[Tutor] OT: need computer advice from wise Tutors

[Alan Gauld]

"Steven D'Aprano" <steve at pearwood.info> wrote

> having no default email client (what sort of two-bit operating 
> system
> doesn't have an email client in 2010?);

To be fair to MS - and it pains me to do so - they have been beat up
so much by the lawyers that its hardlly surprising. After all they
have been forced to remove the browser from the OS in Europe
(and elsewhere?). Why not the email client too? After all, Linux 
doesn't
tecchnically have a mail client (unless you count command line mail),
it's the distros that add that.

> the automatic upgrades that run silently in the background with no 
> easy
> way to turn them on or off

Yes I really hate that!

> the gratuitous UI changes (am I missing something, or does Internet
> Explorer no longer have a menubar?);

None of the new MS applications do, the menu bar has been
merged into the new look toolbar. Thus making something small
and unobtrusive large and extremely obtrusive and requiring a
relearning of the whole command structure! I really don't like the
new MS UI thing, even after 6 montrhs of use it still drives me nuts!
(I use Win7 on my laptop at work)

> the use of third-party applications like Adobe Acrobat Reader which 
> have
> become overloaded with *stupid* security vulnerabilities *by design*

But that applies to all OS that Reader runs on doesn't it?
Can't blame Windows 7 for that.

> consequently the proliferation of adware and spyware (even

Yep, agree with this too.

> On the other hand, it is quite pretty.

Hmm, I'm stlll not sure about that...
But then, I srtill run Windows XP in Classic mode with Windows95
style menu and start button etc.

Alan G.