What i've found with Windows XP Pro SP1 is that it behaves fine when performing everyday tasks, and people use this to say windows is great.
However, try making a 800MB Zip file via compressed folders and watch explorer take 12 hours. Or better yet, let's say you have a tiny parition for just the OS, and another for the program files and stuff. Windows doesn't like this and doesn't respect it either (Media Player and MSN Messenger seem to force themselves on my tiny parition). I had to go in and modify my local enviromental variables because it had my temp folder on my small parition (because it's a smart os
). And here's the funny thing. It seemed to ignore my change, as I still got low disk space errors because it continued to use the wrong temp dir for some reason when I tried to zip all my music (copying files between logical drives is slow as hell). And finally, here's another fun thing. When I was done, I decided to rename the file not realizing I still had the zip open somehow (I was playing an MP3 stored in it, which of course was copied to TEMP, so why the hell would the zip need to be open since what was needed was extracted and the window was closed?), and of course cmd.exe hung. I don't mean a normal hang. The program REFUSED to close and wouldn't stop disk activity. I wish I would have known that before I tried running cmd.exe two times later. I had three programs that wouldn't close, so basically I said screw it and shut off power to my computer. When I hear disk noises and I don't know what's going on, it's kind of scary, especially when it's Windows.
Windows works okay for simple file transfers and activity, but there seem to be some nasty problems with big files and system access control. Of course it also doesn't like directories with tons of files in them either (explorer crash
). Thank god I didn't empty out my recycle bin or I would have lost a LOT of my MP3s.
BTW, for those of you who don't know. The recycle bin treats files like they were deleted from the same drive, even if that's not the case. If you delete something from C:\ and restore it on D:\, it's very slow.
If it's so great, why would it have these problems? I understand what I was doing was sort of out of the ordinary (I compressed all my unused MP3s to a zip to save space), but that doesn't mean the operating system should act like crap. And for those who claim it just takes long, try compressing files using PowerArchiver, and compare it to the time Explorer takes. As for the access problem with cmd.exe and a zip file that appeared to be closed, I can really only say one thing.. What the hell? :\.
EDIT FOR MICROSOFT EMPLOYEES WHO MAY RUN INTO THIS POST: Yes, I changed the enviromental variable VIA the properties dialog /w my computer. (Advanced tab, clicked Enviromental variables, and changed my local variable). I am aware doing it through cmd.exe with the SET command doesn't cut it. It's kind of rude to just write someone off as an idiot who doesn't know what they're doing when they've used your products for years and are quite familiar with them.
I also realize that a few bad things aren't enough to claim there's a major problem. I think the security holes and history of things being poorly done (windows 9x/me running onto of a kernel that wasn't designed for them) gives me reason to be a little upset.
While I am it, I might as well bring up the Windows Protection Error caused by numlock CMOS setting change on a Windows ME box, or the fact my parents 98 box crashes on Hotmail and Ebay now due to some strange problem with DDHELP.EXE. I don't see mac users having these problems.. Wonder why..
(and yes, I know MAC doesn't use EXEs, the user intelligence issue isn't the problem here)
I also realize that bug fixes aren't always easy, but when you compare the linux communities speed to Microsofts speed, someone is wrong there too. (Apparently my problems aren't important unless my and everyone I knows system's security has been comprimised for a few months) </RANT>
If you don't care about your customers, they'll stop caring about you. When 13-year-olds IM me on AIM telling me my program has a bug or they can't get it to work, I try and help them out, regardless of how I feel about their intellect. I will spend hours going through code trying to fix their problem. Why can't I expect that FROM A COMPANY WHEN I PAY FOR THEIR STUFF :\. I know that's not realistic for big corporations, but it would be nice if I fealt someone cared.
[ December 19, 2003: Message edited by: anphanax ]
