AndrewBell wrote:
Yes, XP has a few more years yet. Many people still use 98, and the signs are that XP could keep going for just as long.
I've been a 98SE user, got it on a couple of machines. But, it's definitely end of the road these days, no more updates for stuff like DivX web player, and other browser plugins. Gotta give these puppies another 256MB of RAM each then install XP.
As an Amiga user, linux looks a lot less scary than it does to a PC (only) user, you can see similarities in the root structure of the disk and it posesses much of the same logic. It has it's equivalents of the devs drawer, the C drawer, the startup-sequence, S. However, I don't think the 64bit version is mature enough yet for a desktop OS, it has the same problem as 64bit 'doze, not enough drivers.
I keep wanting, I keep trying to make linux my main OS, I always get stuck on something though. However, that's quite likely because I try and mess with it too much and am too lazy to go correct my own mistakes, (I keep wanting to feel more involved, and tinker under the hood). Some live CD versions are
very good these days and are very functional right off the CD.
Now if your brother is getting angry about it, I'd say he's scared. Scared of being made obsolete, of learning that the way he knows how to do neat stuff isn't really the "right way" just a barely adequate coping strategy to get around microsoft's idea of how people should be forced to do things. Perhaps he's scared of making decisions. Linux gives you a lot of choice, which is why it seems confusing. People who are more comfortable with having decisions made for them by a faceless corporation whose only motive is profit, would naturally get scared and angry when faced with decisions.
Vista, ohhhh vista, yes, MS is going to have to work a miracle with service pack 1. At the moment it's as responsive and productive as windows ME on a 486sx33 with 16MB of RAM, when it's installed on a dual core with a gigabyte or more. Now MS has had a history of bringing lower end and marginally obsolete systems to their knees with each OS release.... but an OS that brings high end and brand new preinstalled systems to thier knees... that's a new one even for them. My wife's laptop, 2Ghz A64, 1GB RAM, preinstalled vista (not the only thing I've tried it on btw) can't run a particular desktop game she likes at full speed. On windows 98SE/XP it runs smooth on anything around 3-400Mhz, on a 233MMX it's choppy.... it's about as choppy on that system with vista. That says to me right there "Vista makes your PC 8-10 times slower." Opening file windows and moving or deleting files takes FOREVER, small files, documents, not multi gig DVD rips. Anyhoo, you can buy the fastest dual cores on the market load it up with RAM and get a user experience that's about like using XP on a 667Mhz coppermine celeron with 128MB of RAM...(or a live CD linux on a P120 with 64MB ;-) )
Anyhoo, make informed decisions, your bro sounds like a victim of FUD,
RW222
