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It's Time For All Of Us To Give Thanks That Microsoft Still Can't Get It Right
Call me a fool. Call me naive. Heck, just call me stupid for believing that Microsoft had truly broken new ground and got it right with the introduction of Windows XP. I must admit I was impressed at the New York launch when the monopoly power showed how fast XP boots up. A touch of the computer's power-on button, and a second or so later the operating system desktop screen was staring everyone in the face. Faster than my television, I thought. A real improvement given that every morning after I start up my office PC, I generally go get a cup of coffee to give it time to load. Trouble is, XP doesn't boot up instantly in real life. Just how Microsoft pulled off that scam at the announcement ceremony, I don't know. What I do know is XP takes just as long to boot up as every other previous Windows version. I still have enough time to walk down the hall and pour some java. If there is any improvement, it is too small to discern. More importantly, XP comes with all the problems of past Windows versions except one: It does seem to be more stable. But heck, it's good news that many peripherals out there today won't work with XP. The fact that games and other software will require upgrades to run on the operating system is a good thing, because it means new sales. It just isn't very good for the end user, who is once again a guinea pig for new functionality that hasn't quite gelled. I've loaded XP on two home machines, both with very fast processors and plenty of memory. I'm now faced with spending more cash to get this incredible new operating system to recognize the CD-RW drive, and who knows how much more to get my wireless network up and running. The problems with the CD-RW drive have been almost comical. Support calls with Compaq, Philips (the maker of the drive) and Microsoft have all come up empty-handed. No such driver available. The best answer came during a Compaq support call when the genius on the other end of the phone told me the vendor may never provide a new XP driver and my best bet would be to upgrade my CD-RW. So much for plug and play. Now, how about the wireless home networking that XP is supposed to make so easy? If you want to have a good laugh, try it. I had a D-Link wireless gateway and a USB wireless adapter sitting on my shelf for a few months, so I decided to hook them up to the cable modem and share broadband with both PCs. After all, XP makes plug and play a reality. Nice try. No XP driver is available for the adapter. As for the gateway, well, take a guess as to how easy that was to set up. Not to worry. I seem to recall a marketing campaign a few years ago in which Microsoft boasted about "making it easier." They never did say "easy," however, just "easier." Easier than what, you might ask? Damned if I know. All this points to the fact that this industry needs Microsoft to keep making all these incredible advances. Every time Microsoft comes out with a new operating system, it makes a whole lot of perfectly good working hardware and software obsolete and inspires a whole lot of experimentation. These wonderful new operating systems spark countless support calls and desperate pleas to solution providers to fix what previously wasn't broken. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment. Maybe it's my own fault for jumping in too early. Maybe I should've taken the advice of solution providers who said to wait before upgrading and not be a guinea pig. Oh, did I tell you how much I like the looks of the new start button on XP? If it
wasn't for that new look, all this pain and suffering wouldn't be worth it. |