Path: archiver1.google.com!newsfeed.google.com!sn-xit-02!supernews.com! newsfeed.direct.ca!look.ca!newshub2.rdc1.sfba.home.com!news.home.com! news1.crdva1.bc.home.com.POSTED!not-for-mail From: "Brian" <sub...@post.com> Newsgroups: microsoft.public.msn.discussion Subject: MSN messenger is once again pooched... Lines: 49 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 Message-ID: <ymH07.65535$cF.3140749@news1.crdva1.bc.home.com> Date: Wed, 04 Jul 2001 16:19:42 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 24.76.112.84 X-Complaints-To: ab...@home.net X-Trace: news1.crdva1.bc.home.com 994263582 24.76.112.84 (Wed, 04 Jul 2001 09:19:42 PDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 04 Jul 2001 09:19:42 PDT Organization: Excite@Home - The Leader in Broadband http://home.com/faster Xref: archiver1.google.com microsoft.public.msn.discussion:22258 Sigh... It is interesting to me Microsoft wants to put itself into the "Reliable Network Resource" business but it seems to have all kinds of problems keeping it's websites up, its mail portal running (after partially converting to W2k from FreeBSD) and their messenger service online. The reason I am here is to note that MSN messenger is once again pooched. Even Netcraft makes it very clear that W2K rarely gets beyond the 60 day mark whereas Unix/Linux systems are routinely showing 300 days plus between reboots. I don't even want to start about my W98se desktop, which has to be routinely re-installed about every 90 days. The last re-install was two weeks ago and already I am starting to see signs of wear & tear. You know what I wish? I wish Microsoft would work to make their exisiting products stable before they go releasing Newer & Better versions (Newer means get to charge you all over again, Better means better for Microsoft - more features that don't work, less documentation and a virtually crippled and useless "Help" system. The biggest complaint from Microsoft of late is their attack of the open software movement, which routinely produces superior stable products all for free - all that is required is you learn a new operating system paradigm. This hasn't made much impact on the desktop yet but let me tell you it is tearing Microsoft a new asshole in the IT business. Microsoft is facing an erroding user base in face of mature stable faster more efficient network solutions (mail, ftp, http, dns and the dozens of server utilities). Oh yes, I have been told that I should upgrade to Windows 2000 Pro which is supposed to be superior to Windows 98se - well I did and it was a fiasco. My machine became slower, some of my hardware isn't supported, some of my applications and games weren't supported AND it wasn't any more reliable than W98se - still crashed, locked up, blue screened and became weird on a regular basis. I took it back to the store and demanded and received a refund - store clerk told me there have been many returns for W2KPro and WME so he wasn't surprised. Microsoft should just concentrate on building a good product and providing customer support and documentation and quit worrying about putting everyone else out of business. Just one guy's opinion. Brian