Sunday, April 14, 2013

Windows Networking is No Fun

Nothing is more complicated and less fun than trying to debug a Windows 7 home network. There are about a dozen different places to look for things, and if something doesn't work, there could be multiple reasons. I've spent an entire day debugging a home network with a stubborn Windows 7 box. In the end, after much googling, I discovered a nasty secret. Linux and Macs cannot join a Windows 7 Homegroup.

I tote a USB stick from my Windows 7 box to my Linux box whenever I need to transfer a couple of files, despite the fact I have a home network, which used to work fine when the box had Windows XP.

Windows only gets worse with each new version, losing functionality along the way; devolution, rather than evolution. Microsoft adds new restrictions and limitations that are intended to enhance its profits, and only a few bells and whistles to entice the end users to shell out another hundred dollars.

I look forward to the day when I can dispense with Windows altogether, but I need it for the moment to run ACDSee and Call Clerk. One day my network will work well again, because every machine on it will be running Linux, and the many problems created by Microsoft will be only a memory.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi again,
I'm your number one anonymous fan now. I read that you use ACDSee on Windows and for some reason I thought you might like this cool sight I discovered recently. The guys name is David Revoy and he is a digital artist using Linux. He is really good and he works with raw image photos. http://www.davidrevoy.com/2-portfolio.html But mostly he draws from scratch on a Wacom tablet.

I was reading that he uses Krita and can view raw images in the Dolphin file manager with that program installed. I've never worked with raw images, so you have me curious of why you are dependent on a Windows program "ACDSee." Ok, till next time.

Scott

igor said...

I don't use raw images, only .jpg. ACDSee is a fast tool for managing very large image collections and performing basic photo editing. I have been using it since about 2001 and have not yet seen any reason to change.

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