View Full Version : Windows versus DOS, etc.
First, let me say that I have a DOS-based CAD system (which some may call old-fashioned) that has not ever once hung up in 10 years (20,000 hours) of use.
I have had windows 95, 98 and now 2000 XP, all of which lock-up about once every 20 hours or so.
While that may not sound like a lot, compared to my DOS platform, it would be a thousand times as much, if my DOS system had ever hung up even once, which it has not. Otherwise, it is a bazillion times as much.
Everyone I talk to says that their windows system also hangs up fairly often. Of course I have every patch that Microsoft offers and my Norton virus scanner is also up to date, and says that my system is virus free.
The first question is, how many of you have occasional lock-ups with windows ?
The second question is, how many of you would be in favor of locating Bill Gates and burning him at the stake ?
KB1JCY
10-15-2003, 06:19 AM
Windows 2000: Once every 3-4 months. Usually triggered by a hardware issue or bad piece of system software.
RedHat Linux (in my shack): Never had a kernel panic yet. I've had apps crash on me. I've had the audio system shut down, Been stable despite a untrustworthy Socket 7 motherboard (VIA chipset).
You may want to give Linux a try.
w8amd
10-15-2003, 07:29 AM
I never had system locks with dos. #Windoze? #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif . #I liked dos and was drug kicking and screaming into windoze. #The world seems to be willing to give up reliability and function in favor of systems that don't require them to tax their minds a bit to learn.
I have fooled a bit with Slackware and Red Hat and find Linux a very good OS. #May take the full time plunge into it.
k9kjm
10-15-2003, 08:09 AM
Windows XP, Running Zone Alarm, Norton anti
virus, And an external router firewall.
I run ECHOLINK about full time, The only
problems seem to come in thru the Outlook
Express email program, Causes some type
of glitch every few months or so....... #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif
I go in thru my POP server and delete any
offending messages to solve the problem.
kc2jga
10-15-2003, 09:40 AM
Never had much problems with DOS, lockups anway. As far as Windows;
3.0, not too often
3.1, once since I had installed it.
3.11 more network issue lockups than anything else
95, more than I can remember.
98SE, not too bad. Some games will lock it up.
2000PRO, sometimes FlightSim2000PRO will cause a reboot.
XP Pro,I would get a hiccup everyonce in awhile, just causes a reboot.
I would have to say that XP has been a better running platform than the others.
Never tried Linux.
Currently running 3.1 on a Compaq 486SX with 12Megs,
and XP Pro on a AMDK-6/2 400 with 524Megs of ram.
On another note,Apple IIC's and IIE's would hang on me sometimes.
73's
Mike
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
I don't recall DOS ever locking up (since 1978 or so). Win 98SE, about 5 times a day.
TOM K8ERV
w5alt
10-15-2003, 01:33 PM
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (K8ERV @ Oct. 15 2003,09:10)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I don't recall DOS ever locking up (since 1978 or so). Win 98SE, about 5 times a day.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
DOS locked up very rarely and mostly when I was learning to program in C or mutitasking with DoubleDOS.
Win 3.1, Win 95, Win 98, Win ME, were disasters, several times a day.
Win XP, rarely.
Now then, to put it all in perspective, I've maintained a couple Linux machines used for internet servers. They've been running since around 1992-93 (Started with Linux 0.91 ? ) and the only time they've been rebooted was in upgrading the operating system or physically moving the machines. The hardware quits before the operating system locks up. That's what a stable system is supposed to do and Windows ain't.
73,
K7ADB
10-15-2003, 02:30 PM
I run Windows XP on my personal computer and have had 1 lockup in about a year. My network server is running Windows 2000 advanced server and has never locked up in over 2 years! When I had Windows 95/98 it would lock up every couple of days.
Windows NT (at work), more than I care to see. (5-8 time per week)
Mac OS10.2 through 10.2.8, (at work and at home) never had a crash or kernel panic in 11 months of use. Have had very few applications crash and quit, but never a system crash.
73
George
K3UD
w5zzq
10-15-2003, 03:07 PM
Only problem I have had is in Outlook Express - hanging up about once every couple of months. Everything else fine....
K9STH
10-15-2003, 03:09 PM
MSDOS 6.2: At least once per month
I've gone blank on the name of the IBM operating system that was used at Texas Utilities in the mid to late 1990s. However, like 5 to 15 times a day (8 hours at work)! IBM was "taunting" this to be the "savior of mankind"!
Windows 95: Once every 2 or 3 months
Windows 98: Once every 2 or 3 months and with certain Internet sites that put your browser into a "loop".
Windows XP: So far only with a problem with certain Internet sites that put your browser into a "loop". You have to reboot to reset the browser. That is not a problem with the operating system.
Now, IBM had a certain scheduling program that was introduced to enable everyone's tasks, work schedule, etc., to be made visible to your co-workers, supervisors, etc. I was made one of the "administrators" of this system and thus had the ability to do considerably more with the program. One day I was performing normal maintenance of the scheduling program and my computer took down not only the entire system in terms of this program, but also wiped out the entire system (over half the State of Texas) in terms of all data bases! It happened in such a manner that everyone outside of the downtown Dallas corporate headquarters didn't even notice anything happening. As the data was being entered it appeared that everything was normal. But, all data was being "dumped" into the "trash".
As for the headquarters location it was between 2 and 3 hours before the problems were noticed! By that time I had long finished what I was doing and was on my way to Odessa, Texas. When I got back a couple of days later the situation was such that most of the data had been recovered, but even the backups that were made on a regular basis (like every hour, or two) had been wiped out at the time of the problem! This was for systems that had nothing at all to do with the scheduling program.
The I/T staff (actually I was a part of I/T although the telecommunications department didn't have much to do with the computer systems) was trying to find out what had happened. Fortunately, they didn't blame me personally, but they certainly were trying to find out just what I had done. Eventually, the entire scheduling program was abandoned because it was causing other problems. But, the staff never found out just why the entire data base for the entire company had been affected! Needless to say, that "minor" glitch cost the company several millions of dollars. Of course IBM never admitted to any problems with "their" software!
From that day onward, whenever some "new" program was being tried anywhere in the entire system it was installed on my computer. For some unknown reason, my particular computer was more likely to cause problems, have problems, etc., with anything that was being used on the LAN in the 47 story downtown Dallas corporate headquarters. They never did figure out why this was, but I then became the "guinea pig" for the new systems.
Glen, K9STH
This is just "my humble opinion" now, but I do believe a lot of the system crashes that occur are due to the fact that people just LOVE to have bunches of programs running at the same time.
In the ham applications alone, there are logging programs, text editors, the soundcard "TU" program ( probably with two or more receive windows open within the program itself ), a "virtual radio callbook" , an antenna pointing program, not to mention the software that controls the rig ! And further, not to mention that the graphics are full color, high definition virtual 3D, designed to dazzle the eye and excite the mind ! etc. etc. etc. And many people try to have all of these programs running at the same time!
Compare that with DOS 3.3 which allowed you to run a PK-232 external box with simple line-based graphics, the standard 80 column font set, and a possible "shell to DOS" function so you could edit a simple text file . ( No fancy fonts or graphics in that file, either ! ) Why use the external box ? Because the computer and DOS were not powerful enough to "properly time the incoming and outgoing signals" on those 4.77 Mhz XTs that we all learned to "LOVE" !
Remember, those XTs used to cost over a thousand bucks, ( 1980s and 90s style bucks) and the machines were SOOOO antiquated compared to the multi Ghz boxes that we can buy for well under a thousand dollars ( 2003 dollars, at that ! ) today !
I don't think that "Windoze" is the ultimate solution, but I don't believe that we should be too hard on Bill Gates and Company for where we are today! Again, this is just my humble opinion! Flameproof undies are in place! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
73 from Jim AG3Y
KC8UVU
10-15-2003, 04:57 PM
One word LINUX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
Yes, DoubleDos would lock up, but it was a quirky and I think experimental program. But fun when it worked.
TOM K8ERV
K0CRX
10-15-2003, 05:57 PM
Windows, and, in my humble opinion, most of the rest of Bill's software 'suite' is a piece of bug-loaded, unreliable, attack prone crap. If he was even one-half as interested in producing quality products as he is in pocketing millions and millions of customers dollars, his lame company might actually produce a useable operating system.
ke4pjw
10-15-2003, 06:24 PM
Had an extended power failure 70 days ago. I have never had to reboot my workstation. RedHat Linux 6.2 + Patches
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"> uptime
1:26pm up 70 days, 9:23, 1 user, load average: 0.07, 0.02, 0.02 [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
This is one of my servers that has a big UPS. A powerfailure coupled with a generator issue caused it to reboot last time
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">uptime
3:57pm up 336 days, 21:34, 2 users, load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
We have to reboot our NT 4 box about once a week and the Win2k boxes everytime there is a critical update.
KB1JCY
10-15-2003, 06:36 PM
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif9--></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (k9kjm @ Oct. 14 2003,20http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif9)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Windows XP, Running Zone Alarm, Norton anti
virus, And an external router firewall.
I run ECHOLINK about full time, The only
problems seem to come in thru the Outlook
Express email program, Causes some type
of glitch every few months or so....... #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif
I go in thru my POP server and delete any
offending messages to solve the problem.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Ah, please give Mozilla Thundbird a try out as your mail client.
http://www.mozilla.org/projects/thunderbird/
ka1kjz
10-15-2003, 09:13 PM
I can make DOS lock up, but then again I'm a programmer, its kind of expected. I actually do my DOS development in a windows DOS window (yes I still write DOS programs), that way I dont lock up the whole machine, just the window, easily killed. But a properly finished and debugged DOS program doesnt lock up the machine.
3.1 was pretty good, lots of GPFs though, to the point I wanted to install the "GPF Key" so I could generate them when --I-- wanted to.
95 and 98... forget it, bug with a program in it.
98SE my preferred OS, not bad, once in awhile but I do ALOT of stuff with it.
NT4... never ever... but its only a video server, basically a database with a Targa board in it, does only that. Occasionally it loses track of the database though, may be a program bug.
XP... better than 98SE, on the computer at work, I do pretty much the same things with it, find so called "free" programs crash it, like Yahoo Messenger (remember you get what you pay for).
2003... pretty good so far, but I haven't really put it through its paces yet but I hear good things from those that have.
Linux (Slackware 7.0) -----NEVER---- a total lockup for no reason, usually a program error or it doesnt come back right after a powerfailure.
K9STH
10-16-2003, 12:42 AM
I remembered the name of the IBM operating system that was so bad: OS-2
It was so bad that just as soon as Texas Utilities acquired a license for Windows 95 I had the "new" operating system installed on my computer. It was soooooo much better! Then got Windows 98 and that was better than Windows 95. I have Windows 98 installed on my "back up" computer (450 MHz processor, etc.) and Windows XP on this machine (2.4 GHz processor, etc.).
Glen, K9STH
N7VQM
10-16-2003, 04:24 AM
I'm a new-comer to the Windows environment with only 4 years direct experience. #Before that, I used a severly hacked Amiga 3000. #Before I stopped using it full-time, I could get no more than a few hours uptime from it. #I expect it shall get worse as it ages. #It's 13 year-old hardware now.
As far as Windows, I have used these:
Win98SE on an HP Pavilion - would run two or three days between reboots.
WinME pre-release on the HP - average uptime of around 25 days. #Really. #I'm NOT kidding.
WinME on a Dell laptop - Just a few crashes in 6 months. #No hibernate support, tho.
Win2K on the Dell - No system hangs in almost 2 years. #Just 6 or so restarts in that time for patches. #Every other time I power down the machine, I use Hibernate.
Win2K on an Athlon K7-800 - STOP errors every couple days. #Fixed by replacing bad RAM.
WinXP Home on an Athlon 1700XP - I don't remember this machine ever having crashed. #It's used primarily for gaming.
I've had a couple other configs with Win2K on them with few problems. #Most of the problems I've had boiled down to some unhappy hardware. #Also, my computers' configuration and software sets don't change often and they tend to be used for only a few things. #Plus, I keep up on maintainance, software and hardware.
W5HTW
10-16-2003, 04:58 AM
Rarely with 98SE, often with 98, perhaps once or twice a day. When it locks with 98SE I can usually figure out what I did and, though I may kick the machine out the window, I know it is(usually) my fault. As someone said, doing too many things at once. Another thing is I am very impatient! When I click the mouse I want "instant gratification!" I mean, like do it right NOW! "Gimme, gimme, gimme, and don't wait!" And when it pauses two seconds to respond, I click five more times. So it gets angry at me and locks up. Even then, once in a while I can get up and walk away and it will recover, as it is just cleaning up the buffer from all those frustrated mouse clicks. I could use more RAM - just 256 Meg here on a 1.4 gig MB. Should have twice that but generally I'm happy with it. I'm trying to learn to click once and wait a reasonable time (like two tenths of a second!) before clicking again. One of these days I'm going to pay a bill five times on line! That'll teach me!
So mostly, since I went to 98SE, I think it's operator error.
Never had DOS lock up that I recall, until I tried DOS 6.2. That was the Bill Gates Edsel. Or was it 6.22? Anyway, one of them was pure misery. Went back to 6.0 and cured that problem. Back with DOS3.0 and 3.2 had no problems at all, but hey, we're talking 640K RAM and a 10 meg hard drive. Not much room for a lockup! And single-tasking, for sure.
Win 3.11 was good for me. I don't recall many problems with it.
Also I tried IBM's OS2. But I never got into it very much. Didn't like it, though I don't recall any lockups.
Ran CPM, too, on an old machine, with minimal problems, but no real accomplishments, either!
73
Ed
KD7WHQ
10-16-2003, 05:37 AM
Windows ME, used to be several times daily, and then I found out why.
Go to www.outertech.com and download StartEd, and Cachman. Start with StartEd, and untick anything you aren't sure of, one at a time. Reboot, and everything runs fine, go back in, delete the unticked file, and do another, until you either run into problems, or you run into the core system files being all that remains.
I did this, and now?
Turn it on in the morning, shut it down going to bed, unless I run software I have proven to leak memory or other resources.
Mozilla Firebird is good, but the proposed release of 1.5 is what I am running. Completely stable, doesn't leak squit for resources, and does things Netscape 7.1 won't, while looking exactly like!
Sometimes, you have to love disgruntled ex-employees.
If you are using Eudora, get the 6.0 update. That helps a lot as well..
N5OZQ
10-16-2003, 01:38 PM
I have 3 PC's in a network here, a laptop and two desktops. All have very adequate amounts of RAM (a necessity) and are running Windows 2000 Professional, as I fail to see the need for a 'server' OS in an open network system. 2KPro will provide the necessary security for simple multiple user situations. This was settled upon 2 years ago, and have used 95/98/XP with sometimes maddening results.
All 3 are loaded with current AutoCAD, Office 97, PhotoShop, full Acrobat and a bunch of other varied apps. Shack box has Digipan and other ham apps, some DOS based; the ones that will act properly. If it looks squirrelly, I find something else to do the job. Have not used any sofware for EchoLink, so can't speak to that one. Machine used primarily for CAD, an Asus/AMD Athlon box, also runs dual monitors via a Matrox graphics card.
Lockups? I can remember one, total, in the last year. I recommend from my experience that one NOT just throw every SP, update and security patch that MS comes out with. SP4 was unstable on all 3, one machine doesn't even get along with SP3. In a nutshell, I run these boxes with minimal upgrades; I'll try it and back it out if anything looks jicky. If the 'upgrade' does not have an uninstall option, I won't load it.
I use Zone Alarm and Norton Systemworks for AV and maintenance. Opera is used as a browser, except for a few sites that will balk at the way it works in secure settings. I have had to do a IE/OE rebuild on the laptop when OE became corrupt, which is not that uncommon with that combo.
Bottom Line? Adequate RAM, minimal OS, and hardware that gets along (the desktop units are homebrew and required a little card swapping at first.)
Just my .02; it works here.
Good Luck/Skill & 73'
Tom #N5OZQ
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (w2fgv @ Oct. 14 2003,00:10)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">First, let me say that I have a DOS-based CAD system (which some may call old-fashioned) that has not ever once hung up in 10 years (20,000 hours) of use.
I have had windows 95, 98 and now 2000 XP, all of which lock-up about once every 20 hours or so.
While that may not sound like a lot, compared to my DOS platform, it would be a thousand times as much, if my DOS system had ever hung up even once, which it has not. Otherwise, it is a bazillion times as much.
Everyone I talk to says that their windows system also hangs up fairly often. Of course I have every patch that Microsoft offers and my Norton virus scanner is also up to date, and says that my system is virus free.
The first question is, how many of you have occasional lock-ups with windows ?
The second question is, how many of you would be in favor of locating Bill Gates and burning him at the stake ?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I have a network setup in my home -- 100BaseT and WiFi (802-11b) #Run Windows 2000 Server with 10 license, Windows NT 4.0 (APRS), Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Linux RedHat 8.0. #Laptops are configured for duel boot -- have option to use Win2K or Linux #(Win2K has WinAPRS and UEVIEW, Redhat has X-APRS)
W2K server runs about 1 -2 months with no problem -- have a memory leak somewhere that requires me to reboot from time to time to reduce the utilization a bit. #Windows 2k on my wifes laptop is quite stable -- does not crash. #Have W2k loaded on a used Tectra 8100 I rebuilt from parts -- hardware issue causes lock-ups periodically. #Windows 98 -- forget it, guaranteed to crash every time you start it up at least once. #NT 4.0 -- never, unless I try to load some new software that is not compatable. (only run APRS on this box) Redhat -- crash -- what is a crash?
------------------------------------
When your computer locks up does everything freeze or do you get a "blue screen of death"
Windows 2000 was based off the NT kernel -- lot more stable than Win 95, 98 ME. #XP shows even better stability.
NT based systems are not very forgiving of 16 bit programs -- it seems to let you know about the bugs it finds. #NT based systems will not run if the program is written to allow it to access the computer resources directly -- e.g. cpu, memory, hard drives, etc.
The next time this occurs, try opening a 32 bit program, such as Microsoft Works or Word, if you have them installed. #If you can open these, the issue is likely a problem with the 16 bit program.
If you can open Word or Works, try opening the command prompt (from the start menu, or select run and enter cmd on Win 2k systems) #If the DOS window doesn't open, but Word works it is definately a 16 bit problem. #
If none of these work, shut down all your software, your virus check, e-mail, browsers, etc then try the software. #May have a conflict with one of the programs.
http://support.microsoft.com may also be helpful.
-------------------------------------------------
Just started playing with Linux, specifically Redhat. No UNIX background so I'm finding it a little challenging to learn. #No problem loading the operating system, having some fun learning to install hardware or change configurations in the super-user mode. # #(X-APRS -- set the permissions wrong during install some how and can't load the additional maps) ^%$#@ thing won't get me down -- I'll figure it out.
If you have a strong background in DOS -- Linux is the way to go -- very stable operating system, lots of flexability, and low cost. #
Lots of software available that can do almost anything the high-dollar microsoft products. #In fact the Star Office product that came with my version of Redhat will work with doc files created using Microsoft word. #(Best part of that it was free!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif(Free vs $499)
Hope this helps -- good luck
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (k9kjm @ Oct. 14 2003,02:09)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Windows XP, Running Zone Alarm, Norton anti
virus, And an external router firewall.
I run ECHOLINK about full time, The only
problems seem to come in thru the Outlook
Express email program, Causes some type
of glitch every few months or so....... #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif
I go in thru my POP server and delete any
offending messages to solve the problem.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Yep -- watch out for Outlook express. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif
Parts of it use 16 bit code that will screw you up every chance it gets. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
Have all flavors of Windows between home and businesses. Restarts are like swatting flies in the summer, don't even notice 'em anymore, they just come with the territory.
Tried once for a couple of weeks to run Photoshop, inventory control and web site software all at once. What a disaster! The PC would usually lock up so bad I couldn't even restart it with killing the power.
The Mac has been running Photoshop and a graphics tablet alongside online browsing and email 24/7 since October of 2001 with never so much as a burp. It's now cheerfully accepted MacLogger as well.
Yep
No justice in the software business.
If you or I would write code that locks up as often as the Windows 95 did, we would be held accountable and have to fix it.
On the other hand -- Microsoft recognized how bad Win95 was, found what they thought were the fixes, and sold them at a $100 a pop as Windows 98 and Windows ME http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif
Haven't used MAC before -- kind of lost faith when I found out Apple doen't build their systems to be backwards compatable (previous Apple 2c owner)
Heard MAC OS is quite stable!
I run WIN2k Pro at work. Since the complex apps I run do not play well together, I end up rebooting 4-6 times per day.
I run WINXP Pro at home and have never had a lockup and only rebooted for "Windows Updates".
I have also run Linux at home since 1993 (bare kernel, yggdrasil, slackware, debian, redhat, LRP) and have only had one lockup: a hard disk that stopped spinning!
I WISH that my apps at work would run on Unix/Linux, but that is distant fantasy at this point.
Ben, N1NP
n1np
Have heard of a windows immulator for Linux -- haven't been able to find it yet.
KC0LNU:
Yes, I know about Windows emulators. The problem is that the apps that I run (Allen Bradley/Rockwell RS Logix 500, ControlLogix, PanelBuilder, BizWare, Cognex InSight etc.) WILL NOT RUN on an emulator. Unless there is some super magic trick that I have not learned yet, anybody out there know how to do this?
Ben, N1NP
wb6bcn
01-08-2004, 11:36 PM
DOS: Best by far:
I run a lot of DOS using the 98SE base, and the only reason for this is because the 6.22 won't properly support a lot of my existing hardware.
I never call the dos mode from within windows, because I have found this causes problems. I boot up straight into DOS.
When running windows, I refuse to run any windows based programs made by Microsoft. Outlook caused me no end of grief early on, so I refuse to use any part of it. The office suite is another can of worms.
If you want to attract roving worms and viruses, all you need is to use Outlook as your mail client. It seems that 90% or more of these critters are written around the holes in Outlook.
Yes, I also do a lot in the Windows environment, but I have no major problems anymore since I stopped using Microsoft programs as utilities. That includes any games made by them!!!
Don't get me wrong: There are some Microsoft programs that I still use; Microsoft Fortran, Quick Basic, Visual Basic for DOS, but no Windows based ones.
Linux, Gentoo 1.4, kernel 2.4.22 w/grsecurity patches, never had any lockups caused by anything other than my crummy hard drive (it spins down, for power saving, and won't come back.) It does everything I need, and then some. I also run OpenBSD 3.4, also very stable. Dual-boot, so same HDD problem. I'm to the point where I won't touch Windows with a 10' pole. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Ian (Open Source Fanatic, Accused of Being a Linux Guru (?))
KI4CTB
I use SuSE Linux 7.0 on an old Pentium 1 PC, and it's never locked up on me, not even once; though it has its share of small vagaries, locking up isn't one of them. I also use Macintosh's newest OS (based on Linux or Unix, I believe) and it rarely goes awry. I ALSO use Windows XP, have used it on my main computer since last summer, and that's never once crashed on me.
Before XP, I had Windows 98, which was the worst piece of crap operating system on the planet, in my opinion. Crashed all the time.
See, this is the way I stay out of the "which OS is best" battles... I have one of EACH of the three most popular OS's out there! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
N1XHF
01-09-2004, 03:25 AM
I like dos it is very stable, But out of all the Windows programs that I have ever used 3.1(3.11),95/98se, 2000,Xp Windows 98 was the most stable when it came to crashes. I have both xp/2000 on my computer as well as Linux Os such as Mandrake 9.1 and Lindows 4.5(debian) which I have found to be very reliable and have never had a problem with. I prefer Linux over Windows because Linux does not have the twisted code the microsoft is trying to shove down our throats. And I have never had a crash under Linux, I have had only one hardware conflict but was corrected by a driver install.
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KC0LNU @ Jan. 08 2004,17:57)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">On the other hand -- Microsoft recognized how bad Win95 was, found what they thought were the fixes, and sold them at a $100 a pop as Windows 98 and Windows ME # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I don't know if you use ME, but I sure wouldn't call it a fix! It's 10 times worse than 98.
We unfortunatly have a point of sale and inventory system running under ME. It runs OK now, but literally took a year to get all the bugs worked out with weekly calls to the POS software guru to fix all the little surprises that popped up. He hates it worse than we do.
Its time to renew the annual $300 support fee and guess whats going in the trash? A new machine, new software, new learning curve, more $$ into the mix and the unknown are preferrable to another year of ME. And those flat panel iMacs take up lots less room on the counter.
To update my October 15 post on this subject.......
My G4 Mac running OSX 10.2.8 has NEVER had a system crash in the 13+ months I have used it at home and at work. Windows NT and XP-Pro also used at work do not are not even close in system stability.
73
George
K3UD