Ten Things I Hate About Windows

Some people think that Microsoft Windows is easy to use. After using Linux for a couple of years, I find Windows XP to be outdated and clunky. Here are 10 things that I hate about Windows. They are in no particular order — I dislike them all. I have more than 10, but to keep this post short I'm limiting it to 10. Feel free to add more in the comments.

1. The Informational Balloons — Every time I boot my Windows computer I am assaulted by an onslaught of information bubbles from the lower right corner of my screen. They warn me about things like "unused desktop icons", battery settings that I have already configured many times, and other useless and redundant information.
2. Unknown File Types — Windows conveniently doesn't recognize file types for non-Microsoft technologies. For example, if you try to open a PHP file, Windows will claim not to know what program to use to open it. If you use "the Web service" to determine the file type, "the Web service" tells you that files with the .php extension are an unknown file type. Millions of web sites run PHP. It is a very common file type. I don't like having to jump through hoops every time I have to open a new file type. My Ubuntu drive recognizes every filetype that I throw at it even if the file doesn't have a file extension or has the wrong file extension.
3. A Single Virtual Desktop — I've tried Microsoft's Power Toys version of the Virtual Desktop Manager, and it's definitely a toy. I uninstalled it because it was too clunky for regular use. In Ubuntu, I can easily change the number of virtual desktops and switch between them with Ctrl-Alt and the arrow keys. Having only one virtual desktop is like having six times less desktop space than on my Ubuntu drive.
4. Slow Bootup — My Windows installations have slow bootup times. After you have been using it for a while, Windows takes forever to boot up. Even after you login, the computer is still booting up — sometimes for several minutes.
5. Weak default security settings — I don't like the way that Windows runs in Admin mode by default and that some programs even require you to be in your admin account to work correctly. This is why viruses are predominantly a "Windows problem". Running the operating system in the admin account by default is a huge security risk. Another critical security flaw is that auto-run is enabled by default, exposing your computer to a whole family of exploits. Extensions of known filetypes are hidden by default, reducing your ability to spot trojans like mypics.jpg.exe.
6. Slow Install Times — Windows takes a long time to install. On a ThinkPad, it is especially bad because of IBM's customizations. Windows installation is excruciatingly slow. When I installed Ubuntu, it only took 20 minutes to install.
7. Disk Defragmentation — Defragmentation of a Windows hard drive can take hours. I tried to defragment my drive on lunch break one day and when I came back after an hour, the defragmentation was only 12% done. I had just installed Windows four weeks earlier. Linux does not need defragmentation.
8. A Near-Useless Command Line — The Windows command line is awful. I sometimes use it for Cygwin and Ruby. You can't copy/paste text or use terminal keyboard shortcuts like you can in GNU/Linux. UPDATE: I found a way to enable editing and Bash-like keyboard shortcuts in the Windows terminal. Right-click on the top of the command line window and you can change the settings in the edit and properties menu options. Why aren't these options enabled by default?
9. Very Limited Default Keyboard Shortcuts — In GNOME there are easy keyboard shortcuts for everything. To minimize a window in GNOME, use Alt-F9. To move a window you can use Alt-F7 and the arrow keys. To resize a window use Alt-F8 and the arrow keys. To view the desktop in GNOME you can press Ctrl-Alt-d, or Ctrl-Alt-arrowkey to move to a different virtual desktop. In Microsoft Windows I have to reach for the mouse to control the desktop which is much slower and clunkier.
10. Window Focus — Windows doesn't allow you to set windows to be "always on top" (unless you have 3rd party software). Also, Windows lets programs steal focus which causes me a lot of frustration. A program in Windows might suddenly decide to pop into focus in the foreground, and I might be typing something at the same time. One accidental tap of the spacebar, and an "Ok button" was submitted doing something that I will never know because the window is already gone. In Ubuntu windows do not steal focus, but can be navigated to with Alt-TAB.