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From: Andrew duxorth <awd@seol.net.au>
To : linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 1999 14:35:56 +0930
Came accross this and I thought it would be of interest (or at least a laugh)
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cya
Andrew
South East On Line System Administrator
admin@seol.net.au (for Urgent SEOL related enquiries)
awd@seol.net.au
99 Commercial Street East
MOUNT GAMBIER, SA, 5290
Ph +61 8 8724 9796
Fax +61 8 8725 4983
Providing Internet Access to the South East
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-----Original Message-----
From: awdtemp <awdtemp@seol.net.au>
To: linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au <linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au>
Date: Friday, June 18, 1999 2:35 PM
Subject: Came accross this and I thought it would be of interest (or at =
least a laugh)
cya
Andrew
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<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>cya<BR>Andrew</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>South East On Line System =
Administrator<BR><A=20
href=3D"admin@seol.net.au">mailto:admin@seol.net.au">admin@seol.net.au</A> (for Urgent SEOL =
related=20
enquiries)<BR><A =
href=3D"awd@seol.net.au">mailto:awd@seol.net.au">awd@seol.net.au</A><BR>99=20
Commercial Street East<BR>MOUNT GAMBIER, SA, 5290<BR>Ph +61 8 8724 =
9796<BR>Fax=20
+61 8 8725 4983<BR>Providing Internet Access to the South=20
East<BR>-----------------------------------------------------------------=
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>-----Original =
Message-----</B><BR><B>From:=20
</B>awdtemp <<A=20
href=3D"awdtemp@seol.net.au">mailto:awdtemp@seol.net.au">awdtemp@seol.net.au</A>><BR><B>To:=
</B><A=20
href=3D"linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au">mailto:linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au">linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au</A> <<A =
href=3D"linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au">mailto:linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au">linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au</A>><BR>=
<B>Date:=20
</B>Friday, June 18, 1999 2:35 PM<BR><B>Subject: </B>Came accross this =
and I=20
thought it would be of interest (or at least a =
laugh)<BR><BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>cya<BR>Andrew</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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Why Win95 is Better than Linux
Feb 15th, 23:09:40
As posted to comp.os.linux.advocacy, by Jon Hamkins.
It's Funny... Laugh. -lt ed
Because all operating systems are written by programmers, I assume that any
operating system is much smarter than me. Thus, any good operating system
should try to outsmart me by restricting my options at every turn. Linux, like
all versions of Unix, is lousy at restricting my options because at the command
line virtually any operation can be performed with ease. (For example, 'rm -rf
/win' could delete an entire mounted directory, with no popup window warnings
whatsoever.)
I'm proud to say that there is no such danger in 95/NT. Windows pop up when I
want to make a change, and then more pop up to ask if I'm sure I want the
change. Thankfully, Windows 95/NT operating systems look after my computer's
well-being by occassionally switching configuration settings from the way I
want them to what the OS programmers think they might probably ought to be.
Boy, I'm just impressed with how smart they are. Once I learned to live with
whatever the default settings are on any new hardware I install, I can't say
the number of hours I have saved.
I use that spare time to reboot my Windows machine multiple times a day.
Technical support personnel recommend that I do it regularly-- kind of like
brushing my teeth. To help remind me of this necessity, windows pop up to
tell me to reboot whenever I make a configuration change. By now my machine
is minty fresh, I figure.
There is no such useful rebooting in a Linux system. It is as reliable as the
sunrise, with uptimes in weeks and months. Virtually no configuration change
requires a reboot, to boot. Imagine all that plaque in the computer. Gross!
In 95/NT I am prevented from making dangerous fundamental configuration changes
unless I use a special "registry editor". I have found it so useful to have
this separate editor that I hope in future versions they go all the way and
supply a separate editor for each file on the disk -- in that way windows could
pop up at every keystroke to warn me that changing any line in the file I am
editing could cause the system to not run properly.
If this were only the case, people would finally learn that it is best to just
stick with the mouse and they would be freed of the need to constantly move
their hands back to the keyboard. (If one stops to think about it, the mouse
is a much better device to use than the keyboard. Ever hear of someone getting
carpal tunnel syndrome from a mouse? No. It's comfortable and ergonomic. Like
morse code devices. That's how long distance communication started, after
all.)
Linux, by contrast, requires no special editor to change configuration files.
The fact that there is no "registry" in Linux allows the abomination of using
any text editor whatsoever to do the configuration. Can you believe that
configuration files are usually stored clear text? Talk about dangerous!
I am also happy to report that I have experienced no truth to the rumor that
Windows disks become corrupt after improper shutdowns. Indeed, I have been
forced to improperly shutdown the machine innumerable times after it locks up,
and I have no apparent problems to report regarding the disk. No such claim can
be made for Linux. They say something about lack of data points. Excuses are
all I ever seem to hear from the Linux crowd.
By sheer size alone, Windows 95/NT beats Linux hands down. It is so much
bigger, it is obvious that it is better. Why would you want a small OS with the
large disks and RAM sizes we have these days? For this reason alone, I heartily
recommend Windows as a way to maximize resource utilization. Your CPU and disk
will constantly be pegged to the limit, the way god intended. The Linux kernel
and drivers accounts for only about 750KB. Why, even the Microsoft Win16
subsystem uses more space than that.
It is no surprise that Windows costs $270 on the retail market and Linux
doesn't cost anything. People know what they want, and they want Windows.
Because Linux is free, that means it's basically worthless. The same goes for
all the development tools, remotable GUIs, and applications, which all cost
money for windows (i.e., are worth something) and free for Linux (worthless!).
Installing software is very easy in Windows. I usually slip in CDs without even
reading instructions or warnings, and just double click on whatever window pops
up. There is no need to read anything or touch the keyboard. (Did I mention
that I hate that thing?) Well, OK, I have learned the hard way the the machine
locks up if I don't take the time to close all other applications.
Linux, by contrast, requires typing on the keyboard to get anything to install
at all. And you always have to know the NAME of program you want to install.
For example, in Redhat, you have to type 'rpm -ivh ' to install the program and
documentation. Linux needs to get with the '90s!
Windows follows the DOS convention of putting \r\n at the end of every line of
a text file. While this is only a mild concern because of the relative rarity
of text files on Windows machines these days-- thank god-- it helps to
differentiate between the text files and the other files. Sadly, Linux makes no
distinction between text and other files.
If I legitemately purchase Windows 95/NT, I can call Microsoft customer support
to get help with my problems. After a short hold time of an hour or so, they
always help me. Ever since I told them that I was dual booting to Linux, they
were able to flag my account and now each time I call even the entry level
support personnel I am connected to say that Linux is the source of my
problems. Everyone seems to agree that Linux is no good. The more I listen, the
more I'm impressed with the knowledge of the support staff there.
By contrast, in Linux, all I have is stockpiles of resources and documentation
that I would actually have to read in order to understand. Sure, I could obtain
Linux support from a commercial organization, but they would probably just tell
me I have to use a text editor to fix up my system.
In the end, I have no need for that old computer donkey Unix. I don't need to
run big Unix tasks, afterall. I refuse to become one of those a bug-eyed
computer users, that's for sure. As soon as I can keep Windows from crashing
for long enough, I'm going to delete my Linux partition, i.e., the equivalent
of moving it to the recycle bin, saying that I'm sure, emptying the recycle
bin, and again saying that I'm sure.
Hope you enjoyed this. :) Comments or suggestions for improvement of this text
are welcome.
----Jon Hamkins
(c) 1997
--
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