Wednesday morning. 1:27 AM. I am awake, of course. I always am. Just messing around, surfing the net, updating my blog. Ya know, the usual stuff. I had just finished deleting some old copies of an article that I no longer needed. I was about to empty them out of the Recycle Bin when I noticed something strange. My Recycle Bin had completely disappeared! To clarify, the little label saying “Recycle Bin” was still there, the program still worked fine, but the cute little see-through trash receptacle had given me the slip!
I wish I could say this was the first time this has happened. However, in all honesty, the Case of the AWOL Recycle Bin is a relatively frequent occurrence. Usually, restarting my session of Windows is enough of a shock to bring the wayward prodigal back to Daddy. This time, however, I was finished. I pay that little guy far too much to let him just walk out on the job.
I ran a quick Google search, and within 30 seconds, I had found what I was looking for. Apparently, this is an all-too common problem for users of Windows Vista (of which I am one). With a few quick, easy steps, I was able to bring my little friend home to my desktop safe and sound.
Not being the sort to let things go easily, I had to take some time to think about what I had just done. I, a user of the latest and most advanced Windows software to date, had just been forced to put the Recycle Bin back in its proper place. Funny, I thought to myself. I don’t seem to remember having that problem with any of the older versions of Windows I’ve used. Frustrating, really.
But that’s not all. Many, many, many of my favorite older programs and games out rightly refuse to work once I introduce them to Windows Vista. Could it be that my sulky, goth kid copy of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction just doesn’t get along well with the clean-cut, preppy Vista? Perhaps. However, I consider it far more likely that while more emphasis was put on style, flow, and (most of all) newb-friendliness in this new Windows edition, significantly less was placed on actual performance and user-friendliness in terms of, say, your average person who is adequately familiar with computers.
Now, if I happen to feel a certain way about The Son of XP, I am loathe to think what opinions those more intimately familiar with technology may have on the subject. I have read some articles by people who know what they’re talking about (or at least pretend to, which always counts for something, I suppose), and believe me you, it ain’t pretty.
I know that pretty much all we can do is get used to disappearing Recycle Bins, endless interrogations (courtesy Windows Security Nazi…erm-Center) about whether or not our favorite programs should be open, and late-night searches for a fix - any fix - for the latest bug or compatibility problem. That’s the fun thing about monopoly, isn’t it? And however near and dear to our hearts I’m sure those traits will become, the only thing that makes them easier to swallow right now is the fact that they’re wrapped in a pretty sugary package of “user-friendly (I’m-pretty-sure-Bill-Gates-is-a-communist)” graphical interfaces.
Geez…at this rate, I may even convince myself to support biting the bullet (or the Apple) and boycotting Longhorn altogether.
The operating system, I mean. Not the restaurant. Longhorn Steakhouse is gold. -_-
- Jude
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