Debunking the Microsoft Windows User Friendliness Myth!

Published on July 6, 2008 in Hardware, MS/Apple by Rami Taibah

Exactly 2 hours and 47 minutes ago, my mom wanted to print something quickly from our HP Photosmart c3100 printer. So she hooked up her Vaio, but it started complaining about drivers. She started to panic, and asked me for help. I calmed her down, and navigated to the HP site to find the printer’s driver. Apparently there was a full package (do they even call them that?) and a basic one. The full one was over a 100 MB, and the basic was around 47 MB. I thought all I need is printing so it must be included in the basic package. I started to download and left it for around 45 minutes.

45 minutes later, I came back double clicked, on the installer, next, next, next, agree, next, you know the routine. To my amazement the installer was asking for more stuff from the Internet, so I left it and went back to my room.

20 minutes later, my little brother came and told me that the laptop was complaining and making noises. So I rush to check whats the deal. Apparently the automatic detection installer of Windows was minimzed and still running, caused a conflict, and aborted. So I just got rid of the multiple auto installers, one for the printer one for the scanner and one for god knows what, and started the installer again.

Another 20 minutes I went to check up on the installation and found another error dialog, of course with the customary “no explanation”. This time I had two options: Terminate or Debug. I opted for the former since I knew squat about debugging. This brought me a cute little error and a 1 minute countdown to restart! Arrrgh!

Microsoft Windows XP Termination Error! No Reason at All!

Gotta Restart Microsoft Windows for whatever reason!

After the restart, I ran the installer for the third time, and thought while I am at it, let’s just browse the net for a while, so I click on the IE icon. The same error and the same countdown!

At this point my patience really grew thin, I rushed downstairs and got my eee PC, turned it on, hooked up the printer. I was expecting to have to manually add it from Ubuntu’s control panel. How wrong was I! it automatically recognized the damn printer, and started printing in less than a minute.

Ubuntu recognized HP photosmart c3100 out of the box!

So let me get this straight, almost two hours to get a damn printer to work on Windows XP, which didn’t even install I might add! This coming from the king of “user friendliness“, Microsoft Windows XP! While I experienced a 1 minute plug and play process for the king of complexity, Linux? Boy today’s standards are screwed up!

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About

Rami Taibah the founder of The Linuxologist and a self proclaimed geek and Linux aficionado. This fall, he will be pursuing an MIMS degree at UC Berkeley, California. You can follow him on Twitter @rtaibah.

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  • http://mynameistux.blogspot.com/ mynameistux

    I know what you mean, the same thing happend to me, funny story eh.

  • http://www.matusiak.eu/numerodix/blog/ numerodix

    Of course, this is not a rare or unusual story at all. All of us former Windows users have seen this lots and lots of times. Why people who come to linux can’t tolerate similar troubles in their first goddamn week is beyond me. People forget too quickly I think.

  • ubuntu27

    Hello Rami. Windows like any other Operating System is userfriendly or not ust user friendly depending on the people’s patience, knowledge, and luck.

    As for luck, the count down error that you were getting, that’s a known virus that targets WinXP. I had one before.
    That *** Virus targets every single Windows XP that doesn’t have SP2 installed. All you have to do is to connect to the internet for just five seconds to get infected. Yes, I am not exaggerating, I was one of the victim. ><;

    You will have to install GNU/Linux or if your mother wants to maintain her Windows, then you must do a virus scan AND update her Windows XP (Most likely it doesn’t have the latest Service Pack).

    Well. Keep posting interesting articles!

  • Pingback: 9 Linux Myth Debunked | Bringing Linux to the Masses

  • http://batterypoweredgames.blogspot.com/ Daniel "NeoStrider" Monteiro

    Exactly the same here, but instead of two hours, the problem here lasted for two weeks!
    Its HP fault about the erros, but its MS fault to trust HP on such a important issue.

    BTW, the first error dialog is a VERY stupid programming error. Its a “NULL Pointer”.
    The one who coded the printer driver forgot to add some protections – this is called poor debugging.

    So even the EeePC (I kept mine with the Xandros, as I own a 2G Surf) has more Mojo than XP ;-)

  • http://linuxologist.com Rami Taibah

    I remember this fiasco, I got really frustrated. Thank you for reminding me of this post, and reminding me how my life is great without Microsoft :)

  • http://batterypoweredgames.blogspot.com/ Daniel "NeoStrider" Monteiro

    Exactly the same here, but instead of two hours, the problem here lasted for two weeks!
    Its HP fault about the erros, but its MS fault to trust HP on such a important issue.

    BTW, the first error dialog is a VERY stupid programming error. Its a “NULL Pointer”.
    The one who coded the printer driver forgot to add some protections – this is called poor debugging.

    So even the EeePC (I kept mine with the Xandros, as I own a 2G Surf) has more Mojo than XP ;-)

    • http://hehe2.net Rami Taibah

      I remember this fiasco, I got really frustrated. Thank you for reminding me of this post, and reminding me how my life is great without Microsoft :)

  • http://www.pingbrie.com briealeida

    Printing with Linux has been completely plug 'n play (not pray) for me with multiple Ubuntu installations and printers by different manufacturers.

    I shudder to think about “installing” a printer in Windows.

  • http://www.pingbrie.com briealeida

    Printing with Linux has been completely plug 'n play (not pray) for me with multiple Ubuntu installations and printers by different manufacturers.

    I shudder to think about “installing” a printer in Windows.

  • http://www.pingbrie.com briealeida

    Printing with Linux has been completely plug 'n play (not pray) for me with multiple Ubuntu installations and printers by different manufacturers.

    I shudder to think about “installing” a printer in Windows.

  • http://www.unixsysadmin.org briealeida

    Printing with Linux has been completely plug 'n play (not pray) for me with multiple Ubuntu installations and printers by different manufacturers.

    I shudder to think about “installing” a printer in Windows.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_INUJMBKZK64XLES6AGC5XFTW4E Sonic

    At school, when I run LiveUSB of Ubuntu, I can always print. It recognizes all the printers/scanners/copiers automatically and searches for drivers for me. Sometimes it will ask me to clarify the model so it knows what drivers it needs, but it’s much better than searching up to 100 web pages to find drivers that may or may not work.

    Almost every day we need to print, there is someone going “I can’t print, I can’t print”. Lol. Most of the time, it’s the instructor’s computer. Most of the time, it’s also 1 or 2 students. WOW. I’m thinking

    “I thought this was the almighty perfect Windows 7. Fuck you microsoft, you can’t even install a printer correctly.”

    So, I always volunteer my station for print.