“You’ve really done it this time,” Brett writes in an open letter to Microsoft Corp. posted to the Pseudomarkting blog.
“And I am leaving and never speaking to you again,” Brett writes. “It’s not that I want to dislike you. I was loyal to you for so long. I stuck with you through thick and thin. From DOS 5.0 through XP.”
MacDailyNews Take: Poor bastage. We tried Windows once… ONCE!
Brett continues, “But this new operating system is the last straw… You’d think at least someone (other than your PR people) would find something to like about a piece of software that took an industry leader five years and a gazillion dollars to develop. But I’ve yet to hear anyone say ‘Wow!’ about it.”
MacDailyNews Take: Oh, come on, we’ve heard plenty of “Wows” — all of them preceding “this sucks.”
Brett continues, “Most people say it’s a just a naggy, inferior imitation of Mac OS X… I had this epiphany when I tried out my friend’s Macintosh with OS X. I realized how much grief you’d put me through: the constant crashes whenever I tried to run more than three applications, the endless required reboots, and the vicious malware attacks that I wasted many precious hours wrangling with. And then having to pay extra for third party security and virus programs – because you couldn’t keep a handle on things…”
“The secret is out, Microsoft. The reputation that you can’t be trusted to deliver reliable software is getting around fast,” Brett writes. “Hasta la Vista!”
Full letter here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers too numerous to mention for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: For Windows-only users via Google News or elsewhere: Cut your losses. Get a Mac.
The issue is as not opinion-based as so much of these posts suggest. Vista is a nice change for some and it’s the best version of Windows out there by a number of measures. That, however, does not take away the fact that for many, many, many individuals who are not computer savvy, Vista is a nightmare. Incompatibility issues with hardware and drivers is beyond what many average folk can handle. Techno geeks will tout Vista as a great version of Windows and conveniently ignore that the majority of the soon-to-be billion Windows users suffer due to its failings. For most, “workarounds” equal giving up.
That Vista can be argued to be so “wonderful” by the technically literate and so technically incapacitating by so many average joes is the real reflection of the product. It’s disjointed. Geeks will MacGyver their way through whatever comes their way– that is the nature of geekdom. For the rest, though, what should be the most promising technology in the world to provide a means for creative, professional, and educational output becomes a hindrance that ultimately gets in the way of such endeavors reaching their fullest potential– again, for the non-technorati. Progress happens, sure. Just after I configure this. And re-install that. And update that antivir…. oh, wait… there’s another automatic update. Hold on a second… where did that pop up come from? WTF?
Jordan, great. Go configure whatever you can. Maybe you don’t recognize your privilege, maybe you do. I hope that at the very least you can recognize how ridiculous your Vista apologies are when you consider the bigger picture. Windows has 95% of the market, yet it has to defend itself constantly because people (read: non-technorati) can’t stand it. It’s not Vista per se, it’s M$. They don’t mind “good enough.” What a resounding endorsement of humanity.
We should send a copy of Vista on the next Voyager mission and proclaim to the heavens as a beacon of humanity: “It’ll do!!!!” Gee, ET, you should vacation somewhere else. Jim bob’s got configurin’ ta’ do.
M$’s Vista is an example of the nouveau-riche not knowing what to do with their cash. They have all the money, all the stuff… the glitz, all teh Shiny®. But it doesn’t matter, because there’s no there there. It’s hollow. They think that “features” are the answer to not knowing exactly what to do, so they tape it all together and call it a day.
Whatever. This post is already too long. Go enjoy your crap. In another five years, you can spend another $400 on “It’ll do.”
One of the biggest differences I see with Windows users is that most of them are [mentally] incapable of running more than one program at a time. As a support technician, I’m constantly walking people through troubleshooting steps, they always ask “should I close this window now”? I think there’s a in-grown reaction to avoid having too many windows open at once in fear of problems cropping up. On my Mac, I always have 12 to 15 applications running at once. Imagine that on Windows — very rare if it ever would happen.
Hey Tang, why didn’t you get back with me? Something wrong?
Hey Tang, why didn’t you get back with me? Something wrong?
Hey Tang, why didn’t you get back with me? Something wrong?
Hey Tang, why didn’t you get back with me? Something wrong?
I turned on my old PC today for the first time in 6 weeks ( I switched to Mac 6 months ago). I tried to shut it down and it wouldn’t. Reason: It was doing 76(!) updates and would not let me shut it down until I said I could. LOL. Talk about hijacking the user experience. Hasta la Vista, indeed Microsnot. Take your software and cram it up your collective asses.
I saw Vista for the first time last week, when I was helping my sister port over her website and email accounts from an old PC to her new – shock horror – Dell. To be perfectly frank, Vista *is* a huge improvement on any previous version of Windows and in terms of the user experience, not so very different from Mac OS. Yes, Vista was released prematurely – in terms of poor initial driver support – but these problems seem to be largely receding into history. Yes, I still much prefer Mac OS, but for most computer users it is hard to provide a significant reason for why Mac OS X is better than Windows Vista. (Viruses and malware is not the big issue for most users that Mac users like to pretend – most PC users install a security suite and move on). Whether Microsoft copied Apple or not is almost irrelevant – the end effect is an OS that provides a very similar user experience. And before screaming and shouting at this post, I do suggest you spend a few hours with Vista so that you can actually respond with a first-hand comparison.
Ultimate Vista version is good enough, kinda XP SP4 that needs another patch to fix what it broke in SP3. But Power Users will make through somehow, someway and claim “it works”.
Problem for M$ is that Ultimate version is not what people is buying. Below “Ultimate” it really is crapola. Add to this that people in the vast majority are NOT buying a new PC but upgrading their XP. And there is where the shit hits the fan.
for most computer users it is hard to provide a significant reason for why Mac OS X is better than Windows Vista
Even Dvorak in his latest eruption said OS X feels better than Windows.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
It is difficult for PC users to provide *a* significant reason in that everywhere the feeling is that OS X is better. So where do you start pinpointing to *a* significant reason
@Zune Tang: SCSI? Nice one! Of course, there are youngsters on here who won’t know what you’re talking about.
its not that bad….
it’s worse xD
re: I saw Vista for the first time last week, when I was helping my sister port over her website and email accounts from an old PC to her new – shock horror – Dell. To be perfectly frank, Vista *is* a huge improvement on any previous version of Windows and in terms of the user experience, not so very different from Mac OS. Yes, Vista was released prematurely – in terms of poor initial driver support – but these problems seem to be largely receding into history. Yes, I still much prefer Mac OS, but for most computer users it is hard to provide a significant reason for why Mac OS X is better than Windows Vista. (Viruses and malware is not the big issue for most users that Mac users like to pretend – most PC users install a security suite and move on). Whether Microsoft copied Apple or not is almost irrelevant – the end effect is an OS that provides a very similar user experience. And before screaming and shouting at this post, I do suggest you spend a few hours with Vista so that you can actually respond with a first-hand comparison.
—
BUT the main difference is that Vista is not based on the unix kernal.
Which means, whichever way you look at it NO windows OS will EVER be as secure as any Mac OS.
I gave up on windows systems many many years ago and there hasnt been not one day that I said to myself “I wish I had a windows pc so I could use this piece of software”.
I have run my businesses on only macs for the last 16 years and not once have I had any problems what-so-ever integratings or conecting to the sheep that is windows based environments.
The mac has it all: security, stability, reliability, easy-to-use and a sexy gui – all cased in an internationally awarded innovative hardware design.
Who are Microsoft by the way??… ive never even heard of em.
Who are Microsoft by the way?
Ahh, c’mon Petey. You must have heard of us. We are the McDonald’s of the IT industry, the Dress4Less of software developers, the Taco Bells of computing.
Sure, if you go to 4stars and up restaurant, dress at best tailor and fashion stores, or when you think Mexican food you think Cancun and gourmet Mexican chefs you must have never got close to, say, Dress4Less but we are there, believe me, for those who suffer daily on their computer we are there.
HUHHAHHHAHHAHAHHA, Absofuckinglutely we are there for those sufferers
HUHAHHAHHAHHA
“BUT the main difference is that Vista is not based on the unix kernal.”
It’s actually spelt kernel, but that aside, this is not a reason to convert the masses. So what, most will say. And, rightly so, providing they use an up-to-date security suite and basic common sense. If they don’t, then they’re even less likely to be computer-savvy enough to understand the potential benefits of a UNIX kernel.
I do not own nor have any desire to touch a pc running Vista, but could an experienced Vista operator tell me if there is a help option in the OS that will actually provide me with real answers to use the OS? This is what sold me on Mac OS many years ago, a real help box for the confused user, not a direction to page so and so of the instruction manual! Mac OS are “user friendly” versus “user abusers”.
re: It’s actually spelt kernel, but that aside, this is not a reason to convert the masses. So what, most will say. And, rightly so, providing they use an up-to-date security suite and basic common sense. If they don’t, then they’re even less likely to be computer-savvy enough to understand the potential benefits of a UNIX kernel.
—
DONT BE FLIPPANT ASSHOLE.
Fact remains UNLESS MICROSOFT BASIS ITS OS ON UNIX THERE IS NO CHANCE IN HELL A WINDOWS OS CAN EVER BE AS SECURE AS MAC OS X.
@Zune Tang
SCSI? Haven’t needed SCSI for 10 years.
Zap the PRAM? Haven’t needed to do that for a couple of years.
Rebuild the desktop? This one demonstrates that you know NOTHING about OS X. The function doesn’t exist nor is it required.
Malware? What malware? Please cite any example of malware for OS X – oh, you can’t since there isn’t any!
Your stupidity is obvious and your ignorance breathtaking.
Your cluelessness. Our entertainment. ™
MW: expected – as in, just what I expected from our resident troll.
=:~)
RE: Yes, I still much prefer Mac OS, but for most computer users it is hard to provide a significant reason for why Mac OS X is better than Windows Vista. (Viruses and malware is not the big issue for most users that Mac users like to pretend – most PC users install a security suite and move on).
Sadly, this is not always true. My own experiences as a repair tech and internet support technician with ‘security suite’s show that it’s not always as simple as installing one and ‘moving on’. Norton’s and Mcafee are so bloated nowadays, that they cause more issues than they solve. We’ve actually been recommending people away from those two products, and away from ‘all-in-one’ security suites in general. We recommend a strong anti-virus program, a good firewall program, and 2 free anti-spyware programs as separate means to defend their windows machines. The look of shock or disappointment as we tell them just how much work they’ll have to put in to defend their computers is really sad. But it’s a reality everyone has to face with Windows. For the moment, Mac users don’t have to worry about such things.
Vista has been a nightmare not only for many of our customers, but for us to support as well. For those who are more adept at Windows, Vista may be very easy to use, and it works nicely for them. However, not everyone out there who uses computers knows the inner workings so intimately, or cares to know. They just want to do what they do, and get on with their lives. If something goes wrong, they have no clue why, or how to fix it. Why should they have to? The computer should be a tool to get things done – whether for email, photography, art, video, music or whatever – and then put away until you need it again. You shouldn’t have to worry about it all the time. That’s where the user experience differs from Windows to Mac. Windows=constant worry and maintenence. Mac=much less/no worries.
When someone asks what we recommend, we tell them to get a Mac. The ISP I work for has just about converted every emplyee over to Mac. I wasn’t the first, a former co-worker got me into Mac. After he left, I was the only one. Then one by one, each of my co-workers showed up with Macs. The latest to get one is my Boss, who bought a MacBook Pro recently to replace a stolen Dell laptop. He runs Parallels Desktop to run our Windows software, and has had only one Kernel Panic to date (his first…you always remember your first.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />) but over all, he loves his Mac. Especially since he’s a Unix Geek. heh. Only our financial guy is left without a Mac.
We’re an ISP, we repair and build Windows machines, but for our personal computers, we have all chosen Mac.
PC experts, the ones who build their own systems and can probably program in assembler, love Vista, because they love tinkering and getting all the problems fixed. A sense of pride comes over them. It’s a Mt. Everest to climb and conquer. The rest of us, well, who wants to be the computer man. We just want to do our work, play with our videos, and get stuff done. Real stuff, not IT stuff. Mac OS X – keeps delivering.
What’s bastage?
Oh dear Reality Check, you just don’t get it at all.
What REALLY MATTERS is that the influencers are moving en masse to Mac.
Which will leave Vista for the masses that know no better.
You stick with your messy unstable insecure OS. why don’t you. Especially as it isn’t ever going to be improved while MS goes in search of fixes for Zune and Xbox, oh and advertising and…
E. inquired, “What’s bastage?”
bastage
Bastard. Originally used in the 1984 movie Johnny Dangerously. This PG flick introduced bastage, fargin’, and icehole as PG terms for similar sounding words.
“You fargin’ bastages!”
(http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bastage)
I think Microsoft’s DRM-related partnership with the porn industry is admirable. Way to go Microsoft! You have not stooped to the bottom of the food chain. Right.
Wow!
@ the troll “Reality Check”
“Viruses and malware is not the big issue for most users that Mac users like to pretend – most PC users install a security suite and move on”
I don’t know whether, as is rumored, you’re Paul Thurrott or not, but whoever you are that’s the biggest lie I’ve yet to see from you.
Most PC users do not install one. They get one pre-installed when they buy – a bloated and not very effective one on a limited trial offer.
If by “moving on” you had meant that after paying the ransom to Symantec or MacAfee, they they forget about their AV and likely don’t even bother to get the updates you’d probably have been right.
If by “moving on” you had meant they rely on AV software to protect them when it really can’t, you’d probably have been right.
The fact is, you didn’t mean these things, and you were lying as usual.
As for Windows malware *not* being an issue — are you living under a rock or something?
FBI Operation BotRoast IDs More Than One Million Infected PCs (June 14, 2007):
“An FBI crackdown on botnets and those who control them has identified more than one million PCs infected with malware that allow them to be hijacked and used as part of an army of bots to attack other computers, spread malware, or send spam.”
http://www.sans.org/newsletters/newsbites/newsbites.php?vol=9&issue=47#sID200
I suppose you think the FBI can be dismissed as “Mac users” since they’ve tackled a real, huge, and — for your masters in Redmond – embarassing problem.
Of course, the total number of infected Windows machines is far higher. Vint Cerf, the “father of the internet” has estimated the total figure at ***150 million***
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070125-8707.html
I suppose you think the Vint Cerf can be dismissed as a “Mac user” since he’s highlighted a real, huge, and — for your masters in Redmond – embarassing problem.
You bloody twerp. You revolting little liar. You mouth for hire.