[ADS]

Quote:

Originally posted by fredpb If you have started with XP, and never used 98SE, and to paraphrase others commenting to me, how can you comment about something you have never used? When gaming online, my XP buddies are constantly having to reboot or crash. My 98 system just chugs along happily. And when 98 does give me a problem, I can figure it out for myself or go online for help ( a lot of it out there) Trillion times? LOL And back to my choice of the Nomad Zen. If the iPod was compatible with my computer, I would have gottne the iPod. Not the Zen. I keep an open mind, and I like to learn about things. I have worked for a large computer company. I know about marketing types. Apple marketing did blow it. My last project was working on a test card for IBM (wrote the firmware) that was used for what is now "PCI".

You misread my comment. I've used Windows since 3.11, but XP has been the first Microsoft product that I've used that I don't hate.

 

[RacerX]

Wow, this thread is sure covering a lot of ground. When will we address mad cow disease?

 

[Earwax]

Quote:

Originally posted by D-EJ915 Well, on my computer I can say that out of... Windows 3.0 Windows 95 Windows NT 4.0 Workstation Windows 95 OSR2 Windows 98 Windows 98SE Windows XP Home Windows Server 2003 Suse Linux 8.1 personal RedHat Linux 7.0 Workstation RedHat Linux 9.0 Personal that XP Home is the most stable , go figure.

Why'd you skip Windows 2000? IMO, that's the most stable of all Microsoft OSes.

 

[Sweet Spot]

Quote:

Wow, this thread is sure covering a lot of ground. When will we address mad cow disease?

Whoa ...whoa...what happened? What are cows so mad about ?! Sure hope they don't mess with my milk !

(way ta' break up the air...touche)

 

[RacerX]

Heh heh heh.

 

[blessingx]

[size=xx-small]NEW YORK -- The dollar fell to a new record low against the euro Wednesday, as weak U.S. durable-goods-orders data and several countries' suspension of U.S. beef imports prompted widespread selling. [/size]

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by raynman To say the scroll wheel has an advantage is but a slight exaggeration and preferential choice.

I disagree on that point, and if the devices were reversed, I'd be criticizing the iPod for having a joystick. A joystick is inferior to a scrollwheel for navigating through thousands of songs. A scrollwheel is more sensitive, has better acceleration, and is simply easier to use. (Yes, I've used the joystick before.) The only people I've ever talked to who "prefer" a joystick are people who have gotten used to the joystick on their player. Put two devices in front of a newbie, and I bet they'll choose the scrollwheel nearly every time.

All you have to do is try to find one song out of 5,000 once and the advantage of a scrollwheel is obvious.

The joystick could be improved if, like IBM's ThinkPad "pencil tip" contollers, the further you moved it in one direction, the faster it scrolled. But even then it wouldn't be as easy to use, IMO.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by Sweet Spot You ever stop to think that it's not the OS but the person maintaining it ?

This is the classic OS developer's cop-out. Microsoft uses it, Apple uses it, Linux geeks use it. The point is that the end user shouldn't have to "maintain" their OS.

I never have problems with any of my computers, because I'm a techie who knows more about them than most people. But I'm not naive enough to think that "if only people would maintain their computers," they wouldn't have any problems.

Unless the problem is due to hardware, the OS *is* the problem. There's nothing else to blame. Is it the user's fault if they don't know all the tricks necessary to keep the computer running well? No, it's the OS's fault. This is the biggest fault with operating systems today.

For example, in Mac OS X, which is even more stable in my experience than XP, one of the most common maintenance/troubleshooting techniques is to repair disk permissions. I do it once a week and never have a system problem due to Unix permissions issues. In fact, I've set up a cron job that runs this task every week automatically. But my point is, why should I have to remember to do this? Why doesn't the OS do it automatically? Most users don't have any idea that such a simple task could improve their computing experience.

As others have pointed out, apart from a few isolated issues (such as a user trashing their system, or installing bad hardware) or hardware failures, problems are the fault of the OS.

 

[PYROTAK]

let be the first to say that at least 75% of people who use computers are absolutely computer dumb.

and honestly who really gives a **** if the ipod is better of it the iriver is better.

personally i own the iriver ihp-120 simply since i can hook it up to my HT reciver via optical and not depend on some crappy portable DAC.

if the ipod was cheaper id get it.

i just search for the best value.

and somehow i don't think some people realize that you void your warentee when you replace the ipod battery by yourself.

just please stop this gay flame war about ipods and microsoft.

microsoft makes a fine product go use linux if you are going to flame.

its not microsofts fault if people are dumb and get like 50 billions things of spyware and adware and crap on their computers.

i format my computer every 2-3 months to keep it running top notch.

 

[Earwax]

Quote:

Originally posted by PYROTAK just please stop this gay flame war about ipods and microsoft.

In the context of the rest of your post, that line's pretty funny.

 

[D-EJ915]

Quote:

Originally posted by Earwax Why'd you skip Windows 2000? IMO, that's the most stable of all Microsoft OSes.

By the time I had enough money to get it, it was a waste. XP was out already and I was like...2000 has anemic gaming performance, so I skipped it.

 

[aroon]

dood. if you dont like winxp but want everything winxp has just use win2k. its the same thing. you get all the nice things about winxp without all the bs skins and wizards. its got perfect stability assuming you're not stupid and everything that works with xp will work with 2k. also, it looks just like win98. nothing new here.

as far as gaming, im a gamer. i run winxp. with the ntfs file system. all my games run just fine. it was an issue when win2k first came out. certain games wouldnt run for various reason [like need for speed 4] but its not an issue anymore. if its THAT big a deal, just use win2k on a fat32 file system. yes it supports it. although i have to say fat32 sucks, ntfs is the way to go. way more secure and a lot more options in general.

and you cant compare usb1.1 and 2.0 with records and tube amps. the technology is just different. there was no quality loss with the move from 1.1 to 2.0. just faster and a different voltage. 2.0 is better in every way thinkable except that you have to upgrade. big deal. thats what technology is all about. hell, all you have to do is go out and buy a usb2.0 card and you're taken care of. those things cost like 10 bux when they're on sale.

why even bother having a 40gb ipod and use usb 1.1? it would take you a year and half just to fill the hd. theres no use in that. apple realizes that. and apple's used to NOT catering to the masses. they make products based on what they envision being useful in the future. they figure those people still stuck on usb1.1 probably dont have the cash dump on a 400 dollar mp3 player to begin with. that or they dont have any interest in it to begin with.

also, if you cant get your hands on a copy of win2k, you can make winxp look just like win2k as well. the change from win98se to winxp is easy and good in every sense. there really should be no reason to NOT switch unless you're still playing really really old games that must not be that good anyway becuase everyones already got the good classics running flawlessly on the ntfs file system.

everyones already said it but ill say it again, the ipods battery is easily user replaceable as much as apple doesnt want to admit it [for understandable liability reasons].

in anycase, im not saying you should go get an ipod. i DO think its time you upgraded your OS but i guess thats your own decision. but if you're gonna stick with the old stuff expect to be left behind. apple's not trying to do anyone any favors by producing the ipod, they're just trying to make something they see as cool.

 

[Squalish]

There are lots of somewhat old games that NT core OS's can't run, but that's the only problem I know of with XP wrt gaming, aside from the initial batch of incompatabilities when it was released.

 

[D-EJ915]

For emulators I run 98SE, but it's unstable as hell compared to XP.

[size=medium]VGS[/size]

 

[fredpb]

Quote:

Originally posted by davei If you need to use two different programs and hack the registry just to keep your system stable... well, that speaks for itself.

What speaks for what? LOL.

Just about every program hits the registry in some way or another. The registry is fine usually.

But applications corrupt the registry. So you have to prepare for that. MS gives you tools to do that.

So I should not need programs for maintaining my registry? They why does XP have the provisions for backing up the registry????
Why does XP have Scandisk and other utilities?

Boy did I start a nice thread!

I have no plans to change to XP. I would lose my audiobook players since THEY are old, and there is no approved firmware for XP for them. I do have a PocketPC to use with audiobooks, but my RIO500's are great and working fine.


If there was a good reason to change to XP, I would do it.
We each have our opinions

.

And my Zen is doing fine. Wish it had more volume though. But my Total Airhead takes care of that. 40gb! A lot to fill!

I have enjoyed this thread. Much banter about. We are all friends