[LAU] OT Rant: When will people stop comparing Windows/Linux apps?

david gnome at hawaii.rr.com
Mon Jul 12 05:50:01 UTC 2010


Arnold Krille wrote:

> I tell them about the alternatives, I smile at them when they talk about their 
> problems (they always know that I don't have these kind of problems) and 
> otherwise I ignore them. Totally and completely. Its not worth my time to 
> listen to them talking about the strange faults and incompleteness they found 
> in ms' products.

In an earlier life as a computer consultant, I used to do fixes on 
Windows systems of various vintages. I don't do much of that at all 
anymore. I'm starting to adopt the idea that a friend of mine uses when 
Windows users ask him to fix their virus problem:

"I'll install Linux for you for free, or you can go to SuperGeeks and 
pay them $120 to fix your Windows system."

He's gotten a LOT of takers, even including 80+year-olds who are now 
happily browsing web and reading email using Linux.

> PS: I my future employer reads this: I don't hesitate to sell these people 
> either the newest version of their drugs. And I don't hesitate to sell them 
> education regardless whether about ms or free software:-)

Yah, I'm agnostic about that, too. I will still fix someone's Windows 
problem, and really love expanding people's minds, even if it's about 
how to do something in Word or Excel or even Powerpoint. A good teacher 
can overcome any handicap! ;-)

Fortunately for me, my employer has a whole department full of people 
who go around fixing problems with the corporate Windows PCs and 
servers. Well, they still haven't fixed the problem on my company 
laptop, where the Windows update process just hangs saying that it's 
"Preparing to install" a list of security update that it has already 
installed, but I don't have to wrestle with that kind of stuff now!

-- 
David
gnome at hawaii.rr.com
authenticity, honesty, community


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