Tina Norris Fields
tinanfields at torchlake.com
Tue Mar 12 14:37:25 CDT 2013
My practice stems from my experience when Windows XP was new. I bought a new laptop computer just before WinXP was launched. It came with an upgrade certificate to be redeemed when WinXP became available. So, pretty much as soon as WinXP was out, I redeemed my upgrade certificate. That was an amazing adventure! I got the upgrade done and was pretty pleased with the new OS at first. Started using it right away - was working with a client to remodel a database. In that client's office, WinXP died, leaving me with what they call a "white screen." It was clearly powered and illuminated, not black, but also not functioning at all. I spent several hours on the phone with tech support at Dell to get the necessary updates to the video controller and the computer BIOS - all of which had to be done in a particular sequence. Finally got it done after basically one full work week of hardware and software analysis and careful installation. It wasn't long before SP1 was issued - then SP2 - then SP3 with warnings. Oh, please! After all was said and done, WinXP became a beautifully stable and useful OS. Just about then, Vista was launched. Now Win7 is stable, Vista is disgraced, XP is still stable and grand but no longer supported by Microsoft. I'm working with one Win7 computer and three WinXP computers in my office right now. I've had a peek at Win8 and so far, I am not a fan. On campus, our IT department does not roll out the next version of Windows or the Office Suite until about 18 months have gone by, the software has had sufficient updates to actually be stable and most of the bugs worked out. Why? Well, because we need to be able to depend on our computers, that's why. Having our printers suddenly not functional because of a new version of the OS or some incompatibility introduced by the Office Suite, just isn't acceptable. I take that same attitude in my home office. Dang! I can't afford to suddenly be out of commission because of an unanticipated bug in a new version of software. So, I do actually have concerns about the OS stability, as well as the other applications that are suddenly broken by the new OS. <rant mode on> Is Microsoft capable of putting out a stable product? Oh, most certainly! But, in their rush to market, they seem to me not to do so. They wait for the beta-testing feedback from their more adventurous or "gotta be first" customers, then produce the needed service packs to fix the problems. What's a completely stable OS with no bugs called? Obsolete! </rant mode off> T Tina Norris Fields tinanfields-at-torchlake-dot-com 231-322-2787 On 3/12/2013 2:15 PM, Hans-Christian Andersen wrote: > No worries. I can't speak for Tina, but that is what I meant. I personally would believe that Microsoft is able to push out a stable and well tested kernel and OS. Everyone else who writes software and drivers on top of windows.... Not so much :) > > - Hans > > > On 2013-03-12, at 1:47 AM, "Gustav Brock" <gustav at cactus.dk> wrote: > >> Hi Hans >> >> Oh, I couldn't read that from the comment, sorry. >> >> /gustav >> >> -----Oprindelig meddelelse----- >> Fra: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com >> [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] På vegne af Hans-Christian >> Andersen >> Sendt: 12. marts 2013 09:24 >> Til: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues >> Emne: Re: [dba-Tech] What if Microsoft... >> >> The concern isn't the OS, but the critical applications that run on them. >> >> - Hans >> >> On 2013-03-12, at 1:14 AM, "Gustav Brock" <gustav at cactus.dk> wrote: >> >>> Hi Hans >>> >>> Yes, Windows 8 has been stable since the Developer prerelease was >> published. >>> The major difference was missing features. >>> >>> /gustav >>> >>>