Why do I dislike Microsoft?

[Originally written: early 2002]

To start with
Some people decide to use Linux purely for the desire to appear as a geek or hacker -- titles generally attributed to Linux users. Most people in this situation take on the related anti-Microsoft attitude to get into the part; but my dislike of Microsoft grew ever since I first started using windows, way before I knew Linux existed.

Ignorant beginnings
In July 1997 I decided to buy a computer. At the time I was only aware of two options: to buy an Apple Mac or to buy a PC. It appeared that PCs were likely to be the best option, as I wanted to be compatible with the majority, and the majority of people had PCs. I bought a PC, which naturally came with the current Windows 95 operating system installed.

My first experience with Win95 was great. I had no complaints. OK, it crashed occasionally, but PCs always crashed -- or so I'd been led to believe.

It wasn't long after I'd bought my PC that I heard about Windows 98, an upcoming operating system from Microsoft. My first concern was compatibility. I knew of people who had been unable to run Windows 3.11 applications on Windows 95; were there going to be compatibility issues between 95 and 98? I'd only just bought my PC; was I going to have to upgrade already? The answer was no. Reviews of Win98 revealed that it gave little more than better hardware support. OK, Win98 would integrate the browser with the operating system, providing the Active Desktop and various cosmetic changes; however, many Win95 users -- including myself -- were already experiencing this by having installed the version of IE4 including Active Desktop from CDs free with computer magazines.

Microsoft keeps the money rolling in
Win98 was released on June 25th, 1998, and had an upgrade cost of $109. I most certainly didn't upgrade, due to the very minor benefits. Most of those who did upgrade wished they hadn't: it was poor in stability and rich in bugs. Win98 was junk (to put it mildly).

Win98 SE (Second Edition), commonly referred to as 'Stable Edition', was released on April 23rd, 1999, just about a year later. If it wasn't for the Internet connection-sharing feature this could be classifed purely as a chargeable bug fix. The upgrade price was $89. An upgrade price of $19 was offered for those unfortunate people who had bought Win98 previously. This time Win98 worked. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than the previous edition.

There were rumors of new Windows versions in the pipeline shortly after this: Windows ME and 2000. Was this the shape of things to come? Were we expected to upgrade our operating systems every year?

PC hardware was increasing in specifications quite rapidly and, as Win95 wasn't as hardware-friendly as Win98, it wasn't long before most people were upgrading to Win98. There was a boom in PC sales around this time. Fear of the Millennium Bug meant that many people upgraded their PCs, getting a copy of Win98 pre-installed. Also, Internet use was increasing in the home, and Christmas sales of PCs were high.

Windows 2000 was released on February 17th, 2000; This was the upgrade from Windows NT designed for servers or business desktops. Many home users switched to Win2000, even though it wasn't designed with the home user in mind, as it was more reliable and gave better performance than Win98.
Windows ME was released on September 14th, 2000, and had an upgrade price of $109. There were reviews mentioning the better memory management, improved stability, highly competitive pricing, and how it was worth the money. This time, the majority of the computer-using populace disagreed -- even those who were strong supporters of Microsoft. WinME, just like Win98 first edition, was a failure. The price dropped to $60 to coax people into buying.

Finding the way out
I'd had about enough of Microsoft by this time, and also enough of the people who always seemed to give Microsoft products fantastic reviews regardless of the facts. Microsoft appeared to have the ability to take advantage of the whole world without anybody trying to prevent it, and this bugged me.

During November 2000 a friend informed me of the existance of Linux. Linux was an alternative that was deemed superior to Windows by many. It was hailed as being stable, secure, and free. Due to my already negative feelings towards Microsoft, I jumped at the chance to check it out.

The future
From here on I only become more and more dissappointed with Microsoft. I'm not alone: tech news is filled with reports of Microsoft bugs, anti-competitive dealings, security issues, and abuse of its monopoly. It has got to the point where people are forced to face the facts, and Microsoft can no longer rely on its firm foundations to cause people to buy its software without a second thought.

Windows XP was released on October 25th, 2001, with an upgrade cost of $99. This was supposed to be the best Windows offering Microsoft had created. It's strong points were that it was stable, user-friendly, and powerful. Although XP may be Microsoft's best offering to date, it hasn't made a significant difference, and problems continue even after spending billions of dollars trying to iron them out.

Many people are unhappy with the conduct of Microsoft, and even hardened Microsoft supporters don't trust the company. Although it seems to be a good operating system, WinXP appears as no more than a small breeze compared with the tornado of distrust Microsoft has created. I could write pages upon pages of reasons why people should steer clear of Microsoft, but I think the news is continually providing this anyway so I don't see the necessity. There are also many sites that give highly detailed accounts of how offensive Microsoft is, such as www.vanwensveen.nl/rants/microsoft/IhateMS.html. Both the Linux operating system and Open Source software are constantly taking on new ground. Many home users and businesses around the world have scrapped Windows for Linux. People are becoming wise to the ways that Microsoft locks them into using and upgrading its software, and are considering ways that give them more freedom. As to what the future holds I guess we'll have to wait and see. but, regardless of what happens to Linux, I don't think anybody should trust Microsoft.