__/ [ [H]omer ] on Tuesday 26 September 2006 19:01 \__
> Jim wrote:
>> You know what I hate about the work I do?
>>
>> It's the Windows boxes that STILL come in with various maladies, ALL
>> software related, and 99.5% of them are only curable with a reinstall.
>>
>> Well, I'm SICK OF IT.
>
> I thought you stopped supporting Windows systems some time ago? Or was
> it just that you stopped *selling* them?
>
> Either way, if I were you, I'd just say to people that you only do *one*
> kind of Windows repair, and that's a Wipe'N'Reinstall® ... with Linux.
>
> I get friends and family coming up to me all the time saying "I think
> I've got a PC virus" or "my PC's behaving odd" and "what do I do?". I
> just tell them - I'll wipe it and install Linux, beyond that there's no
> discussion. Why the hell should I bail MS out of the shit, and do their
> job for them, for their commercial property?
You have just said it the way I see it too *good solid nod*. I always say
something as such to friends and family if they seek help with Windows.
Microsoft screwed up, so why should I indirectly be held accountable?
Moreover, why should I bother serving that same sloppy company by repeating
the same belt-and-braces exercise that got the baffled user into trouble in
the first place? This reminds me of settlements that are delivered in the
form of Microsoft coupons.
> Currently about a third of them (so far) choose Linux, which makes me
> wonder about the other 2 thirds. They must be so indoctrinated by
> marketing that they'd rather have a completely dysfunctional box sitting
> in the corner gathering dust, than try something new. The workings of
> some people's minds is a very curious thing indeed.
>
> Those that *have* moved over from the dark side, are very happy AFAICT.
> Their biggest problem is they can't understand why they don't have to
> run a virus checker or defrag the HDD every day. The Windows XPerience
> has trained its users to believe that using a PC means constant
> maintenance, that something like 50% of each session should be dedicated
> to solving problems with the system. It's become second nature, to the
> extent that if you take that necessity away from them, they actually
> *miss* it, in a sick kind of way. Like the way you'd miss picking at a
> scab after it had healed over.
*LOL* I quite enjoyed seeing my Supervisor earlier tonight... 20 minutes
struggling to get his Microsoft keyboard working. He has had that keyboard
for a while, but he keeps having all sorts of errors. Quite the
embarrassment. When the Thinkpad slows down, either some IT staff
'maintains' it or a newer Thinkpad is bought.
I would have enjoyed it more if I didn't have to stick around watching
repetitive 'point-and-drool' routines (3 bloody hours). He was quite envious
when I told him that I can convert these AVI's into GIF's using the GNU
Image Manipulation Program (I didn't say GIMP). This can be easily embedded
in presentation files, which prevent others' nightmare where those videos
don't show up (especially when you move the files from one PC to another,
which invalidates the links.
Watching Windows in action can be fun. You are always reminded why you lied
ahead.
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