Just fired Bill Gates [Archive]

taff1954

2nd August 2009, 15:48

My PC locked up this morning half way through loading Outlook - couldn't even get Ctrl-Alt-Del to work. Sooo.... crash-stop on the power button. On the restart, I get 'Config.Sys in missing'. Now, my eldest 2 sons are IT graduates - and with no apologies for being a little parochial - they're bloody good at what they do. Ran through every suggestion, but still couldn't get winblows to load. Since all my critical data is stored on an external drive (on a Linux server, built by son #2), we decided to do a complete new install. Even that wouldn't work, XP couldn't format the drive, telling me it was corrupted - yet we could see the whole, undamaged, drive when we put it in the wifes identical machine as a slave. Eventually I decided to load Ubuntu 8.04 (been trialling it on a laptop for some time now) and see how that went. 30 minutes later, the PC is running faster than ever, all my data is visible, and accessible from the server, the only info I've really lost is the back-up files for Skype (which I hardly ever use anyway).
The upshot is, then - Windows is gone, Bill's been sacked. Hardy Heron is running full-speed ahead and I've got pretty much all my data back. Open Office is doing everything that MS Office could do and even the colour scheme is easier on my old tired eyes! Why the hell didn't I do this years ago?

p.dath

2nd August 2009, 16:00

Congratulations on making the jump! Linux is very nice to use these days. Unix with a GUI. Someone is probably turning in their grave.

Blackshear

2nd August 2009, 16:02

You should get OS X, I hear it just works.

Serious note: Guts bro, I'd imagine the frustration ha ha.

EDIT: Uh oh, here comes the bandwagon!

Bren

2nd August 2009, 16:02

My main computer runs Ubuntu 8.04 in the background and also takes advantage of the LXDE desktop...it is an old machine but with the setup that i have it runs very fast, and am very pleased with it. I have been using linux for 5 years now and is always going to be my main preference in OS.

rainman

2nd August 2009, 17:06

Uh, guys... why 8.04? That was followed by 8.10 and now 9.04, which is a thing of goodness and beauty...

8.04 means April of 2008 release - that's so last year!

fliplid

2nd August 2009, 17:28

What's XP? :jerry:

Blackshear

2nd August 2009, 17:31

What's XP? :jerry:

A cleaned up version of 2000, which is a clean up of the abortion that 98 was, etc etc.

WHY MUST LINUXFAGS ARRIVE EN MASSE :2guns:

davereid

2nd August 2009, 17:32

Yeah, Bill is upset by Ubuntu, I have read that he is picking through ancient patents etc, looking for weapons to thow at the free alternative.

Even with all Microsofts resources, their software isn't as fast, reliable, or updated as often as Ubuntu.

If it wasnt pre-installed on new P.C.s I think it would be a dying product.

IMHO if schools dumped Microsoft, and started teaching kids LINUX, not only would the education system save $$$$ in fees, our kids would actually start to learn about computers, not microsoft products.

fliplid

2nd August 2009, 17:35

Er, sorry, I aint got LINUX.

Blackshear

2nd August 2009, 17:41

Er, sorry, I aint got LINUX.

WELL YOUR FACE!

I believe my rebuttal will suffice...

Mom

2nd August 2009, 17:46

Blah, blah, blah, Ralph :yes:

NighthawkNZ

2nd August 2009, 17:48

OpenOffice.org (http://www.openoffice.org/) is available on 99.9% Platforms.

OpenOffice is good but does lag in certain area's however it is catching up fast. Version 3 is very good and easy to use. But is perfect for home use, small business as well.

as for the OS well that's another thread

Hitcher

2nd August 2009, 17:52

Openoffice rocks. Srsly.

It's no contest between Openoffice and that puddle of purulent syphilitic ooze that comes bundled with MS Vista that is supposed to be an "enhanced" version of MS Office.

rainman

2nd August 2009, 17:53

WHY MUST LINUXFAGS ARRIVE EN MASSE :2guns:

We hunt in packs, y'know...

vindy500

2nd August 2009, 17:54

but it doesnt even have a pretty ribbon :love:

Bren

2nd August 2009, 18:09

Uh, guys... why 8.04? That was followed by 8.10 and now 9.04, which is a thing of goodness and beauty...

8.04 means April of 2008 release - that's so last year!

Maybe cos 8.04 was/is a stable and reliable version of Ubuntu, and that there has been no real reason to update to 9.04

Jeremy

2nd August 2009, 18:22

Winston001

2nd August 2009, 18:26

If it wasnt pre-installed on new P.C.s I think it would be a dying product.

IMHO if schools dumped Microsoft, and started teaching kids LINUX, not only would the education system save $$$$ in fees, our kids would actually start to learn about computers, not microsoft products.

Its rather ironic that we complain about Microsoft when that is the young upstart which brought computing to the masses.

Computers are tools. Like toasters. Teachers, parents, and school kids expect them to work. They don't care if there is a wavy window, a penguin, or a bit of fruit on bootup. Windows is familiar to 99.999% of all casual computer users. Even Apple recognise that. Why would any school try to change to the unknown?

Bren

2nd August 2009, 19:06

Its rather ironic that we complain about Microsoft when that is the young upstart which brought computing to the masses.
Upstart is true...he got the idea of windows whilst working for Apple...how he got away with stealing the idea I have no idea, but if you or I brainstormed an idea while working at work and through work then that idea effectively is owned by the company we work for....so in essence B.G stole the idea from Apple...

Computers are tools. Like toasters. Teachers, parents, and school kids expect them to work. They don't care if there is a wavy window, a penguin, or a bit of fruit on bootup. Windows is familiar to 99.999% of all casual computer users. Even Apple recognise that. Why would any school try to change to the unknown?
Maybe the fact that windows is a dumbed down version of an OS is a good reason to change. It is built so a simpleton can use it...(imho)

Hitcher

2nd August 2009, 19:47

It is built so a simpleton can use it...
If that were true, then an expert I would be.

taff1954

2nd August 2009, 20:08

I would express some concern over that hard drive. Generally speaking if it's managed to corrupt the file system itself, one of two things happened. Dodgy chipset drivers [unlikely as that sounds like a bog standard hard drive setup], or the hard drive is starting to corrupt itself.

Point taken (it was also made by both sons) but at the moment, all checks out OK. Cashflow being what it is at the moment (Translation - spending our spare cash on new front pads for the GPZ, getting the wifes GN up and running plus 2 new tyres on the cage) while its working, it can stay.

pete376403

2nd August 2009, 21:45

Upstart is true...he got the idea of windows whilst working for Apple...how he got away with stealing the idea I have no idea, but if you or I brainstormed an idea while working at work and through work then that idea effectively is owned by the company we work for....so in essence B.G stole the idea from Apple...(imho)

And of course Apple stole the Windows idea from Xerox who devised this at PARC http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_user_interface
and so it goes...

Blackshear

2nd August 2009, 22:13

And of course Apple stole the Windows idea from Xerox who devised this at PARC http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_user_interface
and so it goes...

And it begins... :mellow:

Mr Merde

2nd August 2009, 22:34

This looks like the very thing I need.

I am trying to upgrade a friends PC. its a P2 with 512 mb of RAM

He is running Win 98 Lite and I have been trying to update it to XP.

IUt keeps failing to update even though I have a legal copy of the program and a valid serial number.

All my friend needs is the ability to connect to the internet, get his e-mail and to browse. He needs a little word processing also.

He is on dial up and his modem blew. I got him a new one but there arent any drivers for 98 lite. The XP ones will not work.

I havent personally done an install of Linux for about 7 years. Looks like things have changed a lot

So in your opinion would this OS be suitable for someone who is pretty much a computer iliterate. He is in his mid 60's and really doesnt understsand OS's. All he wants is something that works.

Is this OS easy for just a user?

Please let me know.

Chris

SPman

2nd August 2009, 22:36

It's no contest between Openoffice and that puddle of purulent syphilitic ooze that comes bundled with MS Vista that is supposed to be an "enhanced" version of MS Office.
I take it you don't like it!

Street Gerbil

2nd August 2009, 23:02

Well, I use 8.04 LTS for a living and I seriously dislike it. It is a good idea, but somehow it misses a final coat of polish if you will. Just tiny bits and pieces. Problem here, bug there. This is too slow, that crashes every now and again. Packaging mechanism, especially for a large project is a nightmare. Eclipse is cumbersome and sconscript is a cruel and unusual punishment. Postgres 8.02 is just plain dumb (I know I am a spoiled child raised on Oracle). Copying a subtree from one svn repository to another (not within the same repository, mind you) involves animal sacrifices and the kind of magic that condemns your soul to eternity down below. And I think I will go postal if someone will suggest that python is better than perl one more time.
I still have XP sp3 at home and it seems bulletproof. In XP Gates and Co have finally got right everything they promised for Windows 95. And I think Visual Studio 2008 is fscking awesome.
Rant over :-))))

MaxB

2nd August 2009, 23:09

p.dath

2nd August 2009, 23:09

Openoffice rocks. Srsly.

It's no contest between Openoffice and that puddle of purulent syphilitic ooze that comes bundled with MS Vista that is supposed to be an "enhanced" version of MS Office.

I mostly used Microsoft Office 2007. I recently spent some time using OpenOffice. I was quite impressed with how far along OpenOffice has come since I last used it (when it was formerly called StarOffice), however I still found it very weak when working with spreadsheets. I think I could happily use OpenOffice at home, where my needs are simple. But I find it too frustrating to use it in a commercial environment.

It was also really painful that it could "open" Office 2007 documents, but not save in the same format.

Brian d marge

2nd August 2009, 23:32

I use Linux mint
its well , just works this end ,,,,, Sorry unlike XP I use at work , now will have to explain that the xp at the other work is in Japanese, and a button has been pressed and now every time a key is presses 2 letters appear ,,, meaning if you try and type a password..... you cant .

Soo a it guy from tokyo has to come in on Tuesday to fix it !

Linux , select lang and key board at the start menu ,,,,,all done

Now I use cad and CGI and all those engineering software, NOT available for linux

So I ended up with Varicad ( not bad but misses extrude along a path)

Calculix , nice ,,,but no flashy GUI ,,,

open foam ,,,, thats a learning curve!!!

Open office crashes when cutting and pasting from the net , and I cant figure out how to make the toolbar pop ups a lighter shade ,,,that black is orrible

Finally , for a 500mb system XFCE or LXCE? as mentioned earlier would make the thing seem like a scaled cat

and as long as you werent adding things like printers and scanners it would be bullet proof

My MP400 scanner printer ,,, doesnt like linux ,,,printer ok scanner ,,,Hmmmm

but thats cannons fault not linux !

Stephen

NighthawkNZ

3rd August 2009, 00:12

Computers sux full stop... would rather be out riding...

We use windows purely because the graphic artistry and design tools for Linux are not quite there... (will give it another couple of years of development before I seriously will take another look)

Now I hear you say why aren't we Mac, well there are many reasons, but mainly because some of the software we use it is only PC and no Mac version (yes we know there are ways round it but to cumbersome) but on our last upgrade wouldn't have worked... Then through in the re-training, rebuilding of the database, and porting some the other applications just gets to messy. And bosses don't like that they want it upgraded and ready to roll with no fuss...

At home we are mainly XP but have a laptop with Linux that I tinker on and check the latest to see how it is coming along... and for the same reason above I do alot of graphic artisty and multimedia

I have been using PC since DOS/GeOS and then Windows 3.0 days on my old XT. And been using the same software since their original versions, I know the in's and outs and a few hidden secrets, I probably haven't really got the time and can't be bothered learning new software if there is no advancement to me or the company when the software I have been using for the last 13 year does what I want, mets the companies needs and wants. You will find alot of people and companies in the same boat.

If you get a well maintained XP system, and take the standard security precautions, as well as not continously trying and installing new software, the PC will run perfectly for years...

As for viruses, don't be fooled into thinking that viruses/trojans/worms are only for the PC and windows, thinking that will get you into trouble quick smartly... also don't think that Linux is secure... just think how many servers have been hacked... and then think most servers on the net are???

If you are comfortable using Windows use it, if you are comfortable using Linux use that, same goes for Mac, Unix, Novell, frack even DOS

Gremlin

3rd August 2009, 00:27

IMHO if schools dumped Microsoft, and started teaching kids LINUX, not only would the education system save $$$$ in fees, our kids would actually start to learn about computers, not microsoft products.
Not all schools are using Microsoft, some I know are using Apple Macs.

And yeah, I also wouldn't be trusting that hard drive again, normally, once it has failed once (which it sounds like it did) the odds of it failing again are high...

Lias

3rd August 2009, 09:35

Point taken (it was also made by both sons) but at the moment, all checks out OK. Cashflow being what it is at the moment (Translation - spending our spare cash on new front pads for the GPZ, getting the wifes GN up and running plus 2 new tyres on the cage) while its working, it can stay.

http://www.hdsentinel.com/ can tell you if the drive is starting to die, it monitors the drives internal diagnostics etc, is bloody good. Has helped me spot several drives starting to fail.

For geeks: Relatime SMART montioring, temperature monitoring, and the registered version has cool features like panic backup and PC shutdown on a drop in drive health, etc. Bloody useful wee tool.

jubilant

3rd August 2009, 09:58

Its rather ironic that we complain about Microsoft when that is the young upstart which brought computing to the masses.

Computers are tools. Like toasters. Teachers, parents, and school kids expect them to work. They don't care if there is a wavy window, a penguin, or a bit of fruit on bootup. Windows is familiar to 99.999% of all casual computer users. Even Apple recognise that. Why would any school try to change to the unknown?

guys the real start up was sir clive sinclair with the zx spectrum range, the first home pc!! but microsoft has made things popular and now linux ( ubuntu ) has made radical improvements, i myself have been a linux fan for ages now, the software is more stable...faster...and for me just right for the jobs i need to do....oh and free.!

props to the guys from ubuntu

mashman

3rd August 2009, 10:37

What make/model is your hard drive? Over the last 2 years Seagate and Western Digital and a few other providers have had a bit of a torrid time with the chipset/firmware of the drives. I'd get the model of the drive and do a search online. The upside is, if you have one of these "dodgy" chipset/firmware problems, they company's involved do offer a free data recovery service as well as a replacement drive...

taff1954

3rd August 2009, 14:50

http://www.hdsentinel.com/ can tell you if the drive is starting to die, it monitors the drives internal diagnostics etc, is bloody good. Has helped me spot several drives starting to fail.

What a handy wee application!! This is the outcome.....
HDD Device 0: /dev/sda
HDD Model ID : SAMSUNG HD040GJ/P
HDD Serial No: S0DDJ1LL621495
HDD Revision : ZG100-43
HDD Size : 41298 MB
Interface : S-ATA
Temperature : 34 °C
Health : 100 %
Performance : 100 %
Power on time: 538 days, 7 hours
Est. lifetime: more than 1000 days

Seems OK to me at this point in time. Since my PC is only one of 4 computers here, I think things can stay as they are for now. Always wanted to try to put linux to greater use anyway.

flyingbrick

17th August 2009, 21:14

alright.. I'm having a play with linux today :-)

Got my old 1200mhz X30 IBM thinkpad running DSL (dam small linix :laugh:) and its running sweeeeeeeeeeeet.

The entire OS is just 50mb (believe it or not) and its not all *that*ugly especially after downloading a backgaround photo and changing a few colours. Pretty user friendly too as its my first successfull play with Linux

right now i can look aver and see that CPU usage is at 7% and RAM use is at 76mb....SOOOooo sweeet.

AND.. its booted and running off a 4GB flash drive right now so hasnt had to access the hard drive ONCE!.

XP was constantly running out of ram and pillaging the hard drive for storage (i bought some more ram today.. $40 off trademe. wooo!) but with this linux here theres no such trouble.

I'm gonna see how much i like it before making it more permanent. but at this stage i'm quite stunned at how well its working.

AND. I can plug this stick into basically any PC that will allow booting from a USB and i can continue with what i was doing with all my own settings and eveeeerything. ITS SO AWESOME.

-runs off laughing hysterically.

vindy500

17th August 2009, 21:17

try puppy linux as a different flavour of the same thing

flyingbrick

17th August 2009, 21:54

Yeah its downloading now. Looks a whole lot more refined. DSL is very oldschool in its operation.

I'm back to windows now. It actually seems to be behaving itself for once.... Almost like I've just scared it into operation LOL.

Gremlin

18th August 2009, 17:11

pffft, who wants such low ram usage?

My machine is currently tootling along using around 2 - 2.5GB... oh, thats right, its running at 100% CPU load, and its Core i7 :love:

flyingbrick

18th August 2009, 17:30

Fark.

Puppy is nice. Highly reccomend for anyone wanting to get into linux with minimal knowledge.

My laptop now gives me the choice windows or linux when i start it up :-) and its fast as crapola in linux.

and its puuurdy.. and everything seems to work just like it should :-D

http://www.icpug.org.uk/national/linnwin/step00-linnwin.htm

This link is gold.
shows how to install puppy on your HD and setup the dual boot system.