Sean M's Profile

I think that my greatest frustration stems for what looks a lot to me like irrational behavior on the part of consumers in general when it comes to choosing an operating system. Most people don't choose at all. The people who do choose don't really evaluate objectively what they're choosing. It's mostly based on what they're used to or recommendations from a trusted (at least trusted by them) source. I use both OSX and Windows in various incarnations daily. I'm currently toying with Windows 7 RC and it seems fine. But just installing and firing up a computer makes up a fraction of what I would define as the total user experience. How you interact with a computer includes maintenance and troubleshooting among other things. I know the car analogy doesn't hold water for every instance, I think it's useful from the standpoint of how most people look at their computers. If we take an OSX machine and turn it on and connect it to the internet, you can run the machine essentially for the life of the machine and it will just go. If you install any Windows OS on a machine of your choosing without security software, eventually, no matter how careful you are, you will eventually end up with a non-operating system. I actually like the fact that MS is refining their product because it prevents any of the players from sitting on their laurels. But until Windows is redesigned so that it is "built securely by design", I can't really imagine that I will prefer the experience of using it because I just don't like looking over my shoulder all the time. Sure tons of bad guys target Windows and sure you can hack OSX or linux if you put the time in. But the essential concept that once you get past the periphery of Windows security be it built in security or hardened by third party software, the system is vulnerable by design. If the consequences of running a vulnerable computer were the same as driving a car or flying in a plane that was bound to malfunction, I wonder how many people would think harder about the computer OS they use. A pretty vehicle that risks my life wouldn't be at the top of my shopping list.