Just fired Bill Gates

**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?

**Blackshear** · 2nd August 2009, 17:31

Originally Posted by fliplid

What's XP?

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

**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

Originally Posted by fliplid

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

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 2nd August 2009, 17:48

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.