Another Patch Tuesday

So, another Microsoft patch Tuesday is coming, and this time there are several critical errors being fixed.  Nineteen errors in all will be repaired, a few of which will affect the brand new Windows 8.

It worries me that a product that just rolled off the shelf in the last couple of weeks could already have known critical security flaws.  Honestly, to be releasing the patch so soon means that they knew about these security flaws before the product launched.

So, if you've spent the money already and bought a new Windows computer or Surface tablet, make sure you patch.

The Final Countdown

Yes, I know, cheesy title, but it really does seem fitting.  With the soon-to-drop Windows 8, and all the commotion over the decline of the personal computer, there is a certain feeling in the air like this is the end of desktop computing.  Everything about Windows 8 looks and feels like it beings on a tablet.  And Microsoft is very excited about there new Surface tablet/laptop.

So, with the industry acting like 2012 really is the end of the world as we know it, will this be the last Windows desktop release?  I don't think think so, personally.  To me it seems like the industry is just catching up with itself.  If anyone would take the time to slow down and think about it, computers have only been a mainstream gadget for about 17 years now.  In terms of product life, that may seem like forever, but that means not even one whole generation has grown up with computers being a constant and prevalent part of there lives.

And to top all that off, we are dead set in the middle of a recession. Everyone is looking at how to cut costs.  I think this is just a temporary stumbling block in a long future of computer use.  So many industries and people depend on PCs, even should Windows 8 fail, things will recover.

Possible Patch Problems

3-28-2012: Digital Fruit has had two Windows 7 computers come in with unexplainable mid-operation shut-downs.  They seem to be associated with a Windows patch from about a month ago.  We are still looking into the cause, but the update seems to be the only thing they have in common.

Verdict: Win 7

So, I decided to finally sit down and write a post about my opinion of Windows 7, now that I’ve had a computer with it installed for over a month now.  And to be fair, I’m even writing this post from a Win 7 computer.  And to be blunt, I’m not impressed.

As much as everyone keeps ranting that this new version of Windows is the greatest thing since sliced bread(Win XP), I’m disappointed.  All of the hype, and this system still seems to be as clunky and backwards as most people found Vista to be.  Sure, I’ve seen some improvements, but over all, the design seems stunted.

Like when I go to download a file.  Windows 7 can not figure out what to do with it.  it doesn’t know if it goes in the downloads folder, the pictures folder, or the documents folder.  It just seems to play musical chairs with the file and then randomly pick a location where to save it.  And before I get people scolding me because ‘I just don’t know how to use my computer’, remember that the reason you now have a devoted downloads folder is because Microsoft is trying to build a system that just knows what you want.  You want to download a file?  We know where it goes!  Only they don’t.  I’ve tried downloading audio files from download sites like Amazon mp3 and from my Ubuntu One account, and podcasts from podcast sites, and three out of three sites, Windows tries to download the file to a different folder each time.  Then I have to go through and select the right folder for the download.  Little conveniences are only convenient if they work.

Next, the start menu.  I’m really getting tired of Microsoft’s automatic detection software trying to figure out what I use on a regular basis.  I have at this moment five applications listed in the start menu’s auto-detect list that I have used only once, and have never opened again.  But four different applications that I use regularly on this computer are not listed.  Great example is the program I’m using to write this blog post, Live Writer.  A very nice third party application for writing up blog posts, but I have to keep digging through the annoying depths of my start menu to get to it.  And this is one of the programs I use the most on this Windows 7 PC.

I guess what I’m trying to get at with this post is that despite the fact that this operating system is built on firm foundation of security,  it tends to annoy more than satisfy.  And I really hate having to re-learn the locations of systems settings that really have no need to be put into a new location just because Microsoft is trying to make their new operating system different then their last.  Its annoying.

Am I the Only One?

     So, I was just reading through some blog posts, and I found one on MacDailyNews about Mary Jo Foley, a Microsoft blogger that just recently purchased an iPad.  I was shocked.  Not by the article, which was the usual, computer-politics driven garbage, all about how one system is far superior to another because we worship it (and yes, you Linux and Windows people do it too).  No, what shocked me was the comments.
     People seem so zealous over something so trivial.  The business-driven geeks of the world have striven for so long to make your operating system irrelevant, and content available on whichever system you chose, that trash-talk about how one OS outweighs another seems like sad sales pitches.
     Now if these people making comments had had valid concerns with the ease-of-use or the security and usability of Windows, I would have taken them seriously, but I found none after roughly twenty posted comments.  Not once did I see a comparison of features, or how things really are better on the other side.  This whole damn world of computer consumers seems obsessed with the religious cult of (insert Operating System Here).  Its stupid.  The people posting on Mac Daily News need to get over their buyers remorse, realize that they're computer is not a god, but a piece of machinery intended to entertain or make productive, and get over brand labeling.  So do the people on ZDnet (all of you Verizon addicts).  And the people on any of the other thousands of blogging and news sites out there who get so sure that their chosen system is the center of the computing universe.
     I can guarantee that if its a system out there, I can find a way to program in C++ on it, so in the end, they all end up the same lumps of hardware.  (Though that is another school of contention, but I won't rag on them here.)
     So, to the whole world of zealous, cultist computer users, grow up and get over yourselves.  I'm out. 

Alternative Operating Systems

In my constant search for the best of computing, and the best computer experience, today I have been searching through alternative operating systems to Windows, just to see what's out there. Its an impressive venture, and I'm awed by the array of choices out there. So far I have copies of at least five versions of Linux to try out, OpenSolaris 10, and a windows compatibility project called ReactOS. All of these alternate systems are free, and most of them have a live CD image that you can use to test-run the operating system without actually installing it. This makes choosing one easier, because there is a lot less risk of damaging your system if you don't actually install.
My favorites so far are Ubuntu 9.04(which is now up to 9.10, but I haven't installed that one yet), and OpenSolaris 10. These two operating systems are designed on the Unix platform, and for the most part are compatible with each other and with Mac systems(at least in theory, I'm not having so much luck with that). OpenSolaris seems to run better, but Ubuntu has a larger assortment of programs designed for it.
But for most of the other systems I've been trying to test, I have met with disastrous results. Most of these other alternate systems have little compatibility with my hardware, and they seem to have major problems with graphics modes. ReactOS seemed to work fine on my Compaq, but because I have a KVM(Keyboard Video Mouse) Switch on, the mouse and keyboard weren't detected. So I'll just have to re-try this one on another system.
Expect more updates as I have more fun and frustration with alternative operating systems, and we'll find out if any of these will hold a candle to Windows in terms of casual computing use.