Posts by BobChip

Re: there's nothing particularly wrong with Windows 11

Can't agree. Pretty much everything is wrong with M$ - ever since Win 7, up to and including 11. And yes, I can do everything I need with Linux. And I do.

Why should I want to use anything else, when everything just works - smoothly, reliably and FREELY, without subscriptions, data slurping or special hardware requirements? Plus dramatically better updating processes and easy maintenance.

Life with the Flintstones may have had some quaint charms, but that does not mean I want to return to them.

Re: HP laser and HP15c

HP laserjet. B&W 401D. I've had one for years, though, post retirement, most of the (several dozens of pages a week) printing is done for my wife's Girl Guide unit rather than my own needs. It still works, is all I need to say.

HP 15C. Quite simply the best RPN calculator of it's day. I got mine as (almost) a pimply youth, but back then my employer paid for it - I could never have done so. More than 35 years on I still use it, even writing simple programs from time to time.

The laser printer could fail tomorrow and cause me nothing more than temporary inconvenience; good colour lasers are cheap these days. The loss of my 15C however would be a tragedy. Fortunately, they seem to have been well enough built to outlast the universe. Not too many things you can say that about these days.

Re: Not a renaming problem

Don't have any problems like that with Linux. Plays nice with HP laser and Canon Pixma printers, plus a high end Epson scanner. None of which worked reliably or consistently on the same system when using $MS 8 and subsequent releases. Now a very happy Minty penguin and will never look back.

Is it just easier to make reliable device drivers for Linux systems, or have MS just lost the plot?. Not my problem now........

Re: UK workarounds ?

Global workaround is better. Linux iso on USB stick. Press install when prompted. No more cruft. Simples.

Re: first time I saw MS Windows

Back in the day we had to write (as in handwriting, on paper, with a fountain pen (yes!) for the typing pool to copy onto the company letterhead) My handwriting was really quite good then, cos lots of practice, with the benefit that the typists would always choose to copy the most legible offerings first. Then we got "computers". IBM twin floppy disc jobs - with Word Perfect. And incredibly noisy dot matrix printers. So no more typing pool. I'd love to know who it was who forgot that typists could spell, and decided that dot matrix output on perforated fan fold paper was a satisfactory alternative to a crisp IBM golf-ball typewriter on 100 gsm. letter-headed bond, but that's another moan for another day. And you still had to keep changing the ribbon......

So we would all learn to type and productivity would soar (possibly because there was no longer any excuse to go into the typing pool in person and chat up the gorgeous one who sat next to the window - but I could be wrong about that) So I failed to get to 60 wpm, or even 6 on a good day, but we had all made PROGRESS! Or progress of a sort when spellcheckers came along with Word Perfect, and we did not have to spend hours making corrections. As well as "reveal codes" to sort out formatting screw ups - I really miss that feature in modern word processors.

I'm still a four finger typist - never really got the hang of it, even after 60 years. And my handwriting is now rubbish, even though I still use a fountain pen..... occasionally. Progress, eh?

Re: not happening

Popularity of Win 8?? It was the joy and delight of living with Win 8 that "drove me into the arms of Linux" Warm, welcoming, cuddly, friendly, reliable - arms---I'd better stop here before El Reg imposes censorship on this post - and I'll be damned if I ever look at Microsoft again. Even if Win 11 was not complete rubbish in the first place, which some of the "dinosaurs" I have to work / collaborate with are always telling me. Because their businesses are stuck with it and they are not allowed to flush it down the nearest toilet.

Happy penguin!

Re: re: intended to delight software developers.

Win 7 was the last decent OS they ever made. Win 8 forced me to try dual boot with Ubuntu. Boot log then showed me that I almost never booted into Win again. QED, switched to Linux only and have never looked back. Have an incoming pint from me, (no need to duck), for blatant application of common sense.

Re: This is like blackmail. MS is forcing us to buy a subscription

Pragmatism has a friend called wisdom. You already know the name....

Re: Windows 10 the last Windows you will ever need

Correction. Windows 7 was the last version I ever needed. (In my own opinion, it was also the last solid and reliable version they ever released.. and easily maintainable as well..) Like Tiggity, it was the release of Win 8 that forced me to move to Linux. MS dropped support for too many of my essential peripherals, but they were well supported by Ubuntu. I was in my 70s at the time, and had had no formal IT training of any description during my working career. I was still able to find, download and install Ubuntu as a dual boot Win/Linux setup. It really was NOT DIFFICULT. If I could do it then, pretty much anyone can. Our whole family- me, wife and children - now use Mint 20 / 21 on all our desktops and laptops. None of us have used anything made by MS for years, and have not missed it for a moment.

Re: Mint and steam

Mint plus Steam works for me as well. I've got win 11 on a separate hdd on this machine, but it is so useless that I intend to bin it. I have much better uses for 2 Tb of spare SSD.

Re: As a Win11 user myself, don't bother if you don't have to!

As an occasional, and rather reluctant, Win "user", I updated to 11, from 10, on a custom build multi choice system using a separate HD for each OS, selected before booting by an individual SATA power switch for each HD. I can choose from 2 flavours of Linux as well as Win 11. Each lives on it's own 2 TB SSD, and accesses exactly the same system resources when powered up - modern MSI mother board, Intel i7 chip and 32 Mb of ram . Basically several PCs in one box, each being powered up on the basis of meeting my immediate needs. I still need to use some win only software, because a few of the people I do work for persist in sticking with MS. All the sensible guys (IMHO - more than 80% of them as of today) went Linux ages ago.

Win 10 was a total slug. No mistake. Win 11 is worse - when it is working at all, that is... It seems to crash a lot, and I'm thinking of reverting to 10 just to get something that works when I want it to. As you might imagine, I normally boot the Linux Mint 21 disc, which is blisterringly fast for rendering and re-drawing maps - a lot of what I do. Windows is chronically - unusably - slow by comparison

Can't wait for the day when I can finally wipe anything to do with MS and forget that I ever had to use it. That said, I thought Win 7 was about as good as they ever got it to, so much so that it now sits in an instance of Virtual Box on one of my Linux drives, for the occasional old win game, but not for some of the modern software I use, but that's about as far as I'll go.

Re: Therapy

When I discovered, decades ago, that Win (8?) was dropping support for a Minolta film scanner AND a canon roll feed A0 printer, BUT that these still worked perfectly under Ubuntu, (don't recall which version), the drawing office "went Linux". My only real contribution to the cause. That particular therapy however has proved to be extremely (cost) effective because, even though I have been retired some 20 years or so, the drawing office is still on Linux, even though the scanners and printers have been upgraded many times.

Interestingly, like ink in the bathtub, Linux has slowly "leaked" into a number of other departments as well.. Could be something to do with the fact that it just works, and that the bean-counters have become vaguely "cost-aware" of it. Obviously they have not the faintest clue about what it is or what it does, because they are far too busy counting beans.... using banking systems which have also been on Linux for many years, but no one has told them yet.....

Reveal Codes

I was "brought up" on WP5, back in the days of DOS....

Before then, we had to write out all our business letters and reports, in long hand, on red lined drafting paper, and then submit the result to the company typing pool for 'presentation' on offical letterheaded paper... It paid to have half ways decent handwriting back then - I no longer do, and I still blame WP for that. Of course, the typists went, and we were told to get on with it ourselves. We were NOT trained typists, hence the frequent need to correct....

Call me old fashioned if you like, but I have no idea just how many formatting messes "reveal codes" got me out of, before "real" WYSIWYG came along. Not just the ability to see what was going on behind the page, but the ability to correct it where necessary. Shame this function is not replicated in ANY modern word processor, so far as I am aware. You got a clarity of process which is now burried invisibly behind a wall of inacessible code. I still miss the control it gave you.

P.S. I'm almost 80 now, so you can guess how long I've been using word processors for...... icon for what I use today.

Re: A CS student's - cracked - wet dream

It WILL be hacked / cracked within days, and an attempt made to install a new, genuinely free (and advert-free) OS. You all know the one I mean. Watch El Reg to find out how to as soon as someone has worked it out. MS's only hope is to make it self destruct as soon as any significant changes to the OS are spotted, which ought to be simple enough when all the useful functionality will be in the cloud which MS will own and control. As other posters have said above, just more MS landfill...

C'mon little mouse - there's some nice fresh cheese in the mousetrap. I promise it won't hurt ........ to start with.

Re: I don't mind PDFs

Try the same stunt sending stuff in MS Word formats to Japan! Forget letter or A4, but to be fair PDF usually managed to output something useable - complex tables and peculiar formatting excepted -, particularly if you took their oddball paper sizes into account when composing your original document. Just a little forethought and planning.

Else persuade your boss that your work is so critical that you have to take your precious printed paper to Japan in person.... Ah! Sushi!

Re: I wonder...

I have a system which could easily run Win 11, with a spare switchable sata power supply, and a spare disc bay, plus i7 chip and 32 Gb ram on a recent MSI 490 mobo. Plenty good enough.. and Ive got a spare 2 Tb ssd kicking about somewhere.....

But I'm sticking with Linux Mint. Of course, if I really wanted Windows there's always VirtualBox... except that I think MS have disabled Win 11 for virtual machines (?) So the question becomes, what do I actually need / want Win for?

Got me there.....Can't think of even one half decent reason. Linux does everything I need.. QGIS for mapping, Inkscape for filling in the fiddly details and SVG graphics, Libre CAD for 3d design, Audacity for my music collection and GIMP for the holiday snapshots I screwed up, plus Libre Office for "work" ....

Oh - and of course all of this stuff actually WORKS. Why would I want to change that??

Re: Another great victory for Tim Cook and Jonathan Ive

Wow!! I'm crushingly disapointed! Why does my Linux system not entertain me like this? It notifies me about updates (for example) - SILENTLY! I have to look for them myself!! I can feel a murderous rage coming on!

Re: I don't see the problem

Likewise. Win 11 has screwed up my Epson scanner. Fortunately, it still works perfectly in Linux. As do all the other devices (printers etc..) attached to my desktop. Guess which OS I am now using for my WORK

Re: "This update is just awful."

I'll take that as advice then, and stick to Linux Mint. Always happy to learn from other peoples experience.....

Thank you, El Reg.

Re: MIcrosoft understood you can't compete with free software regardless of how bad it is.

Odd. I use Win 10 AND Linux on a daily basis - each for what it does best - each sitting on separate, identical 2Gb SSDs, sitting in the same box and using identical resources. i7 chipset, 32 Gb ram etc, and selected by SATA power switch prior to boot.

Increasingly, I find myself forced to conclude that it is the Win environment which is "bad", Linux being very much faster, and more stable. I know which environment I prefer to WORK in.

Re: Inspirational!

Why the Joke Alert? THere's nothing funny about the truth! that is their SOLE purpose!

Re: Win 10 is good enough

I implemented my escape plan more than ten years ago, and have never looked back. Simples. (Icon, but you already knew that anyway..)

Re: So, you're not opening an email in Excel

Think I'll stick with Linux and Libre Office ...................

Re: Linux "Desktop"

"except when trying to help other people who have problems with their Windows machines".

Likewise. I just carry a bootable USB with a Mint ISO on it. It can take as much as 20 or 30 minutes - exploring the new OS - to "fix" any WIN problem I have come across..... Including the install.....

I will offer dual boot, but "that's much too complicated" - "I really want something (usually it is Libre Office) that JUST WORKS when I want it". Everything else is a bonus.

Re: Why move to Windows 11 ?

They will both run Linux mint 20.3 - and it's successors - perfectly, probably for years to come.......

But keep a few old boxes in stock, in case of "ballistic" accidents, which sometimes do happen......

Re: Re:Please tell us if the year of Linux

"An OS is there to facilitate the user doing stuff"!!!! Well said.!!! Full marks!!!

Could be that is why, for me, it has been "the year of Linux" for the last decade. And why it will continue to be so. It amuses me that the small number (about 20%) of my working colleagues / collaborators who still persist in using M$ seem to spend most of their time moaning about how awfull it is. The rest of us went Mac (Nix) or Linux years ago. And no longer have anything (IT related) to moan about.

We now moan about important stuff, like the price of beer.......

Re: What about?

Silent updates? That'l be Linux then...

Updates

I share your disdain (or something much stronger) for Windows updates: Linux updates, however... Sweet pleasure by comparison - very fast to download, very fast to install, no intervention needed, and very rarely a reboot afterwards (after kernel updates, usually) and continuing to work smoothly while all this goes on in the background. NO borking, NO BSD..

Icon, because you already know what I use.....

Re: Well done Liam...

I've worked with them (Americans) - they often seem to abuse English to confuse themselves. Lost in translation???

Re: Want to run it?

Do I want to run it? NO - because I have Linux, which works brilliantly, reliably, every day, all day. Simples

Re: Even better....don't bother yet!

My head hurts! Sounds like an awful lot of very iffy hard work. Think I'll just stick with Linux.......

Re: On the other hand

- and on which you will still be able to run Linux systems for years to come. Win 11? Who on earth really needs or wants it? Certainly not me. I'm now looking to upgrade my 15 year old Dell laptop to a really cheap, high spec one. Running mint 20.2 of course.

Re: Time for ZERO hours of lost computer time

Linux. That's how I do it. I'm on a less than 10 Mb connection, and most "big" updates are completed - download and install - in less than 5 minutes. Silently, in the background, with no lost working time (and only very rarely, the need to re-boot). Windows? Never again.

Having had to prepare many documents - fortunately in english language only - that would format properly and print out legibly in almost every country on earth (see weird Japanese paper sizes, for example, and note that the US rarely uses A4), I have reverted to creating documents in Libreoffice and exporting as PDF. This seems to perfectly in the great majority of cases. Else use Latex or a Pagemaker clone. You will hear quick enough if it comes out junk at the receivng end. Jump on a plane and take a paper copy with you if it is that important - and your boss will wear the cost....

Re: one would think

The boundaries probably will blur, but having made the switch to Linux years ago I will stick with it. I will never go back to anything made by / associated with $MS. Think of it as a cultural preference. OH - and a fondness for stuff that actually works, as if functionality actually mattered when I am trying to do productive WORK.

Re: Hmmmm..GIVING UP

Have you never noticed how easy it is to make pain and irritation go away by simply ceasing the activity which is causing them. Tis is exactly what I found about eight years ago when I -GAVE UP_on MS WINDOWS and migrated to a totally Linux environment. YES, I did have some early MINOR Issues, easily redolved by seeking help from the highly supportive LINUX COMMUNITY. I am now a very happy bunny, doing CAD work, and corresponding frrely with colleagues. (Libre office)

NEVER AGAIN WILL I EVER PAY THE MICROSOFT TAX FOR THE " PRIVILEDGE OF RUNNING (OR TRYING TO RUN...)"SECOND RATE SOFTWARE

LibreOffice

Great to know that LO can recover old MS Office documents (I have also found this useful), but why on earth save them back into MS format when you already have LO?

Re: Still miss my TechNet...

"Guess I'll be running more Linux in the future too."

We mostly all started where you are now. Welcome to the club. We're large and friendly. And free.

Seamless updates with no interuptions?

Seamless updates with no interuptions? That'll be Linux then.

Re: "Unacceptable risk", eh? - let me guess

Note that exactly the same argument could (should?) be used to stop UK Inc buying US made systems. Question is, who do you trust more? China or US? And why.

Answers to El Reg please, on no more than 50 sheets of A4 .....