I agree with khakisrule.

I'm not afraid to post anything. Heh, the truth is I don't know why everyone here fears neg points more than the plague. God forbid your street cred gets ruined and you don't have the status you used to among people you've never seen. The only thing wrong with the neg points is they can get you banned, and anyone who gets that many must have been a screwball anyways.

Everytime I ask someone why Linux is better than Windows, I always get the answer, "It's faster, more reliable, and more secure." I don't know about the rest of you, but I have not had problems in using Windows. I often go weeks without restarting without problem. I have error-free usage. No lock-ups, blue-screens, or spontaneos restarts. The only times I've gotten an illegal operation is when I have done something stupid. (Like play music from different applications at the same time, or edit a value in my memory while an application is running.) Windows is great, even if it's not for you hardcore.

I know I'm going to get flamed for this, but I don't think it's really a technological aspect for most of you people. I have no problem with people learning other OS's for the more knowledge, espesially if they're interested in technology, but I think for a lot of you it's about the idealogy, and about being different.

I got my versions of Windows for free. And no, not from warez sites. With the purchase of a new computer, I have gotten Windows as well as other software. I know you guys will say that it was all included in the price of the PC, well, you know, fine. That's business. I have no problem with Capitalism. I support it. I know many people view any form of competition (or even tough play like MS does) to be cold and selfish. So they take it out on the company. I'm sure some of you hate Microsoft because you think it engages in monopolistic practices, and don't look at it from it's product.

Microsoft's Internet Explorer is not the only software that tries to dominant itself by hurting other software. When I install Winamp, it wants to associate with all sound file, and when I install Real Player, it tries to do the same thing. Hell, I was watching TV and there are these new Mac commercials where people come up and basically say, "I used Windows and I thought it sucked so I use a Mac know." Why don't you complain about that. It's mudslinging. People do it to get ahead.

The last thing I can't stand is everyone telling me how easy Windows is to hack, and how insecure it is. Please. How honest are you folks being? Like, if I were using Windows I'll be more likely to get hacked than if I'm using Linux. I don't believe it. I think Windows is a bigger target for hackers, because it's more commonly used. People will code viruses for Windows, and try to find vulnerabilities in Windows. You know why? My girlfriend isn't using Linux, that's why.

I've been using an out-of-the-box Windows 98 machine for the past 3 years now and have never been hacked. As far as I know, there are no remote access vulnerabilities in it. The worst thing that could happen to me is someone packet floods me and I gotta restart. Boo hoo. It's not that big a threat. You guys will be the first to admit that sending somone B02K in an E-Mail saying that it's porn is NOT hacking, and that asking someone for their password because you work at their ISP is NOT hacking. Can you blame an OS for a user's stupidity?

So you guys could use Macs, or Linux, or BSD, or any other less-than-mainstream OS and be just content about it. But I think that's enough for you guys, is it? You're not happy unless you bash the "inferior" product and make the people who use it feel stupid. You guys get kicks from typing "M$," "Winblows," and "Windoze," don't you? Pretty clever. Get a life.

I'm no better than you wasting my time typing this, but at least I do it in a defense. You guys act as the aggressors and intentionally try to attack Windows. I've seen enough of these types of posts already. Has anyone here at AO not heard why MS sucks? I don't find the need for this pointless debate to perpetuate further every 2 weeks when someone with nothing to do decides to start up the argument again. And poor schmucks like khakisrule get negs for it, because some of you wanna fight without being fought.

If someone is satisfied with a product and because it works for his/her needs, and you guys are happy with another, why make a fuss about it? Linux may be 10,000 times greater than Windows, fine. I'll consider it the second Windows fails to meet my needs.

And that's that,
Ramzi

(Haha. I'm gonna get banned for this.)