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Nice RIP on Windows......again

Windows, Windows XP Reliability. Late last summer, we purchased a new computer to replace a 7-year old PC. However, overall system reliability has been, well, typical of a Windows OS-based system, in both software and hardware problems.

On the day I set up the computer, the first program I installed was Microsoft Flight Simulator. Only 20 minutes after first turning on the power to this new Windows XP-based computer, we had a blue screen system hang - and the only software added was that provided by Microsoft. We had another system hang the next day. After that, the OS operated more reliably than the old Windows 98SE. But after just two weeks, the computer monitor totally died. I returned it to Office Depot and received a prompt and courteous replacement (thank you Office Depot!).

A few weeks back, Windows XP reported that the built-in network interface had no network cable attached and all networking stopped working. I disabled the built-in NIC and installed a NIC card in a PCI slot. Networking resumed working. Two weeks later, XP reported that the new NIC was dead. So, I opened up the system and took out the new NIC, and, since the modem card was not going to be used, I removed it also. After powering up, Windows XP now said the original built-in NIC was working just fine. Go figure. Other people have told me about similar peculiar behavior by Windows XP involving NIC cards.

I have never had a Windows-based system of any type properly implement "sleep mode" or "standby mode". I have one notebook that inconsistently fails to come out of standby mode. On my own desktop, I had to completely disable standby because Windows (or the drivers) failed to re-initialize the network card. On the new Windows XP system, standby works most of the time. But about once per week, it too fails to re-start properly and we actually have to remove the power plug for 15 seconds to do a complete power on reset.

Windows XP is more reliable than Windows 98 - probably a lot more reliable. But ... it is still not a reliable operating system based on our experience and the comments I hear from others. I have grown weary of spending literally hours fixing hardware and software incompatabilities on my Windows-based PCs. For some tasks, I have actually spent more timing trying to get the tools to work, than actually using the tools to do my work And then there is the time spent - on each computer - downloading and installing 2 to 3 Windows critical system updates every week - over a slow modem connection.

Many years ago, I attended a lecture by business author and professor Tom Peters ("In Search of Excellence"). In his lecture he noted that Maytag had discovered there was a market for products that actually worked :-) What a concept!

I have and use and a nearly 6 year old Macintosh Powerbook which has always run reliably and on which power management always works - it actually goes into standby and sleep modes and recovers the way it is supposed to. I noticed that Consumer Reports gives Apple the highest marks of all computer manufacturers for reliability and customer support - much higher than the next leading competitor. Apple's new iMovie, iPhoto, iDVD and iTunes software do things that are very complicated to do on Windows - so ... I ordered an Apple Power Mac to become my new desktop. I'll have more to say about that system after it arrives and I have been able to put it to use.

Copyright 2003 Edward Mitchell   Common Sense Technology

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