The New Windows Commercials

[Darkbackwardz]

Microsoft must be getting desperate for ways to advertise (Not that monopolies actually need to). Now, instead of just saying the word "innovative" over and over again or claiming the Linux has a higher TCO, they've resorted to:

Start anything you like with a world of devices and applications that run on Windows

I actually found this somewhat laughable, since Windows has the absolute worst hardware support of any operating system available, and is reliant entirely on external drivers (Windows users with a lot of hardware often find themselves buried in 3rd party driver discs)

The second issue is applications, sure Windows has a lot of them, but most of them aren't very good and the ones that are cost more than a boxed set of RedHat Linux (EG: Photoshop, Nero, etc).

Its seems that once again, our favorite PR monkies have shot themselves in the foot.

[LondoJowo]

Its seems that once again, our favorite PR monkies have shot themselves in the foot.

Yet they have the dominate OS base and will continue to do so for a long time to come.

I actually found this somewhat laughable, since Windows has the absolute worst hardware support of any operating system available, and is reliant entirely on external drivers (Windows users with a lot of hardware often find themselves buried in 3rd party driver discs)

All my hardware works in Windows, yet doesn't in many Linux Distros.

[bigtomrodney]

I actually found this somewhat laughable, since Windows has the absolute worst hardware support of any operating system available,

I'd really have to disagree with this. Windows is the only OS that has drivers from all vendors. I mean there are very few that provide drivers for linux, and no matter how good they are, OSS drivers are built oftenwithout having technical specs of the hardware, using reverse engineering. Not ideal, even if more in the OSS spirit in a lot of ways.

[the0r3tic]

These adverts have been on british tv for sometime now.

[budman7]

I would have to halfway agree with Darkbackwardz.

On some things, Windows has great hardware detection and will install the software for you.
On others, well now that is a different story.
For instance, i have a USB Ethernet connector, Windows detects this, but cannot load the drivers for it.

All versions of linux that I have tried, it works without a problem.

[bigtomrodney]

True, it may not install it automatically, but you will have gotten the drivers with the hardware at least. And The drivers may well be included in future releases of Windows if it's an everyday device, much like linux (except we get even the not so everyday device drivers too )

[Giro]

What is a USB Ethernet connector, some kinda usb network card. And yeh like linux can support as many devices as Windows thats just life so why worry.

[LondoJowo]

Most of the good quality video capture cards don't produce Linux drivers and never will as they don't want their competitors to have access to their code/hardware design.

[budman7]

What is a USB Ethernet connector, some kinda usb network card.

No card, just a USB plug at one end, a Ethernet plug at the other end and a connector in between the 2.
Cost me $30 at my local computer store.

[Cabhan]

I will agree about applications (sans games), but Windows is correct about hardware.

What I find offensive in that however, is that if they didn't dominate the market, then hardware vendors might provide Linux drivers also. For example, why don't ATI cards work 100% on Linux? Not because Linux can't support them, but rather that the devs won't release drivers or information for Linux devs to make drivers with.

So yes, Microsoft does have the widest range of hardware support. But that is not a flaw of any other system.