Another in a long list of ripoffs by Microsoft.....gotta love it

[Guest]

It amazes me what Micrsoft seems to keep expecting consumers to simply accept
and move on with. I realize that Windows XP is the flagship Os of Microsoft,
and that it will remain so until Longhorn comes out on retail. However, that
are many consumers that either cannot afford the expensive cost of upgrading
to XP or who simply prefer an older Os. Afterall, the Windows 9.x line still
does much better for compatability with older software and games than XP has
ever done. With the release of the 4th service pack, Windows 2000 has gotten
pretty rock solid as well. And yet, Microsoft continues to deny consumers.
Even when there is no logical reason for it, there is no distribution of
Windows media player 10 for even Windows 2000, much less users of Windows Me,
98, or 95. Likewise, there is still no distribution of the newest version of
Internet Explorer that includes the pop-up blocker, or the spiffed up
interface for any version of Windows other than XP. It's gotten to the point
of being rediculous really. If Micrsoft wants users to be left with no choice
but to use XP, and they don't want to offer their new software for their
older Os's, then they need to offer free upgrade CD's to users of previous
Os's in their product line. Afterall, even the somewhat occasionaly
worthwhile software included in Plus! and Plus! Digital Media Edition, also
require XP to be used. If it wasn't for the fact that Linux has no stable
build out to support a wide variety of modern and vintage Windows based
games, i'd be a hardcore Linux user already. As it stands, until Microsoft
decides to either go back to seriously supporting previous customers and
their older Os systems, or begins to offer a free or inexpensive upgrade
solution, I fully plan on using Mozilla as my exclusive web browser, and
using Winamp as my exclusive media player. Do to the huge compatability
problems and other issues with the various versions of Microsof Office, I
fully plan on being an exclusive user of Open Office as well. Each of those
software packages are offered freely, with no restriction as to what Os your
using. None of those give you gimped versions to download if you aren't using
a certain Os. Likewise, any new versions are offered freely. Microsoft needs
to really get with the game and work out a better solution to their
practices. Otherwise, and trust me the day will come when this happens,
whenever even one build of Linux offers rock solid support for being able to
play Windows based PC games, Microsoft is going to lose thousands of
customers and users. So if they want to put themselves out of business, I
guess that is their choice. As for me, Microsoft products are on the bottom
of my list for using from now on.

 

[soinie]

It amazes me what Micrsoft seems to keep expecting consumers to simply accept
and move on with. I realize that Windows XP is the flagship Os of Microsoft,
and that it will remain so until Longhorn comes out on retail. However, that
are many consumers that either cannot afford the expensive cost of upgrading
to XP or who simply prefer an older Os. Afterall, the Windows 9.x line still
does much better for compatability with older software and games than XP has
ever done. With the release of the 4th service pack, Windows 2000 has gotten
pretty rock solid as well. And yet, Microsoft continues to deny consumers.
Even when there is no logical reason for it, there is no distribution of
Windows media player 10 for even Windows 2000, much less users of Windows Me,
98, or 95. Likewise, there is still no distribution of the newest version of
Internet Explorer that includes the pop-up blocker, or the spiffed up
interface for any version of Windows other than XP. It's gotten to the point
of being rediculous really. If Micrsoft wants users to be left with no choice
but to use XP, and they don't want to offer their new software for their
older Os's, then they need to offer free upgrade CD's to users of previous
Os's in their product line. Afterall, even the somewhat occasionaly
worthwhile software included in Plus! and Plus! Digital Media Edition, also
require XP to be used. If it wasn't for the fact that Linux has no stable
build out to support a wide variety of modern and vintage Windows based
games, i'd be a hardcore Linux user already. As it stands, until Microsoft
decides to either go back to seriously supporting previous customers and
their older Os systems, or begins to offer a free or inexpensive upgrade
solution, I fully plan on using Mozilla as my exclusive web browser, and
using Winamp as my exclusive media player. Do to the huge compatability
problems and other issues with the various versions of Microsof Office, I
fully plan on being an exclusive user of Open Office as well. Each of those
software packages are offered freely, with no restriction as to what Os your
using. None of those give you gimped versions to download if you aren't using
a certain Os. Likewise, any new versions are offered freely. Microsoft needs
to really get with the game and work out a better solution to their
practices. Otherwise, and trust me the day will come when this happens,
whenever even one build of Linux offers rock solid support for being able to
play Windows based PC games, Microsoft is going to lose thousands of
customers and users. So if they want to put themselves out of business, I
guess that is their choice. As for me, Microsoft products are on the bottom
of my list for using from now on.

I've been using W2k for several years and wouldn't think of upgrading
to XP. I'll take speed and stability over bells and whistles any day.
And I've also been using Mozilla exclusively for the past few years- I
have IE installed only because you need to for certain bits of
software. I never use Outlook Express as I like the mail utility in
Mozilla and have Agent for a newsreader. When I upgraded to WMP 9 my
computer slowed to a crawl and it created a bunch of other problems so
I uninstalled it and now use WMP Classic (unicode build). Look on the
bright side; you could have a MAC and be forced to deal with the lousy
variations of their OS. We at least have options...

 

[Kokoro]

In microsoft.public.win2000.multimedia, soinie ordered an army of
hamsters to type:

I've been using W2k for several years and wouldn't think of upgrading
to XP. I'll take speed and stability over bells and whistles any day.
And I've also been using Mozilla exclusively for the past few years- I
have IE installed only because you need to for certain bits of
software. I never use Outlook Express as I like the mail utility in
Mozilla and have Agent for a newsreader. When I upgraded to WMP 9 my
computer slowed to a crawl and it created a bunch of other problems so
I uninstalled it and now use WMP Classic (unicode build). Look on the
bright side; you could have a MAC and be forced to deal with the lousy
variations of their OS. We at least have options...

I know what you are both trying to say. I am a happy Win2k user too and do
not want to upgrade to xp. Let alone longhorn. I fear forcing people to
upgrade might have something to do with 'trusted computing'.

 

[Bill Baka]

In microsoft.public.win2000.multimedia, soinie ordered an army of
hamsters to type:






I know what you are both trying to say. I am a happy Win2k user too and do
not want to upgrade to xp. Let alone longhorn. I fear forcing people to
upgrade might have something to do with 'trusted computing'.

I am with you guys on this front. My W2K is as stable as any before it,
including NT. The 95 and 98 were junk in my opinion as they munched my
other systems, DOS, LINUX, and OS/2 when installed. I set up XP
corporate on a friends computer and while it did boot faster it also
said that it would stop working in 31 days if not activated. Not good
for just evaluating the release, getting threats from Microsoft that it
'WILL' self destruct in 31 days. I now have a stable system with C: as
DOS and boot, two bootable W2K partitions, and LINUX on a separate hard
drive. My windows is going to stay where it is unless I can install XP
on a third drive where it can't hurt anything. You almost need to be an
engineer to sort it all out. Lucky I am, but a hardware type.
Anyway, keep the hope up.
Bill Baka

 

[czvcx]

-----Original Message-----
computing'.

I am with you guys on this front. My W2K is as stable as any before it,
including NT. The 95 and 98 were junk in my opinion as they munched my
other systems, DOS, LINUX, and OS/2 when installed. I set up XP
corporate on a friends computer and while it did boot faster it also
said that it would stop working in 31 days if not activated. Not good
for just evaluating the release, getting threats from Microsoft that it
'WILL' self destruct in 31 days. I now have a stable system with C: as
DOS and boot, two bootable W2K partitions, and LINUX on a separate hard
drive. My windows is going to stay where it is unless I can install XP
on a third drive where it can't hurt anything. You almost need to be an
engineer to sort it all out. Lucky I am, but a hardware type.
Anyway, keep the hope up.
Bill Baka
.