Things to Like About Windows
7 PM
August 25, 2003
In order to provide some balance on my blog, I hereby point out that there is plenty to like about Microsoft Windows:
- Windows – especially XP – often just works, even on hardware that is a little dodgy.
- MS do usability testing, and the results show in better and better UIs with each release.
- The individual releases are well defined and publicised ahead of time.
- Binary compatability between releases is pretty good.
- With a minimal amount of training, most users know enough to be able to do all the basics: edit a file, save it and email it.
- NT/2K/XP is a solid Java platform.
- More software available than any other OS. Most new software appears on windows first.
- Runs on the PC, the most popular computing platform in the world. In fact, windows is largely responsible for the popularity of the PC.
- Windows XP brings multi-media functions to more users than
- The bundled web browser Internet Explorer is full featured and extendible with plug-ins. Almost every web site in the world is Internet Explorer compatible.
- Better than MS-DOS for almost any given task.
Comments
You really like getting comments on your blog entries, don't you, Alan. Hold on tight...
OK, Alan... I'll take the bait. A fair and reasonable list you present, but I didn't see good value for money there.
> MS do usability testing, and the results show
> in better and better UIs with each release.
Except that it actually gets worse over time. Look at the search in explorer in XP... it's the return of Clippy! Look at the way you change the view of your folders (icons, details etc.) in XP, it's actually worse than in 95 where you could just cycle through them, now you have to pick one in the popup menu. Then there's the new control panel and so on and so on...
Oh yeah, forgot those "personalized menus". Now you can't even find the actions you want to perform. Great!
Yeah, I have to take issue with the "better and better UIs with each release" too; from my perspective it just isn't so. Better for the complete computer novice, maybe. (I wouldn't know.)
Also, "better than MS-DOS" isn't much of a claim to fame... MS-DOS was more of a loader than an operating system.
If "Better than MS-DOS for almost any given task." is a reason to use Windows XP, then you left some out:
* Better than the Timex Sinclair for almost any given task.
* Has More .DLL files than any other operating system
* It comes pre-installed on most computers, so it must be the best
and finally
* When you buy a computer, you pay for it, even if you don't use it. That makes it the best
"Windows - especially XP - often just works, even on hardware that is a little dodgy."
I think you meant to say:
"Windows - especially XP - is a little dodgy. Even on hardware that often just works."
Dog.
I hear you all. I feel your pain. I don't particularly like Windows myself. But there are some nice things about it.
Oh.... And I left out:
* Boots quickly after a crash.
:)
* A file manager that is still much better than any of the *nix offerings, even though it hasn't changed significantly since Windows 95.
I'm using NT 4.0 at work and XP at home. I can confidently say that the file manager's usability has changed for the better in the intervening eight years.
I'd put KDE's Konqueror ahead of NT4.0/95, although it is not as flashy as WinXP.
> The bundled web browser Internet Explorer is full featured and extendible with plug-ins. Almost every web site in the world is Internet Explorer compatible.
full featured? umm wheres pop-up blocking, where are the skins?, why does it crash all the time?, how much security does it have? and _why_the_hell_doesnt_it_have_tabs?_
and the only reason other web browsers arnt as compatable on some websites is because microsoft makes up non-standard stuff that will only work on ie well.
ie has to be the worse browser in the world, in some situations, i would even use lynx rather than ie (it doesnt crash, its secure and it blocks pop-ups)