I found XP bulletproof since:
1. install SP1 and disable updates after that.
2. Use Antivir
3. Use Zonealarm free
4. run spybot regularly
5. use firefox, thunderbird and 3rd party media players exclusively, and update THEM regularly. (this makes the MS updates less needed)
works for me
Apple is safe for the moment, but me thinks that some day.......
1. install SP1 and disable updates after that.
2. Use Antivir
3. Use Zonealarm free
4. run spybot regularly
5. use firefox, thunderbird and 3rd party media players exclusively, and update THEM regularly. (this makes the MS updates less needed)
works for me
Apple is safe for the moment, but me thinks that some day.......
Mac is no answer. Apple has become as evil as M$, if they weren't in the first place.
Linux isn't for everyone but there's no need to run antivirus, though that may not last forever. My Ubuntu installs run much faster than anything under Windoze. Program start-ups, web page loads, etc. are all faster. Windows programs running under wine in linux run faster than they do under windoze.
I have run into some difficulties when trying to install certain programs that are not yet supported by the Ubuntu crew and not accessable via apt, but most are not really any harder than doing an install under windoze- it is just different and you have to get used to how it works. Remember the old days when you kept a Windows book handy to look up how to do things? Do the same with Linux for a while until you understand how it works and you'll be fine.
Drivers can be a headache for some hardware in linux. Fortunately, many linux distros are available on "live-CDs" so you can run linux from the CD without actually installing it- that will tell you if there are any hardware problems. I hesitated to set up Kubuntu on my laptop for a long time because the machine uses an ATI graphics chip and ATI hasn't been very supportive of linux until recently. Locating and loading the driver took about 5 minutes and the thing is running fine in the native LCD resolution of 1680x1050. I even got Compiz/Beryl working just to see what the fuss was about, It seems sort of silly to me- you have to memorize dozens of weird key combinations to make it do all the fancy tricks.
When I run into trouble in linux, there is so much free, on-line help available that it boggles the mind. Try figuring out how to fix something under windows and you run into 100s of sites that want you to pay for assistance.
I have tried the gnome desktop and kde and find that the kde package installer is a little more user friendly, so if you've had trouble in that area in the past, try switching desktops- you can do that in linux- instead of being stuck with one in windoze.
Those who don't want to have to know anything about their computers should get a Mac. But be aware that you are at the mercy of whatever Apple wants to do with you, just like most PC users are at Gate's mercy.
M$ Orifice is a disaster. They keep changing file formats to be incompatible with older versions of the programs forcing everyone to "upgrade". Recently they sent out an auto-update that made older file formats unopenable with the current version of Orifice. Good luck looking at your older files a couple years from now. Better start saving everything in plain text format if you want it to be accessible in the future. Open Office is a freebie that doesn't seem to suffer from such idiotic policies.
My Win XP pro installation came on my laptop and is "maintained" by the IT geeks at my school. It is a legal copy. For some reason I did not get any OS install CDs with the computer. I suppose when it's time for the 6 month OS reinstall (that seems to be the maximum that you can run a M$ product before it gets so full of crud that the only way to get the machine to work properly again for a little while is to reinstall the OS) the IT geeks will have to do it. No, there's no hidden partition on the HDD that has the OS install files. I'll have to ask the IT geeks why I didn't get any OS install CDs with my $1500 laptop.
I_F
Linux isn't for everyone but there's no need to run antivirus, though that may not last forever. My Ubuntu installs run much faster than anything under Windoze. Program start-ups, web page loads, etc. are all faster. Windows programs running under wine in linux run faster than they do under windoze.
I have run into some difficulties when trying to install certain programs that are not yet supported by the Ubuntu crew and not accessable via apt, but most are not really any harder than doing an install under windoze- it is just different and you have to get used to how it works. Remember the old days when you kept a Windows book handy to look up how to do things? Do the same with Linux for a while until you understand how it works and you'll be fine.
Drivers can be a headache for some hardware in linux. Fortunately, many linux distros are available on "live-CDs" so you can run linux from the CD without actually installing it- that will tell you if there are any hardware problems. I hesitated to set up Kubuntu on my laptop for a long time because the machine uses an ATI graphics chip and ATI hasn't been very supportive of linux until recently. Locating and loading the driver took about 5 minutes and the thing is running fine in the native LCD resolution of 1680x1050. I even got Compiz/Beryl working just to see what the fuss was about, It seems sort of silly to me- you have to memorize dozens of weird key combinations to make it do all the fancy tricks.
When I run into trouble in linux, there is so much free, on-line help available that it boggles the mind. Try figuring out how to fix something under windows and you run into 100s of sites that want you to pay for assistance.
I have tried the gnome desktop and kde and find that the kde package installer is a little more user friendly, so if you've had trouble in that area in the past, try switching desktops- you can do that in linux- instead of being stuck with one in windoze.
Those who don't want to have to know anything about their computers should get a Mac. But be aware that you are at the mercy of whatever Apple wants to do with you, just like most PC users are at Gate's mercy.
M$ Orifice is a disaster. They keep changing file formats to be incompatible with older versions of the programs forcing everyone to "upgrade". Recently they sent out an auto-update that made older file formats unopenable with the current version of Orifice. Good luck looking at your older files a couple years from now. Better start saving everything in plain text format if you want it to be accessible in the future. Open Office is a freebie that doesn't seem to suffer from such idiotic policies.
My Win XP pro installation came on my laptop and is "maintained" by the IT geeks at my school. It is a legal copy. For some reason I did not get any OS install CDs with the computer. I suppose when it's time for the 6 month OS reinstall (that seems to be the maximum that you can run a M$ product before it gets so full of crud that the only way to get the machine to work properly again for a little while is to reinstall the OS) the IT geeks will have to do it. No, there's no hidden partition on the HDD that has the OS install files. I'll have to ask the IT geeks why I didn't get any OS install CDs with my $1500 laptop.
I_F
I_Forgot said:
I've been running my XP install for several years and I've never had to reinstall the OS, never see blue screens, rarely have a rogue bit of software hang it up. Something's really wrong with your laptop!
While I'm with the crowd that intends to avoid Vista as long as possible, both of my college-age kids are running Vista laptops with no problems at all.
Bill
I_Forgot said:
All i care about is that they have the best OS and i can get the most work done with it... that the machines are considerably less expensive (due to them being useful twice as long) is a boon too,
So you are recommending Macs for 95% of the population. I can live with that.
dave
My Three...
Hello Guys
It looks as if my complaints re Panda's bombardments found some receptive ears. I had a telephone call today, apologising for what happened and got offered an extra 3 months extension to the new 2008 version. Since I had already bought 2008, I thought that was not too bad a deal.
Well, I'll see how it goes. It was interesting to read here all the different approaches to computer security and how to deal with these issues.
bulgin
Hello Guys
It looks as if my complaints re Panda's bombardments found some receptive ears. I had a telephone call today, apologising for what happened and got offered an extra 3 months extension to the new 2008 version. Since I had already bought 2008, I thought that was not too bad a deal.
Well, I'll see how it goes. It was interesting to read here all the different approaches to computer security and how to deal with these issues.
bulgin
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