From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2009 19:29:21 +0100 From: Eris Discordia To: Fans of the OS Plan 9 from Bell Labs <9fans@9fans.net> Message-ID: <0AE52A74098A8B999540233C@[192.168.1.2]> In-Reply-To: <3aaafc130904180919j20a5bf12q817439d39db79390@mail.gmail.com> References: <87DD0DBADB1647F789D9EB63@192.168.1.2> <3aaafc130904180919j20a5bf12q817439d39db79390@mail.gmail.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline Subject: Re: [9fans] Help for home user discovering Plan 9 Topicbox-Message-UUID: e730cf04-ead4-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025 > That is a lie. There are updates which (at least on XP) you could > never refuse. Nevermind the fact that Windows would have to restart > more than once on a typical series of updates. Windows isn't really the subject on this thread or this list. Except when=20 someone goes out of their way to nonsensically blame it. I don't think=20 that's really meaningful or productive in any imaginable way. As it=20 happens, no one here is really a Windows user (or some are and they're=20 laughing in the hiding bush). You are no better. Please do substantiate=20 what you claim or stop trolling. There are absolutely no mandatory Windows=20 updates; you can run a Windows system intact, with zero modification, for=20 as long as you want or as long as it holds up given its shortcomings. So,=20 my educated guess goes: you have zero acquaintance with that OS. Not even=20 as much acquaintance as a normal user should have. --On Saturday, April 18, 2009 12:19 PM -0400 "J.R. Mauro"=20 wrote: > On Sat, Apr 18, 2009 at 2:08 AM, Eris Discordia > wrote: >> This thing about Windows updates, I think it's a non-issue. It's not = like >> updates are mandatory and, as a matter of fact, there's rather >> fine-grained classification of them on Microsoft's knowledge base which >> can be used by any more or less experienced user to identify exactly >> what they need for addressing a specific glitch and to download and >> install that and only that. Periodic updates of Windows are really >> unnecessary and can be easily turned off. Cumulative updates (like the >> service packs), on the other hand, are often the best way to go. > > That is a lie. There are updates which (at least on XP) you could > never refuse. Nevermind the fact that Windows would have to restart > more than once on a typical series of updates. > >> >> What seems to actually be the problem for you is that you don't like >> being told there's a closed modification to your existing closed >> software. Well, that's the nature of binary-only proprietary for-profit >> software. The only way to get you to pay out of anything other than good >> will, which is a rare bird. > > No, I think he's saying that Windows Update is a piece of fetid garbage. > >> >> P.S. On open/free software mailing lists and forums justice is often not >> done to Windows, et al. Particularly, no meaningful alternative is >> presented for carrying out the important duties Windows currently >> performs for general computing, i.e. non-technical home and office >> applications which combined together were and continue to be the killer >> application of microcomputers. > > Mac's updater is miles ahead of Windows Update, but both are still > crappy. I've given Linux to several "computer illiterates" and they > were immediately relieved that they could open up a single application > and search for any kind of software they needed, and updating it all > was done by that simple application. How simple is that! > > The rate of failure of updates (compared to Windows update, which > would leave you with a completely unusable system every once in a > while) was also much lower. > >> >> --On Saturday, April 18, 2009 8:11 AM +0200 lucio@proxima.alt.za wrote: >> >>>> The update/installation process in Ubuntu sucks. If you try something >>>> using BSD ports or Gentoo portage, you can fine tune things and have >>>> explicit control over the update process. >>> >>> I was specifically omitting BSD ports, as they are in a different >>> league. =C2=A0The point I _was_ making is that one readily sacrifices >>> control for convenience and that Linux and Windows users and those who >>> assist them have to accept second-rate management and pay for it (I >>> should know, I can see it when XP decides to use the GPRS link for its >>> updating :-( >>> >>> Enough reason for me to prefer Plan 9 (and NetBSD, but I can only get >>> my teeth into so many apples), if there weren't many more reasons. >>> >>> ++L >>> >>> >> >> >