Windows XP - the truth?

**Husar** · 12-14-2005, 02:17

Yes, no problems with XP SP2. I reinstall on purpose sometimes if I feel there is too much old, non-deleted junk I don´t want to search for. But that´s just for me to feel better.

**Lemur** · 12-14-2005, 07:18

You can view more with Firefox than you know, as another poster pointed out. IE is a huge freakin' security hole, and you should use it sparingly.

XP SP2 all by itself is pretty stable. The best way to bring it crashing down is to use IE a lot, or, to be honest, any Microsoft software that isn't XP SP2. Microsoft Office can bring on the blue screen of death pretty easily.

Just avoid using MS products on the MS platform, and your mileage should improve dramatically.

**Sjakihata** · 12-14-2005, 11:26

I havent had the BSOD yet on my xp sp2. using firefox

**Sigurd** · 12-14-2005, 11:28

As a Master of IT I chose the career of pulling my hair, gnashing my teeth and listen to endless ranting from non IT trained personnel till my ears bleed.

I have had customers calling saying: “Mysterious letters appear in the text fields in your program; hence your program is rubbish”. Spending a number of hours trying to fathom what this was all about and coming up with nothing, we had to go on location. Sitting by her computer we could not regenerate the problem. “Show us how”, we told her. The lady of some size was nearsighted and after typing a few words leaned into her screen to see what she had wrote. Her large bosom splashed all over her keyboard, making all sorts of letters appear in front of her squinting eyes 2 inches from her screen; “See, there it goes again…”

Your problem, good sir, is a case of the dangerous disease we tech-heads call finger trouble.

**Sjakihata** · 12-14-2005, 13:24

Originally Posted by Sigurd Fafnesbane

As a Master of IT I chose the career of pulling my hair, gnashing my teeth and listen to endless ranting from non IT trained personnel till my ears bleed.

Nice line of work - Im glad im not in it

**lugh** · 12-14-2005, 14:10

I'm like Husar, I've reinstalled it, but only when I didn't feel like manually cleaning all the junk and random programs I've installed over time.
as has been said don't use IE. It shouldn't be crashing every time you open two windows though. Maybe the pc isn't up to it? Or you have some nasties installed that are eating up your memory?

**drone** · 12-14-2005, 16:29

Originally Posted by Sigurd Fafnesbane

Your problem, good sir, is a case of the dangerous disease we tech-heads call finger trouble.

We call it PEBCAK (Problem Exists Between Chair and Keyboard).

I have never had problems with XP, it's very stable for me. I'm not even running a SP2, just a fully patched SP1. I use Mozilla suite for web browsing, with various options tweaked for security/annoyance reasons. I also run behind a DLink router, which is probably one of the best ways to prevent the usual problems. Periodic Spybot/AdAware checks and Norton cleanup keeps it running with no problems. IE is only used to do Windows Update. If a site needs IE, they don't get my business. They should be using the standards.

**Monarch** · 12-14-2005, 17:15

Accidently posted it twice, clicked 'post' too many times, apologies.

**BDC** · 12-14-2005, 17:46

Never had any issues with XP SP2. Using Firefox and Open Office.

Avoid other Microsoft products like the plague. They sold my schools some dodgey planning software and some people actually managed to make a more stable, better featured equivilent just for their A-level coursework...

**Mikeus Caesar** · 12-14-2005, 20:28

Gawd....my computer is currently like a sinking ship, with all processes jumping overboard. I'm constantly doing everything quick, in fear of another freeze and then half an hour of not being able to use the main boot-up and having to use my second boot-up, which is utter trash as it has no drivers or internet on it.

To the lifeboats!

**Monarch** · 12-14-2005, 17:15

For the browser problem you could give Opera.com a go. It sometimes can deal with pages FF cannot.

Anywho XP I do not really try much with my windows, I dont push it it do much really, all i really use my pc for is the internet, so no terrible experiences to report. However I would say thought that XP is a must simply because think of the amount of programs and for that matter games (IE. RTW) that only work on XP, until people start to produce the high demand applications and software that work on Linux/Mac then windows will always reign supreme....even if it's technically not the 'best' OS.

**Xiahou** · 12-15-2005, 03:33

Originally Posted by drone

We call it PEBCAK (Problem Exists Between Chair and Keyboard).

Hmmm, I couldve sworn that it was the dreaded EBKAC (Error Between Keyboard and Chair). Also, look out for the ID10T error and even occasionally you can encounter problems caused by "FM" interference.

I like XP well enough. Linux is great too, but it's still not quite user friendly enough- and let's face it, all the good games still require Windows.

**Reverend Joe** · 12-15-2005, 03:51

Originally Posted by Sigurd Fafnesbane

Her large bosom splashed all over her keyboard, making all sorts of letters appear in front of her squinting eyes 2 inches from her screen; ?See, there it goes again??:

Hm... you wouldn't happen to have her number-

Originally Posted by Sigurd Fafnesbane

The lady of some size

Oooooh... never mind.

Well, as a user of Windows from the very beginning, I can say that I have never had too many problems with it. Sure, one or two minor inconveniences, but not once- hang on, the jammin' part of echoes is coming up...

[MODE=Far Out]

[/MODE]

Okay, as I was saying, I have never once encountered the fabled "Blue Screen of Death". In fact, I think that the Apple people just made it up to scare people away from Windows.

**Lemur** · 12-15-2005, 03:56

Originally Posted by Zorba

I have never once encountered the fabled "Blue Screen of Death". In fact, I think that the Apple people just made it up to scare people away from Windows.

Listen up, Zorba, my last job was all about supervising 24 people on three continents, and all they were using was Microsoft equipment. You don't believe in the blue screen of death? Get serious about Microsoft Office. Do more curising with IE. Really beat on the features, and trust me, this fabled Yeti known as BSOD will visit you. When you least expect it. Probably right before you save your one copy of that really important document.

Mac lovers have committed all sorts of sins, but don't blame the BSOD on them. That's all Microsoft.

**LeftEyeNine** · 12-15-2005, 04:32

Zorba, trust me it's not a myth.. Gear up back to Win98 and see yourself after 2-3 months.

For browsers -as I stated in a topic in Watchtower- have a look at Maxthon browser.. A browser can't be better to me.