PC Linux OS

I may be a Mac head, but I still have one PC. It is a desktop machine, 2.0 GHz Celeron w/512 Megs of RAM, 2002 model HP Pavilion. I bought this computer before I knew much about Macs (yes I’m a relatively recent convert to Macs), I was planning on using it for my audio recording, which I did a little bit. I have an interesting history with this computer:

I buy the computer, proudly bring it home… plug it in, hook it up, press the power button. Commence Windows XP’s, “Wait while I make you wait for the first time startup waiting period.” (Windows was pre-installed you see… Windows XP HOME ugh). Stupid Bill! About the time you loose interest in computers alltogether (because you are now an elderly person in a wheelchair by the time XP decides to greet you for the first time) it finally gets to the set up process. The little round ball starts talking to me in the form of comic strip type bubbles!?! Go away little round ball, I want to use my computer. Stupid Bill! Spend 5 minutes telling Micro$oft how I want my compy set up. More waiting…...........................................................................................

If you ever set up XP for the first time you know what the dots mean… a succession of them across the screen make you think that when they get to the other side of the screen it will be done and you can now use your desktop… WRONG. When the dots get to the other side of the screen, they drop down a line and keep going! Stupid Bill!

Finally they reach the middle of the second line, then I see the desktop. Now mind you that I still can’t use the computer for 2 more minutes while it chugs away doing something! Stupid Bill!

Begin Standard Windows challenges. I want to print using my HP Deskjet. The CD says plainly on it, do not connect printer until you have inserted the CD and installed the printer driver. I insert the CD, it starts installing, it tells me exactly when to connect the USB cable, I follow all instructions to the letter. Print one test page… Now I’m ready for action right? NOPE! So I open my Word document, click print, and watch while Windows wonders out somewhere to sit under a tree and take a nap (or thumb its nose at me I’m not sure which). In other words, Windows locks up stone cold! This is a new computer, just turned it on for the first time! I shouldn’t have to hard kill the stupid thing! Stupid somebody (Not sure this one is actually on Bill). Restart the computer, expected Windows to gripe at me about an improper shutdown. Nope, didn’t do it. It just started right up. Can Bill actually do just one thing right? And like the oaf that I am, I try printing again. Same thing happens. This time, I uninstall the printer and re-install it. Same thing again! This is getting old! Call HP support. “We can’t help you!” “We don’t like you” “Who cares” Etc. etc. I hate tech support people!

Finally talk to someone who KNOWS SOMETHING! They say, what OS are you using. Says I, “Windows XP.” Says they, “O, just plug in the USB port, Windows has it’s own driver and will install it automatically. Installing the driver from the CD was causing some sort of conflit.” I’ll say it was. Gee Thanks!” So, I go plug in the printer’s USB cable, and presto, it works like a charm. That’s the last time I ever follow instructions. I knew the male instinct was right all along!

Next day, I’m messing with some sound stuff. I go the Windows Explorer for some reason I can’t recall, but I do recall the warning message I saw shortly thereafter. It says, are you sure you want to delete such and such file. I told XP I was absolutely not sure since I had made no deletion request. Screen goes black. Can still move my mouse. That’s it? I can mouse over a black screen? This is what I paid for? Hard kill! Restart… “Windows cannot start because such and such file is missing.” (the one I told it not to delete I’m guessing). Stupid, stupid, STUPID BILL!

Friend has a copy of Windows 2000 he’s not using (He’s a Microsoft programer and he had several more licenses than he was using). I used that for a while and hated it. It was ugly and had no multi-media features (2000 is a business OS you know). Stupid Bill!

Service Pack 1 is released. One month thereafter I go back to XP. This time, I bought a copy of XP Pro (no more of this Home user garbage says I.) XP Pro worked okay for about 3 months. Started getting slow and sluggish. I can’t have that, I’m trying to do audio. Backup files, fresh re-install. 3 more months, same thing. This is supposed to be better than 98? (well okay so it is, that doesn’t make it good though!) Stupid Bill!

Buy a Mac, Powerbook G4, 1.33 GHz, 768 Megs of RAM. Hello lovely, beautiful OS X. Get my laptop out of the package, press the power button. One minute later I’m looking at the, “Give me your info screen.” This is good, that didn’t take long at all. 2 minutes later I’m looking at my desktop, READY TO USE! Thank you Steve! (I’m still using that same laptop to type this post at 2 years old).

So now I have this computer that I want to make use of somehow. It sits for quite a while, but finally I re-install Windows and make it a network storage server and music server (Via iTunes). Long story short, I re-installed twice since that time. This last time I re-installed was about 2 months ago. A couple of weeks ago I got it a virus that I could not get rid of. I’ve had enough, I downloaded PCLinuxOS and installed it on the PC. It’s taking a little time to get used to, but it’s much more stable and more usable than Windows save that I have not yet cracked how to serve music over my network with it yet. I have been unable to get iTunes to run on it VIA WINE yet (WINE is supposed to allow you to run Windows programs on Linux). But I’m sure I will crack it soon! While Linux has a way to go to be anywhere near as good as OS X, it’s a far better OS than Windows. May my Windoze days be over FOREVER!