Rubbish. Been using 7 for what 3yrs now, installing different apps constantly, some of which I may add where never designed to run on 7, but work fine anyway. My OS is as fresh as it was when it was initially installed.

Rubbish.

Yep!

You are welcome to them!!


I have used Windows products since DOS and I used to be a computer man - no I just do not see the point of having to fiddle.

Jack's point is bang on - you need so many tools to keep Windows clean - and if you don't bother you end up with an install that spends all it's time thrashing about for no good reason. The number of times my Windows machine wakes up on it's own and starts thrashing about - ludicrous - and it really isn't obviously doing anything.

I mean I used to support OS/2 and enjoyed many hours debugging and patching OS/2 builds. But nowadays why should you if you don't need to.

As a hobby, maybe, but I suspect there is more interesting tech to play with!

XP Pro works fine for me. Doesn't get "trashed", just works!


Ummm. How about turning them off when you're not using them? Like I also turn my phone off (HTC Desire HD) every night. No idea why people would want to leave their computer/mobile on all night .... :wonder:

Dave

PS: though the PC stays on if I'm copying down a large file which won't be finished until after I go to bed. Even in this case I often (if I remember) set it to shut down after it's finished.

I run BOINC on all my Linux machines

Nope. If you keep on top of regular maintenance, defrag, chkdsk, reg clean, sec/win updates nothing else is required to keep it fresh.

Exactly my point - and if you don't do all these things you are FUBARd!

Not really, just things will run a bit slower if you don't. This is more the case in XP than in win7 anyway.

This thread is a very good example of why Mac users should be allowed nowhere near a Windows machine. They are the only people who have all these horrendous experiences with Windows whereas the rest of us just get on with it. I can only assume they either have to make these things up to make their own choice of hardware/software seem better or if they really do have all these issues why no one else ever does.... can only be an ability thing really.

Been using Vista x64 since it first release waaay back in 200x ..can't say I've ver had issues on the six PCs that have it installed :)


Upgraded from XP x64. Now if you want a dire OS, then XP x64 is it...only slightly better than Win ME.

Only annoyance is constant and sometimes lengthy updates. Which recent ones have seemingly taken a konck on system performance (especially boot times) on the single HD dual core PCs so may have to have a rummange and see whats going on.

My own quad core on RAID 0 chugs along happily and is booted and usable in 30seconds (10secs being the hardware's BIOS initiation), although it lives most of its life in standby/hibernation. So can't see amy reason to upgrade, maybe I'll see what replaces win7.

As for degragging...stick all your temp folders and swap files (fixed, not variable) on a different hard drive and it wont hardly ever need defragging (and vista defrags automatically anyway). Its usually these that causes all the fragmentation, same with keeping personal user data on the same drive partition as the operating system....thats a big nono. :nono:

Maybe it's because Mac users have a calibration as to what 'good' is?!

And remember I have been a MS user for over twenty years - it's just that going back to all the housekeeping and fiddling you need to do to keep your system in shape is simply tiresome.

Eventually people grow up and realise they don't need computing as a hobby. Luckily by that time they can usually afford to either pay someone for maintenance or visit the Apple store.

I only turn off my iMac if I'm going away for more than a week. The power consumption is incredibly low and I can wake it up and access it simply from where ever I am should the need arise.

I've never had a problem with my windows computers but I have had to fix other people issues so they are out there. It does seem like a personnal problem as I had to fix the same peoples computers over and over.

That's a good one! Most of the so called "Genius" people don't know their arse from their elbow.

Luckily they don't often need to know their arse from their elbow. General problems would be having to explain that OSX does have a right click, even though your PC mate laughed and told you it didn't. I'm sure you could catch them out on a technical issue if you kept plugging away, but in general having someone to talk to has to be a good thing.

If you've never had a problem with Windows then you've either just bought your first machine or you're telling porkies, let's keep it real.

I went through 8 people in an Apple Store trying to find out what resolution a MAC mini would output through the display port but no one could definitively answer. They all said HD but that's very generic and not very helpful. The plan was to use a TV as a monitor in 1080.

I just don't install bad software or click on bad links. It's easy to keep a PC running well, just don't be stupid.

Hey Crew - I have also helped people fix their Windows installs because they have clicked on bad links - so I don't think it is a case of me being naive.

Classic example of MS rubbish - my Vista install has had an update outstanding for years. Why? Because it is for .Net 1.0 when it was already on 3.0. I delete the update, it comes back again, I uncheck the update, it tries to install it.

I am not alone - try Googling it - XP/Vista suffers from a cascade of updates from MS. One of my major tech clients has a whole business support people on Microsoft Wednesday - the day after the updates come out and screw up everyone's configs!!

PEBCAK and self/non/ branded builds usually. :)

The most troublesome PCs for me have always been ones either shoved together/upgraded DIY or made by some smaller or lesser brands like Acer and Asus (yes I know Asus make motherboards, but they are iffy for reliability/stability IMO, I don't know why so many people rate them :cuckoo: ) or built by a retailer.

Dell and HP have always been more stable and reliable (and much quieter too), same with Mitsubushi/Apricot (when you could still get them). The only let down is the junk they install when they are new (like bloaty antivirus software such as McAfee and Norton etc).

So really with the OSx vs Windows debate, what we really have is OSx running on limited and controlled OEM built/specified hardware whereas Windows has to run on a smorgasbord of different boards, CPUs, memory, hard drive arrays, graphics etc. TBH honest its amazing that a single OS can actually work on such a wide variety of different PCs....Not so easy to do that with OSx (refer to Hackintoshes), even Linux struggles in some areas.

I wonder what would happen if Microsoft got together with the main hardware providers like Intel and Foxconn to came up with a clean sheet PC. Forget all the legacy IBM-compatible historics. Because as of current the hardware (and this includes the hardware inside macs as its IBM-compatible based) is based on hardware that is a mish mash of bits of bobs added and messed with to improve performance but retain legacy support. Its messy and restrictive. FFS my PC still has a floppy disc controller, this is hardware dating back to the 1980s (same with BIOS)!

Even the layout is an arse, for example ATX...why? Its high time this was junked. OK we have BTX and uATX, but with all of them it really can restrict the casing layout options and size on a desktop/towers, espacially micro PCs. Notably the depth - nearly all of them are over 1ft deep and usually its beacuse of ATX restrictions with 5.25" bays, PCi cards and power supplies. Do we really need full depth/height PCI cards and 5.25" bays anymore?

OK Mac users don't have to think about such things (bless)...its on the shelf they can buy it or not. But IMO for PCs and Micorsoft to be on a level playing field, it should make a fresh start rather than MS trying to get their OS to run on everything with hardware makers trying to makes boxes and boards that will accept anything.

"Major" businesses should download and TEST first before installing on client machines. Maybe they need some new processes in their IT dept! :thumb:

Dave

Says the man who lists and descirbes every new feature of Lion the day it comes out LOL!

Ali - my Windows machine is a bog standard HP with no 'fiddling' other than an upgrade to Vista from XP.

We all need a hobby! ;)

That is a good point ALi. Didn't really consider the bad hardware and firmware.

Good point :)

Exactly, my hobby, on here, is passing on good news and giving praise for great products. That upsets certain people.

Other people have keeping Windows running and getting upset as a hobby.

Your choice.

My hobby is building computers for a third of the price and getting that sense of achievement by completing it.

Others like to spend way over the odds for a label and getting upset for getting found out.

Your choice.

Great when it works, PITA when it doesn't. makes for good fun if you are in to that kind of thing :D

....A quick rummage in my junk pile reveals

An Asus board that is listed 4gig capeable in the specs but won't 'use' 4gig due to the chipset addressing. Also has a junked ethernet caused by a firmware update, plus its noisy ( one of the coils squeals )

An Nvidia graphics card - utterly unstable drivers.

One 500gb laptop drive - too noisy

Two power supplies - One noisy, one not powerful enough

Five fans - various sizes (too noisy - you may see a patten emerging :D )

Two DVD writers (too noisy :D - the other is the wrong colour )

So a fair few bob in wasted money in trying to find stuff that worked, or actually was silent (The one PSU says "silent PSU" on it, it sounds like a hairdryer :lol1: ).

On the bright side, most of the other stuff junked has been reused in upgrading other PCs (RAM, boards, HDs, CPUs etc).

This is true, I service my own car too.

I prefer my own quality rather than relying on others to do it for me.

Yeah I have a load of spares too from old comps :lol1:

I'm building too PC for my friends and usually for customers,mainly depends on components and what this PC will be used,because PC which i'm building are usually Hackintosh and gaming PC,music production PC's

ASUS boards i'm using mainly(not older one,just LGA1366,LGA 1155 or newer),for older PC with older CPU i'm using mainly Asus,Foxconn or GigaByte.I've use before ASRock,but with these i've lot more problems,unstable under heavy overclocking

nVidia GPU are not the best,yes are noisy and mainly eating too much power from PSU,i'm mainly using ATi for gaming rig,but for hackintosh nVidia is best bet,or even onboard Intel HD working well with Hackintosh

HDD:Seagate or Maxtor are noisy,or these WD Green are too noisy for me,Samsung F1/F3 or WD blue/black i'm using mainly

PSU:OCZ modular or Corsair Modular are mine favorite,because are good made and price is spot on.

Fans:i'm using Coolermaster series mainly due are not noisy as some,Noctua,Scythe or Fractal,Zalman(its for me too noisy) or some other are good too



Jura