Not really, and aero is crap. Seriously, it's pretty yes, but it adds little to nothing to the interface. Plus, it's not really that much different than what's available elsewhere.

As for the double standards, there is no double standard. I take it you didn't actually bother to read the bunk that I quoted. MS has a history of embrace, extend, extinguish. If you don't believe me just look at the OOXML debacle from a couple years back because they weren't happy with there being an open standard which they couldn't control or use to vendor lock people to their products.

Consequently it's pretty much ignorance to suggest that there would be no standardization when MS has a history of going way out of its way to break standardization wherever necessary to lock people into its platform.
Gaming outside of Windows and Mac has been getting really good in recent years. Those are still around, but we've got tons of ports from previously Windows games, on top of that we're getting things like Supertux and Quantum minigolf.

The command prompt of Windows is not that good compared to Linux'.

If you remove the GUI and go back to the command prompt only, then, yes I would wish that Windows had never existed.

In terms of GUI development, Windows has been a force for good.

Yes, there was the MAC and Linux has a nice GUI now, but I think overall, Windows has given everyone in the software industry a giant kick in the butt in terms of GUI development.

Windows also helped standardize hardware (PC) so that software works interchangeably on what different manufacturers make.

Without Windows/Unix (but mostly Windows), picture the PC/MAC hardware rift times a thousand.

Actually, even better... picture the console war where you need to buy at least 3 (possibly 4) different consoles to play all the games on your wishlist (for reference: I don't play consoles, I hate consoles for the most part).

... so much more troublesome, I'm pretty sure.

Of course, I might have had something else to get annoyed at, had Windows not been there.

oh you just had to drag in windows phone did you :(

Very happy Windows Phone user. :p

I used to wish PC users had stuck with DOS just to make emulation easier. DOS games are pretty much guaranteed to run in DOSBox but WINE can be hit & miss. Now, however, I think a more elegant solution would be to legislate software developers to release the source code—sort of like a patent—7 years after the binary becomes available. Sure there are problems with that idea, but I'm dreaming so don't wake me.

Don't worry, I won't, I'll just put tacks on your bed so you'll wake yourself as you roll around.

Ah, shit... I'm not real. Please don't wake up!

Computing would have been much better and much more enjoyable if we were all using AmigaOS instead. That's a fact.

Not waking you because I dream the same dream ...

I do agree with you that basic computer literacy among folk who should know the basics is just ridiculous - Windows made it tad too easy to use down the line.

I am working at clients site as a dev and it is really irritating how a) users handling even basic tools like Word or Excel on every day basis keep coming in with daft questions and then get uber angry that I have to go over "complicated" procedures or tell them to Just eFfin Google It, b) folk who handle BACS apps were not even trained and if I had any say in this whole mess they would not stay there long dammit.

On my side all is dandy now - W7 handles PowerShell natively and hell, pretty much everything I have to do on my workstation I do via PS + remote work on all servers. Don't even look back at CMD any more.

As a software developer who worked close to 2 years now on a software product (forking my own ideas instead of taking someone else's), I'd say you drive a tight bargain.

And lets not forget those who have a full team working 5-10 years on a product...

What if the product is not popular right away after release, but only starts generating a lot of income a couple of years down the line?

I think a better compromise would be to extend your little deadline to at least 20 years OR until the developers are no longer committed to supporting the product, whichever comes first.

I think old dogs that are not as well versed in new technologies as the next generation should be entitles to using it just like the rest of us.

The main thing I'd change is to put more emphasis on security overall so that grandad's computer can really be made idiot proof.

Or actually, even better, make ipadish gizmos more idiot-proof as computer illiterates are more likely to gravitate towards these technologies to fulfills their simpler computing needs.

WinXP > Win7

I hope so. Less maintenance time for me.