6 ms·

Surprisingly short on facts, even if it is a parody. Very slashdot circa 1999. Some notes: Windows is free to download and try. You don't have to enter a produ

by meaty 14y ago

Surprisingly short on facts, even if it is a parody. Very slashdot circa 1999. Some notes: Windows is free to download and try. You don't have to enter a product key - just hit next and add it if you decide to buy it. You get it for 30 days. Here is the URL if you want to try it (windows 7 x64 professional): http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-59186.iso http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-59186.iso There is a live CD but it's only used for recovery. There isn't much of a market for trying Windows. Drivers. Windows update always handles these for me at least. I haven't had to bother with driver fiddling for years. Not only that, 99% of hardware I've worked with recently just works out of the box anyway. Package manager. Yes there is - there is just no pick and place repository like Debian. You can get packages from Windows Update though. The package manager is called Windows Installer and the packages are MSI packages. Everyone installs K Lite Codec Pack and media player classic these days (or VLC) almost as a first item to install. Same as you install win32-codecs on Linux. Maildir import. You stick an IMAP server on your Linux box and copy all the shit to your PST.

criley 14y ago
New Windows install: use www.ninite.com to get a 1-click installer for most popular programs and codecs. I agree with your analysis though: there is a difference between parody and stupid, and this hits the latter. I've been building Win7 PC's for years and I haven't loaded to messed up graphics and no networking since before the friends and family beta. That was always a hallmark of WinXP, not 7. The only thing I can think of is that he installed Win7 on 10 year old hardware and the drivers for such an antiquated setup weren't even included in the default set. It's also possible that he grabbed a really old copy of Win7 with no service packs or updates baked in, which includes tons of driver updates. However, and I run Ubuntu, Mint and Win7 on my machine, I can say that both found all of my drivers immediately and worked, although the Windows drivers are newer, more stable and more fully featured (I'm looking at you ATI).
- meaty 14y ago
  I prefer to do it by hand. Ninite isn't always up to date so you end up with a crapfest of auto updaters running instantly.
  - cones688 14y ago
    I may be wrong but I thought ninite grabbed the latest release from their respective website? "Always Up-to-date: A Ninite installer always gets an app's latest version no matter when you made it."
    - meaty 14y ago
      Not quite. It only installs the latest version they know how to install.
      - cones688 14y ago
        I'm guessing its slightly cleverer than the dev having to find the DL link for every version and manually update the entry somewhere.
  - WayneDB 14y ago
    Neither are Linux package repositories always up to date.
Justsignedup 14y ago
Dude. Dude. Listen to yourself... a) "Everyone installs K-lite" Wow yeah. Everyone who torrents. All the other poor fellas have no idea. And I personally know those other poor fellas and they could not tell you want a codec is if you put a gun to their heads. Hell, my wife is one. b) I WISH there was a Windows 8 live CD. MS does not want you to "try windows" they want you committed. c) Drivers. Ok I give you this one. For the most part windows 7 is ok. Gone are the windows XP days where if you didn't have a disk on you, you didn't have your network card drivers. d) There is NO PACKAGE MANAGER! None, ZERO. Windows Installer as a package manager is like saying my Garage is a parking lot + valet. Windows installer (this atrocity that is...) is used to... INSTALL software. It's a glorified unzip. There is no way to say "oh hey windows installer, I'd really like to install ruby 1.9.3 with sources" and it would say "give me an hour". Instead you say "windows installer? hello? ok to google!"... "to google" can often lead an unexperience used like my grandfather to download spyware. e) Well. At least windows can be downloaded now as a free unactivated copy. Gone are the days where I purchase a copy of windows only to find out I can't get a legal disk image of windows 7 stand-alone. Only some upgrade, which is not upgradable from windows xp 32 bit.
- vincentkriek 14y ago
  a) They install VLC. It plays everything you throw at it. d) It does manage your software and you can use the package manager to remove software.
- meaty 14y ago
  a) Even my grandparents worked out how to find and install k-lite codec pack. b) No there is just no value in it. 99% of PCs come with it preinstalled. Why would they bother to target a few Linux users. d) Yes there is. Look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Installer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Installer - yes a fully transactional installation system. If you can work out which things not to put your penis in, then you can work out which web sites are trying to rip you off. Oh and they even bother to sign official packages and warn you if it looks dodgy.
  - Justsignedup 14y ago
antihero 14y ago
> Everyone installs K Lite Codec Pack and media player classic these days (or VLC) almost as a first item to install. Same as you install win32-codecs on Linux. You shouldn't need to know this. Also K-Lite is full of garbage, CCCP is what you want. > Package manager. Yes there is - there is just no pick and place repository like Debian. You can get packages from Windows Update though. The package manager is called Windows Installer and the packages are MSI packages. Well yeah, the maintained repository is what makes package managers so attractive.
- andyakb 14y ago
  are codec packs still needed? i just install vlc and havent had to deal with codec packs in years
npsimons 14y ago
Surprisingly short on facts, even if it is a parody. Very slashdot circa 1999. Congratulations! Now you know exactly how Linux users have felt for the past 10 years every single time someone wrote an "I tried Linux, but . . . " article.
- meaty 14y ago
  Yes I've been a Linux user too and have experienced that as well. In fact I've kept a finger in both pots. It should be "an ignoramus tries another shaped hammer and hits their finger a few times before they get a nail in". That applies both ways.
lmm 14y ago
>Windows is free to download and try Lots of ways in which windows isn't quite as expensive or has better things available seem to exist but be hidden. I believe you when you say a trial exists, but it's not easy to find - not only is that not on microsoft's homepage, it's on some random other domain (digitalrivercontent.net? Really). It's the same with bizspark/dreamspark/etc. - there's a lot of ways to get microsoft stuff cheap or free if you know them, but they're not easy to find if you don't. >Drivers. Windows update always handles these for me at least. I haven't had to bother with driver fiddling for years. Not only that, 99% of hardware I've worked with recently just works out of the box anyway. Only last week I had to track down some realtek drivers for the microphone on my parents' laptop. Not only had they been unable to find them themselves, they'd paid a guy to install drivers on that computer and he'd missed the microphone. I'll agree that usually it's easy to get drivers once you have an internet connection - but quite a lot of wireless chipsets won't work out of the box without a driver. I haven't bothered with driver fiddling for years either, but that's because I've stopped building my own systems and been using ones that come with windows (and drivers) preinstalled; try installing retail windows on a computer and you might be surprised. >Everyone installs K Lite Codec Pack and media player classic these days (or VLC) almost as a first item to install. Sure, "everyone" knows about twenty different things you download and install as soon as you get a new windows machine. I see another post pointing to nlite as a solution to all this. But you only know this because you're familiar with windows. Many of the problems windows users trying linux for the first time complain of are of the same nature, and easier to solve. >Same as you install win32-codecs on Linux. That hasn't been necessary for years. >Maildir import. You stick an IMAP server on your Linux box and copy all the shit to your PST. Seriously? That's supposed to be a user-friendly solution?
- meaty 14y ago
  > Lots of ways in which windows isn't quite as expensive or has better things available seem to exist but be hidden It's the same as digging for coupons. Everything has a learning curve if you want to do it cheaply. > try installing retail windows on a computer and you might be surprised. I've been installing vanilla MSDN Windows 7 (with SP1) images on 15 different types of Dell/Lenovo machines. No issues at all. TBH some of the cheap arse vendors probably do have driver issues, but not those ones. > Sure, "everyone" knows about twenty different things you download and install as soon as you get a new windows machine. Again part of the learning curve. The same with Linux. the first thing I do is: apt-get install build-essential vim-nox tmux sudo openssh-server That took time to learn. > That hasn't been necessary for years. Sorry gstreamer stuff via ubuntu-restricted-extras. It's the same turd rolled in different coloured glitter. > Seriously? That's supposed to be a user-friendly solution? There's absolutely nothing at all friendly about Maildir to start with.
njharman 14y ago
> Surprisingly short on facts That is justifiably part of the parody.
Kluny 14y ago
> Everyone installs K Lite Codec Pack and media player classic these days (or VLC) almost as a first item to install. Same as you install win32-codecs on Linux. Keep dreaming. I'm currently demucking my roommate's HP shitbox. It doesn't have VLC. For the love of god, she installed Quicktime.
tripzilch 14y ago
> Drivers. Windows update always handles these for me at least. I haven't had to bother with driver fiddling for years. Not only that, 99% of hardware I've worked with recently just works out of the box anyway. Funny thing that, I have a Microsoft wireless keyboard/mouse. When I plugged it into my old Linux laptop, I was a bit worried it might not work, but it did, instantly. When I first plugged it into my newer Win7 laptop, not only did it have to install drivers, but an installation wizard popped up, for a piece of application software, didn't tell me what it was for, except that apparently it was related to the wireless keyboard/mouse and was going to "enhance my experience" (yeah, whatever). All that from just plugging a device! I had to click though this wizard before I could even use the mouse/keyboard. I didn't have to reboot, but for sure did it have some extra updates to install next time before I was allowed to shut down.

by meaty 14y ago

criley 14y ago

New Windows install: use www.ninite.com to get a 1-click installer for most popular programs and codecs. I agree with your analysis though: there is a difference between parody and stupid, and this hits the latter. I've been building Win7 PC's for years and I haven't loaded to messed up graphics and no networking since before the friends and family beta. That was always a hallmark of WinXP, not 7. The only thing I can think of is that he installed Win7 on 10 year old hardware and the drivers for such an antiquated setup weren't even included in the default set. It's also possible that he grabbed a really old copy of Win7 with no service packs or updates baked in, which includes tons of driver updates. However, and I run Ubuntu, Mint and Win7 on my machine, I can say that both found all of my drivers immediately and worked, although the Windows drivers are newer, more stable and more fully featured (I'm looking at you ATI).

meaty 14y ago
I prefer to do it by hand. Ninite isn't always up to date so you end up with a crapfest of auto updaters running instantly.
- cones688 14y ago
  I may be wrong but I thought ninite grabbed the latest release from their respective website? "Always Up-to-date: A Ninite installer always gets an app's latest version no matter when you made it."
  - meaty 14y ago
    Not quite. It only installs the latest version they know how to install.
    - cones688 14y ago
      I'm guessing its slightly cleverer than the dev having to find the DL link for every version and manually update the entry somewhere.
- WayneDB 14y ago
  Neither are Linux package repositories always up to date.

Justsignedup 14y ago

Dude. Dude. Listen to yourself... a) "Everyone installs K-lite" Wow yeah. Everyone who torrents. All the other poor fellas have no idea. And I personally know those other poor fellas and they could not tell you want a codec is if you put a gun to their heads. Hell, my wife is one. b) I WISH there was a Windows 8 live CD. MS does not want you to "try windows" they want you committed. c) Drivers. Ok I give you this one. For the most part windows 7 is ok. Gone are the windows XP days where if you didn't have a disk on you, you didn't have your network card drivers. d) There is NO PACKAGE MANAGER! None, ZERO. Windows Installer as a package manager is like saying my Garage is a parking lot + valet. Windows installer (this atrocity that is...) is used to... INSTALL software. It's a glorified unzip. There is no way to say "oh hey windows installer, I'd really like to install ruby 1.9.3 with sources" and it would say "give me an hour". Instead you say "windows installer? hello? ok to google!"... "to google" can often lead an unexperience used like my grandfather to download spyware. e) Well. At least windows can be downloaded now as a free unactivated copy. Gone are the days where I purchase a copy of windows only to find out I can't get a legal disk image of windows 7 stand-alone. Only some upgrade, which is not upgradable from windows xp 32 bit.

vincentkriek 14y ago
a) They install VLC. It plays everything you throw at it. d) It does manage your software and you can use the package manager to remove software.
meaty 14y ago
a) Even my grandparents worked out how to find and install k-lite codec pack. b) No there is just no value in it. 99% of PCs come with it preinstalled. Why would they bother to target a few Linux users. d) Yes there is. Look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Installer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Installer - yes a fully transactional installation system. If you can work out which things not to put your penis in, then you can work out which web sites are trying to rip you off. Oh and they even bother to sign official packages and warn you if it looks dodgy.
- Justsignedup 14y ago

antihero 14y ago

> Everyone installs K Lite Codec Pack and media player classic these days (or VLC) almost as a first item to install. Same as you install win32-codecs on Linux. You shouldn't need to know this. Also K-Lite is full of garbage, CCCP is what you want. > Package manager. Yes there is - there is just no pick and place repository like Debian. You can get packages from Windows Update though. The package manager is called Windows Installer and the packages are MSI packages. Well yeah, the maintained repository is what makes package managers so attractive.

andyakb 14y ago
are codec packs still needed? i just install vlc and havent had to deal with codec packs in years

npsimons 14y ago

Surprisingly short on facts, even if it is a parody. Very slashdot circa 1999. Congratulations! Now you know exactly how Linux users have felt for the past 10 years every single time someone wrote an "I tried Linux, but . . . " article.

meaty 14y ago
Yes I've been a Linux user too and have experienced that as well. In fact I've kept a finger in both pots. It should be "an ignoramus tries another shaped hammer and hits their finger a few times before they get a nail in". That applies both ways.

lmm 14y ago

>Windows is free to download and try Lots of ways in which windows isn't quite as expensive or has better things available seem to exist but be hidden. I believe you when you say a trial exists, but it's not easy to find - not only is that not on microsoft's homepage, it's on some random other domain (digitalrivercontent.net? Really). It's the same with bizspark/dreamspark/etc. - there's a lot of ways to get microsoft stuff cheap or free if you know them, but they're not easy to find if you don't. >Drivers. Windows update always handles these for me at least. I haven't had to bother with driver fiddling for years. Not only that, 99% of hardware I've worked with recently just works out of the box anyway. Only last week I had to track down some realtek drivers for the microphone on my parents' laptop. Not only had they been unable to find them themselves, they'd paid a guy to install drivers on that computer and he'd missed the microphone. I'll agree that usually it's easy to get drivers once you have an internet connection - but quite a lot of wireless chipsets won't work out of the box without a driver. I haven't bothered with driver fiddling for years either, but that's because I've stopped building my own systems and been using ones that come with windows (and drivers) preinstalled; try installing retail windows on a computer and you might be surprised. >Everyone installs K Lite Codec Pack and media player classic these days (or VLC) almost as a first item to install. Sure, "everyone" knows about twenty different things you download and install as soon as you get a new windows machine. I see another post pointing to nlite as a solution to all this. But you only know this because you're familiar with windows. Many of the problems windows users trying linux for the first time complain of are of the same nature, and easier to solve. >Same as you install win32-codecs on Linux. That hasn't been necessary for years. >Maildir import. You stick an IMAP server on your Linux box and copy all the shit to your PST. Seriously? That's supposed to be a user-friendly solution?

meaty 14y ago
> Lots of ways in which windows isn't quite as expensive or has better things available seem to exist but be hidden It's the same as digging for coupons. Everything has a learning curve if you want to do it cheaply. > try installing retail windows on a computer and you might be surprised. I've been installing vanilla MSDN Windows 7 (with SP1) images on 15 different types of Dell/Lenovo machines. No issues at all. TBH some of the cheap arse vendors probably do have driver issues, but not those ones. > Sure, "everyone" knows about twenty different things you download and install as soon as you get a new windows machine. Again part of the learning curve. The same with Linux. the first thing I do is: apt-get install build-essential vim-nox tmux sudo openssh-server That took time to learn. > That hasn't been necessary for years. Sorry gstreamer stuff via ubuntu-restricted-extras. It's the same turd rolled in different coloured glitter. > Seriously? That's supposed to be a user-friendly solution? There's absolutely nothing at all friendly about Maildir to start with.

njharman 14y ago

> Surprisingly short on facts That is justifiably part of the parody.

Kluny 14y ago

> Everyone installs K Lite Codec Pack and media player classic these days (or VLC) almost as a first item to install. Same as you install win32-codecs on Linux. Keep dreaming. I'm currently demucking my roommate's HP shitbox. It doesn't have VLC. For the love of god, she installed Quicktime.

tripzilch 14y ago

> Drivers. Windows update always handles these for me at least. I haven't had to bother with driver fiddling for years. Not only that, 99% of hardware I've worked with recently just works out of the box anyway. Funny thing that, I have a Microsoft wireless keyboard/mouse. When I plugged it into my old Linux laptop, I was a bit worried it might not work, but it did, instantly. When I first plugged it into my newer Win7 laptop, not only did it have to install drivers, but an installation wizard popped up, for a piece of application software, didn't tell me what it was for, except that apparently it was related to the wireless keyboard/mouse and was going to "enhance my experience" (yeah, whatever). All that from just plugging a device! I had to click though this wizard before I could even use the mouse/keyboard. I didn't have to reboot, but for sure did it have some extra updates to install next time before I was allowed to shut down.