The iPad May Be Humorous, But Windows 7 Is Frustrating
It didn’t take Microsoft long to respond to the hoopla that is the Apple iPad, and its response was predictable. As David Worthington notes over on Technologizer, Redmond finds the closed nature of the iPad “humorous,” if nothing else.
“It is a humorous world in how Microsoft is much more open than Apple,” Brandon Watson, the director of product management in the developer platform at Microsoft, told me in an interview yesterday. With Microsoft’s platforms, developers can build whatever they want, and target a broad array of devices using the same skill set, he added.
This response from Microsoft is not surprising; what else can the company say? But it’s not exactly a fair comparison, given the appliance nature of the iPad vs. a full-blown PC. And sometimes it’s better when “less is more,” as I frustratingly proved once again today by wasting over an hour with Windows 7.
I fired up a PC I haven’t used in a while, expecting to have to sit through the mind-numbing Windows Update parade. What I was confronted with was worse than that, as the computer refused to boot properly. I found myself staring at the window above, telling me that something was wrong and asking if I wanted Windows 7 to fix itself. I told it yes and the fun began.
It sat and did something, I don’t know what but the hard disk was thrashing, for a good while. Eventually it indicated it needed to restore the system to an earlier point, so I said yes. This fired off another seemingly endless process that eventually required a reboot.
To Windows 7′s credit, the system then booted fine. The desktop appeared and for all intents and purposes everything was as it should be, the way I left it the last time. Which begs the question — what happened? How does a system hose itself between a successful shutdown and the next startup? And since the system was able to repair itself, how bad could things have gotten while powered off? It’s one of the Windows mysteries that I’ll never understand.
Now that the system was back up again, I fired up Windows Update to get that over with. Much to my surprise WU informed me that there were no updates available. Hmm. I decided that I would reboot the system to make sure it was really OK after Windows 7 fixed itself. That’s when it got even more fun.
The shutdown process presented me with a screen that warned me not to unplug the computer as it was applying updates. These must have been the updates that didn’t exist, according to Windows Update. I had to wait a few minutes while these updates, whatever they were, applied, after which the system rebooted.
The system booted up fine and presented the desktop in short order. I decided to experiment a little since I was having so much fun with this and ran Windows Update again. But this time it found six critical updates that had to be downloaded and applied. Another 15 minutes and the system needed another reboot. The shutdown screen went through the “applying updates” garbage yet again, and then rebooted.
The boot process went through a “configuring updates” process that took a while, after which the system finished the boot up. I finally, an hour after I started, had a desktop in front of me ready to go to work. The problem I was then too frustrated to get much work done.
Now, I agree with Microsoft that an open system is usually better than a closed one. But one thing I can state with certainty — humorous is far better than frustrating.
I haven’t touched an iPad yet but I will bet a lot of money that once I do I’ll never have an experience like I had with Windows 7 today. I’ve never had such frustrations with my Macs, and I can’t remember the last time I rebooted my iPhone. I’ll take humorous.
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Hi James, Buy a copy of Rollback RX. I find it very handy in situations like this one.
Why buy? It should be native. Macs dont have those.
It natively went back to a restore point to resolved the issue.
You could have not run Windows Update, done your work, not be frustrated, and let it run its updates on its own when you were finished.
The failure to boot set the frustration from the get go. I’m still not comfortable with the failure to start initially.
Couldn’t have said it better James. I’ve recently had similar issues on my Windows tablet. I feel at peace on my Macbook as it relates to stability. My life is complicated enough without unneeded BS from a PC when I just need to get something done. Mac haters can say all they want (I use both)…but there is no argument in this category. I’m soon to be 100% Mac.
I’d take the very occasional and limited frustrations I’ve experienced with daily use of Windows 7 over the constant frustrations associated with the limited platform of of the iPhone OS any day.
Wow, well close to 300 million people must love to be on a limited platform. To top it all off it runs on the crapiest cell provider too. This country must be loaded with masochists or the competition must really, really suck.
In this case, the competition really, really sucks.
Well, Mac bigots are always saying that the millions and millions of PC users are on a limited platform (Windows).
So clearly Windows users must be ‘loaded with masochists’ or the competition (Macs) must really, really suck. ;-)
We’ll, as we always say, personal computing is just that – personal. Are there people who will get good use out of the limited iPad? Yes. What I’m on about is James comparing Windows 7 to the iPad. Yes, the iPad will prove much more stable. But then again, so will old school Palm OS. But it’s limited. And, personally, far to limited for me for a slate device. No, I don’t expect my slate to be a miracle in a box, but still, too limited for me – even for what it is. I suppose a better tweak to the iPhone OS would’ve made it more appealing to me. I think Apple’s dumb mistake was to not introduce a completely new platform for their new device. But, knowing Apple, they probably will, just after everyone already bought the “first gen”. ;)
touché the reason there are millions and millions of PC users is because my employer and many other employers mandate Windows so there is no choice so I wouldn’t call it masochism more like Stalinism. Then again the Mac is only marketed as niche computer for the graphics artist and musician and the general home consumer and lacks any utilities to run in a business setting. While Microsoft’s tools suck it’s still better than not having any at all. So Microsoft wins because they’ve killed (Netware, Groupwise, LotusNotes) or bought off (Visio, Great Plains, Solomon) the competition. It’s good to be a monopoly.
i know this might be a little bit off topic here, but good thing i surf alot on handheld devices like the iPod Touch or smartphone, granted, its a small screen, but surfing the web on those is way faster and more responsive than PCs, i do use the PC if i want more screen real state or for posting comments, etc, but regardless, PCs tend to be sometimes on the slow side of things depending on the background processes it has plus not to mention flash 10.x (for some reason as the flash version goes up, the more process-hungry they get, I didnt have no problems at all when I was using flash 7 through 9, not as much as today though)
Still, i do see frustration with PCs alot more than Macs, if its not the Windows Update, is the Internet Explorer, which most of the time kicks me out of the internet in Windows Vista (and XP) not that often, but sometimes, the internet explorer application just quits. I dont know if its because of the adobe flash. This is why i am thinking of purchasing one of those iPads when it comes out. Might not be as good as a PC or netbook, but at least it doesnt crash that often. Sooner or later though, i will be upgrading my systems to Macs, i dont have nothing against Windows PCs as i will still have some and continue to use, but for my main system, i will likely go Mac.
I won’t say I’ll never own an iPad as it appears to be an intriguing appliance. I just get so frustrated over Apple’s proprietary mindset. Apple’s theory is it’s our way or the highway. Nah, I’ll put up with the hiccups involved with an open system and standards.
As to what changed while shut down. I reckon a background update most likely happened while the machine was running. It finalised on the next restart and was rolled back when you restored.
Sys events log would probably reveal the culprit.
I get much less of this with Windows 7 than I did with XP and Vista, but there’s no question that there are a million processes that I’ve walked people through because I’m the tech geek (er, English professor) that I shouldn’t have to know or worry about.
There’s nothing Microsoft his produced as easy to use as the iPad. It isn’t the top of my wish list, but I’m with you, James. Turning the thing on shouldn’t be that kind of time sucking adventure.
Why your PC had a fatal error I don’t know. Wouldn’t you say that having the system automatically go back to a restore point is better than just blue screening or a reboot loop? I’m glad it worked out so well.
So you’re telling me it’s more important for an everyday usage device to not act funny when you don’t use it for a month or two, than for it have features and functionality that many expect on modern smartphones, let alone a $500 computing device that’s trying to compete with netbooks?
I went to Apple.com yesterday and was presented with slick looking products and an easy to use website.
I then went to Microsoft.com and the home page had -
‘Trouble with your computer, Learn how to easily fix common PC problems’
Great post! :)
Really? You went to the website of a company that sells computers and got a pretty web site for purchasing pretty computers? Then you went to the web site of a company that sells software and were presented with help about the software?
….I though Apple sold software as well as pretty computers….and unless I’m mistaken Microsoft sells hardware as well as software…
I guess it’s the difference in the approach of the vendor that made me smile.
Windows 7 is frustrating!!!
buddy, you are an real idiot. I have apsolutely no doubts about this:(
windows 7 is not much better than all the others…it’s amazing how much good press it got from the blogospere…same ol…same ol
Microsoft has little to show in innovation in years. Microsoft so-called “open” tablets have failed in the marketplace. Zune and Windows Mobile have failed to ignite and their origami project netbooks totally failed as all they were was small (now so cheap) Windows machines that had a very bad UI that nobody liked! Microsoft also predicted the demise of the Mac, the iPod and the iPhone!
The Mac has failed so what’s your point?
Netbooks are a failure? Eh?
Windows Mobile? While long in the tooth in its current UI guise, it’s hardly a failure! It’s been powering devices since the nineties, both consumer and commercial.
Windows Mobile is still a steaming pile of junk. I can’t believe how much time I wasted scripting out a batch installer to reinstall all of my apps when a new ROM update would come out. So what if it’s been powering devices since the nineties so has PalmOS and Symbol they are all dead technology compared to the iPhone or Android or the new webOS.
Yeah Windows Mobile has had almost a decade of openness and has gotten no traction except for geekiest amongst us. Apple has had a closed system for almost 2 years and they are sealing the coffin to Windows Mobile. When is Windows Mobile 7 coming out again? Now that’s humorous. Reloading every application on your device again after a ROM update now that’s frustrating.
“But it’s not exactly a fair comparison, given the appliance nature of the iPad vs. a full-blown PC”
You could compare it to Windows Phone. It has pretty much the same appliance nature and is still open.
“I found myself staring at the window above, telling me that something was wrong and asking if I wanted Windows 7 to fix itself. I told it yes and the fun began.”
This screen pops up AFAIK only when you shut down your computer abruptly. If you would have selected “No”, it would most likely boot up properly. It basically runs a scandisk application, which takes a while. Then you decided to restore it to a previous state, which obviously takes time. Your restore point was probably made in the middle of installing an update (before restarting) and at that point Windows update won’t show any new updates (since you haven’t finished installing all of the current updates). When you restarted, the instalation of the current updates finished and new ones where displayed.
Mystery solved?
Only thing that really was solved is that the editor is a horrible explainer of windows OS operations and hardware failure.
Agree to your comment. If you knew last time you turned off the computer was fine then just ignore the fixing process. Choose normal boot up(took mine to boot up in 30 secs).
You will have to be really unfamiliar with windows system to choose do window fix in this scenario.
What’s the point of this post? What does an issue with Windows have to do with an iPad? You don’t provide any information about the problem you experienced or the computer you had the trouble with so we have no idea what caused the problem. How do we know it wasn’t you? Are you honestly claiming that nobody has problems with Apple products just because you don’t?
Maybe you should take a look at this post from last year before posting such obvious flamebait: http://jkontherun.com/2009/10/28/macbook-pros-have-hard-drive-problems/. If that’s not enough then you could check this one out for something a little closer to home: http://jkontherun.com/2008/12/11/mac-firmware-up/. It kind of casts the “I’ve never had such frustrations with my Macs” comment in a different light ;)
The point he’s trying to make is that Microsoft requires quite a bit of background knowledge to make things happen or have to provide any information about the myriad of problems you run into while running Windows. The people that will buy the iPad will not need to know what a missing NTLDR is or why MS DTC is complaining about a broken .NET framework. There were many mp3 players before the iPod came out. What Apple did was make it simple for the less than tech savvy. Apple made nerdy smartphones sexy to the mainstream consumer. This is why Windows Mobile is irrelevant because it takes too long and you have to jump through too many hoops to do anything useful with it. That’s what Apple is betting on with the iPad and exactly why James wrote what he did. If you can’t see that then you are just way too entrenched into the technology to see the big picture.
What a lot of nonsense. If that was the point he was trying to make then he should have just said it. Instead, he just wrote a puff piece to get another iPad reference at the top of the site. Haven’t you noticed that the most pointless device in history is occupying all the slots in this new section at the top of the site.
If you think that obscure problems are restricted to Microsoft’s products then I’m afraid you’re living in a fantasy world. All technology has problems and Apple’s products are no different. Just check the forums of most Apple sites and you’ll find just as many complaints as at any other forum for any other company’s products. I’m running Windows 7 on numerous devices at home and at work and haven’t encountered any problems that have required the sort of arcane knowledge that you claim is necessary. Would you be satisfied if I claimed that Microsoft’s problems were problem free? Of course not and you shouldn’t be satisfied by this nonsense from James either.
You can do better than this James.
The most pointless device in history? You’ll soon learn just how wrong you are. Wait until the iPad is iCloned (imperfectly) to see how “little” impact is having on the world. This is a great article from jk, but the best you can do is come up with your fluffy nonsense?
It’s not that the obscure problems are restricted to Microsoft it’s the frequency of them. If you haven’t encountered any issues with Windows then you obviously don’t do much with it then. Or the issues you do run into you don’t give a second thought to because it’s just par for the course. Something an average user wouldn’t think as such. I use the entire suite of Microsoft products not just the consumer side. Microsoft is an unfortunate necessary evil. The hacks I have to do to make things work is ridiculous. These aren’t things I have come up with these are things writ as the way to run their product by Microsoft and pay $250 an incident to solve. I guess you could say I’m a little bitter yes. That’s because there is no other game in town for the small to medium size business other than Microsoft so I am forced to eat their garbage. And if anyone chimes up with Linux, Linux isn’t there yet for the small to medium size business. Maybe for Goldman Sachs or JPMorgan Chase with unlimited budget to build things from scratch but there is no other out of the box solution Microsoft hence the bitterness.
I am yet to have an issue with windows 7, never had an issue with vista, only had hardware compatibility issues with xp (back in the day when it first came out). Yet I have had nothing but constant problems with OSX, everything from system crashes to software/hardware incompatibility. I blame it all on user error in the end.
I guess my point is it doesn’t matter what OS you use, they all have their issues and most of their issues boil down to user error. Not saying yours was user error, but its unfair to broadly bash Microsoft due to this and praise Mac. I could go around praising Windows and bashing Mac over my experience, but I feel its unfair to bash Mac just because I personally have had a bad experience with it.
Well Said Brett
James, while I have no doubt that your software issues with windows 7 are frustrating, I’ve never had any issues with any windows OS other than the occasional and inevitable virus. I will say this though, I’ve had numerous hardware issues with one of my windows PCs (which is still running btw off of a USB drive with puppy linux.) Here’s how it went down…
The first issue was some sort of ram failure which after a couple times of failing caused my hdd to die. well, lo and behold that problem was easy to fix since I had a leftover usb drive. I installed puppy on the drive and that worked for a while. I planned on fixing the whole thing eventually; that is until the screen cracked for no apparent reason.
Now, it just sits in a random corner for when a visitor comes and needs to connect real quick. I guess the point of this story is, that windows works fine for me, but the hardware on the system I had just wasn’t adequate. That said my current PC seems to be built like a tank and I’ll likely be keeping it around for a while before I upgrade.
@WHERE ARE YOU LIVING: Come on. Seriously, if you’re going to attack someone and call them an idiot, at least use spell check, since you obviously can’t spell yourself. Otherwise, who looks like the idiot?
And you think an iPad is going to solve all your problems? A closed system with no multitasking or flash…I’ll stick with Windows thank you.
I can’t speak for your situation James, for I am yet to jump over to Windows 7 (and don’t use a mac), but I can mention from experience that a system repairing itself is far, far better that a BSOD and hours spent on suggestafix.com. My move from XP to Vista has seen hardly any crashes and problems, with the system fixing itself up and “knowing” when something dire has happened.
The very few problems I’ve experience on Vista have always been due to third party software misbehaving, and not the OS. Time spent getting things just right for me has been the result of either a lousy programmer or older software that needed tweaking to work.
As someone else said before, I’d much rather spend time tinkering with an open system than be constrained by a closed environment that restricts my productivity.
James,
A couple have suggested exactly what I’m thinking… this sounds more like a hardware failure, and more than likely a hard drive failure. The thrashing initially is a full CHKDSK to verify the disk contents, and when it can’t verify system files it will use the next best thing– a system restore point.
Now your guess is as good as any on what caused it… I’d start by looking in Event Viewer though to see if there are any “Disk” or iaStor (Intel ATA Storage) entries in the Windows System log.
Also, I 100% agree on the irritating behavior of Windows Updates… they need to stop this nonsense of making me install, reboot, install more, reboot! It drives me up the wall and has done so since Windows Update was first introduced. However, to say the Mac OSX update experience is much better (multiple hundred MB updates every cycle sucks… at least Microsoft’s are small) is ludicrous. How about you put down the MacBook a month or more and see how many updates it makes you install?
At the end of the day, your Windows system is running… and it’ll do anything you want it to do. Try saying the same about the iPad. It’s simple because it’s limited. Period.
I’ve asked myself what are they updating with such frequency and I think it’s inherent to Microsoft trying to do everything and compete with everyone with Windows.
The result is a bloated and hopelessly complex OS that’s tethered to Microsoft for life support. Buyers should really take this aspect of Windows into account, especially with mobile computers that can’t run virus scans and updates on the go. It’s out of control.
The last time I had an experience with a Mac was a monbth or two ago. A friend of mine wanted to show me his new Mac Mini. He brought it up from sleep, and immediately a window popped up to demand a password for an update to iTunes, after which it demanded a reboot. The whole process took so long that he didn’t have time to actually show me anything.
I’ve had similar experiences with Windows, of course (though not from Win7), so I’m not really judging, but it WAS a great opportunity to make fun of my friend :)
Oh, I also wanted to mention that at least three iPhone owners I know have said that they need to reboot them on a semiregular basis. I’ve never asked the others, but they probably do, too. I had to reboot my WinMo phone just a couple days go, though I don’t recall the last time before that. My wife’s Android phone also needs it from time to time, and will periodically go completely wonky (disturbingly, it will sometimes crash on an incoming call).
I don’t put much stock in claims that any one platform is really that much better than the others. I think they all mostly work… most of the time.
I have a Windows 7 laptop that is always doing something. The hard drive is always working. There’s always some update that slows the machine down. It’s a brand new system! It’s not that different than what happened under Vista. I’ll take my MacBook Pro any day. It only does stuff I tell it to do. It does it elegantly. That’s why Tablet PCs and the like haven’t taken off. Who wants that experience on the go when you are trying to get stuff done. I’ll take an iPad that does less than a TabletPC that does a lot but very poorly.
Why is there always a double standard against Microsoft products?
http://jkontherun.com/2008/05/28/os-x-update-cra/
OS X update crashed my MacBook Pro
May. 28, 2008, 2:18pm
“Sheesh. Just when I got my MacBook Pro fixed and running well with a brand new logic board along comes Apple and the OS X update released today that bricked the MBP. Yep, I was running fine and dandy and feeling good about everything on the MacBook Pro and the software update trashed it. It downloaded and installed fine, indicated it was “patching files”, and then never would boot up again. Every time it tried to boot up I’d get the desktop background and the Dock and then error boxes.”
“I’ve never had such frustrations with my Macs, and I can’t remember the last time I rebooted my iPhone. I’ll take humorous.”
How quickly some of us forget.
@Adam
Yeah apple does not put help on the fron page to keep people like you thinking that macs don’t have issues but have you ever delved into the forums there? A ton of hair pulling – of course, if there is too much screaming and moaning about a problem apple just closes the thread. That’s when you you aren’t crazy.
@aaaaa
Because the greatest trick apple has ever pulled is convincing people that any issue with their mac is user error. While windows has convinced them that any issue with they have is bill gates fault. The great thing about the embarrassing link you pulled up is that the orginal story about his macbook crash reveals that he had to take into the store to get it repaired.
For the record I use windows and macs all day long and find them both eay to use and both deeply flawed though weirdly our business/household record with mac hardware, especially the first intel laptops, is notably worse than with pc stuff.
frustration = not being able to im, browse the web and stream music at the same time!
humorous = a device larger then a phone that won’t let me im, browse the web and stream music at the same time!
James are you sure MS are comparing it to windows as quote above says “Microsoft’s platforms” which could mean Windows Mobile Windows CE heck even zune!
When it comes to tablet usage, there are two things that Windows consistently fail to deliver, while iPad will probably be able to provide,
A touchscreen targeted application launch screen. Desktop icons does not work well since they get rearranged with screen rotations, and the start menu is just too small.
Scrollbar replacement. Default scrollbars are just too small and too close to the side of the screen to use with touchscreen. Windows need either better finger gestures, or way bigger bars!
It would be a wonderful news if anyone can point me to third-party applications that achieve these objectives.
Go to Personalize -> Window Colour -> Advanced Appearance Settings… -> Click on the scroll bar in the example window, and type a new size in. You can make them very fat and touchable.
Put the system into High DPI mode. This will automatically make all the standard UI widgets larger.
Windows 7 already supports inertial finger scrolling in most apps automatically if you have multitouch hardware.
I have an HP TouchSmart configured like this at home, and it’s very usable as a touch only device.
Thanks for the scrollbar tip, widening the scrollbars certainly make the touch experience much better on my resistive touchscreen.
It’s sad that inertia scrolling is not available on single-touch screens, as I don’t see why it can’t be implemented.
Danny boy, you’re only good when your name comes in Chumbawamba song? How is it embarassing that he had to take it to the store?
Apple makes a product that it assembles the hardware for, tests only on that, etc. whereas Microsoft has to make sure it works on a plethora of systems.
I’m seriously sick of stupid donuts like these who think it’s OK to blame Microsoft for such things.
Anyway, jkontherun, you’ve become more and more biased as time flows and I just wonder what you’ll be upto next.
@Hayden you mentioning donuts immediately made me think of Eddy Izzard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GaDAjHKYC4
But you’re right, it is quite silly how it is becoming increasingly popular on this blog to bash Microsoft and completely ignore any Apple issues.
I’m really sad to see how this site has degenerated into an Apple fanboy blog. I used to look forward to coming here a few times a day to catch up on the latest in mobile news. Now I’m not really bothered at all. I only come here now because I still have your page as one of my bookmarks. Maybe not for much longer, though. At least Kevin still tries to hide his Apple bias.
James, is this an Apple fanboy site? What happened here?
Why are you so bitter? I haven’t even encountered the error you had. And you’re already generalizing that it always happens to all PCs with Windows 7 in the world over and over. LOL you’re hilarious! Also, it’s the 3rd party manufacturers that made the hardware, not MS. You’re old enough to know that.
The double standard against MS on this site is screaming. Why don’t you guys name this site “jkontherunforapple.com”?
A simple mistake/shame/underwhelm on Apple’s supposedly godly iPad and you bash MS for it?! How childish. How about bashing other OS/Products/Services/Politicians while you’re at it? Fanboys, pfft!
Never coming back here again.
Oh dear James have you been writing posts when angry again?
You know that we discussed this at our last session.
Hey… Folks. Can I remind you that this is a blog site that reflects all the reactions and feelings of an author in a neAr reAL time environment.
All in all, I find this site fair and balanced.
You can’t expect every entry to be fair and balanced however… How dull would that be?
John from Norway… Your comments suprise me! Very Harsh reaction to a post, unless you feel that this is an underlying trend of the authors?
I certainly don’t from my years of reading this site.
Although thanks to these Two’s recommendations, I have bought many devices (all Windows based actually when I think about it!)
So no one’s had a kernel panic right in the middle of what they were doing only to find that the mac wouldn’t boot at all after you held the power button down and restarted? Even after a good clearing of the nvram no dice and reinstall was the only fix. What you fail to miss about your windows 7 machine is that it fixed itself and you were back in business. Show me a mac that’ll do that :)
And why is it that Windows & now fixes itself?
Because people like JK blogged, commented and complained about the way that the current systems behaved.
This is part of the evolution my friend… Embrace the critisism… learn and grow.
I am glad others feel the same way I do about this site becoming a douchey Apple fanboy site. Both you idiots are so slighted and biased, it makes me want to puke. Go F yourselves, with your stupid little iPad in hand. Dumbasses…..the Lenovo IdeaPad U1 is going to smoke that worthless piece of $hit, oversized iPod Touch.
I am not getting into the whole p*****g contest over which OS is best. That seems pointless, and a contest no individual could possibly determine the winner of, as we all have such small data samples to work with.
I know that on my Windows machines I set them up to download updates, but not to install them until I say so. I just wait till I am not going to use the machine again that day, look through the updates to ensure I really want them or not, then set the machine busy doing whatever it needs to do.
What could be easier, or less frustrating?
Boy, the passion that is invoked around the platforms never ceases to amaze me. I do want to make it clear that any opinions or observations I write about here are my own. Kevin has his own thoughts and ideas on things and I would never try to speak on his behalf.
I want to point out that I believe I make a concerted effort to report things as I see them. It’s inevitable that there will be some who disagree with my opinions but that doesn’t make them any less valid. They are my opinions after all.
As for being partial fanboys as some have stated, I know that is not the case. I give all sides to issues whenever I see them. Heck, the links to my past writings about failings of the Mac side of things proves my point. I report what I see and experience, as I have done here.
Don’t overlook the fact that this post is a recounting of something that actually happened. That is not biased, that is reporting what I experienced. It almost seems that some feel that if that’s the case then I shouldn’t cover it at all. That’s not how I roll, I call them as I see them and will continue to do so.
It’s almost funny to note how over time no matter what I write about will find some who react with the typical “fanboy” criticism. As a matter of fact I have recently been called an Apple fanboy, Windows fanboy, Android fanboy, Windows Mobile fanboy, Palm webOS fanboy, well you get the picture.
I will continue to cover all facets of the technology that I use without concerns how some might react to that coverage. I do want to make clear that I cover what I use, and that’s not restricted to one or two platforms. I can safely state that I use a wide range of technology across many platforms, and will continue to do so. I will also continue to point out when things don’t work the way they should, as well as when they do. You deserve no less.
The thing is, you didn’t just report something that happened to you. You used your problem as an opportunity to make a subjective and irrational comparison of one product to another. That’s what people are objecting to.
I liked that James referenced his experience, that’s why I read blogs–to hear about other’s experiences and thoughts. This post would of been quite boring if it said “I booted my PC and it crashed, the end.”
James’ post sounds familiar to my experiences as well. I’ve been a PC user for years, working on Macs occasionally. I’ve experienced MANY random issues. Shutdown the computer one day, start it up the next day and have boot errors. It’s ridiculous. I just had an issue yesterday where a wireless keyboard all the sudden just stopped working. Replaced batteries, nothing. Restart the PC, it’s fixed.
I used to ride that “don’t buy Macs because of the closed environment and vendor lock-in” bandwagon too. But as I learned more, I stopped thinking that. You can own a Mac and not buy iWork, iTunes content or whatever else. I used to complain about cost and hardware flexibility too. I don’t care about that anymore. Mac total cost of ownership over the spread of a year or 2 is probably cheaper than a Windows machine, especially if you consider possible downtime and how much your time is worth. Macs have the highest resale of any other computers out there. Even upfront costs aren’t far off from PCs or custom builds. Show me where you can buy a system with a 27″ 2560×1440 monitor and all components for around $1200.
Ask almost any Mac owner what they think about Apple being closed and they probably say, “I DON’T CARE”. After years of owning and working with PCs (custom-builds included), I’ll most likely purchase a Mac next. I’m all for open source, standards, no DRM and all that other hoopla, but I do need a computer that works consistently and gives me a great experience. Windows 7 has been fantastic, but the frustrations are slowly setting in.
From my experienxe your HD is faulty…or something hammened when you closed windows 7 last time, a shut off pc could not became damaged…at software level.
For windows updates…the process update->reboot is a security view, some O.S. part are blocked when system is on, no update could rewrite them, if the update could rewrite them with a new vertion..maybe a virus can too, and rewrite a file activeli used by the system is not a good thing .
Mac and linux O.S. permit this but for me…it is a great security hole.
security is frustrating and slow but it is necessary on a o.s. so targheted by malware and virus .
Good grief. What does iPad has anything to do with Win 7? I have updated version Win 7 in my HTPC (cobbled together from various parts of past and recent), which I turn on almost daily and put it in sleep when I am done with watching shows or listening to music, and I have no problem with it.
Apple is a controlling freak company and I think that is why their devices are perceived to be more stable comparing to others. Has anybody counted on how many hardware manufactures the Windows has to support their device? However, is it hilarious that Microsoft claims to be more open.
Shane
James, to be fair. What you experienced maybe has to do with your hardware or maybe you powered it off when it warned you that should not, may not with Win 7. I am a user of Windows, MAC OSX, and Linux and I see each one is a necessary evil. Let’s just say I have to use all of them for one thing or another and no one is like a fork for my dinner.
Couple of observations.
James hadn’t used the PC in some time — I’m not sure how long “a while” is, but after a few weeks of inactivity, updates will hit both my Mac and PC. And when that happens, it can slow me down regardless of the platform. We sometimes fail to realize that computers are complex and much like a car — they need regular maintenance and while the vendors provide the updates, it’s up to the owners to keep the engine running.
I didn’t write the article and yet I’m lumped in to the iPad love train somehow. I’ve written 3 articles on the iPad: a predictions post of what it would be, the specs after the announcement and what I think is a solid thought post on how the iPad compares to the smartbook concept. How did become an iPad fanboi when I haven’t offered any major opinions on it? Sheesh!
Related to my Apple fanboism: I’ve repeatedly said that I haven’t touched my iPhone since CES. Why? The Nexus One is meeting my needs. ’nuff said although I’m thinking about killing my iPhone contract and selling the phone.
Part of the issue some are having is that this experience that James shared is a rehash of his prior similar experiences. Granted, I agree that the issues he shared are real and frustrating, but I’m not certain of the value added by rehashing the issue again. Put another way: I didn’t write a post every time AT&T dropped a call on my iPhone when I used it. ;) But that’s his call to write about what he wants to write about.
In any case, I hope the commenters that have said “never coming back” and such consider James’s explanation and my observations. Yes, Windows could be better. But as folks have pointed out, James had issues with his Mac over the years. That probably could have been pointed out in the article to provide some balance, but clearly, he was frustrated with the current situation — understandable from an end-user point of view. And that’s the key — while some may disagree with the presentation of the issue, we’re end-users of the same products that you use.
That’s probably enough to digest for now. Besides, my Nexus One Dock just arrived, so this Apple fanboi has to give it a video review.
I have to say that I am so suprised by the reaction of some of these posts.
I did not see these same people posting a reaction like this on the times when you two have criticized Apple products (which I know you have)… leading me to think that these are merely a few bitter Windows Fanboys getting bent out of shape!
Many of these comments are petty, pathetic and frankly embarassing to read.
I do not own an Apple computer, I probably will never own an Apple computer, but I like most, have spent time shouting at my computer and can therefore appreciate the frustrations that led to JK writing this post.
Remember, if it was not for posts like this it is unlikely that companies like MS would ever feel the need to evolve.
Keep up the good work and ignore the rage… Feel good in the fact you do not suffer such insecurities as some of those above… (Bart, in case you are wondering… that IS a shot at you.)
I have been using Windows 7 for quite a while and get frustrated with its updates (especially if it fails during this process). It takes forever and is a real pain in the you-know-what. Also I noticed that Win7 get gunked-up just as quickly as previous versions did and starts to get slower and slower over time. The NT filesystem still needs regualar maintenance to keep fragmentation at a minimum (Mac OS X does not have this issue) and don’t even get me started on that NT Registry (circa 1993) that is still being used.
In summary, Windows 7 is the best version of Windows but it cannot compare to the Unix-based Mac OS in my opinion.
I feel JK’s pain with Windows but it sounds like nothing really new there. I suggest a strong dose of Mac OS X to quell your pain.
Your comments on the registry sound like they come straight from Apple’s marketing department and demonstrate that you clearly don’t know what you’re talking about. If you don’t understand how the registry works then you probably shouldn’t waste your time commenting on it.
Oh wait a second Microsoft you want me to use Powershell 2.0 and config scripts and not the registry because well it’s a big fat binary prone to corruption. OK then I’ll stop using the registry. When Microsoft tells you to stop using the registry and develops a UNIX like file based configuration system I think they’ve conceded that the registry pretty much sucks. So Jake maybe you shouldn’t waste your time commenting on it.
Sorry but I continue to believe that the Windows NT Registry is a big steaming pile of dinosaur dung. The most ill-conceived data repository in the history of computing. I have written many Win32 apps to fix registry issues and it is a nightmare to maintain. BTW it is no wonder that MS has never supported (official tech support) the system registry from day one ! Very strange since they know its the glue that keeps everything together on the platform. Even MS knew from the start this was an ugly beast. Remember who we are dealing with here, these are the people who stole DEC VMS code to make NT/2000/XP/2003/2008/7 operating system. They are not just thieves but THIEVES THAT CAN’T CODE !
My final thoughts on this issue. I can confidently state in response to the Apple fanboy sentiments expressed in the comments that there is no one I am aware of who regularly covers the excellent benefits of using a Windows 7 touch tablet. If there is anyone out there who does cover it as much as I do I’d love to know who so I can follow their work.
I recently covered why I thought using a Windows 7 Tablet PC to cover the CES was a better choice than a Mac. I shared the excellent experience of doing so and recapped why it was the best tool for the job once the CES was over.
I believe I have demonstrated through my coverage of mobile tech that I endorse using the right tool for the job at hand, and made it clear the tools can vary from person to person.
I have also made it clear that I use both Windows and Macs on a daily basis, and happily. I hope that those who feel I am biased toward one platform or another will take a look around the site and see for themselves the breadth of the coverage I provide.
My approach to the coverage I provide does not include bashing a platform or a tool simply because it’s not the right platform. There’s no such thing as the “right” platform. It gets back to that “right tool for the job” philosophy I embrace.
When I point out something I don’t like about a given tool, I am not condemning the entire platform. Conversely, when I point out something I DO like, I am not condemning everything else. That is simply not the way I am.
But you are indirectly condemning an entire platform. Your last paragraph of your article states:
“I haven’t touched an iPad yet but I will bet a lot of money that once I do I’ll never have an experience like I had with Windows 7 today. I’ve never had such frustrations with my Macs, and I can’t remember the last time I rebooted my iPhone. I’ll take humorous.”
I would have to concur with Jake’s observations. You took completely separate incidents and drew gross generalizations from them. I do not believe that you are anybody’s fanboy, but I do believe that everybody is entitled to an off-day. I do not question your experiences or your frustrations, but I do disagree with your conclusions. My iPod Touch and its accompanying software can be as equally frustrating as my XP-based laptop and netbook. But, I know better than to draw gross generalizations from isolated incidents, especially in a public forum.
As I said, everybody is entitled to an off day, but I have come to expect better thinking from you. You have written many insightful pieces, and I expect that you will continue to do so.
–Ken
The problem I have with Jake and he can correct me if I’m wrong he sounds like he’s only worked exclusively in Microsoft land. JK uses both Windows and Mac as well as I along with many, many other platforms. By JK using and living with both platforms gives him the license to bash one or the other when it’s not working for him. How are anyone’s product going to get better without critical feedback. And who is better to give that feedback than someone who has used multiple platforms for comparison. I don’t think he had an off day at all I think some people need to see the other side before commenting.
Sorry prethought but all your points are largely irrelevant. I suggest you reread James’s post and then reread the comments that are critical about it to understand what everyone is objecting to. This isn’t about whether James has the right to complain(of course he does) and it’s not about which company makes better products (that’s impossible to answer). It’s about the irrational comparison he made when he encountered a problem on his PC. His comments weren’t critical, they were just nonsensical. Everyone else can see that so why can’t you?
Good luck to you if you want to continue defending him but I think you’re in the minority and I think the fact that James has had to return to this thread twice to try and justify his post would support what I and most others are saying. I’m not sure why you’ve decided to take a personal dislike to my posts in this thread as I’ve not resorted to the wild fanboy accusations that others have and I haven’t bothered to express my feelings about the direction that I, like others, see this blog taking. Instead, I’ve simply critiqued a poorly thought out post, highlighted the hypocrisy in the more unreasonable claims that James made and chosen to stick to the facts. Perhaps you should too.
A lot of it comes down to how ‘lucky’ you are. I have run Vista since day one and can honestly say I have never had anything more than minor glitches with it. Every game I played has worked with no extra fiddling by me. It has booted up and worked right from first install. When I redid my computer and installed Win7 I have again had nothing but minor issues. It just works. Yet I know people who have been frustrated with their computers as well. Bottom line is computers are complicated and when you add in an open system with millions of different options for software and parts you are going to introduce issues. Apple on the other hand controls a lot of what happens with their computers and OS as well has software thus less issues.
Microsoft “open???” Major eye roll to this bit of Microsoft propaganda. Microsoft is “open” so long as you choose to use Microsoft software.
Say what you want about Microsoft openness, but Windows is still about a billion times more open than the iPhone and the iPad.
shouldn’t you be comparing the iPhone/iPod/iPad to the Zune? hows the Zune more open? is the XBOX?
is windows 7 more open than Mac OSX?
really?
Tofino, I’m not the one comparing Windows to the iPhone/iPad.
The entire article posted by James is the one the started comparing Windows 7 to the iPhone/iPad.
I saw this post yesterday and KNEW I had to come back today to read the comments. They did not disappoint.
James and Kevin are fully capable of explaining themselves (not that they’ve done anything requiring an explanation), but I can tell you this: They’re no Apple “fanboys”. I know this because I’m accused of being a “fanboy” and these guys aren’t in my league. :-)
Truth is, no one should defend the “fanboy” label. There’s no point in deflecting criticism from someone using decades-old Apple epithets. http://thesmallwave.com/2010/01/28/dear-apple-ipad-haters-please-get-a-grip-and-a-thesaurus/
I agree with others that this article seems a little pointless in comparing a full desktop OS to a so far unavailable appliance.
I find it much more humorous that Microsoft belittles the iPad in the same way they reacted to the iPhone. Do better yourself or STFU. I expect more from a company that spends $8 billion (is that right?) on research.
As for ‘humorous openness’ of mobile platforms:
Hows that SDK for the Zune HD coming? is it open yet?
After 4 years of being full Mac, recently my Mac crashed. Doing what…installing a game. HAHAHAHA
Luckily, since this is something that never happened before I googled it to find that there was an update for the game relating to this issue. Update downloaded and installed…VOILA! Lets see how many years I can go without Mac giving me a problem again.
I would be interested to know what caused the failure. The fact that Windows 7 solved the “problem” is also intriguing. If it happens again, please let us know…..there, a measured response from a Mac/Windows/Linux user :)
Eesh, another blogger proclaiming his true colors as a Mac Fanboy. Mark off another site as not a site to go to if you want to read objective news.
The headline covers it for me. I’m not really a “power” user that needs a lot of wonky features. My PC experiences have been constantly frustrating. To me, after 20 years of using computers, I want LESS not more. That’s worthy of humor, sure, but it makes me a happier user.
Windows dr00lz! Macs r00lz!
-James Kendrick
Any device that doesn’t bow down to my greatness sucks!
http://jkontherun.com/2009/12/13/macbook-firmware-update-kills-my-bluetooth-wi-fi/
http://jkontherun.com/2008/12/19/whered-my-bluetooth-go-os-x-1056-ate-it/
-Fake James Kendrick
It seems fair to compare an entire philosophy of operation of a device (the closed nature of ipad) with a singular poor experience of an OS.
Because… nobody has ever had a bad experience for an hour or more with a mac OS or even an ipod, right?
Well… I can call that BS right here and now because I have had at least one of each and I don’t even own an apple or an ipod.
However, I am the friendly geek that people in my circle usually call when trouble hits their personal tech lands.
Google ipod and problem to come face to face with any number of issues of frustration that a lot of people have with these devices.
Since ipad is just a larger ipod touch – I don’t see much cause for anticipation that it will be different.
This article was just blatant apple fanboyism.
I think what bothers me about Windows is that quite often, there are no perceptible reasons for what is happening. The system might suddenly slow down, and you don’t know what’s to blame. It could be Windows Update, search indexing, or just Microsoft mapping the contents of your hard drive to pass them on to third parties :D . Whatever it is, these events slowly erode confidence and make the whole system feel unwieldy and bloated.
I don’t have the same feeling with Linux, but sadly, most programs I have to work with are not available for it, and there are no Mac Tablet PCs with handwriting functionality, so I’ll have to stick to Windows for the time being.
Oh god. Windows Updates. The Vietnam War Experience of computing.
Incoming!!!
Yeah i deal with this all the time, Before i do any work with Photoshop or type any papers i HAVE to download system updates.
I do the same thing on my Mac.. install system updates before doing what i got on the computer for in the first place. doesnt everyone?