Bluescreen hell and hope ( Google O.S. )

My computer got attacked by something lately - I'm not sure what really, but it involved a lot of blue screens and 'STOP 0x0000007B' messages. Entirely peeved, I decided to format my hard drive, having backed up everything beforehand, which I do on a regular basis anyway ( the machine got progressively slower over time, and I sensed the worst - backing up is good advice which can not be repeated too often )

I then embarked on a reinstallation nightmare. Windows setup was giving me various bluescreens. Having confirmed the disk were not surface - damaged or dirty, it took forever to get to the root cause of the problem - well, sort of get to the root of it. Having strained the grey matter I remembered unistalling Pinnacle products before the roof fell in. I answered 'yes' to 'remove all files' even if they were shared. Either it's a coincidence, or that stuffed my machine.

Having re-written the bootsector, performed LLF on the drive, and run various variations of FDISK and so on, I discovered why windows wouldn't reinstall. I was using an OEM Windows XP home disk, trying to use the XP Professional Uprgrade, and the thing was hanging. There was only one thing for it: a slipstream disk. Thankfully I had another machine connected to the net, and found the instructions without any trouble.

Basically a slipstream disk copies over the files which an OEM disk lacks. I was able, by following the instructions carefully, to combine the XP pro with Home, and throw in SP-2 for good measure - all on the one disk. I can't remember how many times I've had to go to these lengths over Windows. It took almost a week to get my computer up and running again, and my patience was at nil for a finish. It looks like the days of paying a wad for an O.S. have - praise to the Lord - finally come to an end though.

Within the next few months, Google O.S. will be making an appearance. From what I can gather, firstly on Notebooks / Netbooks / PDA's, but later on we'll be getting it on all forms of computer. About time, and hats off to Google yet again. It's much more than an O.S. though, it's more of a way of life. Not a new way of life, but rather one we live already but which MS is still too dumb to recognise.

For example, video player? - what video player?! Google are betting on us not needing a video player fundamental to the O.S., because most people watch streamed video online. Beautifully logical. Get ready for a super - Linux. I can't wait! No matter if it starts off wobbly ( there's no evidence it will, based on the excellent Chrome ) but besides, there's plenty of room for getting it wrong at the start. If Google do their worst, the Beta will be no worse than the final product of MS with all the patches, sellotape and plastic ties that help it barely chug and fart along. Oh, and it won't cost the laughable €392 I was quoted when XP came out. No, it will be FREE!

The future suddenly looks a lot brighter!