Anti-Windows Catalog

Because Microsoft sucks, that's why!

Written by Gordon Fecyk, 4/2/2005

ONE OF MY SUPPLIERS has a staff member who has outspoken opinions of Microsoft. Many of them valid, to be sure - we're talking about an organization that laughed at the United States Department of Justice, after all.

I draw the line at statements like: "(brand x's) hardware doesn't work because of bugs in Windows XP Service Pack 2." And talking with this gentleman is a good exercise in debunking this kind of, well, bunk.

Syba Technologies Limited was the subject of my last argument, er, debate with this gentleman. He tried to sell me a notebook adapter card produced by Syba. I asked for another manufacturer because I had documented problems with one of their products.

THE CONVERSATION went something like this...

Do you have a card made by someone else? I had problems with something else these guys made.
What'd you use it on?
Windows XP Pro, Service Pack 2.
Now, that's why.
(?!) Excuse me, but the maker of that card's chipset explained the problem, fixed it, and that still didn't work on this card. How is that Microsoft's fault?
Because Microsoft sucks.

It degenerated from there. I won't bore you with the details, but it ended some time around...

...why would I want to debilitate my machine just because of bugs in Internet Explorer?
...or bugs in Mozilla Firefox, or anything else, or because of your kids... do you run Linux as root, too?
Linux has more than just "administrator" and "user."
...or drive without your seat belt?
Sometimes.
(!!!) Well, that explains a lot, doesn't it?

And then, it degenerated further into the merits of having yourself thrown out of a car during a crash. A less-thoughtful listener might have thought this gentleman landed on his head one too many times after being thrown from his car.

LET'S GET THIS STRAIGHT.

• A product doesn't work on a Microsoft operating system.
• The product's manufacturer doesn't say anything.
• The maker of one of the product's parts says there is a problem, and they fix it.
• The product still doesn't work.
• Other products work with the same parts.
• Other products work, made by the same manufacturer, with different parts.

I don't know how the average Linux religious fanatic interprets this, but it's pretty obvious to me that the product is at fault! Only shallow thinkers would blame Microsoft for a single malfunctioning product.

Related Links:

• Do you use Firefox instead of Internet Explorer? Beware. -- VMyths
• A good example of bad advocacy -- Everything2
• Blame your IT Manager for your virus woes! -- VMyths
• Blame yourself for your spyware woes!
• Blame Microsoft for not following their own rules!

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