This is not a review of Windows 7 the operating system, but rather www.windows7sins.org. I suggest reading thru that web site before reading this article. Some will agree with every point made on that site while others will say, "Um.. I don’t think so."
Here’s my two cents on each "sin".
1. Poisoning education
I disagree solely for the reason that Apple computers, which all run OS X, have a large presence in schools, colleges and universities.
You could argue that Apple equally "poisons" children just as bad as Microsoft does.
2. Invading privacy
I agree. I’ve never been comfortable with the fact you have to "activate" Windows and "validate" software just to use it.
3. Monopoly behavior.
I disagree. Large PC manufacturers, Dell included, have sincerely tried to get people to use alternative operating systems like Ubuntu. When netbooks (the hottest selling computer at the moment) first appeared, most of them came preinstalled with Linux. What happened? Returns aplenty. What happened when they started getting shipped with XP? Sales went thru the roof and continue to do so. That’s not monopolistic behavior on Microsoft’s part, that’s the market demanding what they want. It is painfully obvious just from return figures alone that people wanted Windows.
4. Lock-in
I agree and disagree.
Disagree: Windows 7 requires far less hardware requirements than Vista did. On YouTube there are even videos of people running 7 on Pentium III PCs. I’m not kidding. Doesn’t look like lock-in to me. On my own netbook, which is a 1.6GHz with only 1GB RAM, Windows 7 runs flawlessly. I’m using it right now to type this article on.
Agree: Windows does force updates if you have auto-update turned on, and it is aggravating when you leave the computer on overnight only to find it rebooted itself automatically from certain updates that came down the pike. Not cool.
5. Abusing standards
Agree. Microsoft does try consistently to make Word’s DOC the only format anybody would use. It is well known that the OpenDocument format is better, safer, easier and runs on any OS. Microsoft really needs to get with the times here and understand that proprietary software formats are a dumb idea. That time has long passed yet Microsoft clings to it viciously.
6. Enforcing Digital Restrictions Management (DRM).
Disagree. Microsoft would have happily left the Windows Media Player DRM-free but were essentially forced to do it by Big Media due to preexisting relationships. You will notice Microsoft didn’t lift a finger to enforce DRM until Big Media, such as NBC, specifically asked them to do it. Some would say, "Microsoft should have refused!" Should they have? And shoot themselves in the foot? I think it’s obvious why they agreed with NBC in the first place.
7. Threatening user security.
Agree – but to a point.
Nobody knew in the mid-1990s that the internet was going to take the world by storm. Then came in the tsunami of new computer users and it caught Microsoft completely off guard.
Why did Windows have the security of a wet napkin for so long? Mainly because prior to internet, Windows didn’t need any as a not-connected-to-internet PC.
Even in 2001 when XP was released, the internet was still an unsure bet back then.
Where I agree is that Windows had more holes than Swiss cheese for far too long. The stretch between XP and Vista/7 was far too long. The stretch between IE 6 and 7/8 was far too long. Only now, finally, in 7 do we have a Windows OS that is at least on par with other major offerings.
I know there will be those that vehemently disagree with me on this point, and if that’s the case, so be it. Win 7 is the most secure Windows to date. In some instances it’s even safer than a Mac. But the jury is still out on that one because we’ll see what really happens when Win 7 is officially released in October ‘09 and how it stacks up to Apple’s latest Snow Leopard.
The true threat as far as I’m concerned comes from OS activation and WGA. I see that as an invasion of privacy as noted in point 2 above. I find it absolutely disgusting that Windows requires "activation" just to work after a set number of days. It is absolutely wrong that the OS takes inventory of what you have installed and sends it to other places (Microsoft) thru this validation process.
Windows may even come to a point where it’s required for it to be connected to the internet just to work. At present that’s not necessary. If you have to, you can still mail in a registration card (which is almost just as bad). But if it happens that all future Windows OSes are "internet required just to work".. I don’t even want to think about it.
What do you think?
Is Windows7Sins.org correct with all points? Some? None? Voice your opinion.
nothing official
Just another bloated operating system It would appear that you can do the same with vista http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi8AaI3yWVs
Actually you just drove home the point that hardware lock-in doesn’t exist with 7 *or* Vista.
As a committed Linux user I understand where these kinds of articles come from though I’m always uncomfortable about their strident nature as I think they tend to sound like paranoia. I agree with most of what Rich says and like everyone else I have a free choice to use or not to use Windows. However, we have to keep in mind that Microsoft are not a charitable foundation; they’re out to get and hold power. As Baron Acton said, “power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely”. What if Microsoft were to bribe the chip manufacturers to prevent their new products running anything other than Windows, but to present it (as they would) as a genuine advantage giving better features etc? Then they could go after free software or other unwelcome competition by denying access to anyone who won’t join their fee-paying club, leaving the rest of us with increasingly obsolete technology.
Would they do this? Probably, if they could get away with it. Let’s make sure they don’t, by encouraging healthy competition and supporting the efforts of those who produce software for free.
Its my understanding that you can run windows, Mac OS and Linux on both apple and PC . But to Run mac OS I have only one choice and that is to by it loaded on a mac . So we have three choices for operating systems. Linux for free , Windows Vista/7 $200/300 dollars or Mac OS $1000 and up !!
Now here’s where i half disagree on your theory of windows security. Sure apps can have security flaws that get patched, but the number one thing behind windows security being crappy is the user.
People since the days of win95 have been running with admin privileges. People today still cling closely to admin privileges in windows like fat people on cupcakes. Admin privileges is a huge convenience to users with a large drawback. The drawback being the unsafe habits of users anywhere on there computer including the internet and the fact that running as admin on any operating system is like having a big retard that says yes to everything that’s armed with a shotgun. People running with admin privileges wonder why they get viruses even if they’re virus scanner was working, or wonder why the system doesn’t work all of a sudden because they decided to delete something they didn’t like that they didn’t know what it was.
Since windows became a multi-user operating system since xp, the days of running in a user account with a standard user profile temporarily accessing admin privileges from within the user account with standard user profile is an absolute blast. It’s exactly like running linux being in user space and accessing root privileges when needed. XP, vista, and win7 utilizing standard user profile is great stuff. Windows does have great security in the form of standard user profiles.
People need to use their computers differently is what i am recommending.
As an engineer I like both windows and linux. I use more Mandriva than anything else and I like both systems. I hope people could try them out and benefit from them. Also there are other systems people could try and find out for themselves. There is no better system there are wonderful tools out there. I hope everybody enjoys them.
Haters crack me up.
Apple practically wrote the book on DRM and proprietary software. But they’re just wonderful. Linux gets a pass on coercive business practices, but Apple certainly does not.
And why do people insist on thinking of computers like cars? You can drive a car for 15 or 20 years if you take care of it, but a car is expected to start, stop and drive. Computer technology is advancing at a dizzying pace. Everything is advancing; Hardware, software, and consumer demands. We WANT our machines to do more than they are capable of at the moment, so the advancements are the industry answer to consumer needs. Yet when someone finds it necessary to replace a 7 or 8 year old machine because it won’t run current applications (which, btw, generally has little to do with the operating system), they suddenly complain of planned obsolescence.
Many ill-informed crazies above. Adding Windows to a new PC is not adding hundreds of dollars; the manufacturer gets it for much less than us end-users. Linux comes in HUNDREDS of incompatible versions. Trying to “WINE” my ASUS EEE-PC (Linux), there are ten versions, of which I must trial-error the two versions that MIGHT work with software (Britannica) or hardware (USB-MICROSCOPE).
I have many version of legal Windows over the decades. These can legally transferred to my Asus. Even W-7, which is FREE – for the next several months. The info on our hardware/ software that we give to Ms is not how we really intend to use our hardware/ software. After installation, they don’t know what we do … encryption of all kinds, firewalls, etc.
I personally like windows 7 for the fact that my pentium 2, 800 megahertz procsessor, 256 mb ram 40 gb harddrive will run the os like a dream!