Do you spend as much time on the upkeep of your computer as you do working or playing on it? It seems with each new version of Windows, I spend more time making sure my machine is backed up, patched, scanned and probed for a myriad of junk that Windows can’t handle with without my input. Shouldn’t each new version of Windows make it EASIER to me to handle many of these basic upkeep chores? I’m still shocked that XP Pro doesn’t include a backup or mirrored directory module although they did recently add a Spyware program. This should be built into Longhorn and run without much user input.
Imagine each new car you purchase every few years required more maintenance than the one before it? More add-ons to keep it from crashing. Pretty soon I’d park my car and start taking public transportation. I have a “Tools” folder on my Start Menu that’s contains more programs than my “Programs” menu! Microsoft needs to figure this out. It’s already out of hand. The poor newbie computer users must wonder what they get themselves into once they find out their new system will require near daily coddling in order to run effectively.
I want a universal update tool that scans my system and tells me what needs to be updated. I’m tired of manually searching around websites trying to figure out if I have the latest version with all the security patches. How come Windows update and Office update can’t work together? Why can’t Microsoft scan my system and tell me if any of their own products are out of date and need patching?
It’s going to be a long 18 months to Longhorn. I think a Mac is in my future.
Nordquist Blog 