Thought people might be interested in reading this if they haven't
already. How true.
A rude awakening
by Anthony, A MacCast listener.
sadbomb.png(oh yeah, that’s why I can’t stand windows)
Every once in a while I hear Adam comment on Windows on the show. I’m
also a Windows user/programmer at work, Mac user at home. Because I’m a
pretty advanced
computer user my PC rarely experiences any of the problems that Windows
is known for. I don’t ever get viruses or worms, and I know how to keep things
running pretty efficiently. That doesn’t mean I enjoy using windows, it
just means that I can tolerate it while at work.
However I had a rude re-awakening the other day when I was asked to
assist a family I know whose PC was “popping up black windows”
everywhere. I have worked
on their computer before and had to do a near-resurrection on it.
Installing anti-virus, anti-spyware, removing administrator privileges
etc…. And I had
their computer running almost like new. That plus the addition of
broadband internet service to make updates easier for them, lulled me
into a state of
ignorance, thinking that I was safe.
Well, I don’t even know how, but this time the computer was in worse
shape then it was before. Every single toolbar, search assistant,
online coupon, spyware
product known to man was infesting their 700MHz Celeron PC. As I sat
down to work on it, I thought to myself “Ah…yes, this is why I love my Mac”.
I think it’s easy to forget, as an advanced computer user, that the
differences between Macs and PCs are much different when you don’t know
what you’re
doing. Advanced users can probably get done what they need to do on
either because they know how to safely use a PC without messing it up.
But to the average
user, a PC is like walking through Central Park with $100 bills
sticking out of your pockets. The entire world seems ready to mug you,
and it’s entirely
too easy to render your computer unusable. Unfortunately I think a lot
of people just give up and use their computers less because of this. They don’t
even know that it’s possible to have a computer that works with you
instead of against you.
--
Email services by FreedomBox. Surf the Net at the sound of your voice.
www.freedombox.info
