[Tfug] My experience "recovering" Windows compared to installing Debian

[Glen Pfeiffer]

I rebuilt a computer for a family member on Thursday, and renewed 
my dislike of Windows.

I am sure most of you know this, but almost all computers with 
Windows pre-installed come with some type of "recovery" media 
instead of Windows install CD's. That really irritates me.

One hour after starting the recovery process I had a supposedly 
"clean" Windows XP Home install. But we know it was far from 
clean. It installed 20 or so useless software packages and about 
5 unnecessary services. Since there is no way to remove them all
at once, I spent the next two hours removing them piecemeal.

Then after installing AntiVirus and AntiSpyware software, I began 
the "update" process. Windows Update is not able to perform a 
complete system upgrade in one shot like apt. It took 5 
iterations of:
    1. Run Windows Update.
    2. Reboot
    3. Windows Update notifies me that there are updates 
       available.
    4. Repeat.

AARRGHHH! That took about seven or eight hours!

Finally I came to the good part. Install Debian and make it dual 
boot.[1] A complete install with all the packages that I think 
they will need, took me about two hours. And that included the 
time I spent configuring user accounts and their gnome desktops. 

Oh, and the new Debian installer .... I am amazed. The last time 
I installed Debian Etch it was in testing and there were still 
some issues with the it. But this time it recognized all my 
hardware flawlessly. I did not have to tell it anything about my 
video card or monitor.

Windows: ~10 hours
Debian:    2 hours

And now, in typical script kiddie fashion:

    WINDOZE SUCKS - DEBIAN RULZ!!!  ;-)

-- 
Glen

[1] I am trying to convert them over to Linux, but just in 
case they gripe too much, I decided it is better to have Windows 
setup already.