? Join the club http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/4762 Independent Tech News and Product Reviews from former VP and head of CNET.com and Longtime Computer Shopper Columnist, Alice Hill author of the popular "Hard Edge" column. Originally named AliceandBill.com. Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:02:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Michael Santo http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/4762#comment-255379 Sun, 26 Aug 2007 13:35:10 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/4762#comment-255379 Druid, the fact of that matter is that like "Mike" there are simply many programs I use, including but not limited to games, that work only in Windows. Additionally, I didn't simply dismiss the alternatives. The scope of the article was over the WGA outage; the mention of Linux / OS X was so readers would know (they should already) that I'm not "stupid" and do know - and have in fact tried - the alternatives. Druid, the fact of that matter is that like “Mike” there are simply many programs I use, including but not limited to games, that work only in Windows. Additionally, I didn’t simply dismiss the alternatives. The scope of the article was over the WGA outage; the mention of Linux / OS X was so readers would know (they should already) that I’m not “stupid” and do know - and have in fact tried - the alternatives.

]]> by: Mike http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/4762#comment-255340 Sun, 26 Aug 2007 10:41:31 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/4762#comment-255340 Very well said ANOTHER MIKE! If you take care of a system, dont load 80billion pieces of software on it that you will never use and you dont put illegal items on it, you shouldnt have too many troubles. I am having trouble in Vista myself now with dll's crashing ALL the time! I have at least 85 icons on my desktop because I was trying a bunch of software out and i think that is what is causing this - not sure, but pretty sure. Mike MS operating systems are not BAD, they just are not ready to be released when they release them. Look at how everyone bitched about XP when it came out, now everyone is doing the same with Vista - blah. Most of us could not switch to Mac even if we would want to ( why would we anyway? ) due to the LACK of software!! Very well said ANOTHER MIKE!

If you take care of a system, dont load 80billion pieces of software on it that you will never use and you dont put illegal items on it, you shouldnt have too many troubles.

I am having trouble in Vista myself now with dll’s crashing ALL the time! I have at least 85 icons on my desktop because I was trying a bunch of software out and i think that is what is causing this - not sure, but pretty sure.

Mike

MS operating systems are not BAD, they just are not ready to be released when they release them. Look at how everyone bitched about XP when it came out, now everyone is doing the same with Vista - blah. Most of us could not switch to Mac even if we would want to ( why would we anyway? ) due to the LACK of software!!

]]> by: Another Mike http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/4762#comment-255231 Sun, 26 Aug 2007 04:32:20 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/4762#comment-255231 I think I can enlighten some people on that subject. I'm a half Mac user. I happily use my macbook everywhere I can, but my main desktop pc's are Windows XP/Vista. It's not that I dislike OS X or especially like Windows. I just have work and applications that will only work in Windows. On top of that for the past year I haven't had bluescreens, slowdowns, activation problems, viruses or any problem that OS X has been naturally immune to. And that is where the rub is. A system is only as good as it's administrator. You treat a system good whether it's XP or OS X and it's going to do alright. Most people don't really need to switch operating systems on their $300 computers, they just need to understand the issues and deal with them. These machines are tools and I use each one depending on the task at hand to get the job done easy and quick. I think I can enlighten some people on that subject. I’m a half Mac user. I happily use my macbook everywhere I can, but my main desktop pc’s are Windows XP/Vista.

It’s not that I dislike OS X or especially like Windows. I just have work and applications that will only work in Windows. On top of that for the past year I haven’t had bluescreens, slowdowns, activation problems, viruses or any problem that OS X has been naturally immune to.

And that is where the rub is. A system is only as good as it’s administrator. You treat a system good whether it’s XP or OS X and it’s going to do alright. Most people don’t really need to switch operating systems on their $300 computers, they just need to understand the issues and deal with them. These machines are tools and I use each one depending on the task at hand to get the job done easy and quick.

]]> by: Freud http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/4762#comment-255208 Sun, 26 Aug 2007 03:26:29 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/4762#comment-255208 Well I'm writing this on a Mac and I can give you a multitude of reasons why XP / Vista is needed. Diversity and compatibility are two points that come to mind. There is a plethora of software available for XP / Vista that you cannot use under OS-X. Take Truecrypt as an example. I use it on my server and can access the files using Linux or Windows. Not OS-X. Utilities. OS-X supposedly doesn't need to be defragmented. Well, not until you want to partition that drive, anyway. Then you pay some outfit in Japan for the only defragmenter that works properly on an iMac. Blue screens? Nope, not in OS-X. Instead its grey or white screens. About a week or so back, after an OS-X update, three programs just plain quit working (including my Firefox browser) and had to be re-installed. I like OS-X and I'll update the system when the new version comes out. It's a good operating system and excels in memory management, making it a great platform for editing Photos and video. But anyone saying that it doesn't have problems and drawbacks of it's own isn't visiting the Mac forums very often. :-) Well I’m writing this on a Mac and I can give you a multitude of reasons why XP / Vista is needed.

Diversity and compatibility are two points that come to mind. There is a plethora of software available for XP / Vista that you cannot use under OS-X. Take Truecrypt as an example. I use it on my server and can access the files using Linux or Windows. Not OS-X.

Utilities. OS-X supposedly doesn’t need to be defragmented. Well, not until you want to partition that drive, anyway. Then you pay some outfit in Japan for the only defragmenter that works properly on an iMac.

Blue screens? Nope, not in OS-X. Instead its grey or white screens. About a week or so back, after an OS-X update, three programs just plain quit working (including my Firefox browser) and had to be re-installed.

I like OS-X and I’ll update the system when the new version comes out. It’s a good operating system and excels in memory management, making it a great platform for editing Photos and video. But anyone saying that it doesn’t have problems and drawbacks of it’s own isn’t visiting the Mac forums very often. :-)

]]> by: Druid http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/4762#comment-255123 Sat, 25 Aug 2007 22:37:10 +0000 http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/4762#comment-255123 I'll just admit upfront that I am a Mac user, but I use Windows at work and have used it (at home and work) for years before switching, so I really do understand your addiction. Your like an alchoholic who says he can't quit and when someone says "why don't you just quit" he says "you just don't get it". I find it sad that you say you have no other choice and then point out a very valid one but dismiss it out of hand. The truth is that you think you need Windows but you don't. Just how painful do the activations and bluescreens and viruses have to be before you can sober up? I’ll just admit upfront that I am a Mac user, but I use Windows at work and have used it (at home and work) for years before switching, so I really do understand your addiction. Your like an alchoholic who says he can’t quit and when someone says “why don’t you just quit” he says “you just don’t get it”.

I find it sad that you say you have no other choice and then point out a very valid one but dismiss it out of hand. The truth is that you think you need Windows but you don’t. Just how painful do the activations and bluescreens and viruses have to be before you can sober up?

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