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Microsoft Windows 2001 Beta Slips Out
Phredd was among the first to write with this news: "A copy of MS Windows 2001 beta has been leaked out to the Net. I wonder if it will have fixed any of the 65,000 documented bugs. No one is installing Win2k so I guess the MS marketing machine is trying to get rev 2 out the door ... New and Improved! Only 32k bugs! Geesh ..."
Here's the story on 2001-pre, codenamed Whistler.
Now, if the MPAA and the DMCA can exert enough pressure to get Napster pulled from thousands of sites, and if U.S. copyright law is enough of a spur to arrest teenagers in Norway, what will be the fate of ftp sites which (knowingly or unknowingly) host this one?
Understand that most of the unbased Win2K bashing is the result of their lack of confidence in either themselves or their OS or whatever. They're so much more content to just shout "Everything MS sucks" rather than actually do any real research, or real usage. It's just easier that way. It's become very non-PC to say "Well, I actually like MS product X". Just say "Microsoft Sucks!" and watch the millions of head nod with yours. Rest in comfort that you have sold yourself out to the masses. You have toed up to the "party line".
.cfg files for Eterm 0.9, but I think I have the hang of it. It's not the kind of experience I'd recommend for my dad, it'll be nice when everything has a standard interface for configuration, rather than "use the editor of your choice".
"Yes. We are all individuals. We must think for ourselves."
Personally, I have only recently gone to an all Linux setup. It happened by accident, (my NT partition was eaten by an errant, sleep-deprived RH 6.2 beta install), but I've managed to actually do a lot of work in Linux. Full time. I've found replacements for just about everything I had on NT, some better than others, and working with Enlightenment 0.16.3 and GNOME is actually kinda fun. Kludgey, but fun.
So far, I've had the following shortcomings:
GNUcash is NOT Quicken or Money99 by any measure. It's very primitive, and while it gets the job done, I wouldn't want to use it for anything more than basic finances, and it definately does not *inspire* one to want to use it.
SBLIVE! SMP drivers: While Creative has promised them, I still haven't seen them.
Kai's Power Tools: I love these for Photoshop. The Gimp, so far, has proven *very* able to replace Photoshop, except there's no KPT. Im sure there are a bunch of nice filters, script-fu's etc out there, but I'd really like to see either a port of KPT, or an outright CLONE of these filter sets. Kai's interface is *very* intuitive. Those who have used it understand. These filtersets and their interfaces are what I consider *inspiring* programs. They are a ton of fun to play with. Check out KPT 5.0 with photoshop (or painter). I've spent hours creating images, just because.
Games: I don't play games, so this is really a non-issue with me.
Kludgey feel: something about X in general just feels.. kludgey. I can't explain it other than the "feel" of the GUI is really..ugh. BeOS has a great feel, NT has a nice feel. It could be that I'm used to these, kinda like muscle-memory, but there needs to be some work done in the standardization of interfaces. The themeability of most WM's allows for a custom look, now how about an X (which I suspect is the culprit) overhaul? Has anyone successfully installed Xfree86 4.0? Any reviews forthcoming for it?
The feeling that you're using yesterday's software. I mean, it's as if people writing the stuff are waiting for a commercial Win32 product to come out, then trying to copy it feature for feature. I'd like to see some innovation every once in awhile. The Gimp, as an application, is the only one I can think of that really feels innovative (built-in mail-an-image functions? UNREAL!) However, I've found that several apps are way behind Win32 development. Maybe it's because Win32 developers get paid.
I get this creepy feeling that many of the so-called Linux programmers are only in it because they absolutely can't stand to see other people get paid to do what they like doing (coding). I wonder if it's a "Dammit, I know I can do that! And better! But he's getting paid to do it! and on MS products! I've got to do something about that.. I know! I can write a "free" clone and try to erode their customer base, so we can all be poor together!" mentality. Personally, I find that mentality irrational, if it indeed exists.
Things I *like* about Linux:
I just like the way some things work. As I stated before, I run E 0.16.3, GNOME, and use Eterm 0.9. the configurability of these three alone make the OS worth using as a desktop OS. Granted, I had to learn how to read a few
StarOffice & Word Perfect: Neither of these is Office97 (still my favorite). They are *adequate*, but given a choice...
Regardless of my rant, Thanks for your "experience" with Win2k. I'm considering purchasing it later (I'm not an OS nazi). I really enjoyed using NT4sp6 (contrary to popular opinion, I found NT to be *very* stable. It took me a month of heavy usage to get to the point of a reboot). Use what you like using, even if that means having to hear these jerks whine about it. I'm reminded of an article (can't remember the name), where the reporter was at a Linux or Transmeta press release, and had to endure the "tssk tssk's " of his peers because he was using Word.. On Microsoft's OS. It was so faux-pas. Or something.
Sometimes I wish these MS bashers would get a girlfriend (or a prostitute, or a Life Sized Antonio Banderas doll) and find something else to do with their spare time other than bothering everyone else.