The Anti-Windows 7 Site - Why It Still Won’t Work

Ugh! those arguments are so old and out dated!
Im not saying Im a big fan of Microsoft, but:
1) Fair enough. Most people don’t like change, so if they grow up using windows they’ll probably carry on doing so. It doesn’t help that there isn’t really any OS aside from OSX which can compete with windows.
2) WGA only checks on Windows and its relevant extensions. Its “just” DRM. Annoying, but get over it.
3) There’s plenty of vendors who will now offer Linux in one form or another. And since Linux is free, you can just grab a copy of it and install it yourself. The main reason why they wont offer it, if that’s the case, is because, yes, they get a bigger discount from MS, but also they’d have to retrain all their support staff to know about Linux, and Linux isn’t exactly the simplest OS to get about, no matter the distro.
4) You can accuse Ubuntu, Apple, Adobe and all companies of the same thing. Legacy support for old outdated software is a huge drain on resources for all companies. They need to keep making money.
5) fair enough. MS like to use their own proprietary formats.
6) Stupid stupid. Almost all music online is DRM free, and its not as if WMP is adding DRM to the music. Buy it elsewhere.
7) All OSs have vulnerabilities and exploits. MS didn’t act quick enough to block them initially, but things are much better in newer OSs (Upgrade!). Linux and OS X happily live in comparative obscurity where their vulnerabilities don’t get exploited.

Quit your whining! feel free to stick with Windows XP if you want, or use Ubuntu/Linux/OS X. Microsoft is a business, and where they used to exploit a lot, they’ve been sued and legislated into not being able to do so as much.

Hi Stefan,
Thanks for the comment and for sharing your thoughts with us.
Regards, Ron

These have been valid criticisms of Microsoft for some time.

Even if you can’t convince someone to ditch Windows, you probably *can* convince them to at least dump some of Microsoft’s proprietary lock-in formats.

 OpenOffice.org has real ODF support, you can use it for free, it’s just as good as, I’d argue better than MS Office, and it can open OOXML files so that you may edit them and save them to the ODF standard.

In a pinch, if you simply have to export OOXML, Novell has a plug-in that lets you do that, and you still don’t need to pay Microsoft any money. (Free Novell registration is required for the OOXML export plugin)

Novell OOXML exporter: http://download.novell.com/Download?buildid=NADNBLbBgPY~

(Windows users want the oxt file, just double click and OpenOffice will install it)

Latest OpenOffice: http://www.openoffice.org/

As for internet browser, both Firefox or Opera (I’m using Opera 10 RC right now and love it) will get you past that icky bloated security hazard known as Internet Explorer.

As for multimedia, the patent-free and public domain Ogg Vorbis makes a great replacement for MP3, listening tests show that the AoTuv (forked) encoder even blows past WMA 10 Professional and AAC by a considerable margin at most bitrates.

You can get away from Microsoft formats and still use Windows, and when you do make the transition off of Windows, you can take your data with you.

Microsoft invents nonstandard formats and protocols because they know that if you have gigabytes of data that you can’t take with you, that you’ll hesitate to switch when you’ve had just about enough of them. (Also, when open source has to reverse engineer Microsoft formats, it gives a pretense of legitimacy to Microsoft patent claims.)

BTW, Windows 7 *does* have (minimal) support for several industry standards that Microsoft has avoided supporting in the past, these include:

MPEG-4 AAC audio: Decoder only, but Windows Explorer can edit the tags. Nero AAC+Foobar2000 make for decent encoding should you need iPod compatibility or something.

DivX and h.264 video: Decoding only, but at least you can watch said files without a “codec pack”.

MOV files: So you don’t need a “codec pack” or to haul in Quicktime.

OpenDocument Text (ODT) support: It’s a trap, basic text documents will survive Wordpad, but tables won’t, use OpenOffice, you’ve been warned.

Of course MS will never support Vorbis or Theora, but you can get those encoders and decoders elsewhere.

Winamp users can get AoTuv/Vorbis encoding as a first class citizen by installing the Winamp Essentials pack:

http://www.winamp.com/plugins/details/150126

Good post, and very good comments. Somewhere back in the late 1980’s MS stopped caring about customers as much as it tried to be the only vendor. This is why people - even we early proponents of MS software - have soured on the Co. If MSIE, the bloated virus portal, actually supported web standards, there would be very little to complain about. But, it doesn’t. In fact MS took 12 years to support png files, so don’t get your hopes up.

So I will happily work with OS-X and get things done while others try to find patches and downloads to solve Windows inconsistencies.

If MS starts listening to people, delivering tools that work and quits bloating the software - there may be a reason to look at Windows 8 or 9.

I think everybody has the right to choose. Some people choose to pass this right to someone else. So this someone else chooses for him. Microsoft does this and Linux wants to do it too.

I’m a Linux user and also a Windows user. Each system has its own public and market destination. I don’t think they compete against each other. Instead of fighting against each other, they should focus on what’s better for their users.

Windows is very good for the desktop. Linux is very good for netbook and mobile gadgets. [ Mac is a piece of art. ]

Anyway, this debate could last for days. I don’t want to impose my opinion unto anyone. Agreeing or not, that’s just my opinion.

Regards to all

Well let’s see here…

1. When I was growing up all my school ever had was Macs and that’s all I knew how to use until I got to high school, because Apple used to give computers to the schools for free. Why? To get kids to grow up using their computers and keep their company alive. Huh, sounds familiar…

2. Microsoft wants to try and regulate software piracy… is that problem?

3. Yes, almost every PC you buy pre-built at a retail store has windows on it. It’s part of the whole pre-built thing, which also doesn’t allow you to choose your other items like motherboard, sound card, or disk drives. Want to choose? Go to an actual computer store and get a custom built system, you’ll be much happier than just picking a computer off the shelf.

4. Indeed windows tries to automaticall update your computer with little things like security patches and improved software… nothing you’d actually want. That whole universal compatiblity thing is a waste of time since you never want to contact anyone else with your computer anyway…

5. Microsoft products you Microsoft formats…if you don’t want to use them, then don’t. I mean just because everyone else is doesn’t mean you have to.

6. One of the biggest DRM issues I know of deals with a little device called an iPod… Microsoft doesn’t make iPods.

7. All operating systems has security vulnerabilities… the issue is that since Windows has such a huge user pool it logically becomes the target of choice for hackers to go after. Yes it’s sad, Macs don’t have a large enough audience to even get NEGATIVE attention… and I won’t even get into Linux.

While I do agree that showing a child only Windows will probably lock them into habitual recognition and loyalty, do remember that Windows is much easier to use than Linux and is more cost effective than OSX. There are also much more software choices for Windows, as well as games and supported drivers for 3rd party devices like mp3 players. Don’t blame the consumers too fast. They just go with what works and what’s available.

Hello All,
Thanks for your stopping by and posting your comments.

‘Mac is a piece of art.’ well said Claudio.

@Claudio Henrique: Regarding choice, I’d consider MS Office and Windows Media users the most inconsiderate of other people, although many of them are simply unwitting pawns.

When I make an Ogg Vorbis audio file or a Theora video file or an ODT document and give it to you, you may have to go get a codec or a plug in to use them on Windows, but it does not force you to stop using Windows, and there are no fees or royalties that are inflicted on you for simply opening the files I made.

When an Office or Windows Media user creates an OOXML, WMA, or WMV file, you have to use reverse engineered filters and codecs that may not work right and may not even be legal unless you pay somebody money who turns around and pays Microsoft some money. (Novell and Fluendo are perfect examples), and even if you can open and listen to a file someone has created, your usage rights may be constrained by the format, and DRM’d files won’t work at all.

What it really boils down to is that I’m asking you to get a 2 MB free plugin, and you’re asking me to pay Microsoft and/or switch to Windows. I think I’m being far more reasonable.

Still you get people that are like “What is that? Why do I need that? Why should I get that? It may be spyware!” (Microsoft Security “advice” says to be cautious of “free software”) even though most Windows users have Limewire sharing their tax returns while they routinely run “keygen” viruses, and these are the users MS thrives on that pull the unwilling 10% along with them.

I think Microsoft has realized they’ve reached the end of the number of users willing to pay them for Windows, so they’re trying to set up a feudal system out of bogus patents and nonstandard formats and protocols, where they are the “lord” and you have to give them the “road tax” and some of the milk from your cows even if you aren’t one of their citizens.

Also, I should probably say that netbooks, tablets, and PDAs are no longer mere “gadgets”, they are replacing power hungry hulking monster machines that are either affixed to your desk like an anchor or with Windows, eat a battery after an hour or two.

Eventually, you’ll have ARM-based tablets running Linux replacing business laptops, using 1/8th as much power, running for 8 to 12 hours on a single charge, this horrifies Intel and Microsoft, and it’s why they resurrected Windows XP and trumped up an “energy efficient” Atom processor (paired up with the godawful Intel integrated graphics on a whole dedicated chipset) that still uses over 20 times as much electrical power as an equally powerful ARM-based CPU+graphics solution.

Microsoft’s mobile “strategy” right now is to kill the netbook by dictating what one is and by pricing it equal to a more powerful laptop.

They may succeed in taking PC makers down with them, but they won’t stop the new ARM tablets.

>>>>the “road tax” and some of the milk from your cows even if you aren’t one of their citizens.

Now THAT is funny. LOL.

It won’t work, and is a waste of resources.

Frankly few actually care about most of that list. Vendor lock-in *IS* a consideration for some enterprises, but mostly older ones still stuck trying to find parts for PDP-11s, but those institutions can run most free software on windows anyway.

Really, the FSF can talk to me about open standards when Linus & crew starts following the NFSv4 standard, which (funnily enough) Microsoft has managed to do (if you install services for unix). I do realize the FSF is not officially affiliated with the kernel project, but if it is going to use these arguments to back Linux, it’s going to get my ire.

From what have seen (one of my co-workers has been using the beta) Windows 7 is actually a pretty solid OS. There are some features I use, that it lacks, but overall it’s what Vista wasn’t: a good successor to XP.

And to anyone who thinks I’m an MS fanboi, this is typed on an OpenSolaris machine, and I don’t have any copies of Windows (legal or otherwise).

I use Ubuntu for my email and for my blogs.
I use XP for my desk top publishing, including Print Shop and Photo Shop.
We don’t have a big enough base with Ubuntu to really help each other. So that I am waiting for Google Chrome then we will have a big enough base, and if they can keep all the good stuff from Windows and leave the other stuff out, it should be the best system in the world for the immediate future.

I only use Windows when required to do so for clients, or to use specific software packages. I dumped Windows for Linux on the desktop in 2000 and never looked back. It took a brave man to switch back then, but today, having installed XP, Windows and Fedora fairly recently I can affirm that Linux is lacking nothing on Windows as far as the average desktop user is concerned. We have one vista, two xp’s and a linux under our roof. The linux box crashes less, actually plays multimedia more reliably and is a better all-round OS even on the desktop.

Hello Peter,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. It is appreciated.
Ron

I remember switching from Window 3.1 to Mac sys 7 way back when. I thouroly enjoyed the clean desktop of Mac, ease of setting start up controls, the advantages go on. Of course if you wanted software or hardware, you may have to search for it online or in magazines.

Macs were not perfect. Until OS 9 arrived, most older software would last through numorous OS upgrades and many new releases could be used on older Mac OS systems. Even after OS 10, many titles will be usable through a number of OS. updates.

I just recently purchased a Toshiba laptop with Vista Premium. The endless warnings, the drawn out process of downloading and installing programs is more than a bit irritating.

If Windows 7 does not prove to be a better system, I will definatly consider loading another operating system on it.

[...] Microsoft comes out with a new operating system, it has almost become a tradition for some group to create an anti-Windows Web site. The last time [...]

It is fair to tell you that I am 61 years old and have been using Debian for the last 4 0r 5 years. My last MS operating system was XP Media Edition. Once it got to service pack 2 it was ok.
Personally, I didn’t care for Microsoft’s proprietary attitude. I paid
good money for XP and couldn’t use as I liked. So I dumped it and threw all the disks away. If I can use Linux any body can and I commend anyone who does.
Thanks,
Leon

It is NOT true that Using windows is simplier - realy Linux is SIMPLIER! How do you install software in win? Open browser, type google.com type what you are searching for press enter find it in list of links (some links are not about software) Choos link and if you are lucky you can download it directly - if not you must check captcha or wait x seconds… after download you may must extract it and then double-click at setup.exe or whatever you must click next, next, … confirm license and set some options and then press install and wait after that you maybe must restart your computer and you must do it all with every software you want to install (how much of software you have after fresh install - or how many programs and drivers you need to install? 10? 20? 30?) If you have Ubuntu (or similar distribution) you choose add/remove from menu and check all programs you want to install after that you confirm it with password and that’s ALL! - automatic download and installation. Updates: In windows only microsoft products - you must manualy update all piece of software whitch is not from microsoft. in Ubuntu (or similar distribution) you only confirm all updates (or you can unset confirmation if you want - then if updates are aviable it’ll install automaticaly) you can choice what software you want update too (if you want use older version or don’t have time for downloading lot of data).
If you don’t belive me try look at whylinuxisbetter.net - great site!

I’m always amazed at how people defend people who make money off of them - and how they make money off of them. They rationalize their rights away as if they’re getting a bargain.

Making deals with hardware manufacturers to preinstall Windows is anti-competitive. Hardware manufacturers trap everyone and have created a culture of software that is counterproductive. That’s changing, slowly. Too slowly for some.

There are deeper issues with Microsoft - such as behind-the-doors deals with educators, governments and more. And while they do enough these days to stay out of court for anti-trust, people need to remember that there are some countries that lack those laws - and Microsoft is all too happy that this is true.

Software shouldn’t be about marketing. Software should be customizable by users - through the code if the users are willing to do it - and they should be able to own the changes that they make. That’s why the GPL isn’t evil - it’s a challenge to Microsoft’s position that it came by through breaking laws.

Just stop whining with ‘linux is better and should be everyone choice !’
It is not, period for a number of reason you can find everywhere, like windows is not better either.
All Oses have flaws.
You do not use AIX on your desktop either…should we dump aix for linux ? yeah right.

The only problem is the lack of choices when you buy a pre built computer.
But last I hear Apple was doing fine.
If linux can be so good on the desktop why none of you linux user invest in a company to build and market prebuilt linux computer like Apple.
I know why: cause you cannot fucking agree between yourself with your gazillion different distributions…
People have no time for your quarrel, your ever changing software (no, change does not mean ‘improving’)
and your attitude of ‘holier than you’
So stop whining on the internet..please…
You are just polluting the net…
I am here cause I looked for a specific command line in your OS of choice,,.