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10 stupidest uses for Windows

networkworld.com — From the dangerous to the just plain silly, here are 10 real-world examples of Windows being used in places it has no business being.

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  • Maxmaxxwell, on 07/08/2008, -118/+17I'm about 95% certain 'stupidest' isn't actually a word... I believe what you are looking for is 'most stupid'
    • kraetos, on 07/08/2008, -6/+51Nope, stupidest is a word, and Google is your friend.
    • SomeImagination, on 07/08/2008, -9/+112Thats the stupidest comment I've seen in a while
    • GeorgeStone2, on 07/09/2008, -29/+5I usually use "Most stupid" over "Stupidest"
      • humperdeath, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3And now for something even more stupiderer. . .
    • magusat999, on 07/09/2008, -15/+2Perfect present tense: "stoopidest"...
    • buddyfarr, on 07/09/2008, -8/+2well that is even stupiderer then the OP...
    • D14BL0, on 07/09/2008, -4/+43I'm about 95% certain that you failed English.
    • ganlet, on 07/09/2008, -4/+9You could have just checked the dictionary before posting.
    • Elranzer, on 07/09/2008, -8/+3Article should be titled "10 uses for Windows Embedded"
    • darthzaphod, on 07/09/2008, -1/+4You know digg is a great place when bad grammar is dug down. Hooray!
    • robrohan, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3On Mac, you can just hover over a word press command+alt+d and it looks up the word in a dictionary... Just saying...
    • lostarchitect, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Hey, hey-hey-hey... HEY STOOPID! oh alice cooper, what's become of you?
  • kraetos, on 07/08/2008, -35/+215I'm sure there's a lot more than 10. A lot of money gets wasted on Windows where Linux or a home-grown embedded OS would do.
    • unreg, on 07/09/2008, -31/+12If Linux or home grown solutions were superior or more effective then they would be in use. The fact is Windows wins hands down.
      • sg7791, on 07/09/2008, -3/+10Windows wins because people trust it. People trust it because they're paying a lot. But really, that much doesn't need to be spent, and it can't be trusted any more than a Unix-like system.
      • andrewtheart, on 07/09/2008, -5/+19This is the exact kind of logic typical of of someone who doesn't fully understand the Linux usage dilemma. How's Vista going for you?
      • blacklabelrum, on 07/09/2008, -2/+8People only choose windows because writing software for a particular applications is cheaper. Linux is open source, but there aren't any programmers writing open source software for train control systems.
      • LiquidShield, on 07/09/2008, -12/+6Ok windows fan boy. The only reason windows is used so much is that any retard can sit in front of it and use with out having to be extensively taught. It keeps getting more, and more retard proof with each new release of windows. Except for Vista because that was something new, and people didn't like it, it scared and confused them. Now windows is planning on releasing ANOTHER OS next year some time Windows 7 which just so happens to be vista but with a whole new face (talk about polishing the turd as it were). Even I my self run windows both at work, and at home. I also run Linux at home as well for a lot of things. I find it better to secure since you actually have to know what your doing, and learn how to run the OS. Plus with Linux you can take the kernel decompile it, and slap your own stuff around it and recompile it to make your OWN OS. Where with Windows you can't do that. Which means you can stop memory leaks, and basically all the problems that you would normally have with windows. Plus you don't have to worry about viruses either since 99.8% of all viruses are written for windows. The other .2% if reserved for Mac OSX even though it's FreeBSD Linux with a fancy GUI. So before you keep making your retarded remarks about "How Superior Windows is over Linux" use a distro of it, and see for your self how to use. Then again since your a windows user you wouldn't be able to use it.

        Besides if windows was SOOOOO great why isn't free. Ohhh that's right corporate capitalism we gotta keep feeding gates and his family... If I remember right Linux is completely free except for Mac OSX, and Red Hat Enterprise. The only thing you get with either or these distros is 24 hour tech support. Then again in the right circles you get 24 hour tech support with Linux since a good portion of the world uses it. Kids in Europe use it on a daily basis for school, and what personal use.
      • Murdats, on 07/09/2008, -9/+5@liquid shield
        being usable without prior knowledge is a bad thing? would you like a 50 page manual for your wristwatch?

        and are BMW's worse then broken down cars because BMW's aren't free? that is the most stupid logic, its is obviously worse because it costs more.

        then again you do seem to know very little about operating systems, but that does not forgive you your arrogance.
      • Naidel, on 07/09/2008, -2/+13OK, I can't really say I'm proud of the arguments some people make for defending Linux. But saying "windows wins hands down" is in fact the stupidest thing I've read today. People don't use Windows because it's a better OS. People use Windows because they don't know better, which the article so profoundly proves. So all I can be bothered to say in reply to unreg is:

        BWAHAHahahahahahHAHA, unreg is such a retard! DATS RIGHT I CLICKED THE BURY BUTTON!!!
      • unreg, on 07/09/2008, -6/+4"Ok windows fan boy. The only reason windows is used so much is that any retard can sit in front of it and use with out having to be extensively taught."

        Thank you for proving the point.
      • marx2k, on 07/09/2008, -1/+9unreg, as per your last comment:
        ""Ok windows fan boy. The only reason windows is used so much is that any retard can sit in front of it and use with out having to be extensively taught."

        Thank you for proving the point. "

        When you're going off to fight a war, you have the choice between a rock and a handgun. The rock you can pretty much figure out how to throw. But in order to properly use the handgun, you need to read a book or take classes to do so. Based on ease of use, you'd probably choose the rock. But the rock is not always the best choice.

        Linux is easy to boot up just as it's easy to pull the trigger on a handgun. However, to become any more proficient with Linux, you need to do a little reading. If you need to put new bullets into a gun, it's not always intuitive. With Windows, it's as if someone crazy glued the clip release and you're pretty much stuck with what you've got (an object you can throw)

        (And no, you don't have to take classes or read books to use Linux. The forums are always helpful, live chat via IRC is always helpful, man pages are always helpful, etc)
      • LiquidShield, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3@Murdats

        For one the OS is programed and configured by man which makes it no more intelligent then that person. A car is built by man which makes that car no better then the person that built that car if the person is untrained in building cars then yes a BMW $30,000+ car becomes a piece of ***** with 4 wheels. No working with something with out prior knowledge of said product is never a bad thing how else are you supposed to learn about anything. If you call something crap with out ever touching it, using it, etc. then you shouldn't speak on it. Even a windows fan boy such as your self would agree that you can slap someone who has never used a computer before in front of a windows box and let them go to town on it they wouldn't have that many problems using it. If you took that same person and slapped them down a on lets say a Fedora Core box, or a Debbian Box, Open Suse box, and told them to go to town on it and just use it with out having prior knowledge of said system(s). Then YES they would have a far more difficult time using is.

        As 90% of all linux users would say that yes that person would have a hard time using a linux based OS, because it's not as simple to use as a windows machine for just a pure user, and even some season windows users. You can't just pop a CD, floppy, or usb in to the machine and expect it to work. You actually have to tell it work, because with most Linux os's you have to mount that drive before you can use that disk. You decompile the OS and recompile the OS with a program or code that allows the OS to recognize those devices at boot up just like in windows. 90% of your time in Linux is used in the terminal window and not the GUI as it is in windows. Also you can take a machine from lets say 5-9 years ago still running a P3 proc or a P4 proc and install linux on it the machine will run just as good as your machine to day running windows. What is windows... BLOAT WARE... expensive bloat ware...

        What you call Arrogance I call confidence. So dig me down fan boy... doesn't hurt my feelings at all... Before you do please oh please for me get some education on Linux before you spout your windows fan boydom some more.
      • kraetos, on 07/09/2008, -1/+8No, the fact is Windows is ubiquitous and a lot of people don't even realize you can have a computer that DOESN'T run Windows. Just because everyone else uses it, doesn't make it the best.

        You fail, but feel free to learn something and try again next time.
      • Murdats, on 07/09/2008, -4/+2what you call confidence I call petty childish arrogance, for you insist on lacing your comments with insults and believe anyone who disagrees with you as a fanboy, as for your first paragraph I am not going to even bother figuring that out, you then continue to keep saying how difficult and indirect linux is to use, I still fail how to see how this is a benifit.

        and to end, I actually like linux, I do know about linux, I just dont believe it to be the gift from god you apparently do.
      • Murdats, on 07/09/2008, -5/+2"When you're going off to fight a war, you have the choice between a rock and a handgun. The rock you can pretty much figure out how to throw. But in order to properly use the handgun, you need to read a book or take classes to do so. Based on ease of use, you'd probably choose the rock. But the rock is not always the best choice."

        worst analogy ever, if you were to compare two devices that launch projectiles maybe, but linux and windows both ultimately do the same things, it provides a basis for user developed applications to communicate with hardware, so maybe a better comparison would be a choice between a glock, and some crazy pistol that has 3 switches, 2 triggers and a complicated reload method.
      • sleepwalkers, on 07/09/2008, -1/+6This whole thread is about as eloquent and as educated as two retards in a spelling bee.
      • LiquidShield, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3@Sleepwalkers:

        You get an ^up dig. Fantastic.

        @Murdats again:

        You can call it childish ignorance if you want that doesn't bother me in the least bit. As far as insulting anyone I don't think I have. Seriously if I have offended you by calling someone a fan boy, because they love windows over Linux, and do think that it's a gift from the gods then I'm am sorry. I do call them like I see them, and this is the most blatant fan boy thread ever. It's just like reading the PS3 or XboX forums on either site as soon one mentions the other its flame city for the guy that JUST happens to like the opposite of the others.

        Yes Linux for the average user is hard to use so yes I am going to agree with that. Which is what I have been saying. The fact that people that use Linux are the ones that understand the little things about OS's, because they have to learn how to use it. They also have to dig deep into the OS to make sure things are configured properly. Where with Windows you don't have to. That is why so many people use. You don't have to know how it works you just follow the step by step instructions of the little wizard, because the windows wizard knows all. Maybe using Linux a good portion of your computer time is not a benefit for you per-say. Then those of us that actually want to take the time to learn how to use the OS, and configure it to our wants as well as needs instead of following wizards then more power to us. If you want to follow the windows wizard then good for you more power to you. I am glad that you do actually admit that you like Linux, and know of Linux. I am not going to apologize to those think windows is far superior than anything else on the face of this earth to run computers. It's not plain and simple. Windows by definition is considered bloatware especially windows vista which I happen to run Vista 64bit.

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_bloat

        If would have read the first post you started flaming me you would have read that I do run windows, and Linux. Windows for Gaming, and Linux for other things. That's only because playing games on windows is better then playing them on Linux only, because you would have to make sure that the game is supported by wine. If its not then your pretty screwed, but then again Linux wasn't designed to play games on, and be an average user OS. I don't think Linux is a gift from the gods, because its proven that it is a far superior OS compared to Linux. ANY IT guy will tell you that.

        As to your post to Marx2k is pretty on the ball about the two OS's. Windows which is the rock. You don't really have to know much on how to use. The rock you don't have to know anything to know how to through it at something. Linux which as you probably figured out by now is the gun. Linux you do have to have some knowledge not a vast amount, but enough to know what you're doing. That's what the average user just doesn't use it, because they have to take the time and want to take the time to learn it. The same thing for guns. You give someone a gun who have never learned how use one, or have never seen one have fun with that. They will have to learn how to use it. Not only for their sake but the sake of the other around them. Which makes his analogy perfect to compaire to both of these OS's. Here is a little fact lets say that gun was an M-16 military issue rifle. Did you know that it takes the military 2 weeks to show our armed forces during boot camp how to field strip one of these and service it? Where it would take them 4 hours to learn how to field strip and service a AK-47. Even our military has stated that fact.

        But at this point I am done responding to these posts... this has really gone on long enough... Have fun...
    • fatjoe, on 07/09/2008, -5/+32maybe so but I think this article, though not on purpose,
      shows how successfull microsoft has been in creating a unified platform for businesses to operate on.
      • vuke69, on 07/09/2008, -4/+13maybe so but I think this article, though not on purpose, shows how successful Microsoft has been in creating a unified platform for hackers to operate on.
      • boot20, on 07/09/2008, -3/+6MS created a unified platform? Somebody better tell MS. Try to run a .Net 1.1 app on a machine with .Net 3.0 installed. To to run a Win9x or Win2k era app on Vista. Try to get Server 2k3 to work properly with WinNT.

    • CosmicJustice, on 07/09/2008, -12/+33A lot of money gets wasted screwing around trying to get Linux installed/working when a few bucks for an OEM copy of Windows can make the problem go away. My time is worth something.
      • marx2k, on 07/09/2008, -16/+10"A lot of money gets wasted screwing around trying to get Linux installed/working when a few bucks for an OEM copy of Windows can make the problem go away."

        A lot of money gets wasted screwing around trying to get Windows installed/working when a few bucks for a Linux sysadmin can make most (if not all) desktop and networking problems go away.
      • LiquidShield, on 07/09/2008, -12/+7@Marx2k

        Not to mention that the only thing that you waste with Linux if you waste anything at all is time since all distro's except Mac OSX, and Red Hat enterprise is FREE. All you gotta do is download the .img of the OS burn it to disk, and WOW you have linux OS. With windows you blow money to pay for an os.

        http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8 ...

        Its funny that people seem to think they more expensive the item the better it is. That and you're really paying for bloat ware.
      • drunkinbda, on 07/09/2008, -7/+47lol you fanboys never open your eyes. Linux is good to you becasue you use it and understand its quirks. Windows is good for others because its not a hobby. Windows generally just works, and i dont want to spend hours or days trying to figure out why two files dont want to work together. Windows and its 3rd party developers have SUPPORT SITES... wtih support help to get it just working.

        Linux has community based support forums which are rarely tailored for hte specific software in question (have to hope you find an answer on the linux forums), and then you have to try to do the fix yourself with what you read (which often screws other stuff up if you arent careful).

        Yes there are times windows should not be used on systems, as in some of these examples where a small OS that doesnt need constant administrations. People dont think windows is better because its expensive, they think its better because its generally all inclusive and far more user friendly.. and finding support is much simpler for those who dont have or dont care to have an intimate knowledge of the systems inner workings.
      • LiquidShield, on 07/09/2008, -2/+20@Drunkinbda

        HOLY CRAP that is the first intelligent thing I have read all day in this. That is completely true. I will agree with you both OS's have their highs as well as lows, and I will give you an updigg.
      • widgetmaker, on 07/09/2008, -4/+6if money>time use Linux
        if time> money use windows
        solved (this is for a 'normal' average user who wants things to be nice and easy and the thought of using a command line would be scary)
      • marx2k, on 07/09/2008, -4/+11"Linux is good to you becasue you use it and understand its quirks. Windows is good for others because its not a hobby."

        By the time you've installed Windows, found sites where to download software to make the OS useable, installed that software, got rid of the bundleware with that software, set up some semblance of a home network, installed drivers for your various hardware by downloading black-box installers from the software vendors or hoping the crap you get on the accompanying CD installs properly, you may as well consider it a hobby.

        "Windows generally just works"

        Maybe. Not in my experience. But what happens when it DOESN'T work? And what happens when the fix is not so easy? Let's say you have a 3rd party product (like a driver installer from the CD). So you loaded up Windows and you'd like to install the driver. So you insert the CD, watch the progress bar and at 56% you get a popup dialog that says "Sorry, error encountered" with an OK button that closes out the installer. Hm, do you drop to a command line and look for debug messages? No. Do you call Microsoft? No. Do you call the 3rd party vendor and hope they don't blame it on YOUR computer? Maybe. Does it tend to help since it works for EVERYONE ELSE? Usually not.

        "and i dont want to spend hours or days trying to figure out why two files dont want to work together."

        What are you referring to when you say that's a negative of the Linux OS?

        "Windows and its 3rd party developers have SUPPORT SITES wtih support help to get it just working."

        Of course they do, you're paying for the software. Any software you pay for with Linux typically has the same thing. Some Linux releases such as RedHat and Ubuntu have people on the phones to help you as well.

        "Linux has community based support forums which are rarely tailored for hte specific software in question"

        http://www.google.com - search term (for Ubuntu, anyway) site:ubuntuforums.org <search term >

        The only issue I've not found an answer to yet in 3 years is an overscanning issue with an NVidia card to DVI>HDMI out to my TV

        "(have to hope you find an answer on the linux forums)"

        There's also IRC and other forms of communication (newsgroups, which are sort of like forums, I guess..) or you can call Canonical if you paid for the support. Or if you bought your computer with Linux preinstalled, you can typically call the vendor.

        "and then you have to try to do the fix yourself with what you read"

        How else would it get done? You can always let someone remote into the box, but usually any fix is not that difficult.

        "(which often screws other stuff up if you arent careful)."

        Considering the modularity of the Linux OS, that doesn't tend to happen.

        "and finding support is much simpler [for Windows] for those who dont have or dont care to have an intimate knowledge of the systems inner workings."

        So how do users get support for Windows that's different from how users (who pay for support) on Linux get it?




      • Cyber_Akuma, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4marx2k:

        Because more often than not, Windows works, and Linux is the one that needs tweaking and patching.

        I myself have run into this. I have a triple-booting system, Vista runs fine with just about anything I do with it, for Ubuntu, I couldent get the sound, graphic acceleration, or WiFi to work. I tried the offocial forums and even some unofficial ones, after multiple pages of replies from various people, everyone gave up, I just couldent get it to work.

        Windows however, whenever I have had a problem, there are thousands of free support forums that can be found, and for more common problems a simple Google search will find hte solution.

        Linux may have official/dedicated support, but there are a far larger number of free support sites for Windows as well.

        More often than not I get my windows problems solved while my Ubuntu issues remain unsolved.
      • Gizza, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2"By the time you've installed Windows, found sites where to download software to make the OS useable, installed that software, got rid of the bundleware with that software, set up some semblance of a home network, installed drivers for your various hardware by downloading black-box installers from the software vendors or hoping the crap you get on the accompanying CD installs properly, you may as well consider it a hobby."

        If that takes more than 30mins then you're doing it wrong.
      • marx2k, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Gizza: The point is that once the OS is installed it should not take 30 minutes of installing 3rd party software to "finish" installing the OS
      • drunkinbda, on 07/15/2008, -0/+1Marx2k..
        the thing is you are confusing me with a "windows fanboy". I am not saying linux sucks, i am saying windows is far easier to take out of the box and run than linux.

        find a site and then download software and buy it to make os usable?
        Home network?
        Installed drivers?

        then you say about IRC and Canonical, usegroups..?? you still arent getting it. Most people dont know about or use these. I am a techie.. i know a lot about windows, and i cant figure out how to get everythign working in linux. I know how to use forums and such and its still not that simple for everyone. If it was simple and "tweakable" for everyone, then id say yes its the best. But its not.

        The funny thing i find about those that swear off windows but love linux try to make windows sound so much more complicated that it is.

        I remember one article on Digg. He was trying to explain how running World of Warcraft is better on linux that windows.

        His description of linux was along the lines of "mount CD, double click double click the setup in wine, it installs and boom you are playing."

        His windows description was "insert CD, hope it reads, then click ok 3 times, then you have to select what type of install, followed by having to chose where you want to install it. Hopefully you have enough disk space for the game, then you have to wait till its done. Then you have to download the patches and apply them."

        Sound fair? i think not.

        I can perform a task in windows in about half the time it takes me to read a linux users description of the task. You're description of "setting up" windows isn't any different.

    • chakan2, on 07/09/2008, -3/+4And one of the things the article points out over and over is security patches. If you're on a closed system, you don' t actually need to patch windows.
      • yeti22, on 07/09/2008, -3/+2Thank you. I work for a company that makes large medical devices, and our workstations run Windows. Uptime is good, and there's no need for "patch Tuesday" updates because all our machines run on a LAN that is firewalled even from the *hospital's* network.
      • sinembarg0, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4Default allow or default block firewalled? Also, the fact that it is still on the hospitals network, regardless of the firewall, means there is a chance, however remote, that those machines could be compromised.
    • freebird09, on 07/09/2008, -1/+711. The National Security Grid
    • SixOrSoPapers, on 07/09/2008, -2/+11It is not so much that Linux "would do"; in these cases, Linux would be superior, for uptime, reliability, security, performance, etc.
      • olliholliday, on 07/09/2008, -3/+2security, perhaps as long as you have the time to constantly audit your systems

        uptime, reliability - depends on your drivers. windows itself is perfectly stable, bad drivers will break any OS.

        performance - depends on the task.
      • boot20, on 07/09/2008, -1/+5"security, perhaps as long as you have the time to constantly audit your systems"

        WTF are you talking about? That is the most retarded statement I've ever heard. Do you NOT have to audit Windows systems?

        As far as uptime and reliability, Linux is graceful with errors, Windows just dies. You do realize the Windows uptime is measured in hours, while *nix is measured in weeks?

        Performance does not depend on the task. Windows is bloated and slow, even for embedded devices.
      • CCmachined, on 07/14/2008, -0/+1[ "security, perhaps as long as you have the time to constantly audit your systems"

        WTF are you talking about? That is the most retarded statement I've ever heard. Do you NOT have to audit Windows systems? ]
        agreed. Windows pretty much requires an internet conenction to fetch updates to fix holes (wasting bandwidth, time and money.)
    • rudeboyskunk, on 07/09/2008, -11/+1211. Anything.
    • Joomal, on 07/09/2008, -8/+10The reason windows is used is because of two main factors:

      1. Many, many business programs are built for windows, and will not run on wine. Let's look at the accounting software: Quickbooks, Business Vision, and Microsoft Dynamics just to name a few. Business = money, so it is what makes the world go round.

      2. Job Security. Yes, you heard me correct. If I were to recommend Linux to the CEO of the company and he constantly had problems with it, or let's say Evolution crashed once, just once. I wouldn't have a job anymore. People are extremely stressed in business and the last thing they need is "some renegade young turp pushing his geek agenda on everyone on the company." Trust me, in business, that's how it works. People don't want to switch to an OS just because it's better. And the money thing? If you knew how much these CEOs make, having them confused for even 1 hour of the day costs more than the price of windows, office, and all the other programs they would need combined. Yes, they make 2+ million a year. SO if you divide 2 million by 2080 work hours in a year, that means they make $961.54 an hour!!! So you tell me if you'd still have a job after confusing a CEO for more than one hour in a day just by putting linux on his machine.

      End of story.

      • clubby, on 07/09/2008, -3/+5Buried for implying that Windows has never confused anyone important.

        http://gizmodo.com/5019516/classic-clips-bill-gate ...
      • sodade, on 07/09/2008, -4/+1Yes clubby, but when Windows causes a user problems, you can always blame Bill Gates. Who can you blame for Linux?
      • cesclaveria, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3you know, this is the best argument I have read for simplicity on the business environment.
        But it also is a good argument for 'alternative' OS an applications, if they can increase their productivity by learning a new system... would it be a waste of time or an investment to learn it?
      • ukblacknight, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4You are correct, no denying that. However you're missing the point. This isn't just a case of putting it on desktops, these are specialist systems that perform, and only perform, a certain job. It's likely that the users won't be interacting with the Windows interface. It's pure overkill,in terms of processing and the fact you'd need a licence for such a small task. Embedded software or a bespoke linux OS would be perfectly suitable.
      • balaknair, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Yep. You're right about that.
        The old MS marketing line- "No one ever got fired for buying a Microsoft product"
    • pensivewombat, on 07/09/2008, -0/+10And in some cases, it isn't a stripped down OS that's needed, but a piece of wood with a green arrow painted on it. Those never crash.
    • Navicerts, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3I write programs for data entry, they require little to no processing power and certainly not windows.... However, I end up having to buy windows and a fancy handheld device anyway because it comes with the only hardware available with the durability requirements i needed.

      I bet a lot of Windows purchases are similar.
      • CCmachined, on 07/14/2008, -0/+1yup. guerilla tactics where microsoft says "who wouldnt want Windows?" and "hey manufacturer, we'll stop giving Windows to you altogether if you even produce a few devices without Windows" and "if theres no Windows on there people will pirate Windows instead". microsoft suck for this reason alone. i dont care how good or bad a product is, NO CHOICE is a completely different problem.
    • DigitalX5, on 07/09/2008, -0/+0Hehehehehe, I thought when I saw this digg he was talking about the 'windows' that contain glass!
    • Paulish, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1You grow operating systems? That is awesome, please teach me how!
  • lithera, on 07/08/2008, -13/+311No. 5 Train engine controls
    Now that is some scary *****...... Blue Screen of Death get's a whole different meaning this way.
    • MacParrot, on 07/09/2008, -6/+1I believe this program was created by someone named G. Aadams.
    • Murdats, on 07/09/2008, -1/+13except there he was guessing, he heard computer + turning on = windows.
    • rodrigo74, on 07/09/2008, -0/+34Just because a different OS is running underneath does not imply greater safety; people can write crappy buggy code on any platform. I would be more interested on knowing what was the language and the methodology used to develop the software, how much testing the thing went through, or just chill out and hope everything will be alright, and that the guys at the control center and the driver had a good, sober night's sleep.
      • clockdist, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2Yes, crappy code can be written on any platform, but you don't want the *platform* to be crappy, too!
    • ZeRux, on 07/09/2008, -4/+39Too bad that Linux kernel panic would be just as bad in this case
      • buddyfarr, on 07/09/2008, -16/+6yeah, but linux crashes a lot less then windows because it is a much more stable OS.
      • specialK16, on 07/09/2008, -7/+3Aaaaaand, who gives a ***** about linux?

        Just develop an embedded system specifically designed for train engine controls..... make it redundant, etc....

        Don't take me wrong, I would take Linux over Windows everyday, but for specific uses like this, it is much better to use something specifically designed for it.
      • marx2k, on 07/09/2008, -7/+7Running Linux for 3 years now... have never seen that
      • AdamFromMyspace, on 07/09/2008, -6/+14Ran linux for five minutes and have seen it
        ..:P
      • alexiadeath, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5There are two cases Ive seen a kernel panic on Linux in my 4+ year experience. First I did something that the tool strictly forbade me to do, and that is deleting the running kernel, OS equivalent to amputating ones own heart. The second time my GPU was failing because of insufficient cooling. So on Linux kernel panic is as a rule caused by extremely foolish admin actions or bad hardware.

        What is it for you?
      • feignNU, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Obviously you did something wrong. The difference between a kernel panic and a BSOD is that if you know what you're doing, you can avoid kernel panics. BSODs happen whenever they feel like it and it doesn't much matter how much you know about windows because your access to the fundamentals of the OS is so limited by its very design that you couldn't do anything about it anyway.
      • ZeRux, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Well the only times when I've seen BSOD in Windows XP (on any computer) is due to bad hardware, driver-related or unstable overclocking. So Windows (excluding ME or older) aren't as unstable as Mac/Linux fanboys wants you to believe.
    • fatjoe, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3actually I believe this was the origin of the phrase........
    • Pittance, on 07/09/2008, -2/+17Blue Screen of OHMYGODHEADONTRAINCRASH!
    • smoger, on 07/09/2008, -1/+11"I did not get confirmation that the train ran on Windows"
    • buddyfarr, on 07/09/2008, -3/+3no *****! I would hope that the software controlling trains was something like vxworks that is used on the spacestation and stuff like that. windows, wow, I will be scared the next time I ride the train.
      • redwallhp, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1Gives a whole new meaning to crashing, eh?
    • Nayson, on 07/09/2008, -0/+53Im a train driver, so ill inject a dose of reality here.
      Firstly ill say i live in England so obviously the trains i work with will be different to ones in San Diego but trains do have on board computers. So do cars. So do aeroplanes. Whether its a Windows OS or not is irrelevant, though i doubt it is Windows very much.
      The computers monitor things, they dont control train movement. They have the ability to stop a train moving, they have the ability to deny the train power in order to pull away. They control things like the doors, the air conditioning, the information screens.
      Train brakes are controlled mechanically. The accelerator is controlled mechanically. Things like doors which are computer controlled can be over-ridden mechanically.
      Its a giggle thinking that buggy software might be the only thing between you and doom on your next train ride, but its not very realistic. Just like your car, important things like brakes on a train are mechanical.
      • cesclaveria, on 07/09/2008, -4/+1I think he heard the problem on the train station, not the train itself.
        So the problem would be bad communication between the station and trains, and I don't know (do not live in a country with trains) but I guess that would be bad and a potential source of an accident.
    • FutureGuy, on 07/09/2008, -2/+6Now we haven't heard of a train crash because windows crashed, have we? And you recomment linux because it never crashes?
      • cesclaveria, on 07/09/2008, -3/+3it doesn't crash as frequent as windows, I have been able to run windows with a problem for 1 or 2 months (constantly on, no reboots), but with Linux the uptime is incredible, almost 3 years and going strong.
    • zdiggler, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4doesn't control the whole engine operation Its controlled by different computer. Windows machine is for monitoring the whole operation of the train, its also shows trip plans and stuff like that.

      You can still slow down start up without use of a computer.
    • culbeda, on 07/09/2008, -1/+9The fact that it was designed to work on Windows 98 as well IS scary. But NT 4.0 and 2000 are rock solid if you're conservative with your drivers. XP w/ SP2 and 2003 w/ SP1 are also extremely stable with the proper drivers. I know it's fun to mock Windows, especially for a cheap pun, but I have replaced 10 year old NT4 systems that ran for years and years without intervention until they had a hardware failure. And most of my 2000 (SP4 at least) systems are stacking to be just as stable.
    • Joomal, on 07/09/2008, -3/+5Even linux is full of holes that needs to be patched every day. Don't kid yourself.

      The only real secure OS is OpenBSD. Below is a real quote from real hard facts, that in the history of OpenBSD, there has:

      "Only two remote holes in the default install, in more than 10 years!"

      End of story.
    • FLarsen, on 07/09/2008, -3/+8*****, the computer is rebooting.

      Wtf, it's password protected. WHERE'S THE KEYBOARD!?


      Hey, Dave. What's that at the horizon?
    • KJKJava, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2GET'S
    • redwallhp, on 07/09/2008, -1/+5Well, the Prius is fully computer controlled too. In a conventional car, pressing the accelerator mechanically opens the throttle. On the Prius, the accelerator is just a sensor connected to the central computer, which decides what to do from there. The same goes for the steering, and I would guess the brakes as well.

      Let's hope Toyota's programmers have done some serious bug squashing.
      • alexiadeath, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3That kind of car would not be road legal. Steering and breaks MUST work and the car must not become a lose canon even if the electronics fry.

        There is a cautionary tale around these parts about a service tech that was killed by a car with faulty electronics that were supposed to enhance turning radius. He went to drove it to shop after doing a hack to get it to start up and ended up dead because electronics took his control away.
    • Tyrghast, on 07/09/2008, -3/+4My PC runs Windows and I haven't crashed in over a year. So... yeah, suck it.
    • Blitzenn, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4Too bad it's not really true. GE makes 95% of all Trian engines sold in the US. ALL of those engines have custom control systems, made by GE, in them. NO windows.
    • mwdqk3, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I work for one of the 4 large American freight railroads. I can tell you unequivocally that locomotives do not run on windows. They run on very specialized software created by the locomotive manufacturers and their partners. This holds true for passenger locomotives which are regulated by the same government bodies. The pdf that the author links to mentions the compatibility of their diagnostic software with various versions of windows. It says nothing about a train control system being windows based.
    • CCmachined, on 07/14/2008, -0/+1"You must activate this copy of Windows now. All controls will be froze until you connect me to the ***** INTERNET to ensure I am "genuine". This is an advantage!"
  • ironeus, on 08/01/2008, -11/+59the ATM security flaw has to be closer to #1 since it directly affected the general public!
    • Seph7, on 07/09/2008, -2/+7The majority of the 'Nationwide Building Society' ATM's in the UK run on windows. The main problem they have is speed of service normal operations on them are damm slow. Also if windows is having a bad day you can sometimes have to wait 3 - 5 minutes for the machine to read your card. Which is enough time for a lot of people to think the machine has eaten their card.
      • PaulMassive, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3I'm never touching a Nationwide ATM again.
      • Pittance, on 07/09/2008, -0/+43-5minutes? Holy crap. If it took more than 5-10 seconds I would go inside and talk to a teller. My Wachovia (cry) ATMs usually are damn near instant. Only pushing buttons to the next menu takes 1-3 seconds max.
      • marx2k, on 07/09/2008, -0/+8Pittance: I've been in areas of the US where ATMs actually dialed out when you tried to make a transaction. You can hear the modem speaker from inside the machine call, ring, and connect.
      • zdiggler, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3ATM usually use a Non windows system until they want to start putting animations and advertisements on them.
    • detales, on 07/09/2008, -1/+4the list was not arranged in any particular order.

      fyi.
      • LiquidShield, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3I don't think that really matters all of them pretty much suck.
    • timusca, on 07/09/2008, -2/+6I used to work for an ATM company... I repaired Diebold, NCR, and yes, even NEC ATMs. None of them run Windows... they run Windows Embedded. Very different and stripped down, and I've never seen a case where the machine was hacked for personal information. All scams on ATMs happened back when they were firmware based too.
      • LiquidShield, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4Yeah but ATM's have to be networked and controlled some how? I highly doubt that tellers walk out side and start checking them to see how much money is in them at any given time... Which means if you can gain access to the banks network you can then start to hack the ATM. I would probably have to think that once a black hat breaks into the network and starts watching things like that they could start to sniff the network and pick up packets that are transmitted form the ATM to the server. How would a persons bank online bank statement show with drawls and such if they were not networked. If I were a betting man I would safely assume this has happened... Which I can produce and article that says so :)..

        http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/06/citibank- ...

      • zdiggler, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3The ones with Advertisemnet and animations uses Windows XP
      • timusca, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1@zdiggler

        Yes, Windows XP Embedded

        @LiquidShield

        Of course they have to be networked... the way it works is that if there is an error on the machine, it generates a message and alerts, say, Bank of America. Then someone at BofA calls the cash vendor, repairman, etc to come service the ATM.

        But the encryption is extremely high, especially on the key pad itself. When the ATMs all ment over to WinXPEmbedded, all the keypads were replaced with encryption keypads.

        They're also all on closed networks... when I opened an ATM, I could pull out the keyboard and get to IE. There's no internet... everything is blocked except for a direct connection to the bank which owns it.
    • buddyfarr, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1yep, I just received a new ATM card because my old one was cancelled. 1st source bank ATMs were hacked and I used my card at one of their ATMs in the recent past so they cancelled it just in case.
    • nshady, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I actually saw this myself recently, and couldn't use the ATM because obviously I didn't have a mouse. I took a photo:

      http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v51/nshady/atm2. ...
  • StealthyMong, on 07/09/2008, -137/+37811. On a personal computer
    • DestroyFascism, on 07/09/2008, -17/+11= countless millions of PC's infested with Trojans to bots to anything they want. Current price for a pack of 20 compromised windows machines is $200 US. Apparently Australian and New Zealand computers get US$250.

      It really makes me wonder if IT departments insisted on Linux, how many people in that department would go, i.e redundant. Also if the average home user and small business began operating Linux or Mac, I truly believe the amount of spam in the system would almost disappear as the corporate windows systems are a little harder and require much more work to access. Although, as I found out, once you have CMD running, game over.
      • buddyfarr, on 07/09/2008, -9/+8well if millions of home users switched to linux then hackers would hit that OS harder. They only target windows machines harder because windows owns the market. If the home user is downloading viruses and opening all those phishing emails and websites on a linux machine logged in as SU then they will still get hacked.
      • Willie0248, on 07/09/2008, -10/+4Your average flavor of Linux isn't much more secure than the latest Windows releases. It's just a case of security through obscurity; no one uses it so it's not worth hacking.
      • drunkinbda, on 07/09/2008, -4/+6you really have no clue how the world works eh?

        there are tons of trojans, other viruses, spam, etc becasue of that "countless millions of PC's" that run windows.

        As buddy said..if the world started using millions of macs and linux comps, they'd have the viruses too..
      • dpcamp, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2uhhh what does unwanted emails (spam) have to do with what OS the user is using?
      • Eric3k, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1I am sorry but the fan base for Linux on the home PC is so far advanced of me in computing that I give up on it. Windows I get... it may not be best but I get it. That makes it best for me. The learning curve is still too high for me to bother. And I do have to learn it entirely on my own. It's not worth the effort just so I don't have to run Avast simultaneously. Linux isn't going to solve problems I don't have and will create separate ones. Why else is there are there Linux forums full of questions on how to fix stuff? I wish it were a panacea for for the few issues I have with Windows. But the fact is I have few issues with it. Now that I understand it I probably never will have many or large issues with it. During the learning curve with Linux I will. The Linux crowd likes to tweak, problem solve, and so forth. I just want to do what I do. I have invested in my computing learning already and don't want to begin again... pouring over forums and reading articles just to be able to be at a point I already am at. Sorry.
    • CitrusC, on 07/09/2008, -11/+37I think you'll find if IT departments insisted on Linux, and home users started using Linux or Macs, the viruses writers would focus on those OS instead. That's the problem with Windows being so popular - malicious individuals are always going to target what will get them the most money/what will cause the most damage, after all.

      I worked with the British MOD version of Windows XP last year, and although it is more secure in terms of virus & malware protection, this still doesn't counter the fact that each and every solider using the system is liable to do a good bit of damage to try and get past the website restrictions, get on MSN Messenger, look at porn, etc.

      The company I'm working with at the moment uses a mix of Windows Vista Business Edition and Linux PCs, and we've never had any security-related issues whatsoever; Windows Vista is probably the most stable OS I've worked with (especially since SP1) - as crazy as it may sound, only one out of about 50 Vista PCs has ever BSOD'd on me, and that was due to the user trying to force it to install Windows 98 drivers for his 5-year old MP3 player. (which is prohibited under company policy anyway)

      ...But I digress! An amusing article, I certainly wouldn't want a Windows-powered ATM! *laughs*
      • Acglaphotis, on 07/09/2008, -5/+13It's a little bit harder to make a virus spread in linux. And to make it run for that matter. Obscurity is not the only security linux has.
      • buddyfarr, on 07/09/2008, -13/+1vista hasn't been out as long. and linux is still more stable than vista. and does it with a ***** load less lines of code and a lot less hardware requirements. hmmmm...let me see I can run linux on my current hardware or pay a crap load of money to upgrade to 2GB of ram minimum for vista to run slower than *****.
      • FKnight, on 07/09/2008, -1/+13@buddyfarr
        Anyone running a computer in 2008, REGARDLESS of operating system, with less than 2GB of RAM just needs to shut up about hardware requirements for any piece of software.
      • Oryx, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3One reason there are worms and virii for Windoze systems is that the Application (I shudder to call Windoze an O/S) was designed to be highly integrated among sub-Applications. Your email can open a spreadsheet which can reference a sound file and a word-processing document... etc...

        While nice-sounding, this very feature makes the Windoze Application prone to malicious misuse.
      • CCmachined, on 07/14/2008, -1/+1hey FKnight: my desktop has 512mb of ddr2 ram with Ubuntu, and it runs like a breeze. I run Doom 3, sauerbraten and a bunch of Windows games on it via wine. and compiz too. 0wned!
    • ZeRux, on 07/09/2008, -18/+27Linux fanboy: My OS is great because it has no viruses
      Windows fanboy: Why would anyone write a virus for an OS used by 1% of people?

      And there goes the infinite loop...
      • Pittance, on 07/09/2008, -5/+13You can also replace the Linux fanboy with Mac. Also Linux would be a great OS if only more people/programs were made for it. But then the virus-hammer would come and down goes it all again.
      • drunkinbda, on 07/09/2008, -2/+3that is true..im sure it would be a good OS if more people used it and it had more vendor support...

        but unfortunately it doesnt so having fanboys preach on about its glories but forgetting these downfalls makes my eyes bleed.
      • chamberlanderic, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1actually it's like a perpetual machine
      • svensksvamp, on 07/09/2008, -3/+1Windows fanboy: Windows has way more applications than Linux.

        Linux fanboy: Why would anyone write an application for an OS used by 1% of people?
    • Naidel, on 07/09/2008, -8/+14Actually, UNIX-like systems (Linux, Mac OS, BSD etc) are by their very nature more secure than Windows is. Google it, and you will see what I mean. Case example: screensavers on Windows and the lowlevel system access they get for no apparent reason whatsoever.
      • FKnight, on 07/09/2008, -5/+8The screen savers on my Vista machines don't run with system level permissions.
      • zomglolcats, on 07/09/2008, -8/+1More secure does not mean impenetrable.
      • Naidel, on 07/09/2008, -2/+6Nothing is impenetrable. But a better system architecture (ie UNIX) makes it a hell of a lot more difficult getting inside and cause harm to a system.

        The point still stands -- the architecture of Windows is flawed at a basic level.
    • griz, on 07/09/2008, -4/+212. Anywhere inside of NORAD
    • anthaneezy, on 07/09/2008, -4/+5And which operating system are you using right now? 90% chance it's Windows.

      So many Internet hypocrites out there that cry about all the bad things that Windows has. Usually the uninformed. Windows, for what it is and it's intended purpose (dependent on version) are perfectly suited. Stupid users cause stupid problems. Malware proliferates due to them. Yet they are the loudest opponents to Windows on the desktop.

      Let me give you this analogy: You drive a car (Windows). You are constantly getting flats and break downs because you take your car off-road and in bad parts of town (Internet). You install exhaust systems, stickers and whatever else you can bolt on there (Cometcursor, browser addons, "cute" programs). You wonder why your car is running so slow; you have to lug all that extra weight around, which is throwing off your alignment and generally getting in your way.

      I'm not going to get all Internet tough guy, but I'll say I've been running Windows for years and haven't had any major problems that would make me want to switch.

      And please don't use the rehashed "LOL CAR IS WINDOWS, YOU HAVE TO RESTART IT EVRY 30 MINUTZ, LOLZ" jokes.
    • ProfessorFoo, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3You bastard you insulted my computer. You won't get away with this.
  • chris9902, on 07/09/2008, -40/+165Lets see how bad this article is using quotes

    "Oh, occasionally they display a blue screen with a Windows error notice."
    "It would be open source most likely and would not need to be updated every month."
    "they would freeze up due to memory leaks"
    "Now, I did not get confirmation that the train ran on Windows"
    "Why make them worse with Windows?"
    "how do you explain to your CEO that your plant is down because of a virus"
    "How many of those systems harbor Trojan horses today?"

    and lets just round this out with the best quote about Windows;

    "People could lose their lives."

    This is why I come to digg, for the comedy.
    • GeorgeStone2, on 07/09/2008, -19/+7Even though I dugg you up, by the time I got here it actually went down 1 after I clicked the up button. Trippy.
    • itsthebrod, on 07/09/2008, -15/+15It's ridiculous how over-the-top this article is... Claiming people can lose their lives from medical equipment running Windows. Uhh, maybe if they're running 98. Every Windows OS since 2000 has been MUCH more stable and I can't even remember the last time my computer actually crashed.
      • davdev, on 07/09/2008, -0/+18Not to mention the claim about the medical devices is just wrong. I work in the IT department of a hospital. Yes the FDA does have strict testing protocols when doing a system upgrade, however, they are not stupid enough to prevent patches and routine maintainance from being done. If we are doing major upgrades to our systems we need to report and submit testing notes to the FDA, however, if we are just doing security patches and such, we do not
      • B1663r, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1davdev,

        Since you are familiar with medical equipment, what would happen if a computer crashed because of windows and killed a patient? Whats the legal liability there?
      • feignNU, on 07/09/2008, -2/+0I think the point was more just that the windows OS has no business being used in a lot of these embedded systems, not that ZOMG SUM1 MITE DYE!!
      • davdev, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3B1663R, I am sure we would be screwed, however, that is not how patient care works. There is very little threat of a computer crashing and killing a patient. Most of the PC's are pretty much for patient medical records and such. Things like respirators and by-pass machines are not run by a PC OS and don't simply crash. Sure I guess their can be a failure, just like any other machine, but you won't be seeing a BSOD on a respirator.
        MRI machines do feed results back into our main clinical systems, but it is only through a 1 way interface, and even if the mri stopped working, there isn't much threat to life.
        The one major problem would be if drug/allergy interactions got corrupted, or where entered in the dictionaries incorrectly, but even then, we would most likely know of a problem very quickly, and nurses are trained to double check everything before administering drugs. Obviously that can fail as well, but 99% of drug errors are human error, not system.
    • SpeedSteamBoat, on 07/09/2008, -3/+17Yeah, it's pretty absurd. The idea that machines which have reason, and probably no ability, to be connected to the internet could get "viruses and worms" is just silliness. That alone is enough for me to bury this ridiculous article. I never understand things like this. With so many REAL reasons to criticize Windows why must some people still make things up and blow them out of proportion?
      • B1663r, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Because there are not in fact good REAL reasons to criticize Windows???
    • pbone, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4i come to digg for the food. i stay for the comedy.
    • lukemc, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4i would have dugg you but you had 69 diggs and i didnt want to ruin it
    • feoren, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2"Steve Forbe's"
    • VodkanLemons, on 07/10/2008, -0/+3the hospital where i work uses windows

      it hasn't killed anyone yet...
  • Stonekeeper, on 07/09/2008, -36/+12The Desktop
  • GorfTron, on 07/09/2008, -19/+31I wonder if anyone has estimated the lost man-hours to the totality of windows instability? Boggles the mind.
    • GeorgeStone2, on 07/09/2008, -14/+24Same goes for any OS though.
      I bet as a percentage, it's a lot less than, dare i say, Linux.

      *Ducks*

      (It's true though)
      • DestroyFascism, on 07/09/2008, -4/+9I doubt it is. The state Library uses Linux throughout the entire network, even peeps using the internet machines are using Linux, they just look and behave like windows. (The grab hand gives it away)

        In the 7 long years they have been there all of them are running the same apps, have nearly new or current kernels and have never been compromised once. When you have over 5 million books to look through these machines and the resulting data base return results in seconds, it makes sense to use something that does what it needs to do and nothing more.

        There are 2 IT staff operating some 90 terminals, data base and web services. have never seen a single PC crash.
      • buddyfarr, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2less? ha now that is funny.
      • WarZpriTe, on 07/09/2008, -3/+5I know you are just a troll, but you do realize that most servers on the internet run on a form of Linux right? When a company wants to maintain a 5 nines uptime, they certainly dont look to windows
    • MacParrot, on 07/09/2008, -3/+19I don't think you can say fairly that it's all Windows' fault. Badly written programs will de-stable or crash almost any OS.
      • DestroyFascism, on 07/09/2008, -5/+3Like Apple on windows?
      • Soval, on 07/09/2008, -3/+11No, on Linux it won't. The program will freeze, but the kernel will survive. That's what user space is for.
        But that's not the point of the article. These devices just don't need an operating system.
      • Pittance, on 07/09/2008, -1/+6Really? Because I have crashed Sun and Redhat machines at my school, or seen them crash. Broken so badly that you could not just reboot them. The techs had to come and fix the. Which took days for them to get the time to come down. Oh, and printer support on redhat SUCKED. Sometimes your document just wouldn't go into the queue if the computer didn't like the name. Just change the name and resave and it prints fine.
      • WarZpriTe, on 07/09/2008, -1/+5Blame poor printer support on the printer vendor, not the OS
    • bratterscain, on 07/09/2008, -4/+14Vista, for me, $150 retail
      Linux, my time spent googling and fiddling to get a workable system how I somewhat want it, a few days.
      Depends on how much your time is worth. Plus I need Vista for gaming. Steam's having trouble on my Linux partition.

      Although I do my best to advocate Linux, and it has made some great strides in the past few years, I still can't condemn Windows. Not that it's because MS is so great, but because that's who the hardware and gaming people are mostly behind. It can all change though. The tech industry is very dynamic, one of the most dynamic industries there is. If Linux was one focused OS with all these talented programmers around the world pitching in to make it better, it would probably be eating Windows for lunch.
      • sk11, on 07/09/2008, -7/+4Yeah: $150 + $100 memory upgrade + $400 graphics upgrade.

        Oh and you get to waste time on google trying to find software that fixes vista bugs.

        Tell me why "all these talented programmers around the world pitching in to make it better" can't make vista stable or not slow. Also, why does it eat over 400MB of RAM just sitting idle, whereas KDE (a Linux equivalent) uses 80MB.
        The new version of KDE will use even less due to the work done by what you consider to be less talented people. So are vista developers simply too unsympathetic to do anything but add flashy, special effect gimmicks and DRM to their os? Both of which are detrimental to anyone who wants to do actual work with their computer.

        Frankly, I'd rather keep my old computer with a Linux os running the latest software and just buy a £170 ($340) console to play games on.
      • fuckinhell, on 07/09/2008, -2/+5Yeah, you're right. Nobody has ever had to waste hours on google to get it setup and working.

        Oh, and FYI, Linux IS eating Windows for lunch. Kind of reminds me of this:

        "You know, at one time there must have been dozens of companies making buggy whips. And I'll bet the last company around was the one that made the best goddamn buggy whip you ever saw.

        Now, how would you have liked to have been a stockholder in that company?"

        Point being, LINUX is getting better and better, WAY faster than Windows and it is slowly but surly eating Windows market share away.
      • Naidel, on 07/09/2008, -2/+3Don't tell me you didn't have to spend time googling and fiddling to get Vista working properly?

        It happens for every OS. Which is why google ***** rocks :)
      • buddyfarr, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3@sk11 - one reason for he ***** code is that the manager forces it out the door even though the coders know it is not ready yet. In linux the upgrade is not out the door until they deem it ready. Another issue MS has not been able to realize. Don't get me wrong, I use windows at work and at home. Work is 100% windows and home is gaming with COD4, but I am not blind.
      • itsthebrod, on 07/09/2008, -5/+2No, you DON'T have to fiddle with "Google" to get Vista working properly. Windows Update works quite well, thank you. And then there's the fact of all the built-in drivers so plug-in-play works perfectly. I really wish the Linux fanboys would ***** off and realize that Linux isn't the best OS, not by a long shot. Perhaps if it had any available mainstream programs and games it'd be worth a look, but as of yet, it can provide me absolutely no advantages over my Vista setup.
      • marx2k, on 07/09/2008, -2/+3"Depends on how much your time is worth. Plus I need Vista for gaming."

        People pay you to game?
      • Notquitesane, on 07/09/2008, -2/+2@itsthebrod

        absolutely no advantages over vista? what about viruses?
      • itsthebrod, on 07/09/2008, -4/+3@Notquitesane
        Considering I haven't had a virus in 9 years, that is correct. Any moron with a basic anti-virus suite can avoid spyware and viruses on any modern Windows OS. Vista is also much more secure against viruses in the first place with the UAC.
    • WafflesID, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5Hmm, our office's SBS2003 server hasn't needed a reboot in months.

      I still think it's PEBCAK.
    • drunkinbda, on 07/09/2008, -1/+4lol its prob less than the time wasted trying to get windows apps running on linux...

      get some good games/apps on linux and then maybe you can talk about usage..
    • lfroker, on 07/09/2008, -0/+142
    • S197, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I hope those man hours keep going because windows instability is what pays my bills
  • paulzov, on 07/09/2008, -12/+46I can confirm that the boeing airplanes use linux, at least those used by AirCanada. BSOD 1000s of feet up in the air O_o what a nightmare that would be.
    • wTheOnew, on 07/09/2008, -2/+30Kernel panic at 1000s of feet up in the air. It doesn't matter what platform it's built on as long as there are redundancies and I'm sure there is even when they use Linux.
      • sk11, on 07/09/2008, -9/+5Kernel panics only occur during an installation. It's not like with windows where it might work one day and crash the next. Programs with bugs can crash windows completely, but do not crash the Linux kernel because of it's modular design.
      • Naidel, on 07/09/2008, -6/+4Yes, for sure.

        Just not as often, or as bad as for Windows. Just because it might happen on both, there's nothing saying that one alternative is so much worse.

        It's a stupid argument, people, and you should stop making it.
      • buddyfarr, on 07/09/2008, -7/+2there are usually 2 systems running on planes for redundancy but linux is more stable than windows. that is why they use it. plus it is free.
      • waydee, on 07/09/2008, -4/+8Linux is as stable as the supporting software... crap drivers in Linux cause the same problems as crap drivers in Windows.
      • schoate09, on 07/09/2008, -4/+4@sk11
        Programs haven't been able to crash Windows since the 9x days. Use 2k/Xp/Vista, anything NT based, then get real
    • nbx909, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2actually navigation systems in the cockpit use windows 3.1 on 3.1 era processors mainly because the faa is slow on approving newer technology.
    • homercles337, on 07/09/2008, -6/+16You really have no clue how these control systems work, do you?

      Also, about your BSOD comment: Im on windows about pretty much 14 hours a day nearly every day and i cant remember the last time i saw a BSOD. So, could you just STFU about BSOD?
      • RustyJ, on 07/09/2008, -3/+1Hey, homercles...


        BSOD
      • anthaneezy, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2But... they sheeple won't be cool unless they say BSOD. I mean, it's so hip to hate Windows. But don't ask me why I specifically hate it or I might come to the realization that it's really a great OS.

        BTW, WinMobile on the phone, WinVista on the Laptop, XP on the desktop. Not a fanboy, just a Windows sysadmin who knows how to use a computer.
      • BurgerPunch, on 07/09/2008, -0/+0oh thats because they're disabled by default, you will just get a reboot instead
    • Aitese, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6I dual boot XP and Ubuntu...haven't seem BSOD for about 4-5 years since my Win2000 machine I had back in college.

      (OK, spotted one on my brothers laptop a few weeks back but I installed the wrong touchpad drivers in Vista...so my error on that one)
    • skipdog172, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6Yeah, because we ALL KNOW that the safety of a plane and all of its passengers is reliant on some OS not crashing.

      /sigh
      • Eezyville, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1One word, "Avionics". Its not so important in passenger planes but in millitary its very important, especially in stealth planes. A military stealth plane's avionics basically flies the plane and there have been reported crashes and near crashes because the avionics got something wrong. Its rare because there's usually a backup system.
    • someone173406, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I was on an air canada flight, and I remember mine froze up O.o.
  • WoundedCow, on 07/09/2008, -11/+46You can't swim any faster pointing at the mud in someone else's fins.
    • imeddy, on 07/09/2008, -2/+8Are you a mermaid?! Cool!
      • delfin1, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5mermaids don't use digg...... only mermen. duhhhh
    • evanbooth, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1Windows has its uses, but there is nothing wrong with pointing out absurdity from time to time.
  • SevasTraSi, on 07/09/2008, -13/+14Building controls!
    Lets DNS attack and "bring down" a lift (elevator)
    • GeorgeStone2, on 07/09/2008, -3/+7I would love to find out that the elevator in my building ran on windows.
      And if I had an access point in my appartment I would probably have the most fun anyone has ever had sniffing packets.

      Hmmm, lift brakes? ENGAGE!
      • SevasTraSi, on 07/09/2008, -2/+9don't lifts detect weight? Couldn't you send everyone over a healthy weight to the top floor to get some exercise using the stairs?
      • DiscoUnderpants, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3I used to write lift access control software. Basically I wrote software to what is called a Lift Access Controller(LAC). The LAC interfaces with lift controller system to allow the lift to open at the authorised floors etc etc. To put you mind at ease lift control software is *very* tighly controlled. Lifts are tested like you wouldnt believe. You are not even allowed to go into a lift motor room unless you have certification to do so.
      • mithrasinvictus, on 07/09/2008, -2/+2@disco is this windows machine connected to the internet? (and that includes private lines connected to any machine on the internet)
      • nbx909, on 07/09/2008, -3/+2anybody who finds an open interface to an elevator and posts it here I will love you forever.

        It must be open or have the defult password
      • DiscoUnderpants, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1@mithrasinvictusmithrasinvictus

        My software wasnt a windows machine. It was a commercial RTOS. And it was isolated from the internet. On its our arcnet network and a separate network of such things as RS-485/422. I have no trouble believing that one could possibly penetrate a building BMS and fiddle with all sorts of thing... just not the lift control(this is not the lift access controller I used to talk to). I also used to work of fire/security monitoring/access control software. These industries are governed by some pretty strict laws. If you install a insecure fire alarm system or lift control and something goes wrong... it moved into the world of criminal charges rather than ust loosing a bit of money.
      • DiscoUnderpants, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1@nbx909

        Lift controllers do not work that way. As I said in another response the people that install and work on such systems are usually quite aware that if they do something stupid then they will open to charges of criminal negligence. Same with fire systems. If people die as a result of your negligence then you can expect a time spent in prison. When I worked on such system I was l aways aware of this and it gave me a much greater motivation to QA the crap out of things :)
    • pauliusuza, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3Electrical components needed to control an elevator fit to your palm.
    • j0ker666, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1The elevator in my apartment building is an OTIS model....
      It already has enough problems with the emergency brakes kicking in all the time, never mind if a hacker started controlling it :S
    • Pittance, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1Paul is right. I quite literally built a very simple, completely hardware controlled (all gates, no software) elevator controller in one of my classes a few years ago. And it was the size of a piece of bread. And that was with manual wiring, not space efficient soldering.
    • protogenxl, on 07/09/2008, -1/+5How would poisoning dns take out an elevator?
      • redwallhp, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4You try to go to mymicrosoftelevator.tld and you get redirected to a phishing site that steals your elevator password.
  • MacroDaemon, on 07/09/2008, -12/+145I agree that Windows shouldn't be used for many of those purposes. The reason, however, is not because it's Windows, but because you get better reliability out of small specialist software. I'd rather not see these things running Ubuntu, Debian or Redhat either.
    • kestrel7e7, on 07/09/2008, -6/+19But then you need expensive specialists to work the specialist software and if they leave, you're screwed. Windows makes sense because of its ubiquity.
      • mithrasinvictus, on 07/09/2008, -9/+9Most people calling themselves "windows specialists" dont have a clue what they are doing.
      • Naidel, on 07/09/2008, -3/+9I don't get it. Windows isn't really any easier to use than most modern Linux desktops.

        What Windows has to its advantage is hardware and software vendor support -- because it's the most widely used OS.
      • Pittance, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5Or just use a very basic and common assembly language so you can hire someone else to fix it. Or even just use something super-common like java (heh) or Sun to program it.

        Oh, btw. Liquid level sensors, and some car brake sensors are programmed on embedded systems that are programmed with Visual C++ MS edition. :P
      • buddyfarr, on 07/09/2008, -4/+2ubiquity?? uh, closed source and when they end of life you are screwed. Linux, supported by millions of coders around the world, open source, free to change as you wish. hmmmm...which one do I chose?? duh!!
      • itsthebrod, on 07/09/2008, -5/+4@buddyfarr
        Nothing is inherently wrong with "closed source." In fact, if you start comparing closed source versus open source software, I think you'd realize pretty quickly which ones had the funding to back the project up. Office 2007 versus Open Office? Photoshop versus GIMP? Open source might be fine for amateurs, but for people doing actual work, you get what you pay for...
      • SpeedSteamBoat, on 07/09/2008, -3/+5@itsthebrod: Oh wow, you are so right. Don't tell Google, Sun Micro, or NASA, though. They're all pretty committed to the Open Source lie. I think they might actually BELIEVE they are getting work done using OSS. I know, amateurs, right?
      • pensivewombat, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3SpeedSteamBoat: Last time I checked Google keeps their search algorithms pretty tightly locked up.
      • feignNU, on 07/09/2008, -1/+0Nevertheless, the "you get what you pay for" trope is naive, at best. Open source doesn't mean "freeware", it just means that you have to include the full source code with the software and that anyone is allowed to make changes and redistribute it. You can still sell open source software.
      • feignNU, on 07/09/2008, -1/+0itsthebrod: you seem to have forgotten the most obvious comparison of all - Windows vs. Linux. Say what you want about linux as a desktop system, but in the server world linux is a real competitor to windows. But I suppose it's just amateur stuff...
    • hotpuck6, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3yeah, windows is bloatware for any of those uses, but in most cases the windows licenses were probably included in the price whenever they bought the equipment. It was probably cheaper at the end of the day to get software that already exists for windows than to get custom made software with a possible lack of support.
    • dukeochutney, on 07/09/2008, -3/+3unix would be nice
    • Aitese, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3But when you mention Ubuntu, Debian and Redhat you're talking about the kernal AND desktop environment and all the bolted on apps that come with each distro. All the beefs I've ever had with Ubuntu have been with the apps in Gnome that die on update rather than any core kernal errors. If it just a barebones Linux install with specialist programs it makes sense.
    • ktxxx, on 07/09/2008, -2/+2I would trust Debian over Windows any day.
    • sarchosis, on 07/09/2008, -2/+2It's the same as a guy at Best Buy trying the sell an old lady a quad-core system so she can send emails to her grandchildren; sales gets in the way of getting people what they actually need. Windows is where it is because of aggressive salesmanship, but that often means giving people a bloated mess of software that they don't need.
  • nycmac247, on 07/09/2008, -19/+7I only use Windows when in the bathroom
    • cutchyacokov, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6I hope that doesn't mean your toilet runs on windows. Thats even more frightening then the trains . . .
      • buddyfarr, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3well ***** code should work well in a toilet!!
    • Pittance, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Memory leaks are super scary now.
    • TheMidnight, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I'd rather use Linux. Then I could take core dumps.
  • Mickeh65, on 07/09/2008, -33/+7Number 11: Using it as a f***ing operating system.
  • Totz83, on 07/09/2008, -19/+47My nearest ATM uses windows, one time it blue-screened me. I ***** you not
    • itsthebrod, on 07/09/2008, -5/+30Wow that was a really interesting story.
    • RedneckRandy, on 07/09/2008, -1/+9I totally thought you were *****
    • redwallhp, on 07/09/2008, -1/+5I've seen Windows ATMs before. I've seen a blue-screened one, and I've seen one on the desktop before too.
    • jull1234, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6.... and then he found $5.
    • pt4117, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I was at the main Chase building in Chicago, and saw some Windows error. Yes it made the ATM unusable, but it's not that bad.

      If there was a security issue do you really think a bank as large as JPMC would be using it? I'm sure they've got those things locked down pretty tightly.
  • Castor385, on 07/09/2008, -14/+244I know for fact that some medical equipment uses windows as an OS. But the engineers have been working for several year along with microsoft to create a crash-free environment. These things are stress tested for over 6 months. If anything fails, they start over again: fix the mistakes and test again, for 6 months. This equipment does not use your average windows xp installation you would use at home.

    I think the author is a bit prejudiced about windows.
    • Murdats, on 07/09/2008, -5/+77that and why does he think EVERY windows device is on the internet? how would isolated life support systems, MRI systems, scanning/printing systems, machine control systems be on the internet? they do not need access to google and at most maybe need access to an intranet, maybe.

      or maybe windows is soo crap it can catch human viruses, maybe absorbs them from the air, perhaps windows is designed to occasionally generate its own viruses, or maybe this was just a biased author being an idiot.
      • LiquidShield, on 07/09/2008, -9/+3You would be surprised on how networked hospitals actually are. Last I knew they were planning on making it so all hospitals are networked together in the US so that if you were from lets say Washington state, and you traveled to Maine , and something happened to you. Say a car accident or worse, and you happened to be taken to a hospital the doctors at that hospital would then be able to through the network get all your medical records with a click of a mouse. I remember talking about that frequently in my network security classes in college less then 2 years ago.
      • lAmoebal, on 07/09/2008, -1/+11There's a difference between the machines with the patient's records and the isolated life support systems, MRI systems, scanning/printing systems, machine control systems...
      • FKnight, on 07/09/2008, -0/+7@LiquidShield
        A doctor being able to look up your medical records because his hospital is connected to a nationwide medical records database does not mean that the dyalisis machine in 24B is accessible by a hax0r from the Internet.
      • Netman21, on 07/09/2008, -3/+1I was in a car accident once. The emergency room docs read my vitals remotely from the ambulance. If vital monitors are not networked how the hell do they read them from the nurses station down the hall? Direct cabling? X.25?
      • TheMidnight, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4@The thread:

        Most hospital database systems are highly networked in the intranet but separated by VLAN (and sometimes physical LANs and hardware firewalls) from the Internet itself. The devices themselves are connected to an interface engine server that translates the device output into data the server can understand. Anyone who networks those to the same VLAN as the Internet connection should be fired.
      • posure, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2The writer of this article doesn't know jack about most of the stuff he's talking about. Having actually worked on software for medical devices, most of the devices have two operating modes: Normal (anything that hinders performance or could affect the device is completely disabled) and a service mode (where the device can actually be updated or any other "insecure" actions). Anyways, even the IT staff at hospitals shouldn't have administrative access to these devices because that requires an encrypted USB dongle to access that only official service personnel have access to.

        As far as blue screens - these aren't machines that the IT staff built in their basement. They are built to spec and heavily tested. Almost all Windows XP blue screens (most modern medical devices use XP embedded) are related to hardware failures which are generally incompatibilities or dead hardware which won't be a problem for these systems.
      • Kzoo, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Netman:

        Networked isn't the same as on the internet, and the vitals monitor is not the same as any of a variety of life support machines.
    • AussieFox, on 07/09/2008, -3/+22Have to agree, this is less about Windows and more about it being used for things it isn't really designed to do, or just bad programming

      Like #1. Whatever you may think of Windows, you won't crash it just by having it display a green arrow, even over long periods of time. Not unless you have faulty programming or hardware
      • Abomonog, on 07/09/2008, -9/+4Actually it will. Windows will eventually crash while not displaying anything if you let it sit long enough, even on a good machine.

        Sadly, windows cannot properly clear the memory without 3rd party help. This is why you see all those memory cleaning programs out there. Unless you actually use one Windows will lose a few kbits every time it refreshes the cashe. Eventually the OS will back itself into a memory corner and go BSOD.

        The only way to prevent this is too use a memory utility or reboot. And I myself have seen medical equipment displaying the BSOD as recently as last week at my local hospital. It's sad that the medical staff can't even reboot the comps when they die. They have to wait for an IT guy to show up.

        However, hospital equipment is either not networked or uses a LAN setup that is not directly connected to the internet. This makes most hospital equipment nearly impossible to infect with a virus.
      • buddyfarr, on 07/09/2008, -7/+1"However, hospital equipment is either not networked or uses a LAN setup that is not directly connected to the internet. This makes most hospital equipment nearly impossible to infect with a virus."

        what complete *****. I worked at a very large hospital and the medical equipment is networked to the same network that the rest of the hospital is and is very vulnerable to getting a virus. We didn't have virus protection because our top network admins thought the same ***** you state. Then we got hit by the sasser virus and the entire organization was down for 2 1/2 days because we had to take CD's with AV on them and manually scan 2,500 computers to get rid of the problem. please go blow your crap somewhere else.
      • sruffelman, on 07/09/2008, -2/+3That doesn't mean I can't laugh out loud when I see the BSOD on a big TV monitor above me at Metro Airport. I saw one a while ago. I laughed.
    • netdroid9, on 07/09/2008, -1/+20Between blaming memory leaks and the public availability of elevator controls on Windows and Microsoft, it's pretty clear that if there was any more anti-Microsoft bias it'd be offensive to Linux users too.

      Most of these systems shouldn't even *have* an operating system, the reason they do is likely the fault of lazy programmers who're so used to a single software ecosystem that they can't ball up and write their own interrupt handlers and framebuffer. Then again, I may be underestimating the retardation of upper management, too.

      You see apparently professional stuff hacked together from consumer products all over the place. The train timetabling software for QR (the only rail network in Queensland, Australia) runs on old Amigas, and I'm sure you can find at least a couple IBM-PC compatible hand dryers if you looked hard enough. And let's not even *mention* the Windows-CE-based Diebold *****.
    • thorn101, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3"10 stupidest uses for Windows "
      Do you really think he's a bit prejudiced about windows?

    • skipdog172, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6As an IT manager in a hospital, I found this article a bit insulting. The complete lack of knowledge regarding hospital information systems is mind-boggling. Yes, we use windows for critical applications. No, it doesn't crash all the time, it is completely stable. If it wasn't stable, we would FIX IT and MAKE IT STABLE. I am so tired of hearing about this myth that Windows is "always gonna crash" or is "impossible to secure, so should not be used on anything of importance". You really think a PC crash would put somebody's life at risk in a hospital? You obviously have no idea how things actually work. If the network goes down, or PCs crash, everybody is trained on how to deal with it. Nobody's life will ever be hinging by the stability of Windows. Nobody will ever die due to a Windows server crash. There was a lot of other ignorant BS in this article that I won't even get into. It just boggles me how many people are eating this up crap.
      • Blackavart, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I worked for a company that produced medical monitoring equipement and software that used windows. What the author fails to mention is that these sorts of applications and embedded devices are under intense scrutiny of the FDA. While I worked for the company we went from embedded Unix Firmware to windows CE and believe me it is not some random decision to make the change. For graphical displays windows was vastly superior and using windows CE you pick and choose what you need in the OS., It is not a standard install of windows mostly because you are limited to the size of the firmware.

        It is not a PC clone that is running these tools. It is a specific processor, with a specific graphics interface, network interface etc... And because the hardware is specific the drivers in your firmware image is spoecific, and tested for insane amounts of time. If you get a driver crash, you fix the driver, Never not once did any of our devices BSOD due to the OS itself, it is always a driver/hardware problem, and these problems are flushed out and fixerd before you are hooked up to these devices in the intensive care unit. Seriously, how do you think a company could stay in business if people were dieing in hospitals because the monitor they were hooked up to blue screened?

        As to remote monitoring, no the device itself is not hooked up to the outside world. It is a one way data stream from the device to a server. Not just any server either, due to the thirdparty driver issues, if you used our remote monitoring products, you had to buy 2 pre-packaged servers running windows NT on specific hardware with specific drivers developed and maintained by us. Only one of these machines was viewable by the outside world (Again a one way data stream from the secure machine to the outside one) so only one of them was suceptable to any sort of outside infection.


        And yes skipdog I too am totally baffled that people buy into this crap.
    • gsadamb, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Agree. Would have been worse if they were using Debian with its gaping security hole that was just fixed.
  • 5730, on 07/09/2008, -15/+8"Critical life support systems throughout a hospital are vulnerable to viruses and worms. They could fail because of the lack of foresight of the manufacturers. People could lose their lives."

    Gives a whole new meaning to the blue screen of death.

    Ctrl Alt Delete - Ventilator is not responding.
    • bratterscain, on 07/09/2008, -7/+1I dugg you up. I thought it was funny.
    • marx2k, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5"NURSE! CHARGE THE DEFIBRILLATOR! CLEAR!! I SAID CLEAR!!! What the hell... our license has expired?!!!???"
  • UsablePuddle, on 07/09/2008, -15/+29Obligatory comment trolling Mac/Linux trolls
  • beermad, on 07/09/2008, -5/+10From experience I'll add, "On stage for a concert, telling the drummer what rhythm to play."
    Having sat for 20 minutes waiting for the gig to eventually start because the drummer couldn't get his laptop to boot, when a metronome would have done as good a job.
    What made it even worse than the fact that the drummer couldn't manage to get his rhythms right without help from a computer was that within 30 seconds of each tune starting, he always reverted to the same simple, repetitious (and wrong for the music) rhythm that he needed the computer to help him away from.
    • magamiako, on 07/09/2008, -5/+3As long as the computer helps him perform, what's it matter? I mean, isn't that what computers are for? Help someone do a job who isn't able to do it otherwise? You know how many "financial analysts" we would ACTUALLY have if Microsoft Excel didn't exist? lol.
      • GJ92, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2The same amount, using OpenOffice Spreadsheet.
    • Abomonog, on 07/09/2008, -1/+4Sounds like the Puddle of Mudd concert I saw last year. Drummer used the same beat for virtually every song. The sound guy was also deaf so we ended up only hearing the drums and singer through out the entire concert.
    • drunkinbda, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1lol ya but thats got nothign to do with windows. I was at a competition where htey tried to use a Mac... and that would crash constantly too. Computers just do that
    • Kilometers, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2He's obviously not a very good drummer if he can't drum without a computer to help him. Also, what kind of drummer doesn't at least have a metronome handy. I've never heard of a drummer needing help from a computer.
  • Gullop, on 07/09/2008, -14/+84Whine whine whine whine whine whine.
  • HMMaster, on 07/09/2008, -4/+7http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/embedded/default. ... :x
  • craznar, on 07/09/2008, -15/+3Scotsman, Irishman and Yank having a chat in a bar. The yank says, if you were stuck in the desert - what one thing would you wish for.

    The Scott says - water, so I could drink
    The Irishman says - a satphone, so I could ring for help.
    The Yank says - pfft, I'd take a window, so I could wind it down for a breeze.

    • Totz83, on 07/09/2008, -4/+3I'd wish for the Yank to gtfo my desert =P
  • maxpep09, on 07/09/2008, -5/+12i worked for a company that produced scada control systems that dealt with nuclear waste - on windows machines
  • Syphon8, on 07/09/2008, -14/+51Does this idiot ever consider that they aren't connected to the internet, and are therefore perfectly secure?
    • mithrasinvictus, on 07/09/2008, -16/+5They dont need the internet to crash.
    • MacFlecknoe, on 07/09/2008, -1/+16Just because the machines themselves arent directly connected to the internet doesnt mean that they are secure. SCADA systems for example are normally controlled via machines on a network which may or may not be online.

      The article itself IS brain dead however... I dont use Windows as I prefer the Unix command line but I HATE it when fanboys spew Windows FUD. If you want t