fonzo.biz

As of a few days ago I have made the jump, err switch, to the OS X platform. I have been considering it for awhile now, but just recently decided that the time had come to make it happen. And while there is definitely a bit of a learning curve involved in switching to a new OS, so far I am happy with the choice.

Now unlike some, I did not switch because I think Apple makes the best OS or because I am a huge fan of theirs (although they have been growing on me lately). I switched predominately because I am unhappy with Microsoft and where they are taking the Windows platform, and partly because I was curious.

Anyways, now it is time for my rant on why I gave up using Windows…

/Begin Rant

I like Windows, and think overall it is a good Operating System that with the correct adjustments is a rather secure system to live with. As an example, I have used it since its 3.11 (pre-Start menu) days and in that time I have gotten a virus a total of two times. One of which was caused by me running some executable I should not have been running, and the other caused by some bad code at Microsoft (it was the Blaster Worm to be precise). Now given that track record, I would argue that Windows is relatively secure. Granted, I disable a number of system services (secondary logon, remote registry, etc.), do not use an administrator account for normal usage, and stay away from Internet Explorer (IE), so my situation differs from the standard. However, I would still say that Windows is secure enough, and therefore, security was not what drove me away; it was usability.

My first point of aggravation with Windows started with MSN Messenger (I think it was version 6) when Microsoft started stealing my http clicks and opening them in Internet Explorer. As stated, I do not have IE set as my default browser and therefore do not want web pages opening in IE. However, whenever I click a URL in MSN Messenger, it opens it in Internet Explorer. I find this to be a ridiculous and monopolistic practice as there is no logical reason for forcing URLs to open in IE. None!

The second strike came with system requirements. It bothers me slightly that I need to have an insanely powerful computer to run the latest and greatest version of Windows. I can understand the need for bleeding edge technology when you want to play video games, do graphic design, or produce music, but not to simply run the computer. It just does not make sense. And yes, I know XP will run on some older systems, but have you tried using it on those systems? It is painful. As an example, it takes nearly double the horsepower to run an XP system as it did a 2K system and it looks like Vista will require nearly double of what XP requires. Why? Again, I am not talking about the minimum system requirements, but the specs needed to actually have an enjoyable experience.

The third and final strike involves none other than Microsoft’s Windows Genuine Activation (WGA) toolkit. I hate this thing; a lot. I can understand initially having a product phone home to activate, and I actually thought the initial idea was a good one. However, the newer renditions of WGA seem to be released more often (almost monthly?) and seem to phone home more often, and over smaller items, than before. It is a skeptical practice, and one that I cannot endorse. I do not need too, nor want to, nor am I going to, phone in to Microsoft every time I make the slightest change to my system.

As an example, the other day I removed my secondary hard drive from my computer because I wanted to move it to an external USB enclosure so it did not have to be powered on all the time. When I turned on my computer after removing the hard drive, XP Professional quickly informed me that changes had been made to the system and I had three (3) days to activate or XP would become unusable. Are you serious? I have to phone-home and inform Microsoft that I removed a hard drive? No thanks, I’d rather not. It makes me wonder though, are services like these causing the ever-increasing minimum specifications to use Windows? If so, what a waste of resources…

Anyway, I can understand changing items such as the CPU or the motherboard causing WGA to require re-authentication, but things such as DVD drives, hard drives, and RAM are items that even the most novice of individuals can and will swap out from time to time. Not to mention these are probably the most frequently changed parts in a computer, so I see no good reason for those types of changes to require Windows to be re-activated.

/End Rant

So in the end, it is adios Windows and hello OS X.