My brand new XP purchase!

[Fred]

Greetings,

I just had to share this with you. I did something last week that I thought I would never do. I purchased a copy of Windows XP ! I know, I am getting old and senile, what can I say.

I have gotten several requests for things that need to be compatible with Windows lately and of course I have no way of testing them. So... I found a copy of XP still in the sealed box that a local store still had in stock for $49.95. And yes, it is either genuine or the best counterfeiting job I have ever seen. Had the silly papers in it and a Microsoft disk with the hologram and everything.

I installed it in Vbox and proceeded to go to Microsoft update to update it. Well guess what! It wouldn't validate. Why was I not surprised. I guess they knew I didn't pay enough for it. Well, I figured it might be that it was running in Vbox, so I reinstalled it on a spare partition. What a pain in the butt! Got it to the point it would halfway work and went back to the validation site and low and behold they still said I was a terrible person for stealing their lunch money and they would have to lay off someone and go without dinner if I didn't pay up.

I decided to just forget about it. More trouble than it's worth. Just out of curiosity, I scanned it and I had 8 files marked as viruses or questionable. I had XP connected to the net, Microsoft's own sites, for about 20 min. total! I reinstalled it in Vbox being careful to disallow any network connections before I started the install. It might not be updated but at least it is now clean.

You know how many of you feel so lost in Linux? Well... I feel the same way in XP. It is so clunky and unintuitive. Usually when I install XP for someone I get it to the point where it boots properly and load the codecs and any on-board firmware or driver requirements. Then it is theirs. Even that is a real chore compared to Linux. But to try to use it to do anything useful with, or configure it to my liking. Well... I finally gave up and will let it rest for a while until I get my patience back.

I just can't imagine having to use it on a daily basis to get any real work done. You long time Windows users/gurus are a lot smarter than this old dumb country boy. I can tell you that!

Oh well, just wanted to share my latest experience with Microsoft and Windows with you.

Fred

[viking777]

Nice post!

For me it is the question of being guilty until I can prove myself innocent that finally made me give up on Microsoft, their definition of various laws relating to purchase and ownership just don't square with mine. In fact they make me furious. If I pay for one of their products (highly unlikely as that may be) then I own it, I haven't leased it, borrowed it, stolen it or anything else, it is mine to do what I want with so long as I stay within the law (ie don't copy it and sell it to others). Sure Microsoft have a problem with piracy but it is not because of me and I firmly resent being treated as if it is. And their inclusion of spyware to monitor how you use your own products is surely a breach of human rights, how do they get away with it? They make the CIA look like a branch of Amnesty International.

[deadguy]

Thanks for your story Fred!!


you just reminded me how much I don't miss using windows



Cheers,


Deadguy

[npap]

Greetings,



You know how many of you feel so lost in Linux? Well... I feel the same way in XP. It is so clunky and unintuitive. Usually when I install XP for someone I get it to the point where it boots properly and load the codecs and any on-board firmware or driver requirements. Then it is theirs. Even that is a real chore compared to Linux. But to try to use it to do anything useful with, or configure it to my liking. Well... I finally gave up and will let it rest for a while until I get my patience back.

I just can't imagine having to use it on a daily basis to get any real work done. You long time Windows users/gurus are a lot smarter than this old dumb country boy. I can tell you that!

Oh well, just wanted to share my latest experience with Microsoft and Windows with you.

Fred

Patience old boy! Patience and fortitude.......fortythree,fortyfour,fortyfive........

[piratesmack]

Man, one thing I'll never miss about Windows is activation.... and that scary registry thing

Wait a minute that's 2 things!

[Fred]

piratesmack wrote:

and that scary registry thing

Hummm... registry thing? You mean I have to register it somewhere first? Like you would for a particularly dangerous weapon or vicious dog? Maybe that is what I did wrong. Does this have to be done before you can purchase or use it? Do you get a certificate or license or something as proof that you are allowed to use it?

Anybody got a telephone number for the CIA, FBI, or where ever this has to be done?

Fred

[piratesmack]

piratesmack wrote:

and that scary registry thing

Hummm... registry thing? You mean I have to register it somewhere first? Like you would for a particularly dangerous weapon or vicious dog? Maybe that is what I did wrong. Does this have to be done before you can purchase or use it? Do you get a certificate or license or something as proof that you are allowed to use it?

Anybody got a telephone number for the CIA, FBI, or where ever this has to be done?

Fred

Nah this scary thing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_registry

What the hell's a HKEY_CURRENT_USER

[Zwopper]

What the hell's a HKEY_CURRENT_USER

The beauty of it is that we don't have to know!

[piratesmack]

What the hell's a HKEY_CURRENT_USER

The beauty of it is that we don't have to know!

Thank god

[viking777]

What the hell's a HKEY_CURRENT_USER

Let me explain. Windows is so slow and bloated that if you leave it running for long the keyboard become hot and that uses lots of current. QED

[piratesmack]

What the hell's a HKEY_CURRENT_USER

Let me explain. Windows is so slow and bloated that if you leave it running for long the keyboard become hot and that uses lots of current. QED

Oh, I get it now