[Leica] Windows

[Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com (Frank Dernie)]

Hi Nathan,
I wrote a lot of software before the PC came out. My first experience  
of the PC was disappointing and once the system got forced upon us -  
lets face it they were selling to a market which was naive in the  
literal sense - so people believed what they were told. Once it  
became clear that an unstable stystem had become the standard and  
vendors had convinced the market that selling products that did not  
work was "normal" and it would be fixed in upgrades which frequently  
needed paying for I gave up on programming. I was so exited and  
enthusiastic about the potential of computers as a young engineer, I  
am indescribably disappointed (but no longer surprised now I am older  
and more experienced) by how much of that potential has been wasted  
for outrageous profit.

I still use a computer a great deal - pretty well all day in fact. At  
work we unquestioningly have PCs like most places. I have a laptop  
and need to connect to at various times to 3 different company  
networks and to my home network. Changing connection almost never  
works first time and our IT (large) department is very busy trying to  
keep everybody going. The machines get slower and slower all year and  
need to be "rebuilt" at least once a year, which takes forever and is  
slow to get back all the data but my does the computer run faster  
each time!

At home I use a Mac, no need for an IT department because the system  
is stable and easy to understand. It does self diagnostics and  
cleanups whilst the user is logged off and the OS has features I  
really miss when at work using XP Pro.

If it was not for the fact that we have some PC only analysis  
software I would never use the PC. I am almost never am frustrated by  
my home computer, I am frustrated daily by something on my work PC.

PCs were always cheaper than Macs, but you get what you paid for.
Frank

On 3 Jun, 2006, at 08:13, Nathan Wajsman wrote:

> That's a big exagerrated, Jayanand. I have to do what you describe  
> with my children's computers perhaps once a year, because they keep  
> downloading all sorts of junk, but my own desktop PC is now  
> chugging along just fine in its fourth year. Admittedly, about 2  
> 1/2 years ago I screwed up some network settings and lost the  
> internet connection, but that is to the good--at least there is one  
> computer in the house that will never be infected with anything ;-)
>
> My Windows laptop is now 1 1/2 years old, I use it every day for e- 
> mail and browsing, and have not had any problems with the  
> installation.
>
> The Apple Powerbook I bought a few weeks ago does appear cleaner  
> and more stable.
>
> Nathan
>