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Windows XP Audacity?!

Started by pwd Nov 20, 2001 at 7:35 AM 7 replies 550+ views

Original Post

Nov 20, 2001 at 7:35 AM

My first and last taste of XP... My company got a new shipment of laptops in yesterday. I was on the waiting list for a portable, so I get one of these. It had Windows XP on it, so before wiping the harddrive (and out of some sort of morbid curiosity), I let it boot into the installed OS. First, that is one ugly widget set. But that''s not the issue here. I fumble around in the interface for a bit, and finally figure out how to get to the plain old explorer. I point it at the root of the C drive, and what happens??? "This directory contains files that are necessary for the proper operation of your system" (or something along those lines) What?!? You have to click a line of text that says "Show me anyway" to see the contents of any directory on your harddrive? Even MacOS happily lets you see (and mess with) anything on the harddrive without whining. "Ok, be that way.", I say, as I slap in one of my Linux install disks, and reboot the system. Haven''t heard a single complaint from the OS about messing with files that are "necessary for the proper operation of my system" yet. I just couldn''t believe it. Why does MS do that? -pwd

Sandman

210

Sandman

Nov 20, 2001 at 7:44 AM

XP is supposed to cater for people who can't outsmart a glass of water. It therefore attempts to prevent people from doing anything that might muck up their machine, like play around with files and stuff they don't understand.

On the other hand, Linux is supposed to cater for people who like to spend hours tinkering with things they don't understand until they figure out what they do. These people don't mind if they have to reinstall their kernel 50 times because they did something stupid.

Give me something halfway between the two and I'll be happy. Win2K is OK. I don't want to be treated like a retard but I can't be arsed to faff about for ages just to get my mouse and network card working at the same time.

Edited by - Sandman on November 20, 2001 8:54:50 AM

Mithrandir

235

Mithrandir

Nov 20, 2001 at 10:14 AM

You wouldn''t believe the number of retards who delete "all them there big files" in the root directory and in windows/system to clear up some hard drive space.

I really don''t blame MS, as long as they leave it as an option that can be disabled.

furby100

159

furby100

Nov 20, 2001 at 10:36 AM

Can you choose not to view as a web page? That solves the problem for the Windows directory in Windows 98 and later.

Goober King

104

Goober King

Nov 20, 2001 at 10:39 AM

quote:
Original post by Sandman

On the other hand, Linux is supposed to cater for people who like to spend hours tinkering with things they don''t understand until they figure out what they do. These people don''t mind if they have to reinstall their kernel 50 times because they did something stupid.

That sound like me alright. I''ve reinstall a few times.
Speaking of XP and Linux, I got an email from Red Had
with an artical from some linux guy talking about XP
They admited it was far from unbiased but there were 2
things that it true at all realy freaked me out.
1 was it said if you choose to connect to the internet
you have to use MS. No 3rd part.
2 that some MS media layer that they are working on will
degrade compeating techs to make them apear to have
better product. MP3 being the biggest example. I was
wondering where the truth is on this stuff. I cant
be that bad could it, thats out and out wrong.

WayfarerX

Nov 20, 2001 at 11:12 AM

quote:

I fumble around in the interface for a bit, and finally figure
out how to get to the plain old explorer. I point it at the
root of the C drive, and what happens???
"This directory contains files that are necessary for the proper
operation of your system" (or something along those lines)

There is an option to turn this off, I think it''s buried under Folder Options somewhere.

quote:

1 was it said if you choose to connect to the internet
you have to use MS. No 3rd part.

I''m not sure exactly what this was supposed to mean, but I''ve connected my new XP laptop to 2 different networks, neither of them MSN, and they worked fine. Also, all my non-MS internet apps work fine as well (of all things Java works, so I couldn''t imagine other apps not working).

quote:

2 that some MS media layer that they are working on will
degrade competing techs to make them appear to have
better product. MP3 being the biggest example.

WinAmp is working fine for me so far.

I am definitely not a M$ fan, but I have to say that XP is not that bad. The product activation took a single click, boot time is _much_ faster than 2000, and it''s only crashed twice in 3 weeks (one was my fault). Anyone who''s used windows before will easily be able to configure the look and feel. All of my software has installed and runs fine.

As much as I hate to say it, XP really doesn''t appear to be the Devil incarnate.

"So crucify the ego, before it''s far too late. To leave behind this place so negative and blind and cynical, and you will come to find that we are all one mind. Capable of all that''s imagined and all conceivable."
- Tool

pwd

Author

pwd

Nov 20, 2001 at 1:18 PM

quote:
Original post by furby100
Can you choose not to view as a web page? That solves the
problem for the Windows directory in Windows 98 and later.

I''m sure there was an option for that. Mostly booted into that
OS on a lark (heh- I''d probably get fired for using a windows
workstation as a development system :p).
Was just a bit of a shock, seeing an OS telling it''s user that
they shouldn''t be looking around on their harddrive...

As far as not being able to connect to the internet with a
non-MSN account through XP, I don''t think that was the case.
There was a 6 month AOL account (ick) bundled with the laptop.
It would seem silly to bundle something that wouldn''t work with
the OS.
-pwd

MrDude

Nov 21, 2001 at 12:03 AM

Lets refrain from going on and on about all the little problems with windows XP and focus on the big picture

Wndows Xp = The Suck

Resist Unbirthing!
Mr. Dude

Andrew Russell

174

Andrew Russell

Nov 21, 2001 at 3:40 AM

I wouldn''t mind XP. My plan is to have 2 systems next to each other with each OS (XP & Linux), and network them for cross platform development.

ANDREW RUSSELL STUDIOS
Looking for my webpage? Funny that... Me too!
Resist nes8bit :: Bow Down to Linux Communisum

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