Windows Vista is everyone's favorite tech punching bag, and not without reason. But the reviled operating system has some amazing potential and with some tweaks and a few utilities, you can do what Redmond didn't: make Vista great.
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Member since:2008-07-15
1. instead of tweaking a proprietary system to behave as someone wants, I'd prefer setting up a fully configurable environment in a FOSS OS...
2. Or, if people is happy with their XP, why change it?
First, because XP is being phased out, gradually but surely. Like it or not, your XP downgrade option won't stick around forever. Either get used to Vista or sit and wait for Windows 7, if you want to use Windows that is. This naturally doesn't apply to business environments, where the individual rarely gets a choice in what os they get to use and how it behaves.
As for setting up a foss os, will you guys give it up? Average user doesn't want foss. Further, they don't care. They want well-known names and full vendor support they can call and complain to when something's broken, not fifty forums to search in hopes of finding an answer they can understand. Why must every discussion about a windows article always have to set you guys off about foss? Give it a rest.
Member since:2006-01-16
"full vendor support they can call and complain to when something's broken"
I don't want to dissent any other part of your comment. But can you please stop telling this myth?!
Seriously!
The only help with Windows the ordinary end user gets is from his Windows-knowing peers. Name me one hotline where you would call and complain if your system starts to crash, programs don't work anymore or any other typical mess, AND get a satisfying answer to solve your problem.
Every time Windows gets broken the only real "solution" most people have is a reinstall, while also a disturbingly big portion of them just arrange themselves with the problem. Perhaps they are lucky to know somebody who can fix it, but calling the vendor isn't fixing it for them at all.
Member since:2007-02-17
I'm going to correct a different part of the comment.
Average user doesn't know that the FOSS alternative to Windows exists. They very much care that Vista is so atrocious, but they are lead to believe (by vested interests) that there is no alternative (or that the alternative is too hard for them to use when in reality it is easier), and are never offered the FOSS solution that would solve their problems with Vista and be much kinder on their wallets.
No. People need to know that they do have an alternative.
BTW, this post is on-topic for this thread subject. The very best way to fix Vista on any machine is to re-format the drive and install a better alternative OS.
Edited 2008-10-15 22:33 UTC
Member since:
2006-05-09
I see two options:
1. instead of tweaking a proprietary system to behave as someone wants, I'd prefer setting up a fully configurable environment in a FOSS OS...
2. Or, if people is happy with their XP, why change it?