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Yo Momma Loves Ubuntu

shootingthekids.dpblogs.com — This guy got sick of his mom buying a new computer every time her computer started running slow (total of 5 computers in five years) so he installed Ubuntu on one of her laptops. I'm gonna make my mom use Ubuntu now.

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  • Shadowman, on 10/12/2007, -62/+15"My mom now owns 3 laptops and two desktops - none of which are older than 5 years. Sound like your parents?" - no, it doesn't. You bought her a new computer when her computer got slow? Do you buy her a new car when the ashtray is full?

    I don't think you should "make" your mom use Ubuntu. There are many other Linux distros she might like better!
    • subliminal727, on 10/12/2007, -9/+50Ubuntu is the perfect distro for someone that computer illiterate...she bought a new computer every year because of adware ...she's not gonna be able to handle much more than ubuntu i would bet
    • GnuTzu, on 10/12/2007, -5/+36So, adware really is expensive.

      I'd love to convince my relatives to give Ubuntu a try. Perhaps, I'll burn a bunch of stocking stuffers this year.
    • Monolith2, on 10/12/2007, -34/+11The guy is an idiot if he bought his mom a new computer every time it started to "run slow."
    • Dark_Ice, on 10/12/2007, -27/+9Instead of changing to Linux and blaming Windows for being crappy, how about you spend a tiny bit of time to configure a secure user in XP? I base this on the following random idea: If everyone ran UNIX systems as Root constantly it wouldn't be very secure.

      I have personally taken this approach after having tested Ubuntu (I was VERY impressed by how far Linux had actually come compared to what I had been told) and my little sisters, parents, big sisters all now run as custom users who'll have to REALLY try hard to get any kind of virus, spyware or just use their own stupidity to mess up the computer, all using nothing but Windows XP itself.
    • dlbear, on 10/12/2007, -2/+42Where does it say HE bought her a new computer?
    • xrisnothing, on 10/12/2007, -10/+29As noble as it is to convert relatives to Linux, hell no!

      I've got enough problems with my aunt asking me how to send e-mail to multiple people and my grandmother trying to send e-mails from santa from e-mail accounts she doesn't have access to.

      If you're not already "the computer guy" in your family, installing linux on a relative's machine is just asking for years of stupid questions.
    • chrono13, on 10/12/2007, -6/+54@Dark_Ice

      "Instead of changing to Linux and blaming Windows for being crappy"

      Not crappy. It is a fantastic, wonderful and useful OS. It is, however, insecure by design: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_by_design and it is insecure by default: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_by_default

      "spend a tiny bit of time to configure a secure user in XP?"

      Possible, but a reasonably secure (average Joe/Grandma) user is either one with no rights, or one that takes a lot longer than "a tiny bit of time".

      "I base this on the following random idea"

      Basing your argument on a random idea? I noticed.

      "If everyone ran UNIX systems as Root constantly it wouldn't be very secure."

      No, it wouldn't be secure. In fact, with a large market share *and* all of them running as root - I would wager to guess that it would be as bad as Windows. Good thing *nix users do NOT run as root. That is Windows SINGLE BIGGEST FLAW. But it gets worse.

      Microsoft has a list of programs that will simply NOT run as a limited user: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307091
      This list is rather long, but it is just the tip of the iceberg. That list is Microsoft's official, rarely updated, and very censored (to make it look small) list.

      In Linux, you can work, play, run all sorts of applications at users level. In Windows, you can NOT reasonably run as a limited account.

      Further, Windows XP Home Edition lacks the ability to administer security policies and denies access to the Local Users and Groups utility. It does have a handy Administrator account though. But you can not give this account a password during install. So what is the default password to the most powerful account on ALL Windows XP Home machines? There is no password.

      1. Install Windows XP.
      2. Apply Autopatcher (if you connect to the net to update, there is a good chance you will be infected within roughly 4 to 15 minutes depending on your patch state).
      3. You have at this point rebooted almost half a dozen times. Many more to come.
      4. Install Antivirus. Computer is slowed a bit.
      5. Install anti-spyware. Computer is slowed a bit more.
      6. Install an alternate browser and mail client. We're going for security here.
      7. Use Windows built-in firewall, or another software firewall, or better yet, pay $ to buy a router because software firewalls are prone to local software-based attacks and modifications.
      8, 9, 10 - Install codecs, defrag, give the admin account a password, install dozens of applications to make the OS useful.
      11. Pray a program, legitimate and friendly as it might be, doesn't hose the registry, or other important files because everything is running as administrator and the computer can become ***** the moment any program makes a single mistake (or intentional malice).

      Windows is easy because everyone knows that you have to throw effort into configuring, securing and finally making it useful. Everyone knows how because everyone has to do it over and over again. If not for themselves, than for the average friends and family that they help.

      Ubuntu:
      1. Install. It is 6 months or less out of date. You are relatively patched already, and running a notoriously secure OS besides. The update is small and fast.
      2. Go to UbuntuGuide and install codecs and any needed programs. Much like Windows XP, except this is just cut&paste - and it keeps itself up to date without you having to check your applications all the time to make sure you have the latest and most secure version.
      3. Don't defrag. Ever. No AV slowing the system down. No anti-spyware slowing the system down.

      Linux is hard to learn. But it is no harder to install, set up or use than Windows. It is just different. If you are even moderately adept at Linux, then Linux is far easier to install, configure, use and maintain than Windows.

      Windows can be secure. Many of us are using Windows securely, but we *know how*. Ready to loan it to grandma for a month? Windows can be secure when a knowledgeable, informed user is behind the wheel as the only user, or actively administering the system.

      Linux is fantastic in that it's limited accounts are *more limited* and more secure than even the most locked down XP account, yet it is entirely useful and easy. In this way, Linux is much more resilient against malicious software, but more importantly, and the whole point is that it is much more resilient against human error and novice use.
    • corteze, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12My mom is using ubuntu, and she never used windows before that so I don't have any complains that something works differently and other thing doesn't look the same. I asked her what will she use her laptop for, and I preinstalled all apps that she might use and.... she asked me for help only couple of times during last 4 months.
      Ubuntu not ready for general public? I submit that it is!
    • PeakAction, on 10/12/2007, -5/+7If everyone in the world were coming to use my car's ashtray whenever they liked, and let their cat pee in the back seat while they smoked, then yeah, I *would* need to buy a new car every year, because, you know, you can never really get that smell out.
    • tafkase7en, on 10/12/2007, -16/+2Shes gonna be pissed when she finds out she cant see video in her browser....
    • dgh1973, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5"I don't think you should "make" your mom use Ubuntu. There are many other Linux distros she might like better!"

      Please, Fedora is notorious for being buggy and for use as a development platform for a commercial Linux distro. Apologies, I'm assuming from your avatar that's what you are referring to.

      Ubuntu is for people that have better things to spend their money on than free software. There is no better FREE distro for the new user, aside from freespire (maybe).

      "Shes gonna be pissed when she finds out she cant see video in her browser...."

      I see video in my browser in Ubuntu... maybe you're just a noob and don't know how to click the right buttons in automatix.
    • dgh1973, on 10/12/2007, -8/+2"If everyone ran UNIX systems as Root constantly it wouldn't be very secure."

      Ubuntu doesn't allow you to run as root... it creates a non privileged user for you by default and the root password is scrambled, only allowing specific tasks to be run as needed using sudo. Kind of like the windows "run as" feature.

      If you are going to debate, at least TRY not to make ***** up.

    • dgh1973, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2"If everyone ran UNIX systems as Root constantly it wouldn't be very secure."

      Apologies for the rant above, I think I follow what you were saying now... it just looked a little backwards at first.
    • hipdad, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1I prefer the Kubuntu distro. Adding to the misunderstood readings of the article. IF you read the whole article you would have known that HE didn't buy his mom a computer each time. There are less than honorable geeks/retail people that would rather say "you need a new computer" than actually take the time to inform people about spyware etc. less than honorable local geeks will say "your computer is just too old, you need a new one.. BUT I will take your old computer off your hands so you don't have to dispose of it yourself" IF a new computer user starts on ubuntu they will not even have to know or experience the insecure hell of MS products. Thunderbird rocks too!
    • damentz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I would prefer Linux Mint, there is a point to where even no mp3 decoding support on a vanilla install of Ubuntu is ridiculous. Besides, its more useful out of the box.
    • Nodren, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3"if you connect to the net to update, there is a good chance you will be infected within roughly 4 to 15 minutes depending on your patch state"

      i'm so sick of all this fud i hear from ignorant people.

      I could set up a computer on windows 95, with out a single patch installed, connect to the internet, and let it sit there for months with out a single bit of spyware or adware, or any sort of attack. why is this? because the computer is just sitting there. its like expecting someone to call your brand new cell phone you've never used or given the number out for with telemarketing calls. protecting a computer when online is as simple as using a secure browser, ie firefox. with that, the only "spyware" that gets installed is cookies, which are really only tracking your visits for site statistical purposes. I've never once used a firewall(infact i disable the windows firewall every chance i get) i dont use a virus scanner. and yet, somehow after 13 years of using a computer, trying thousands of apps, downloading torrents and the like, using beta versions of windows, and other os's(such as ubuntu) i've never gotten dos'd or a virus. why should something like that surprise everyone? its actually quite difficult to infect a computer as "insecure" as mine.
    • tybris, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1"You are relatively patched already, and running a notoriously secure OS besides."
      Errr... OpenBSD?
  • JamesWilson, on 10/12/2007, -17/+41Welcome to 2006 people. Its called Firefox, Spybot, Ad-Aware, Windows Defender. Stop running ***** from places of ill-repute.
    • Dark_Ice, on 10/12/2007, -13/+11Proving that as long as teens don't use their parents computer it works a charm. I had set up a computer for an old lady client of mine. She had a couple of teens over who were just going to "surf the net". It ended with me uninstalling: winamp, utorrent, Nero 7 and a couple of other very odd programs and of course viruses. They had also broken her email client and managed to shrink all her photos to stamp size. I got it all back to normal but it just proves it, as long as she used it it worked a charm, add a teen and it breaks in seconds.
    • beotch, on 10/12/2007, -14/+4Swine! How dare you uninstall p2p programs! For that matter why bother uninstalling an mp3 player. You should quit doing Microsofts' job and just admit Windows is *****.
    • SuperSloth, on 10/12/2007, -13/+2Don't run as an Admin. That's all you really gotta do, people.
    • burty89, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13@Dark_Ice:

      "winamp, utorrent, Nero 7"

      Whats 'odd' about any of those programs. All three are clean, and I don't see why you uninstalled them. OK, uTorrent could be used to download other unsafe programs but in itself uTorrent is a great application. Winamp & Nero on the other hand simply play/burn media, I don't see why you uninstalled them...

      Also, your generalization of teenagers is terrible. I'm 17 and have been using computers since ~ age 8. My computers (both Windows & Linux) function well & if something does go wrong I fix it myself. However, I wouldn't let either of my parents anywhere near to my computers because they'd mess something up within 5 minutes. I'm not the exception to some rule as I know many others that are the same.

      What should be said is that people who don't know how to use a computer break things, whilst those who do don't.
    • f00xx0riz3r, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3utorrent is cool but both winamp and nero comes with "addons" these days. I dont see how "uninstalling" the host program is helping anything though, since the ***** addons usually stay behind.
    • hipdad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I think the point here isn't really that "teens" are the problem. I know adults that go to their mothers/fathers house and install "cute" crap on their parents computers. Most older computer users want basic things to work. Email, browsing, text application and a way to view pics of their grandkids. People who install crap on a computer that isn't theirs and they don't ask if the person wants the program installed need to have any computers technology removed from within their reach for at least a year to get them to respect property that isn't theirs!
    • Waterrat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1 I use Linux (Linspire), but I have a friend who works in support . She goes to this place for apps once she has de-loused a copy of Windows and installs stuff for her clients.

      http://www.ieaddons.com/default.aspx?cid=home&scid=0
    • galador, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2@Dark_Ice

      Oh, so now apparently all problems with computers nowadays are caused by teenagers. Why don't you tell my parents that when I have to go and fix the computer for them.

      I may be a teenager, but I'm sure I know more about computers than you do.
  • tep200377, on 10/12/2007, -2/+31i installed ubuntu on my mom and dads compuer, and they didnt see any difference, cause they only use office documents and read mail / surf the net. I havent been down there and fixed viruses any more.
  • pathy, on 10/12/2007, -5/+14It might be an idea to educate her a little bit as well, rather than giving her Ubuntu and thinking she is immune to everything.

    Linux is fine once it's set up for people that are using their computers for just browsing, and what not. (It's fine for everything else as well, just that requires a bit more knowledge of how the system works - Which I imagine this mother is lacking.)

    What happens when a piece of hardware breaks? Or she wants to try something that needs Windows to run - Does she know how to run WINE, etc?

    Giving people alternative OSes is fine - But please, make sure they're not technological morons first. Explain to her that her computer slowing down is something of the OS, and I'm assuming if you can install Linux, that you could fix it rather than her buying new computers repeatedly. If it's that much of a problem, create a slipstream disc that you can just put in and it will reinstall the entire OS without any effort.

    Don't leave her thinking that because she's using Linux she is now immune to any computer problems at all, and can just go on as she was.
    • kevinski, on 10/12/2007, -11/+3I agree. Switching to Linux isn't the answer. Performing a clean installation of Windows (i.e. not using those horrible restore discs that're included by OEM's) and properly securing it is the answer. No operating system is completely free of potential threats. I feel that the true problem is the user.

      The Linux community's best bet is to have its beloved Linux distros remain nothing more than what they are already. You don't want Linux to be mainstream in the household. If OEM's begin offering Linux computers more readily, I can guarantee you that these will eventually be plagued with the same problems that Windows machines from OEM's suffer from. It's all about competitive pricing, and - for most OEM's - that means pre-installing a bunch of ***** from other companies for their money.
    • TritonX, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5@pathy
      Most users don`t give a ***** about that, and even if you try to educate them, they forget it in 2 minutes. They just want something that works now and will work tomorrow and "insert any linux distro" will do that plus more.
    • thecoolestcow, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I'd bet you that the mother read that stupid New York Times article that said to throw out your computer if it's spyware-ridden. That article made me so angry; why can't they just format the harddrive? Is there spyware in your RAM and video card too? Oh my!

      Ugh.
  • n00bst3r, on 10/12/2007, -37/+4Why would my mom want an OS that she can't run Office in. Everyone knows that OOo sucks compared to Office.
    • clawoo, on 10/12/2007, -4/+36I'd like to meet this Everyone guy. He seems like a real moron. Never stepping up with arguments for his allegations.
    • n00bst3r, on 10/12/2007, -28/+5Uhh... my mom is an accountant. She buys each new Professional Edition of Office that comes out without so much as a thought. Office is critical to her work. She's played with OOo before via me, and says she'll stick to Excel.
  • mhuggins, on 10/12/2007, -8/+41I just installed Ubuntu about 3 hours ago, and I am incredibly impressed. I think I'm officially done with Windows.
    • subliminal727, on 10/12/2007, -28/+2EDIT: Didn't mean to comment on here again...bury this please.
    • n00bst3r, on 10/12/2007, -39/+6Thats what I thought until it hits you that you will always be using unfinished software as long as you are running Ubuntu. Don't get me wrong, its fun to have on another machine to play around with and expand your computing horizons, but it could never replace Windows.
    • simplisticton, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14"...you will always be using unfinished software..."

      Now what the hell is "finished" software? Windows? IE? Office? They have bugs and get patched the same as any FLOSS package.

      The internet runs on "unfinished software" like Apache, MySQL, BIND, Sendmail, NTP...
    • MajorMauser, on 10/12/2007, -14/+4I installed Ubutu 30 days ago and I never want to install it or use it ever again
  • truegodofwar, on 10/12/2007, -18/+10Sounds like all she really needed was for someone to reinstall the OS she had. Not try to convert her into a new one.
    • rowanjl, on 10/12/2007, -5/+25If moving to a new one means you don't have to reinstall the old one constantly, surely the new one is better.
  • Darkness123, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9I have had experience with family members like this. I recommend what JamesWilson said it reduced the crapware nearly 100%. Now if I could get them away from click links from people on Windows Live Messenger.
  • shinkaide, on 10/12/2007, -5/+14Ubuntu just gets the job done in pretty much all basic (and in other cases, business) computing needs. Mom's not a gamer, so it suits her fine.

    I use it for graphic design work.
    • MajorMauser, on 10/12/2007, -7/+3So tell me what programs are you usng for this so called graphics work....Photoshop? After effects? In the real world your going to have to use these programs. And don't tell me you can emulate it with slow ass Wine
    • skymt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5"And don't tell me you can emulate it with slow ass Wine"

      Wine is not slow, and it is not an emulator. See myth #1 at winehq.org/site/myths
    • shinkaide, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@MajorMauser

      I, sir, use the GIMP. Your ignorance simply indicates that you are unwilling to accept that there are alternatives to your stereotypes that work and that they are a viable source of income.

      I have no intention of using Photoshop as it does an excellent job for me.

      Also, have you heard of blender3D?
  • MrSunshine, on 10/12/2007, -12/+13I wish this story was true.
  • iNunchuk, on 10/12/2007, -12/+9Of course...your momma could always use Mac OS X 10.4; its also very good at keeping spyware and viruses away.

    Plus, Macs traditionally have very long product cycles, so although there may be faster computers around, Macs usually can run things for very long times.
    • subliminal727, on 10/12/2007, -4/+15Very true, it would probably be a better alternative too...but this woman needs to stop buying computers
    • h0dg3s, on 10/12/2007, -10/+17This article is about computers, not paperweights.
    • tehmoth, on 10/12/2007, -15/+5If it was about computers, he wouldn't have installed Ubuntu on it.
    • selphishnerd, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4My momma uses Mac OS 10.4, but she has a certain program at work that she just bought a windows computer to use with.

      Ironically, the program works BETTER on mac, but is not 100% compatiable with the Dell her school district provides her. For this reason, she won't let me install Linux on her new computer, haha.
  • emceepecks, on 10/12/2007, -26/+11Alternate Title:

    Yo Momma is a Stupid ***** with 5 Computers
  • h0dg3s, on 10/12/2007, -17/+3Inaccurate, your mom's never heard of ubuntu.
  • tehmoth, on 10/12/2007, -18/+4Ubuntu is going to lead Linux into the glorious land of "sucking like Windows", congratulations Ubuntu fanboys for taking it that final step.
  • Agraek, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11Man, I'd be all for switching to Linux if it wasn't for the gaming factor. I mean, sure there are programs like Cedega and Wine to help you with the windows programs, but Cedega still isn't supporting many of the newer graphic hardware features like pixel shader 2.0. Maybe if I was running older hardware, I would consider running my games in pixel shader 1.4, but I just upgraded my video card to a 7900GS.

    What's the point in upgrading a video card if you're not going to use all of its power?

    You can be pretty damned sure though that the day 80% of the programs / games I use in windows now work pretty well under Linux, I'll be there -- as soon as I get off my ass and reformat my computer.
    • Stonekeeper, on 10/12/2007, -1/+19Do what my mate does: Dual Boot. He mainly boots into Ubuntu, but when he fancies a game, he just boots into windows.
    • Rummy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12I think the dual boot option is actually better for gaming. I have recently been trying this out with a stripped down version of XP. Take away all the eye candy like themes and wallpaper, the drivers you don't need, unnecessary components, etc, and you will end up freeing a significant amount of resources. I have a gaming system that's a couple of years old now, and I noticed a huge difference. Of course you could do this with just XP installed, but it would majorly suck for general use.

      But I too have introduced my mother to Xubuntu on an ancient laptop that she has. As she only uses the computer for email and surfing the net, it suits her perfectly. CCleaner, Spybot and Avast are all great ways to keep Windows going, but on her hardware Xubuntu works a lot better.
  • SPLASTiK, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14My parents only use the computer to surf the Internet, e-mail, share photos from the digital camera and some word processing.

    I moved out of town for a few years and hadn't been back home since Christmas 2004 until a few months ago. Apparently this summer my Dad got to fed up with spyware (even with Spybot and Adaware installed) that he just unplugged the computer from the wall.

    When I came home I ran adaware and it had over 1000 critical pieces of Spyware on the machine and was unbearably slow.

    So I downloaded Mozilla Thunderbird and transferred their mail and Outlook settings to it. Backed it up and other personal files then installed Ubuntu on their machine.

    Firefox, Thunderbird, OpenOffice. That's all they need and use and are loving being problem free.
    • Stonekeeper, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4If you're only running them apps, the choice of OS is plentiful!
  • Spo8, on 10/12/2007, -6/+6It's good that you're introducing her to an alternate operating system, but damn, learn how to maintain a computer.
    • TritonX, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8The point is, Windows is a pain in the ass to maintain. You can say anything you want, if you tried any other OSes available you will know that windows is the worst. I`ve lost enough time already this morning I don`t care to elaborate, learn from your errors.
    • ziadoz, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2Windows isn't a pain in the ass to maintain. There are plenty of free spyware and anti-virus applications out there that do an excellent job. Couple that with a browser that doesn't support Active X and you shouldn't get any problems. Unless of course you let every application you install run on boot, and install from dodgy sources.
    • TritonX, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4And how is that not a pain in the ass...
      Do I need to remember you that these things you mentioned don`t exist in Linux and OSX.
      Or do you buy a computer to run adaware ?
    • Waterrat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2 Why is protecting your OS so hard for people to understand? I got my first computer in the early 1990's and security and basic care was high up on the agenda of what my geek friend taught me. In the case of the Internet,a bit of paranoia is a good thing and more people need a dose of it.
      I'm always amazed coming into Digg and seeing just how many people don't have a clue as to how to take care of their machine and seem unwilling to learn and their family members have to bail them out time and again.
      Computer maintenance, it's not complicated and it's sure not rocket science.
  • dummersack, on 10/12/2007, -6/+12My mum don't trust Ubuntu, because one time she makes the mistake to save a text file in wrong format and she can not open it again. Since then he don't want to do important things on Ubuntu.
    I don't know how often something with her Windows crashed, but one little problem an he don't like Ubuntu anymore.
    One Million Problems with Windows and she still trust it.
  • Meep3D, on 10/12/2007, -11/+6This guy just needs to sit down with his mum for 30 minutes and explain what to do/not to do. It's a question of education and shouldn't be cured by a change to a more complicated platform.

    Also, on an unrelated note, why can you not discuss Linux without bashing Windows? Every article about Linux mentions how it's better than Windows, yet no single Windows article ever even mentions Linux. I want to know why it's good in it's own right, not why its 'better than Windows'.

    And the guy (who's story I think is made up) should never have let his mum buy 5 computers. What sort of a son is that? Just secure her computer for her, problem solved.
    • selphishnerd, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11Linux is good in it's own right because it is: free, open source, portable, runs great on any hardware, secure, and just plain fun to learn/play with.

      As far as your other point, I disagree. All his mother wants to do is use a computer, why worry her with all of the spyware mantainance when she doesn't need to. If Ubuntu makes the things she needs to do simple, and trouble free, then what is wrong with that?
    • Meep3D, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3Apart from the fact the whole scenario is probably fictitious, there will be many, many things that just plain won't work and will be more complicated. Flash, streaming video, Windows apps, even some random websites. All problems that can be overcome, but would require significant education on the part of his mother.

      There is no doubt frequent interventions will be required on his behalf to get things working, or if she ever buys a digital camera, printer or software or tries to do one of the many things that Linux has problems with. Yet he lets her buy 5 Computers, without once teaching her good usage practices or cleaning the system, or even installing a virus scanner/firefox/firewall etc.
    • JonForTheWin, on 10/12/2007, -8/+6You can't secure a windows box.
    • SuperSloth, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4He needs to not set her up as a ***** Admin is what he needs to do.
    • Meep3D, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1"You can't secure a windows box."

      I run a net cafe. I have 20 PC's in use 12hrs a day all running Windows XP. Sure it takes a bit of effort to set it up in the first place, but so does Linux.

      It's ironic that people advocate moving to an intrinsically more complicated and hard to learn system to avoid learning things about their current one.
    • SammyJr, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Fanbois digging you down. How sad. If these guys were as smart as they think they are, they'd know how to secure Windows.
  • iksu, on 10/12/2007, -9/+15Is Linux ready for computer illiterates yet? No it is not. I used to run Suse and now run Ubuntu (on a 6 year old Athlon 1Ghz with 512MB RAM). Ubuntu is very easy to use but.... if you have got somebody to set it up for u with all the audio and video codecs, install flash, adobe plug-ins, and what not. It is a bit like 'American Chopper' - if you got the passion for it, you could build a very impressive, efficient Linux system. And, then your mom sees a very nice wireless keyboard on sale and decides to buy it....and finds that none of the special keys on it work. Linux is still for the enthusiast and is not fully ready for mainstream users regardless of what the geeks will tell you.

    Windows is like a new car that you buy. All you have to do is choose your model, learn to drive it, fasten your seat-belt, lock the doors and drive sensibly. And, of course, you maintain your car unless you want a wheel flying off at 70mph. If you are not sensible, you end up with accidents. But, you are not expected to fiddle with the engine or install a new filter on your own. Windows works out of the box.(mostly) I also run windows 2000 professional (6 years on a PIII 1Ghz 384MB RAM) with Sygate firewall and AVG Anti-virus and never had any problems. System Mechanic is one good tool as well. (www.iolo.com)

    Security is of course a major issue. And, like somebody else said...if you always are administrator on your PC, you pay the price. I cant understand y the f@"£ Microsoft have not changed this approach yet...and when they do they can patent it and get Linux to pay for IP infringement.
    • cr3ative, on 10/12/2007, -6/+9Okay, why are you getting dug down here? You've made a very valid point, in a calm manner!

      I'll never understand Linux Fans. It's great and all, I run a server with Linux on, but they can't STAND hearing about driver issues, or any criticism that sometimes is just common sense.

      Rant over.
    • Meep3D, on 10/12/2007, -6/+7I agree. My feeling on Linux is how can software possibly improve if negative views of it are actively suppressed leaving only the positive comments?

      If I write software then I want to hear why people don't like it, not why people do, as I'll actually be able to improve it based on what they say. Linux unfortunatley has a cloud of fanboys circling it defending every point, no matter how valid, which essentially stifles critical feedback and hinders improvement as there is no criticism.

      If I had written this article by ESR and posted it on Digg I would have been dugg down and flamed to a crisp. That is the problem.

      http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/cups-horror.html

      Linux is chock full of problems just like the above if you open your eyes to see them, but nobody does, and the people that do generally get flamed for being Windows fanboys.

      (The irony is I don't think any genuine Windows/Microsoft fans exist that are not paid shills. Everyone hates them and critcises them constantly. It's their greatest strenght imo).
    • dlbear, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4I'm in this camp too. I use XP daily and with great success. I also use etch daily to do my job and truly appreciate it. But do I recommend linux for everyone? Absolutely not! I got over evangelizing a long time ago, if you express an interest I'm eager to help, otherwise I think you should stick with Windows. Having said that, I feel that the most and the least experienced stand to gain the most from using linux; the most because they're already technically curious, the least because they have that much less to unlearn.

      As for fanboys, my boss is one. I do indeed tire of hearing about how he "has no patience with Windows" but yet has the patience to ***** around with a kernel upgrade trashing his X, dependency problems, etc. The way I see it is they're all just tools and are the means to the end, not the end itself.
  • t0ny, on 10/12/2007, -1/+17This reminds me of my boss. I went over to her house to copy stuff from her old computer to a new one for her. Her old one was running very slow. So she went out and bought a new one. Her old one was 3Ghz and the new one was 3.2Ghz
    /random story
    • Meep3D, on 10/12/2007, -11/+3Ubuntu, when I had it on my laptop, took over 5 minutes to boot and the wireless nic didn't work unless you booted it, then soft-rebooted it. Hibernate and Sleep (more like Coma) never worked either. I just re-installed Windows though, I didn't buy a new PC.
      /random story
    • beotch, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11@tony Wish I knew people this ignorant, 'cause I love free computers.

      @Meep I don't know what kind of exotic crap hardware you have, but I've had no problems installing Ubuntu on 4 completely different machines.
    • Meep3D, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1AMD 64. Not sure mobo type, but Windows XP, which is 5 years old, can successfully hibernate & sleep it, so why can't Linux? Of course, it's the hardwares fault, it's my fault for not knowing the arcane settings I am meant to use to get it to work, or not using the 'right' distro - but it's not Linux's fault, 'course not, as that would be implying that it has faults.

    • iksu, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1@beotch - how would you explain to a 50year old computer noob why the microsoft wireless photo keyboard that he saw stacked in PC World does not work on his Ubuntu machine (installed by his son). Oh the abc's and the 123's do...but not the photo editing keys that he so loved. And he cant seem to install a wireless PCMCIA card in his laptop which keeps crashing when he tries to shutdown (and his son tells him that it is not a problem with Ubuntu - rather it is the stupid way ATI chipsets are made) Oh it is only a Dell machine which have only been around for a LONG time and are only amongst the TOP sellers of computers. I am a huge linux fan...run linux on both my computers and develop my websites on LAMP. BUT, I AM NOT A LINUX FANATIC. FANATICISM DOES NOT HELP PROMOTE ANYTHING, PASSION DOES.
    • mercurysquad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Meep: you were using an old version of Ubuntu which couldn't even hibernate my stock dell laptop.

      Install Ubuntu Edgy -- they fixed everything. Less than 1 min boot (45 sec for me), 15 sec to shutdown, and hibernate, suspend work flawlessly.
    • mercurysquad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"how would you explain to a 50year old computer noob why the microsoft wireless photo keyboard that he saw stacked in PC World does not work on his Ubuntu machine (installed by his son)."


      I would just say that the keyboard was manufactured by Microsoft and so works only with Windows -- ie. blame it on MS. >;-)

      And BTW it should be possible to configure any and all special keys via the gnome keyboard shortcuts windows -- when you press a special key it detects it. Then you jut choose the command. Depends on what graphic software you will use on Ubuntu whether it supports special key shortcuts configurable via gnome keyboard shortcuts or not.
    • juraj, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Every linux fanboy who buried Meep3D is a ***** moron. They need to fix the bloody hibernation already - I tried everything and it won't work, even hibernate2.

      BTW I'm posting this from Firefox 2 in Ubuntu Edgy. So every fanboy who thinks I'm anti-linux can go blow a grenade in their mouth.
    • immrlizard, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I use both Windows XP and Linux. I have to support windows at work so I really appreciate having a secure OS like linux. XP is tough to keep secure, but it is a decent system. I have actually tried about 15 different distros of linux and thought that kubuntu worked best for what I wanted to do with it. Many of the ubuntu distros now have a live cd so you can even try it without having to install it. Linux in no way is a finished product but it is to the point that it works really well with most hardware. It is still a little short in serious games, but that isn't that big of a deal to me. There are more and more games being made for linux.

      I don't try to convince people to use Linux because as it is right now it is a little tougher to install some things that are really easy in windows. It is getting easier though. If you run windows, you really need to educate yourself on how to keep it clean of all the little nasties out there. Most people don't and really suffer as a result. The shame is that the thing that makes it so easy for you to install programs in windows also is its worst enemy. I have had to start charging to clean virus and spyware infections off of people's computers. I was spending all of my weekends cleaning computers. Now at least I make a couple bucks on it. I don't rape them like the geek squad, but I do ok. I used to email people directions on how to do it themself and they would get halfway done and bring the machine over to me any way.
  • goodbeershow, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Installed edgy on an old AMD 1800+. 512ram, ATI 8500, 60 gig hd machine. It boots extremely fast and everything worked. I installed Automatix2 with a couple problems that have since been solved. I have the machine on a KVM switch with my other PC that I use for projects. It looks very promising. I get on a linux kick every couple of years or so.

    JeffreyT
    http://goodbeershow.com
  • GamingNews, on 10/12/2007, -7/+3Buys a new computer every time it starts running slow? How about cleaning up the spyware and teaching his mom to stay away from porn sites? But then, I can't complain much. I buy a new one every time my monitor gets dirty. It's part of my bid for the title of world's laziest man.
    • TritonX, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6You really have no ideas how old people think. Do you really think they understand why their computer is going slower? It`s much easier for them to go at Best Best and whine that their computer is getting slow, etc. The salesman won`t tell them to clean the mess windows created, instead they will say they got that new computer that is so fast it won`t never slow down on them and all that ***** they do to sell overrated computer to old people. I saw that happens to my friend`s mom, she had a 1Ghz+ for surfing the web,emails and DVD, and she went to buy a new computer when windows started behaving strangely. Unfortunately most computers are bought by mostly ignorant person on the matter, even a lot of so called "windows power user" fall in that category.
    • GamingNews, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think I have some ideas how old people think. I'm not that far off from being one. heh heh.

      Best Buy - hmmm, isn't that what the geek squad is for? lol

      By the way, whoever gave me -2 - up your ubuntu. lmao
  • digitalsin, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Ubuntu: The choice for a new generation of soccer Moms
  • MajorMauser, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1Why not just buy her a Mac and get it over with. Linux in any form cannot hold a candle to Windows or OS X. Gosh when she wants to install a program she sees on the internet...I can see the phone-calls to his support line ringing. Plus Linux is such a departure from windows user interface.

    You are a bad Son doing what you did shame on you. Cheap Loser
    • yangj08, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Well, the only problem I ever saw with Linux was that there was no sound. I can't deal with the multitudes of programs I have to use to keep my computer safe (I have to restore the system every year because it gets too slow to use even if I do regularly run Ad-Aware/Symantec Antivirus and a firewall) but I can't switch to Linux because I need all the sound stuff so that I can listen to music (and I can never for the life of me get the sound card built into my laptop to work- I'll try one day to build a computer by hand-picking Linux-friendly parts)...
    • GamingNews, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0-3 Diggs? I guess they don't like your suggestion. Rough to bash Linux in a place where people treat it like it's a religion. I'm no windows fan myself, but agree with you that either Windows or OS-X are better choices for your average computer user. Sure, you can do lots of neat geeky things with Linux, but do you really think this guy's mom is going to be interested in that? Heck no, she'll spend 3 months wondering where the user interface is at and then end up buying yet another computer. Ubunto for geeks is not so bad, but when it comes to practical use, Linux really has nothing to offer the average mom and pop user.

      Go ahead, neg away, like I care.
  • 4Ajax, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3LIVE CD"s FOR CHRISTMAS

    I am giving Ubuntu Live CD's to everyone I know for holiday gifts. Especially my MOM!!! I work to get her running nicely and within 2 weeks someone in my family comes along and screws it up. For the extra special group on my gift list I am giving 1 gig flash drives that will boot Linux and have some persistence. I picked up a bunch under $15 on eBay.

    I have become a believer that the majority of people should ONLY browse the Internet with a live-CD. It solves all problems except phishing.
  • eatsushi, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9I installed ubuntu for my dad 2 months ago and the first thing he did was set his homepage to www.msn.com

    :(
    • GamingNews, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I know you're frowning, but man, is that ever funny stuff.
  • TritonX, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I`m currently doing an experience with my cousin. An almost illiterate computer user, but he WANTED a computer. He found a P3 800, had windows on it, the first week he had it, he must have called at least once a day because windows bugged. I told him, "go see the guy who sold it to you, I`ve lost enough time with windows already". 2-3 days pass by, he could`nt find anyone to fix his computer, probably because all windows admin by now have enough computer to fix they don`t need one more. I told him, if you want my help, I`ll install you something else that I know works good. He has no clue at all about what is a OS, a distro, he`s still confusing ram and hard-drive. It`s been 2 weeks today his computer was installed and configured and he never called me once about a problem, he needed some hint about how to do some stuff, but no bugs!! Last time I spoke with him he had became a linux fanboy without knowing it, saying "Linux Rule" only because he wasn`t used for a computer to last more than 4 hours without crashing, people at his works trying to convince him linux is for geeks, he won`t be able to do anything... now the burden of proof is on their side...
  • dwhitbeck, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0Has anyone ever rescued data from a Linux hard drive using windows?
    • TritonX, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Why ?, really, why would you do that ? It`s like asking for trouble
    • Meep3D, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2I used to use Linux (Ubuntu specifically) to recover data from corrupted Windows installs but now I just plug the drive into another Windows box. It's a bit more manual labour but its much less hassle.

      In Edgy you have to manually mount the drive (mkdir/sudo mount - no gui tools) so only su can access it for some reason, so it's sudo nautilus to browse it, but for some entirely inexplicable reason sudo nautilus cannot access smb shares. I've tried it on 4 entirely different pc's - same result. As a result you cannot use Edgy, and Ubuntu, as a repair disk anymore as there is no way I can see to get the files from the disk to a network share. Of course if you bring this up your a trolling windows fanboy.
    • mercurysquad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"(mkdir/sudo mount - no gui tools) "

      What are you talking about??
      Boot from Ubuntu CD, go to System > Administration > Disks, and mount whichever disk you want - graphically.

      If you like the utility you can install it on your regular ubuntu setup but I'd guess since you use ubuntu to recover data, you probably use the live CD most often, in which case it is already available. Ubuntu setup figures out that once you've installed the OS on your computer, you won't often need to mount/unmount harddrives manually.(If it's USB it gets mounted automatically.) So they don't install the disk mounting GUI to your harddrive - but they have it available on the live CD.
    • mercurysquad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"so only su can access it for some reason, so it's sudo nautilus to browse it"

      Once again, lack of information.

      If you add the following option at the end of your mount command:
      -o umask=0222
      then you can access the mounted disk from whichever account - no need for root. If you use the disk mounter GUI, it already does that IIRC.

      BTW there is even a disk mounter panel icon - right click your top panel and choose Add to Panel... and look for the disk mounter.. ;-)
    • Sp1k3d, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yes, it is possible. Although usually it is the other way around, I spend more time restoring data off Windows disks in Linux. You need the Ext2 driver for Windows NT/2000/XP, and yes it also works with Ext3 and possibly Ext4.
    • dwhitbeck, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Yeah, I know, I was joking because I have rescued Windows data more than once with Linux.
  • jaytheworst, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3We put Ubuntu on a PC for my mom and being the most computer illiterate person in the world ( she has formatted a keyboard several times without knowing it) finds Ubuntu very easy to use. We just put a big email symbol in the middle along with a big Firefox button. She says it's easier then working on windows so that is good. Overall the best free operating system I have worked with.
  • troopa, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1Putting Ubuntu on was a good idea, but it's not like he has to buy a new computer every time Windows gets some adware. What the heck?
  • puddles42, on 10/12/2007, -4/+0why didn't the guy just educate his mom on how to keep a clean and tidy system? that probably would of saved her 5-6k over five years, and would of saved him however long it took him to convince her to use linux first of all, then how to use it etc.

    • TritonX, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Even if it`s 10 times longer than a windows install(which is really not) on the long run he is buying peace of mind. When he go visits his mother, he won`t have to debug her computer or reinstall. Just a little checkup, maintaining a linux install takes so little time it`s ridiculous.

      "why didn't the guy just educate his mom on how to keep a clean and tidy system?"
      Yeah right, have you ever tried that?
  • Meep3D, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Windows has problems, everyone is well aware.

    Major Mistake 1: Everyone runs as root, largely because it was designed without consideration for the Internet. It just wasn't thought of when it was developed and there was no obvious reason to include sudo style facilities as why bother? Bill Gates originally thought the Internet would just be a fad, and people's malicious intent was never seriously considered.

    Major Mistake 2: Allowing software to install itself. The OS should handle the install, not the software itself. Installers were a fairly new concept at the time and it never really occurred to anyone that malicious software would be a problem as most software would be bought and installed via disk/floppy. Spyware didn't exist either.

    It's not really Microsoft's fault they are in the position they are in now. Windows XP simply isn't designed to do the job its currently doing and the whole raft of problems your seeing now are a result of several significant design failings, and a failure to predict the future.

    Linux OTOH has a similar collection of failings, just in an entirely different department - namely usability & compatibility - as it was never designed with these things in mind.

    Switching people to Linux to negate design flaws in Windows may work for specific cases and appear to be a solution, but it does nothing to improve upon the flaws in Linux that are glossed over.

    FANBOYS ARE KILLING LINUX. IF YOU MOD ME DOWN READ ON...

    What I am saying is true. I can go into depth on design & usability flaws on both platforms, yet doing so on Linux will get you modded down no matter how valid your points. By suppressing critical speech you are hindering, not helping, Linux. The only way flaws are going to be brought to light and fixed is if they are discussed. At the moment such discussion is taboo. Linux currently accounts for 0.3% of the desktop marketshare. I work with PC's all day long and I have nothing to do with Linux as it's simply not suitable for the tasks I want it for, for many reasons, yet these reasons will never be addressed, let alone discussed, as everyone is sticking their heads in the sand and pretending they don't exist.

    Would Microsoft have cleaned up their act so much had there not been massive public attention of their flaws? If people were more critical of poorly designed software and unnecessary problems & hassles there would be less of them overall. Linux isn't a football team, it's not your mum, and you don't need to defend it no matter what, your doing more harm than good.
    • subliminal727, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@Meep: True, but windows xp wasn't created before the internet. Most of it's flaws are intentional or just completely ignored. Designers at microsoft know whats wrong with it, everyone does.

      Linux is obviously not a solution for every circumstance there are going to be compatibility and usability issues with it, i think most linux users are aware of the drawbacks and i think most linux companies are also aware of the drawbacks, just like microsoft.

    • b7illsmith, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Don't sweat the fanboys, Meep.

      The Linux fanboy crowd is a very fickle demography. Most of them will jump ship when their favorite distro makes a major coarse change or a new computing fad takes off that doesn't have full Linux support; or they will abandon this platform when the "coolness" factor wears off or when they discover that most people couldn't give a crap.

      This is why Linux has so many newbs but never seem to grow its 3% user base. MOST fanboys evolve into...

      Ex-fanboys: They're the ones that post comments about how Linux isn't ready for the desktop. We can sit back and enjoy reading their comments of disappointment, disillusionment, and disgust.

      At some point you're going to either use Linux for its technical merits or you're going to abandon it for a better solution. Criticism of Linux on digg changes nothing.
  • CluelessTroll, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1My momma's dead, bitch!
  • joe361, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3Can we please have a moratorium on Linux stories.
    • civilwarlord, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3Just the ubuntu ones. There are so many that claim Ubuntu's the best. Who are the fanboys trying to convince?---Everyone else or themselves.
    • brundlefly76, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Isnt this like the third dugg article on some guy making a miracle transformation of his parents by installing Linux for them, and after a week declares it some sort of amazing success?

      Anyone who works with both Linux and Windows every day knows that neither is a anecdote for the other (and yes this includes MacOS as well).

    • GamingNews, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Three cheers to that. Everyone is going up and down the tree about Ubuntu this, MS that, but really, no one is asking if this story is really newsworthy. It's a fluff blog post for crying out loud.
  • kida001, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1You don't need to buy a NEW computer every time it starts to slow down. You just need to either do a massive clean up on programs, registry, and startup items, or, format the computer System. If this guy buys his mom a new PC every time it slows down, he's just wasting money.
  • stelriah, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Yo-Yo Ma Loves Ubuntu
  • anagami, on 07/02/2008, -0/+1yeah, my mom calls Firefox "little fox". And that's 30% of her computing needs. The rest is basically (MS) Office.
  • studley181, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I put Fedora Core 4 on my mom's pc that I built for here about a year and a half ago, simply because it was free and not prone to viruses/spyware. She hasn't called me about a SINGLE computing problem once I showed her how to use Firefox and Email.
  • ArnoldTPants, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1This lady is a ***** idiot. No way a ***** idiot will be able to use Ubuntu.
    • FluffyArmada, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2You think she's an idiot? Yesterday I was working on some guys G3 iMac and the guy he let try to fix it before me had actually tried to pry the face off of the machine to get the CD out of the front-slot-loading drive; WITH A SCREWDRIVER!!! You sir, have not seen a *real* idiot! The guy told the owner that it was a piece of crap [ he gave him some anti-apple propoganda too... :- ] and told him he should throw it away. Lucky, he ended up calling me and I was able to simply re-install OS X and it works fine now. The guy before me has apperantly never used a Mac before because had he, he would have known to hold down the mouse to eject the disk... then he could have put in the install cd, held down C and re-installed OS X. Tsk... you don't know stupid!
  • slowmotiony, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0I put Ubuntu on my PC to try it out. I spent 2 days installing my hardware. Well, actually trying to install since the X-Fi refused to cooperate and so did the scanner. I got rid of the damn OS and installed XP back.
  • OrangeTide, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I often wondered how less technical people solved Windows problems (I can barely solve them myself, rarely do I manage to get Windows reinstalled on the first try when I wipe a box).

    "Buy a new computer" really is the easiest solution, expensive, but easy.
  • supaflystud, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I believe Jesus uses Ubuntu CE, even he knows you can't go wrong with this OS!
    • GamingNews, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Seems that several people in this discussion have had problems with it.
  • FluffyArmada, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2My grama loves ubuntu. I just moved all of gnome's toolbars to the bottom so she wouldn't be overly freaked out. Now she uses firefox, thunderbird, gaim, and openoffice. My grama's pretty leet. Next month I'm going to show her how to wardrive.
  • chaser7016, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Story is so out there, yet clever way of getting on Digg and spreading the word of Ubuntu!

    Did you see a comment 2nd one or so, about another mom complaining that her son didnt do the same thing? Classic BS...yeah a 40 to 60 yr old woman interested in Ubuntu...LoL!

    All these stories and cool effects of Ubuntu/Beryl make me want to try it out..though
    • b7illsmith, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You might try this first:
      https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD

      It will give you insight into potential hardware/driver problems, if any.

      Have fun.
    • hipdad, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Where have you been? Ubuntu is the most talked about Linux distro since Red Hat went public with their stock. The reason it is so popular is just like all the above statements novice users love it. There is no reason to name drop it so people will use it.
    • chadian22, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2It's not too bad.. just run LiveCD and check out the Ubuntu forums or read around and try out other distro's setups. There's also different window managers to try. So many possibilities, that's what makes Linux fun.
    • chadian22, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I don't think the Ubuntu fanboys think they're the best. I think its popularity just helps people switch to linux. The buzz around Ubuntu makes linux a little less scary. The Ubuntu community is great for this, people just want to help. Lets face, it doesn't matter how often you tell your mom or whoever 'don't open it', they are still going to do it and they're still going to call you when they have a virus.

      Also about the comment that Linux is not a substitute. It's getting pretty close. I mean I'd rather have linux and play the windows game in Cedega than pay for windows and put up with spyware.

      Also... BERYL is fun but also kinda creates a few headaches. If you have an ATI card there are 2 different drivers (open source or ATI's). Get NVIDIA for Linux at the moment (at least this is what I've read). I have an ATi card and I had to have my xorg.conf for my graphic driver VERY SPECIFIC to get the 3d rendering working.

      UBUNTU is about Helping People to Hopefully Move to a more Stable hassle-free Environment
  • camster91, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1"$1000 in CASH Money" - MTV
  • hipdad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0 I am 47 and I have been using different OSes since the toutings of CP/M I remember it like it was yesterday... starcalc!,,, Wordstar!!
    • hipdad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Dumbass.. it was calcstar! NOT starcalc! heheh. Self Abuse I love it!
  • michaelpe2051, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1linux and windows both SUCK! he says using OS/2 With FIREFOX. LIKE linux i think OS/2 MAY have 3-4 virus's compare to winblows xp it has what 50,000+? using os/2 has tought me one thing. you don't need pounds and pounds of bloat to do stuff. allthought if linux or windows were my only two choices. i would chose linux if i had to. it may have crappy support for hardware but at least its free.
    • TritonX, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2OS/2 ? This still exist, or you are referring to the last millenium ;)?
  • kjm16, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1lol, shooting the kids
  • hypeiv, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"Usually some “helpful” person tells them that their computer is “just too old” and so rather than fixing the whatever is wrong, they need to buy a new computer."

    Hmm... usually what happens when I am that helpful person is I tell them I need to format and reinstall windows with a virus scanner, firefox, and microsofts anti spyware tool and the person says "WHAT FORMAT!!! If I am going to do that I may as well buy a new computer!" I think people like his mom are just always looking for a reason to buy a new computer.
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