I think Microsoft is the Evil Empire. Really. I do. I hate them with a passion. On general principle. Back in 1998, the Justice Department smote them in a landmark anti-trust lawsuit. Microsoft vowed to change. Even so, their business practices still drive me nuts.
Okay, so Excel is a Microsoft product and something I can’t live without. Track Changes (Word feature) is indispensable for a writer or editor.
But that’s as far as I’m willing to go in any love fest for Microsoft. Mostly I live in a constant “frown state” when dealing with Microsoft. They cause me such headaches. The amount of garbage coding Word puts in a document is ridiculous. In order to make our newsletter and blog software behave, any Word prepared text has to be put into Note Pad to force the garbage code out. Otherwise, we can chase our tails for hours trying to get the formatting right.
Millennium anyone? Now that was an operating system even Microsoft would like to forget. Don’t get me started on the fact that they are discontinuing support for Windows XP, which a lot of businesses depend on.
I hate being forced to new systems, which require the purchase of new software all too often. I hate upgrades I really didn’t want. And I hate going in circles with tech support as the software company says the problem is Microsoft and Microsoft says the problem is the software. I feel like the kid in the joke: “Daddy, Daddy! I’m tired of going in circles.” “Shut up, kid, before we nail your other foot to the floor.”
Yes, the constantly changing, updating, innovating world of computers can be crazy-making. Like when I’m trying to do something online and the website flashes a message telling me that I HAVE TO use Explorer. Seriously? I can’t use one of the other browsers? The faster browsers? I have to leave Chrome or Firefox and boot Explorer? Slow plodding, glitchy Explorer? Really? Because companies don’t want to go to the trouble of making sure their sites work with more than one browser, they force us to keep using Explorer.
What’s on your last nerve in the world of computers? What browser do you use?
Riding With The Top Down 
I hat IE, and use it only if some idiot website creator insists on it (and then I complain.) Long ago, to print my Delta boarding passes, I had to be in IE. But most of that’s been fixed–at least the places I visit. (I also hate Track Changes; drives me nuts).
I use Firefox. Tried Chrome; didn’t like it, either. I’m old, though and might be guilty of getting stuck in my ways.
I just got a new laptop, long overdue, and it’s using Windows 7 (I’ve been using XP for as long as I can remember.) Whole new learning curve, and I thank goodness I don’t rely on my laptop for the majority of my work–it’s my backup, when I want to work downstairs computer. I figure it’ll be over a week before I even get the programs I need onto it.
I’ll bet you get a lot of comments from Mac users today.
Terry
Terry’s Place
I have found IE works for me, but not all the time. I don’t like Chrome, but I have recently tried Firefox and I just may switch…
The thing that has got me going crazy is tring to find a program that will take my PDF books and transfer them to my kindle..I just got my first kindle and I hate these new learning curves… Any ideas on what a good program is. for this…
Terry– Yes, I did think long and hard about opening the door to Mac “I told you so’s.” (g) I do have a Mac, too, so I figure I’m qualified to compare them and judge them different but not better. Although I like their touch pad handling better for browsing.
Mac owners used to tell me they never froze up. Well, I’m now familiar with the “force close.” As far as I’m concerned that is the same thing as a PC hanging up. I don’t find the Mac any more stable than XP, which has been pretty stable for me. It would be miles more stable than some of the other Windows operating systems. And there are fewer viruses.
I just installed a new Firefox on the laptop last night which is what made me think about browsers. I like Firefox. Good browser. I find Chrome faster and for me surfing is all about speed. But I still download Firefox to all my computers. The troops in the office use either Chrome or Firefox. I show new people both and let them decide on their browser. No one has stuck with Explorer. That tells me something.
Kathleen– Do you mean a program to “side load” a PDF or a program to convert a PDF to a Mobi or prc file which is the native format for Kindle?
Case in point: I understand the infinitives and the articles in this sentence. I know this response is for the other Kathleen, but this just shows to go you that in the world of computers, I’m not out in left field anymore. I’m in the parking lot.
Oh! Poor Kathleen. We’re just talking about loading a file on a Kindle that you didn’t buy from Amazon. See? Now you’re at least under the building over hang.
I hate programs that hog my computer and try to take over other programs. I call these “bully programs”. I use Internet Explorer and Firefox. It’s so nice to have an option when IE is being a pain in the patootie! xo, Leanne
I adore Chrome. Don’t seem to have too many problems with the Mac either, though occasionally I’ll have too many things open and ‘force quit’ it is. But when a Mac goes wonky, it really goes wonky. Fortunately, their customer service has be very very good to me. Fingers crossed and knocking on wood. 😉
I used to say this about Dell customer service. That was a few years ago. Then–like way too many big companies–they stopped caring about customers.
Leanne– Yes! Programs that just muscle their way in and shoot tentacles into every conceivable operating parameter. Hate them, too!
Michelle– Yep. I’m liking the Chrome. I’ve only been using it about a year. Still use Firefox some, but I’m mostly a Chrome girl these days. And I will agree about the Mac customer service techs.
I love Chrome, but I have to IE for a few web sites.
Miss you.
Hey! We’ve been so busy here, it’s not even funny. Good to see you post. 🙂
I’m a Chrome girl, too. Another something we have in common. (g)
In college, everything was Linux based. After the first few months, use command codes for everything was good and I loved all the virtual desktops – 6 full size screens you could switch too. I’d love to have that as a writer right now. I could leave the mail up on one virtual screen and writer in another and never know there was new mail.
I hated doing tech support under windows and but I do have to say I’ve had very few blue screens of death under Vista than I did under NT…although I preferred Word under NT. I don’t really like the docx and I loved when they had versioning.
I hate IE. Don’t use it. If I can’t buy from with firefox….then I don’t need your product. Microsoft even changed their site so you can download files in ff instead of IE.
Beth– Okay, that’s my new deal. If I can’t buy from you within my well-known browser of choice, then you don’t get my money. I’m going to go the extra mile and tell them that too. 🙂 I feel very constructive now.
Beth, my son went to school to train for Linux. At the time it was THE thing. By the time he finished his program, it was no longer going to be THE thing, but he says it would be if there were really such a thing as a “level playing field.” Our old Dell laptop–hubby only uses it for internet–is so slow at this point it’s almost useless, so David offered to switch it to Linux. It’ll be interesting to see if it makes a difference.
I run two browsers all day…Firefox and Chrome. I ADORE Chrome. Firefox is “okay” but I’ve had some issues with it closing unexpectedly. I don’t like IE and only use it WHEN I’M FORCED to.
I confess to still using Microsoft Office 2003! I might should upgrade to MS2010, but why should I?
I HATE with the passion of 10,000 suns the VISTA operating software. HATE IT. Lucky for me, it’s only on my husband’s computer so I don’t have to face it very often (only when I’m trying to fix something he did on his computer.)
I’ve been on MACs and on PCs. Since all my software is PC based and I’m too cheap to buy all new software, I’ll not be moving to MACs.
CD — Yep Wouldn’t have Vista on anything. I spec’d XP Pro on anything I bought during the Vista era. ::shudder:: Boy, I hated that too.
I got tired of Microsoft too, so now I have an iMac. I still had to get Office for Mac because I do have to have Excel and Word, darn it.
Barbara– I can’t live without Excel. I’ll admit it. (g)
I hate changing anything to do with using the computer because I have such a superficial understanding of the whole concept, so I learn the mechanics. In my book, mechanics=necessary evil. Please don’t make me start over! I started computing with a Kaypro back in the 80’s. i thing the program was called Perfect Writer, and it was way more complicated than Word, but I hung in there until my old Kaypro was so outmoded…well, they went out of business.
I still use XP. Tried Windows 7 and hated it, probably because deep down I didn’t want to change, so I went back. I used Firefox almost exclusively until recently, but I kept IE because some sites wouldn’t work with FF. Finally made IE my default browser. Doesn’t make me happy. So when pressed, I will go elsewhere. But it’s hard to find a viable elsewhere. I’m thinking–wishing?–Mac, but that’s an expensive change.
Hate evil empires. Truly. They’re all about choking out competition and monopolizing the market place. Eventually they will nail down the consumer’s other foot.
Mac’s an expensive change. My “fight back” position is to research alternatives other than Microsoft in software and to support them. I’m a big proponent of WordPerfect. Still use it. Still recommend it, but I’m forced to use Word because publishing adopted it many years ago in the same way the legal profession has adopted WordPerfect.
I like Firefox. But my knowledge of such things is extremely limited.
Firefox is a great browser. I use it from time to time. I have it on all the machines here at work, but the employees can use whatever they want. I just encourage them to try Chrome and Firefox for some amount of time before going back to IE. Usually after the trial run, they think they might go back to IE, but when they do it’s slow to them now. (g)
Let’s see. We start with Chrome, then settle for Firefox and then go kicking and screaming and fuming to IE. Except when on the iMac at home, then IE is replaced by Safari. The IT guy at work asked me why I don’t like IE. Because it isn’t supplied for Mac, I don’t use it at home and I’d bet even he would prefer something else if he ever used it.