I'm Mark Soper (the technology writer - not the actor), and I'll be your host as we explore the good, bad, and the ugly of the world's most popular operating system that people also love to hate: Microsoft Windows.

Windows and I go back a long way – all the way back to the days of Windows 1.0! I've worked – and played – with Windows as it gradually transformed from a goofy-looking home for a lame-o drawing program and a crippled word processor into the control center used by hundreds of millions of PCs.

My realization that Windows was more than a graphical toy was similar to Will Smith's recollections: when I discovered its ability to run multiple programs at the same time, it was goodbye DOS, and no turning back.

Along the way, I've taught thousands of students computer troubleshooting and networking, contributed to several books in the Special Edition Using series from Que (starting with Windows Millennium), written over 160 articles, and written and co-authored seventeen books on technology topics ranging from home and office networking to computer upgrades, troubleshooting, and digital imaging. With as many as six or more programs running at a time and sometimes as many as a dozen windows open on two desktops (I bought one of the first ATI Radeon VE cards to feed my windowing addiction), I couldn't have gotten so much done without Microsoft Windows.

Although Windows Vista is the latest edition of Windows to hit the market, and Microsoft has told computer makers that Windows XP will be off the market by the end of 2007, I'll be blogging about Windows XP (and older versions when appropriate) as well as Windows Vista. Because an operating system is only useful when you add hardware and software, you may find occasional blog entries about these topics as well.

I've been reading Maximum PC since its pre-history as boot magazine, and I've always appreciated its 'take no prisoners' attitude. If Microsoft fouls up, you'll hear about it here, and you'll also hear about it when they get things right. Let's get started!

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