Operating Systems

[jubuttib]

Internet:
Opera

Fixed.

(Truth be told I have no idea how Opera works in Linux.)

[Jesse B 707]

Opera?? .......you're joking right?

[Jerrod]

In response to Jerrod's post, assuming that Dogma's post is accurate, and support will continue through 2020, that means patches until 2020. They don't stop issuing patches until they stop support of the product. XP is still a mainstream product in many organizations, as Vista was a load of dung, and 7 was only released to manufacturing about a year ago. I wouldn't worry about patches.

I was wrong but it's 2014.

Support for Windows XP without a service pack ended on September 30, 2004[71] and support for Windows XP Service Pack 1 and 1a ended on October 10, 2006.[72][73]
Windows XP Service Pack 2 have been retired as of July 13, 2010, almost six years after its general availability.[2] In accordance with Microsoft's posted timetable, the company stopped general licensing of Windows XP to OEMs and terminated retail sales of the operating system on June 30, 2008, 17 months after the release of Windows Vista.[74][75] However, an exception was announced on April 3, 2008, for OEMs installing to ultra low-cost PCs (ULCPCs) until one year after the availability of Windows 7 (October 22, 2010)[76][77][78]
On April 14, 2009, Windows XP and its family of operating systems were moved from Mainstream Support to the Extended Support phase as it marks the progression of the legacy operating system through the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy. During the Extended Support Phase, Microsoft will continue to provide security updates every month for Windows XP; however, free technical support, warranty claims and design changes are no longer being offered.
Only Software Assurance customers who still run Windows XP can enroll in the Extended Hotfix Support Agreement if they want to receive non-security related hotfixes. The enrollment offer for consumers ended on July 13, 2009.[citation needed]
On April 8, 2014, all Windows XP support, including security updates and security-related hotfixes, will be terminated

[jubuttib]

Off-topic:

:lol: Opera?? .......you're joking right?

FF and Chrome are cool if you're not a super (stupid) heavy user, but Opera is the only browser that can handle several windows running 50+ tabs on each simultaneously without problems. If you don't need that, well, that's your problem, stick with FF. =)

But yeah, Chrome is very good, except the same thing that makes it so good (every tab is it's own process) also makes it a resource hog in my use. It's also seriously lacking in features, but I'm sure it'll get better with time. FF is also very good, but it needs a buttload of plugins to be very usable, and the UI isn't as easily customizable as in Opera. Also I don't like the way it processes web pages. You can bang your head against the keyboard, save the file as .html and it'll make it a functioning web page. This encourages sloppy programming and as a CS student really rubs me the wrong way. Still, overall the second best browser out there.

Probably what I like best about Opera (in addition to how well it survives multiple instances and session management) is how it handles back and forward functions: Instantaneously. I doesn't try to reload the previous page (unless you tell it to in the options), it just instantly jumps there. This always aggravates me when using other browsers. I've also got it set up just the way I want it (you can edit what every menu, including every different right-click menu, shows and does) with a very minimal visual UI, I can't imagine how much work it'd be to make FF look and handle like this. Unless they've completely revamped appeareance modification for version 3, I have most experience with 2.

[Dogma]

Unless they've completely revamped appeareance modification for version 3, I have most experience with 2.

3 isn't much different from 2. But you should check out Tab Candy. It's a new FF feature that's still in beta (alpha, actually), but is very interesting. The written description doesn't do it justice. If you want to see a short video about it: http://vimeo.com/13560319

I was wrong but it's 2014.

Yeah I think I quoted it wrong too. But the info is a little vague. They are going to offer 7 to XP downgrade rights throughout the 7 lifecycle, which means through 2020. But they are saying that WinXP SP3 support will end in 2014. So will they continue to offer XP for sale for six years without supporting it? Will they offer SP4 and continue support past 2014? No one seems to know for sure.

[jubuttib]

Unless they've completely revamped appeareance modification for version 3, I have most experience with 2.

3 isn't much different from 2. But you should check out Tab Candy. It's a new FF feature that's still in beta (alpha, actually), but is very interesting. The written description doesn't do it justice. If you want to see a short video about it: http://vimeo.com/13560319

Kewl, the upcoming features sound pretty interesting and worthwhile. What it does now though isn't really that much of an improvement on what Opera's been able to do for a while though. I can't give the tab groups (windows) names, but I've been using tabs and windows in the same way he talks about it in the video for, I don't know, close to 8 years now.

[Parks]

Chrome is also a really nice, fast, free browser.

It also has better HTML5 support than Firefox and Opera.

I still use FF though because I like some of the extensions.

[garublador]

i was just given a free computer today...

i might give unbuntu a shot

how big of a pita is it to install on a fresh box?

It's way easy. There might be a few small things that you'll need to tweak, but finding solutions for stuff on the internet is really easy. I also find the fixes are usually easier to implement than fixes for Windows stuff, but there might be a bit of a learning curve. It's not that it's difficult, it's just that it's different. Once you realize the differences you'll probably find that it's easier to work with than Windows for a lot of things and lots of stuff makes a lot more sense. You just have to keep telling yourself, "It's not Windows."

[Frank Delicious]

Chrome is where it's at due to multi-threading.

[Parks]

FF and Chrome are cool if you're not a super (stupid) heavy user, but Opera is the only browser that can handle several windows running 50+ tabs on each simultaneously without problems.

WTF are you doing that requires that many open tabs? Seems like it would make it really hard to find a specific tab, rather than just opening a new tab from a bookmark when you need it.

[riverboy]

FF and Chrome are cool if you're not a super (stupid) heavy user, but Opera is the only browser that can handle several windows running 50+ tabs on each simultaneously without problems.

WTF are you doing that requires that many open tabs? Seems like it would make it really hard to find a specific tab, rather than just opening a new tab from a bookmark when you need it.

Must be a hacker.

[Parks]

Angelina Jolie taught me that you only need a single console window open to hack, so that is wrong as well.

[jubuttib]

Mainly because I don't really use bookmarks. Most of the sites I frequent are always open, so that I actually remember to look at them. Then there's schoolwork, I often find myself cross referencing two dozen sites to get the job done. And when I look at this forum, I go through all the sections and open every thread I want to look at in a new tab, then just jump on the first one I opened and check through them, closing the tabs when I'm done with them. I do this whenever possible, so that my main tabs that are permanent are on the left, while everything in my to-do list is on the right. I've grouped the tabs so that I know where everything is and don't really have to spend any time looking for stuff.

Windows are divided by interests, main window is where the most used and most often updated stuff lives, second window usually has computer, gaming and modding related stuff and the third is mainly for webcomics etc. If I start a project of some sort and don't want the other tabs to mess with my work I just launch a new window and keep it dedicated for that one purpose.

I can (and have) also save my sessions for different purposes and load them independently from another, and whenever I start up my browser I can just continue where I left of, everything is where I left it.

And for the record, most of the time I have "only" ~50 tabs running divided into three windows. =) But occasionally, when I do need more, I can be certain that Opera can handle it.

[riverboy]

Angelina Jolie taught me that you only need a single console window open to hack, so that is wrong as well.

What else did Angelina Jolie teach you?

[Parks]

Angelina Jolie taught me that you only need a single console window open to hack, so that is wrong as well.

What else did Angelina Jolie teach you?

How to get those perfect dick sucking lips.