Ready or Not, Here Comes Service Pack 2

I_am_Rambi writes "On Tuesday, April 12, Microsoft will turn off the blocking feature that has made it possible for some enterprises to block Windows XP Service Pack 2 downloads by employees who use Automatic Update. That means in companies that used the blocking tool, SP2 will be downloaded automatically to desktop computers that use Windows' Automatic Update feature." An anonymous reader adds "Microsoft has published a list of known software that will not work with Service Pack 2. Most of the software will either not run or will display a blue screen of death during installation of the software or when you start up your computer." That may be why, as ErichTheWebGuy writes, "In a survey of PCs at 251 businesses in the U.S. and Canada, asset tracking company AssetMetrix of Ottawa found that only 24 percent of the systems running Windows XP had been upgraded to Service Pack 2."

Comments

Not only the aboved mentioned but,.

[MisanthropicProgram]

SP2 IS A PIG!!!
I have a question. Is there any compelling reason why shouldn't remove it?

Re:SP2 drove me to Open Source

[MyLongNickName]

Considering you probably had a pirated version, it won't matter much to Bill...

XP SP2 is POS

[aralin]

I cannot believe they are trying to force this service pack. I have installed it some time ago and since then, my computer randomly disconnects the harddrive. The system sort of works, but no HDD access is done and it will not reconnect. It happens usually within two hours of working and periods of inactivity make it happen faster. The only course of action is a reboot and when the computer comes up, the profiles of all open software (thunderbird, firefox) are messed up and the windows display resolution is set back to 640x480. Unbelievable.

I think it might have something to do with power management, that the system spins the drive down, but does not spin it up, but even disabling all power management in the OS didn't help.

OS X

[John Seminal]

I don't know how things have changed with Mac's the past few years, but the MAIN reason I would not switch from windows to a mac is because of the lack of software. The last time I was at the computer store I walked into the Mac section to look around. Their selection of software was 1/4th that of the PC's, and mostly graphical software.

Apple screwed up. When I was in school, all we had were Apple IIgs's and Macs. If Apple would have been smart everyone would have been buying Macs. But Apple cost two or three times as much as a PC, and had much less software. I will say this much, the people working in the Mac departments tend to know their product better than people in the PC department.

Re:OS X

[fimbulvetr]

Dude, you're asking this (assumed) mac fanboy to employ logic and rational.
One time I had an argument with a guy who claimed that Catholocism could not be called a "religion", because it was true.
I suspect that the argument I had, and the suggestion you are making will share the same fate.
Besides, you're also doing this on /., you _do_ get modded down for not being an Apple fan here.

In any case, I know Mac users who do realize Apple is fallible, but they are rare and you probably won't find them on /.

Re:OS X

[GISGEOLOGYGEEK]

macs are better for everything but gaming?

Interesting considering most people agree that gaming is about the most intensive thing you can make your computer do. So you are saying that macs suck at the most intensive stuff ... and therefore excels at the mediocre crap.

Sounds great! I'm switching today!

Re:Hello SP2, Good-Bye Firewall, Hello Zombies?

[Joe U]

Yeah, I know, clicking 'do not monitor firewall' was real tough, took 6 clicks total.

I should go put ice on my mousing finger, so many clicks.

I mean, 6, wow, it like took forever.

Re:We have ways of making you do things.

[undef24]

will everyone stop saying how great os x is? i don't want more people using it because i dont want to become a spyware/adware target.

whenever someone asks you how you like your powerbook, do like i do... tell them it sucks and to go buy a dell and we'll remain trojan free!

NOTE: my post assumes spyware is proportional to usernbase, and not security of the O.., so yes, os x may be more secure, but lets not have to find out :)

Re:I'm sorry, but 3rd party software should work n

[Cecil]

Yes, and if you stick to using those published APIs you will never be able to achieve the features and integration that a competing Microsoft product does. Good luck with that.

XP versus OSX

[sunderland56]

People rag on XP and it's multiple bugs all the time. But what about OSX??

Number of releases of XP/32bit: three. (Original, SP1, SP2).

Number of releases of OSX: thirty. From original 10.0 to the latest 10.3.8 there have been thirty versions - over four years, that's an average of one release every seven weeks. Anyone tired of upgrading yet??

Re:We have ways of making you do things.

[AvatarofVirgo]

Most the games at the store that are made for Windows are (mostly) also made for Mac. Besdies, computers are meant for work. You want to play games than I'd suggest a PS2.

Re:RTFA

[Anonymous Coward]

I hate stupid bastards like you. You damn people for doing nothing, then damn them for doing something. Perhaps you should come out of your mom's basement linux fatty.

Re:We have ways of making you do things.

[NanoGator]

"There is nothing inherently un-general purpose about a Mac."

Software and hardware availability. From a technical point of view, this isn't the Mac's fault.