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Anyone here used XP much?

post #1 of 73
12/30/01 at 3:32pm
Thread Starter 
I used it for the first time today. I actually kinda liked it. I have always hated Windows, but XP was almost "Mac-like". If MWSF is lame and there are no G5's, I may build a PC and run BSD and XP

I just wanted to get feedback from both Mac and PC users about XP.

One feature I wish X had is the "Remote Desktop" feature (discussed in other posts)

Any comments guys?
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post #2 of 73
12/30/01 at 4:34pm
I use it every day, do you have a question about it?

(If you weren't planning on a flamefest, prepare for one.)
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post #3 of 73
12/30/01 at 4:49pm
In my very limited exposure to XP, mostly consisting of being trapped in my local Circuit City on Friday, I found it to be fine for the most part with some quirks/choices I don't like.

I listed some of the things I didn't like in another thread somewhere (might have been MacNN -- been some cross-posting stuff there recently). I don't like the Toolbar customizing. I do like the idea of the Explorer sidebars, but I wish the contents of the sidebars were customized too. Though frankly I can see menus and drawers carrying out the same practice. And as always I struggle to find preferences or something similar -- that kind of thing tends to be scattered around. One thing I thought was that the Luna UI wasn't as bad in person as it is in screenshots. It doesn't look as nice as Aqua IMO but it's not something to really jump over XP about. Finally, I wish (and this may very well be an option) that there were some way to show one's favorite apps in the start menu rather than the most recent, and to display more than 5 at a time.
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post #4 of 73
12/30/01 at 11:15pm
i use both for now (might be giving my windows box away soon though).

Over all I'd say XP is the best flavor of windows out there (way more stable than 9X - and more Multimedia than 2000), but it has alot of privacy issues, no built in java, ie 6 doesn't use plug-ins; it uses axtive x instead (which sucks, esp quciktime ala active x). Avaliable drivers are still an issue for me. No support for my linksys PCI->PCMICA card (for wireless), no support for my SCSI card, which then make my CD-R and ZIP drives useless. To say I'm dying for my Ti back (its in the shop) is an understatement.

Unfortuallty I am forced to use this for 3d max stuff and web testing from the dark side (although I hope to use VPC for this in the near future).

my 2 cents..

Mike
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post #5 of 73
12/31/01 at 6:04am
"XP is almost Mac-like"? In what respect? The user experience is virtually identical to all other Windows-versions made the last 5-6 years. All I've noticed the few times i've used it is that the design is dramaticly improved, but still nowhere close to the mature finish to Aqua. Really.. nicely drawn windows and icons really isn't that much of an improvement. XP really have some nice features.. multiple logins, remote desktop and the like.. That does NOT constitute the second comming, it's just the forth reincarnation of Windows NT. I was not impressed of 3.51, 4, 2000.. or XP.
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post #6 of 73
12/31/01 at 6:20pm
[quote]The user experience is virtually identical to all other Windows-versions made the last 5-6 years.<hr></blockquote>

versus

[quote]All I've noticed the few times i've used it is that the design is dramaticly improved,<hr></blockquote>

<img src="confused.gif" border="0">
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post #7 of 73
12/31/01 at 8:11pm
Windows XP. What does the "XP" stand for? Xtra sucking Potential.

Any questions?
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post #8 of 73
12/31/01 at 9:12pm
quote:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The user experience is virtually identical to all other Windows-versions made the last 5-6 years.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

versus


quote:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
All I've noticed the few times i've used it is that the design is dramaticly improved,
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Actually Groovy-rat, its not really a contradiction. If you have used OSX, you do know that while the design has improved [in the opinion of some], the user experience has improved in some area and degraded in others [see other threads aplenty before busting a gut]. Appearance of UI != User exprience of UI. Sadly, neither MS or Apple seem to get that.

[ 01-01-2002: Message edited by: cowerd ]</p>
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post #9 of 73
12/31/01 at 9:39pm
Question: To move a document from one folder to another, do you still have to copy and then delete the original? Sorry, obviously I know very little about Windows as I have never used it at home.
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post #10 of 73
12/31/01 at 9:48pm
[quote]To move a document from one folder to another, do you still have to copy and then delete the original?<hr></blockquote>
<img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" /> I don't think you ever had to do that in Windows...
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post #11 of 73
12/31/01 at 10:42pm
Okay, just making sure...I heard that somewhere.
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post #12 of 73
1/1/02 at 8:14am
Aha! I knew there was something in there all along, hence my confusion.
Thank you for the explanation, cowerd, a bit too slow to pick up on that one.

I'm afraid what he said isn't true at all. The design is little changed, it's the user experience that has been improved.
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post #13 of 73
1/1/02 at 8:51am
Did they put a option in XP that lets you turn off all those "Are you sure" dialogs that come up 5 times before Windows lets you do something?
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post #14 of 73
1/1/02 at 1:10pm
Be more specific, I haven't run across something like that.
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post #15 of 73
1/1/02 at 1:15pm
Groverat, in the attempt to dissuade a Mac vs. PC debate in here, could you explain "remote desktop" more clearly to me? I feel like I'm ignorant on the subject. Thanks.
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post #16 of 73
1/1/02 at 1:38pm
[quote]Originally posted by groverat:
<strong>Be more specific, I haven't run across something like that.</strong><hr></blockquote>

"are you sure you want to emtpy the recycle bin" Yes
"Emptying your recycle bin will delete everything in it. Are you sure you want to do this?" Ok
"Now emptying recycle ok?"

Yes I know it's a bit exaggerated but it seems like Windows has to ask you twice if you want to do something before it will do it. I can see how that might be helpful with newbies maybe but there should be a way to turn this off system wide.
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post #17 of 73
1/1/02 at 1:53pm
Turn off the Recycle Bin warning (in Windows 98, anyway) by right-clicking, selecting properties, and deselecting 'Display delete confirmation dialog box'. It's simple, but the wording of the checkbox is idiotic. Perhaps they fixed that in later versions.
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post #18 of 73
1/1/02 at 3:41pm
Alert:

Windows warning dialogs were problematic for different reasons than their quantity, for example, they tended to be written in the passive voice, and they were often run-on sentences with text that was too small to get people's attention let alone make them read all of it!

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post #19 of 73
1/1/02 at 4:29pm
[quote]Originally posted by Mac The Fork:
<strong>Turn off the Recycle Bin warning (in Windows 98, anyway) by right-clicking, selecting properties, and deselecting 'Display delete confirmation dialog box'. It's simple, but the wording of the checkbox is idiotic. Perhaps they fixed that in later versions.</strong><hr></blockquote>

It doesn't just happen in the recycle bin.
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post #20 of 73
1/1/02 at 4:46pm
So apple doesn't have a chance with os X. If the user experience is better then MS might be doing things right. And i thought apple was going to do better dang. To bad Os x can't provide something more.
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post #21 of 73
1/1/02 at 4:48pm
[quote]Originally posted by Rmh1572:
<strong>So apple doesn't have a chance with os X. If the user experience is better then MS might be doing things right. And i thought apple was going to do better dang. To bad Os x can't provide something more.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Does someone have a troll emoticon?
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post #22 of 73
1/1/02 at 4:49pm
I am a mac user and love apple i just am worried if what you say is true then apple cannot justify to people to switch
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post #23 of 73
1/1/02 at 4:53pm
[quote]Originally posted by Rmh1572:
<strong>I am a mac user and love apple i just am worried if what you say is true then apple cannot justify to people to switch</strong><hr></blockquote>

Does Apple need people to switch? What is the big deal? I thought the war was over.
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post #24 of 73
1/1/02 at 5:13pm
[quote]It doesn't just happen in the recycle bin.<hr></blockquote>

I didn't say it did. I assumed you might want to know how to shut it off there, since there is obviously never going to be a 'Turn features I don't like' button in the OS and that is the example you chose to exaggerate.

[ 01-01-2002: Message edited by: Mac The Fork ]</p>
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post #25 of 73
1/1/02 at 9:59pm
I'm afraid you encounter two dialogue boxes when emptying the trash by default, and one is easy to disable.

I do believe those are in OSX as well.

Can you think of any that are unique to Windows?
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post #26 of 73
1/1/02 at 10:12pm
[quote]Originally posted by groverat:
<strong>I'm afraid you encounter two dialogue boxes when emptying the trash by default, and one is easy to disable.

I do believe those are in OSX as well.

Can you think of any that are unique to Windows?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Not true, grover.... If you don't want to get a dialogue box before emptying the trash in OS X, just crtl+click on the trash icon in the dock and select 'empty trash' (it's the only option there). How about "Are you sure you want to [put shutdown option here]?" and then having to select what you want to do? Start menu -&gt; shut down -&gt; hibernate, restart, shutdown -&gt; are you sure? Pain in the ass...
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post #27 of 73
1/2/02 at 8:33am
[quote]I'm afraid you encounter two dialogue boxes when emptying the trash by default, and one is easy to disable.
I do believe those are in OSX as well.<hr></blockquote>

You're right on the first one. Windows still asks if you really want to empty the Recycle Bin, but doesn't ask if you really want to send things there. Didn't notice that.

OS X only has one warning, as far as I know anyway.

[quote]How about "Are you sure you want to [put shutdown option here]?" and then having to select what you want to do? Start menu -&gt; shut down -&gt; hibernate, restart, shutdown -&gt; are you sure? Pain in the ass...<hr></blockquote>

It's not really a pain in the ass, but it is also not acceptable considering that there was a better way to shut down long before MS chose its style. Luckily this PC shuts down properly when I press the power button.
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post #28 of 73
1/2/02 at 8:56am
[quote]Originally posted by CyberZorn:
<strong>i use both for now (might be giving my windows box away soon though).

Over all I'd say XP is the best flavor of windows out there (way more stable than 9X - and more Multimedia than 2000)</strong><hr></blockquote>

It has more multimedia, but the speed difference with all of it is like OS 9 vs OS X.0.

I don't think it's that much more stable than 9X. I'd say it's less stable than 2000 based on my experience and experience of a few xp using friends. It's very easy to crash xp.

XP is to 2000 as ME is to 98.
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post #29 of 73
1/2/02 at 9:08am
There is one trash warning that you can't get rid of, and while I dislike it it has saved my butt and thousands of other butts out there. Deleting files is a fairly permanent thing, so I don't mind them being a bit careful.

"Are you sure you want to delete Big Term Paper?"



Start -&gt; Turn Off Computer
Then you get three options:
Stand By - Turn Off - Restart

Oooh, complicated!

And you can set the power button on your physical computer to choose from either:
- Do Nothing (useful when my 1y.o. nephew is running around)
- Ask Me What to Do
- Stand By
- Hibernate
- Shut Down

Anything else?
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post #30 of 73
1/2/02 at 9:39am
Can you copy and paste a 20mb file between apps in XP?
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post #31 of 73
1/2/02 at 10:49am
I had my first experience with XP last week, and found it pretty easy to use. I still think the idea that it's "driver-less" pure plug & play is more like pure make believe, but that's no big deal.

I can say that prior to my hands-on with XP, I thought there was zero chance that I'd upgrade my Win2k machines, and now that I've tried it, I'm not quite as 100% against XP as I thought.
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post #32 of 73
1/2/02 at 11:14am
I don't really care about XP but, unless I remember incorrectly, in X you can turn off the Trash can warning completely. It's in finder preferences.

What's your Big Term Paper doing in the Trash, err...Recycle Bin Groverat? You planning on using those bits/bytes over again. You can't really recycle that stuff you know (which makes me wonder why they call it a Recycle Bin in the first place).
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post #33 of 73
1/2/02 at 11:51am
thecoolgut:

Why ask such stupid questions?

seb:

That was just an example.

Yes, "Recycle Bin" is stupid, but Apple got first dibs on "Trash" and we can't have the Maclots howling about evil MS stealing all of Apple's original ideas like trash cans. Actually, now that I give it thought it seems logical since you are freeing up space that was not there before, hence "recycling" the space for further use. Bah, whatever.
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post #34 of 73
1/2/02 at 12:27pm
[quote]Originally posted by groverat:
<strong>I'm afraid you encounter two dialogue boxes when emptying the trash by default, and one is easy to disable.

I do believe those are in OSX as well.

Can you think of any that are unique to Windows?</strong><hr></blockquote>

It's like this way in ALL MS apps grover. Even the ones MS makes for the Mac. The Mac isn't that annoying with it's questions.
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post #35 of 73
1/2/02 at 12:29pm
You can indeed turn off ALL warnings of moving or trashing items in OS X

The crucial memorandum will be snared in the out-basket by
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The crucial memorandum will be snared in the out-basket by
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post #36 of 73
1/2/02 at 12:51pm
How about, say, "wastebasket"?
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post #37 of 73
1/2/02 at 12:57pm
It is not that way with all MS apps. Just a few examples, please. I honestly don't know what you're talking about.

To use one of your lame terms, I'm afraid you're making a "bizarro extreme" out of one specific situation.

You have to option to just bypass the Recycle Bin entirely and delete the file outright, if that's how you want to do it.
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post #38 of 73
1/2/02 at 1:01pm
Ooh, I like "Wastebasket", also "Dust Bin" and "Sinewave's Mom"
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post #39 of 73
1/2/02 at 3:27pm
NeXtstep had a "Recycle" dockling back in '88.
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post #40 of 73
1/2/02 at 7:28pm
[quote]Originally posted by groverat:
<strong>thecoolgut:

Why ask such stupid questions?
</strong><hr></blockquote>


I guess that means "no". I don't know what the point of getting dual athlons would be if you have an OS which thinks its running on a pentium 2. Oh well, at least M$ has secured itself as the premiere platform for a fully functional instant messenger.
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