Well, I've just returned from a two week sojourn in the UK. I spent one day fixing my Uncle's computer, which runs Windows XP. Would you believe that there were at least 70 security updates and fixes required to keep it up to date?
What's worse is that his computer kept freezing at boot time because XP thought he was a pirate. I had to reinstall everything since there was no other alternative for getting it to work again.
I'm no great techie by any means, but I tend to be a person that friends and family turn to for fixing computer problems since I can usually find out what's wrong and get it working again.
Over the last few years I have done a fair bit of work on computers owned by colleagues and friends. On the Macs I have fixed, the problems have always been those in which the person just doesn't know how to do a software update or connect to an ISP or some simple thing like that. Not one time has there been an actual technical failure. But among the computers running XP (2000 seems better) there are no end of technical problems that have required reinstalls or other costly software solutions. Even when there is a simple problem (like stopping messenger spam or the endless prompts to use MSN Passport) it is caused by XP's default configuration.
My question is why do people bother with this ****? If you are an ordinary non-techie user all that XP seems to cause you is endless heartache. Many people don't even understand that they need virus protection which is testament to the poor performance of salespeople who should inform their customers about the danger from viruses. Such people would be better off with a Mac. I returned home to find about 10 emails containing the sobig virus, but my computer just laughs at them. I hate to think how many home users of XP have unwittingly spread this thing around the planet.
What's worse is that his computer kept freezing at boot time because XP thought he was a pirate. I had to reinstall everything since there was no other alternative for getting it to work again.
I'm no great techie by any means, but I tend to be a person that friends and family turn to for fixing computer problems since I can usually find out what's wrong and get it working again.
Over the last few years I have done a fair bit of work on computers owned by colleagues and friends. On the Macs I have fixed, the problems have always been those in which the person just doesn't know how to do a software update or connect to an ISP or some simple thing like that. Not one time has there been an actual technical failure. But among the computers running XP (2000 seems better) there are no end of technical problems that have required reinstalls or other costly software solutions. Even when there is a simple problem (like stopping messenger spam or the endless prompts to use MSN Passport) it is caused by XP's default configuration.
My question is why do people bother with this ****? If you are an ordinary non-techie user all that XP seems to cause you is endless heartache. Many people don't even understand that they need virus protection which is testament to the poor performance of salespeople who should inform their customers about the danger from viruses. Such people would be better off with a Mac. I returned home to find about 10 emails containing the sobig virus, but my computer just laughs at them. I hate to think how many home users of XP have unwittingly spread this thing around the planet.
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