What's so bad about Windows XP?

Hi,

I'm a lifelong PC user (pre-Windows) and I'm thinking about getting a Mac. It would be a HUGE change for me. Frankly, fear of a change this big will most likely cause me to NOT do it (I might explain why in more detail in another thread).

Anyway, in doing some research to see what the new MacBooks are all about, I came across more than a few people talking about how difficult Windows XP can be. How it is SO inferior to the MAC. How it is always crashing. What a problem virus protection can be. Even some talk of having to download patches.

Here's the thing: I don't have any of those problems with Windows. None. Honest.

I use my Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop CONSTANTLY. With lots and lots of windows open and numerous applications running all the time. Guess what? I can't remember the last time it crashed. And concerning the virus protection? Norton Anti-virus runs once a week, automatically. I don't even know it's running, half the time. And patches? I've never had to download any patches. As far as I know, my computer is virus-free (and if it *does* have any viruses, they're not slowing me down!).

By the way, I don't work for Microsoft or own any of their stock. I'm not typically vocal about Microsoft or PCs. I guess I just don't understand why so many people in Mac forums knock Windows XP, when I don't see the problem.

Will I end up getting a Mac? We'll see. But if I do, it'll be because I like the look of it, the weight of it, and I've heard good things about it. It won't be because I have anything against Windows XP.

Am I the only one in this boat?

Many people move to the mac becuase they have had some bad experiences while using windows. The things mentioned are not fiction and you are fortunate to not have suffered such inconviences so far. So if you are happy with Windows then the only reason to move to a mac for you would be the great applications that it comes with and the ease with which you can get things done. This isn't to say that windows lacks any software or isn't that easy, because it does. It's just that the Mac has great software and makes it even easier (once you have learnt the basics).

As for being the only one on the boat, I'd say you are probably 1 in 100. Most people have atleast suffered a few crashes and a virus or even some spyware etc... which the Mac thankfully doesn't yet suffer from these problems. When hard crashes happen on the Mac it is usually because of a hardware fault or a full disk but rarely because of a piece of software installed. The mac keeps the User, Operating System and Base system seperate so that they do not interfere with one another. If the OS is stuck, you can often still SSH to the machine and fix it, or if a program crashes it doesn't afect the OS.
Current versions of windows however use a single environment. Users are administrators by default and the system and applcations share program files such as DLL files. This is the cause of alot of windows problems and one of the reasons windows is insecure is that internet explorer (which should be a user app) is integrated into the OS thus making the OS vulnerable.
Regardless of all these rablings (and I could go on for pro's and cons) what most people like about the Mac is the user experience. My sister who I convinced should get a Mac about 8 months ago, hated it at first. She just didn't get it. After a few weeks she got used to it and figured out how to do the things she wanted such as ebay and word. Then when she went to our mum's place she sat down at the Windows machine. She was shocked to find that she didn't like it atall, suddenly dawning on her why she had begun to like using her computer.

Wow, I sure can talk!

Most people critise windows due to the fact that it can be so vunerable once connected to the internet with out lots of protection. When i ran windows i ran a minimum of AntiVirus, firewall, and then ran adware and spyware removers once a week.

As for patches this is common with every OS not just windows, its just that they release soo many of the things which annoys so many people as they are constantly updating their system.

I would say that if you use your laptop on the internet and dont have any spy/adware they you have a guardian angel.

If you are unsure about getting a mac then go to a local store (pref apple store) and play with one, ask some questions and you could be quite supprised

I know **** well there has been patches for XP and I don't even run it. Mostly security patches. I believe if you click on the start menu and look near the top you'll find a "Windows Update" selection. Choose that the next time your connected to the internet.

Don't run just Norton. You can get some free virus checkers. Also go looking for some anti malware soft too, such as AdAware.

People knock Windows usually because of bad experiences. I knock Windows almost daily because I'm forced to put up with the same quirks daily. And yet mostly I just use a terminal emulator to Unix boxes. Put simply, Macs give me a much nicer computing experience.

Sure, most of us here think the Mac is the better tool, but if your Windows tool is working well for you, you have no driving reason for the change, except perhaps to see how the other side lives.

Windows really isn't that bad at all. Many people just make it sound like it's the most evil thing ever. That being said I hate Windows with a passion, but the secret to Windows is if you know what you are doing and you're careful as to what you download ect you will never have any problems.

I switched to a mac because I needed more power. My PC couldn't handle all the Third-Party apps I used.

Benjamindaines said:

but the secret to Windows is if you know what you are doing and you're careful as to what you download ect you will never have any problems.

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I think that is the key here really.
If you know exactly what you're doing, you're clued up on Firewalls, Anti-Virus Protection, Anti-Spyware/Adware etc then sure, Windows can be great for you.
After around 10 years of using every version of Windows since 95, I know exactly what I'm doing and hence don't have many 'problems'.
But for me, it shouldn't just be about 'avoiding the problems', it should be about enjoying your computing experience and being as productive as possible.
I think maybe that is why people Switch to Mac and why many people knock Windows.
You shouldn't need to have qualifications in computing, or vast amounts of experience to use a computer in this modern world. Maybe that is why people knock Windows, because if you don't know what you're doing, it can cause you all sorts of problems.

Even with all the knowledge I have of PCs and Windows, from every aspect of the hardware to the software, I STILL occasionally had the odd problem with spyware, adware, or general problems. On top of that I have been moved to believe that even if my PCs dont break down on me every week, I still deserve more from my experience with computers. I craved more productivity, more ease of use, or atleast speed in getting the day to day tasks done.
Hence I moved to Mac.

In a world why over 90% of our computing user base use Windows, it should really be easier and a lot less stress free, in my opinion.

johninc said:

I switched to a mac because I needed more power. My PC couldn't handle all the Third-Party apps I used.

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That's a bad reason. Put more RAM in, and/or get a newer PC if you like PC apps.

I criticize Windows because it is ugly, overly complicated to use, and is slow as crap.

I have to work on an HP at work that has 2GB of RAM and a dual 3.0Ghz processor and my 1.67Ghz Powerbook would blow it away in any competition.

Windows, to me, is a horrible experience in general.

I have also been I life long windows user. I went from IBM Dos to windows 3.1 to windows 98 to XP. I am looking at mac because they are somthing different. They are also have the upper hand in performance also. I don't have a problem with viruses however on my Win 98 machine it does crash every so often. The biggest reason why I will switch to mac is because everthing I do on a pc I can do on a Mac and sometimes I can do it better.

I am a user of Mac, Windows, and Linux. They all have their strengths and weaknesses.

With that said, what I see as the main problem with Windows is that it is not secure out of the box. It requires adjust settings, installing Antivirus software, and etc.

Also, I would like to provide some information for people who use Windows. Part of what makes Unix, Linux, BSD, and OS X secure are that regular users do not have permission to make system wide changes. Unfortunately Windows by default gives regular users permission to make system wide changes and execute and install all kinds of code; therefore the default accounts on Windows XP allow regular users (and viruses, spyware, and etc.) to really screw things up. I believe that Windows Vista will be more secure, and am looking forward to it.

So for the people here who run Windows and those who fix Windows computers for your relatives, take note of this advice. Setup a limited user account for your clients/relatives, and password protect any admin accounts. It will make your life a lot easier! I almost gaurantee it. :headphone If Windows is run from a limited user account with DEP enabled, you'll prevent a great deal of the security problems that exist. (DEP stands for Data Execution Prevention).

The main reason that I use a Mac is because I have a dual screen Mac setup at work, and it is sometimes easier to do my graphics work on the two-screen Mac than on my single screen Windows machine. I did just order my first mac for home, a refurbished mini, and expect it to arrive in a week or so.

There are other times at work when it is soo much easier to run Windows. For example, OS X will run neither my GIS (mapping software) nor my stats software, which are both very important to my job (research analyst). Also, why did it take apple 20+ years to come up with the concept of a two-button mouse? I bet that it cost them a bit of market-share.

surfwax95 said:

I criticize Windows because it is ugly, overly complicated to use, and is slow as crap.

I have to work on an HP at work that has 2GB of RAM and a dual 3.0Ghz processor and my 1.67Ghz Powerbook would blow it away in any competition.

Windows, to me, is a horrible experience in general.

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Thanks for providing such an informative posting with detailed specifics. I'm sure that it was very helpful to the OP.

timswim78 said:

Thanks for providing such an informative posting with detailed specifics. I'm sure that it was very helpful to the OP.

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I especially enjoyed the "it is ugly, overly complicated to use, and slow as crap" comment.

i think that mac users love the interface (Finder, not as much..) when they seen a pc and find out that it just recieved feature that the mac recieved in os 8. it make them feel like pc are not great tools. i'm sure that at a pc forum, all the users say how much they the macs. PERSPECTIVE!!! It just depends on what your doing. Gamers love pc. Editors love macs.....

i'm fine with pc and macs..
Many people that used pc, that swiched to macs think they're so fast, but they might not have been using an uptodate system..

EDIT-XTREEM said:

(Finder, not as much..)

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What don't you like about Finder, I like it.

timswim78 said:

Thanks for providing such an informative posting with detailed specifics. I'm sure that it was very helpful to the OP.

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I believe the question in the topic was "What's so bad about Windows XP?", not "Will you write a one page essay, with details, on why you think Windows XP is a lesser OS?"

I expressed my opinion the best I knew how given my limited knowledge of Windows...and I came to the point that:

Windows is ugly, overly complicated to use, and slow as crap.

My contribution to this thread. However vague and useless it may be.

The Registry.

File associations. (I want some JPEGs to open in Picture Viewer. I want others to open in Photoshop. Why is this so hard?)

Antivirus software.

Drive letters that are always visible, even when there's no volume mounted.

No Zoom button.

Having everything on the system come to a stop while I launch an application.

technologist said:

I want some JPEGs to open in Picture Viewer. I want others to open in Photoshop.

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Interesting. How do you do that on a Mac?

curious said:

Interesting. How do you do that on a Mac?

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You right click while holding down the option key, you will get a menu item that says always open with... and then you can select PhotoShop for some images and Preview for others.

Benjamindaines said:

You right click while holding down the option key, you will get a menu item that says always open with... and then you can select PhotoShop for some images and Preview for others.

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Oh, that. Yes, you CAN do that with XP. You don't even need to hold down the Option (or Control) key. Just right click on the icon and select "Open With", then choose the App (such as Photoshop, etc.)