XP sucks . . . but then, so does most Mike-roh-soft software . . .
Setanta- Why do you think that XP sucks? I would like to hear your opinion before I go an an all out campaign to get it! What else would you suggest in its place?
Given the death-grip Gates and Company have on the home computer market, in terms of the o.s. for which programs are written, and to which on-line programs cater, i don't know that you would find an alternative which didn't require you to largely set-up your own operating system, such a Linnux. Just a petty fit of temper, because XP is another example of a highly touted MS program which does not operate up to the standard which was advertised. I'd say you have little choice but to go to XP, i'm just saying it ain't all its cracked-up to be.
I was wondering why there was a stethescope and a medical degree from "El Universito di Tijuana" in my computer desk...
Setanta- OK- So what I hear you saying is that unless I am a dyed in the wool computer geek (which I am definitely not) I just need to accept Microsoft, warts and all.
Hey, nothing is perfect. I wanted to know if there were any serious reasons for avoiding XP? I now have Windows 98 SE, which loves to torment me by crashing on a regular basis.
I suppose the opther option would be to go Apple, and I don't think that I want to do that!
MS owns Apple computers now, anyway . . .
I don't know why your 98 keeps crashing, but i often wish i hadn't gone to XP . . .
Setanta- I KNOW why it keeps crashing, for various and sundry reasons. The bottom line is that the hard drive has not been reformatted in nearly three years, and has collected a lot of conflicting junk!
Hey! I just got XP! Now you tell me I shoulda stuck with 98? Go away already!
dlowan- How do YOU like XP, as compared to 98? Do you find it more stable?
Hi Phoenix. I have XP and I like it. If you need to reformat it's as easy as pie. After you back up all your info, reformatting takes about 45 min. The included CD's do everything for you. There's nothing like having a factory new computer with all the junk removed. XP is user friendly and my computer has never crashed due to the fact that I've cleaned it out a couple of times to get rid of a virus and useless junk.
The only thing I don't like is that after you reformat, there are endless updates to catch up on. However, I do believe that the newer XP software contains some of these updates.
I never had a crash problem with Winders 98, Second Abortion . . . an' you could open a DOS window, which allowed me to play many video games which i cannot now play on XP--what i don't like about XP is that i am denied access to alter system files, directly or indirectly, and i've been doing this so long, since before windows existed, that that aspect truly irks me . . .
I'm using 98 2nd Ed. I am terrified of having to switch to XP. The puter wizards at work here tell me to stick with 98 as long as possible. None of the viruses target 98 anymore, support is still there, the bugs seem to be sorted out.
I think the lady is right on target . . .
I just reformatted less than 6 months ago and the thought of doing it again just makes my skin crawl. If you back up all your info, aren't you just throwing all the junk you want to get rid of right back into your computer?
Montana, the idea is to back-up only that which is important to you . . . you have to be selective . . .
I have a 40 gig hard drive, it's mostly full, but with video games or images i found on-line . . . i'm very good about deleting that which i don't need or no longer want, and i do disk clean-up and defrag on a regular basis . . . i've never found the need to reformat a hard drive . . . (although i once "accidentally" did it to the computer of a jackass i worked for--he always spoke to me contemptuously, as though i were little better than a complete ignoramus . . . i think he realized shortly after i reformatted his hard drive, and told him i was quitting, that he might have misjudged me . . . )
LOL Setanta. Looks like I'm going to have to learn how to save just what I want to hold on too. At this point I only know how to back up my entire file system.
Sounds like the ass deserved it. Right on ;-)
Aight kiddies... bottom line is that 98 BLOWS. dump it as soon as you can. the reason it crashes all the time is because the kernel (the heart of the OS) is FULL of bugs. 98 allows programs to do things they shouldn't. so one program will affect another. ever had an "access violation" or "unhandled exception" ? yeah... XP is not perfect, but then, what is? i own just about every operating system (excepting Mac OS) and XP has been the best so far. it does have some quirks that i don't particularly like, but that's mostly me being really picky. being a computer scientist, i want everything my way, and that can't be. so i deal. XP is fast, has good compatibility and is pretty damn stable.
reformatting your hard disk wont' fix the errors. the problems are software related, not hardware. although, i'm sure you would benefit from optimizing (norton speed disk will do nicely) your disks. when you install XP, it will assume all your setting and whatnot, so you probably will only have to reinstall a very small if any number of programs. have fun with that. ;o)
Most importantly, how much do they cost?
