[TenTec] "Remember, it's a computer."

[Ken Brown]

David,

I do not claim to be "computer literate" enough, or knowlegable enough 
of computers to be able to determine what part of the system, software 
or hardware is at fault. What I can tell you is that in my experience 
with my own computers at home, they lock up and will not respond to any 
keyboard or mouse input from time to time for now apparent reason. The 
computers that I use at work are much more reliable, and they are part 
of a network that is maintained by people whose job it is to keep the 
network working.

If my home computer was an airplane, I would not go up in it. If the 
computer at work was an airplane, I might go up in it, if the network 
administrator came along, and even then I would have a parachute 
strapped on before takeoff.

Ken

David W LeJeune, Sr wrote:

>The 'curious toy' you refer to powers 95% of all US Businesses computing
>needs.  A secretary running Word, or an accountant running an accounting
>program under windows rarely has system crashes, primarily because they are
>using a 'stable' piece of software.  As a software developer who started in
>1961 programming in Autocoder, I can tell you it's rarely the operating
>system that causes program crashes.  We have gotten smarter in protecting
>the journeyman programmer from himself, but he still manages to screw up
>periodically.  Don't get me wrong, I prefer Linux/Unix to Windows, and early
>windows had some serious problems.  The MAC OS, until the most recent
>version, was even worse.  But businesses that spend lots more money than
>I'll every have continue to buy Windows based systems.  They vote with their
>pocket books.
>
>Dave
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Ken Brown" <ken.d.brown at verizon.net>
>To: <tentec at contesting.com>
>Sent: Friday, March 14, 2003 3:45 PM
>Subject: Re: [TenTec] "Remember, it's a computer."
>
>
>  
>
>>I have never had that level of success with any version of windows on
>>any machine. The most reliable system I have used is whatever it is that
>>is running at the office. We have a systems administrator that keeps it
>>going. Perhaps if I was a "computer guru" or wanted to become one, I
>>could get windows on my home machine to be equally reliable. I think the
>>point is that most people would like a system to be reliable right from
>>the start. In other words the default settings should result in a system
>>that does not periodically crash for no apparent reason. I have not
>>found that to be the case with windows. Therefore I consider computers
>>running windows to be curious toys rather than serious tools. I will not
>>own a radio that depends on windows to use it. ...Yes it is only a
>>hobby, and it could be argued that my radios are just toys too.
>>Nevertheless I want my radio to be more reliable than I have experienced
>>window to be.
>>
>>Ken N6KB
>>
>>
>>Joe Malloy wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>>They'll get this worked out.Since 1996, it's only
>>>>gone down a few of times and then only because
>>>>the UPS ran out of juice before the power company
>>>>got things going again. It's never failed as a result
>>>>of software/hardware problems.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>Neither has any copy of Windows NT 3.5, NT4.0 and XP that I've been
>>>running -- either on the home network (5 machines) or as a member of my
>>>college.  (Heck, even Windows with DOS ran very reliably for me!)  It's
>>>      
>>>
>the
>  
>
>>>power company that keeps me from having uptimes greater than 150
>>>      
>>>
>days...but
>  
>
>>>it's up at least between power failures crunching numbers for the
>>>      
>>>
>Seti at home
>  
>
>>>project.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>This is how mature
>>>>equipment should behave. Mr. Gates? Mr. Gates?
>>>>are you awake?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>Bob?  Bob?  Are *you* awake? :)
>>>
>>>73,
>>>
>>>Joe, W2RBA
>>>
>>>P.S. I don't like Billy Boy one bit (!) nor the company he owns and I've
>>>been investigating Linux for an eventual transition (if only it had the
>>>support that is there for Windows!).
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>TenTec mailing list
>>>TenTec at contesting.com
>>>http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>TenTec mailing list
>>TenTec at contesting.com
>>http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>>
>>    
>>
>
>_______________________________________________
>TenTec mailing list
>TenTec at contesting.com
>http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>
>  
>