Fed-Up Hospitals Defy Windows Patching Rules

bingbong writes "According to Network World: 'Amid growing worries that Windows-based medical systems will endanger patients if Microsoft-issued security patches are not applied, hospitals are rebelling against restrictions from device manufacturers that have delayed or prevented such updates. Device makers such as GE Medical Systems, Philips Medical Systems and Agfa say it typically takes months to test Microsoft patches because they could break the medical systems to which they're applied. In some instances, vendors won't authorize patch updates at all.' This is the typical patch vs. crash problem. Unfortunately, the stakes here could be human lives."

Comments

BSD - A New Meaning!

[webzombie]

Boy this story sures gives new meaning to the dreaded BLUE SCREEN of DEATH!

Ouch!

It's rather simple, really...

[Svartalf]

DON'T USE WINDOWS.

Use something else- it's not hard at all to make medical devices using QNX, Lynx, Linux, or *BSD. And you really, really can't say that WinCE and XP Embedded is really any cheaper than the alternatives- and if you're not using an embedded OS on a medical device, you need to have your head examined and your company ran out of business anyhow.

Grrr! There are other OSs other than Windows

[MagikSlinger]

And I don't mean Linux or *BSD. There are high-reliability OSs out there, and for life critical systems, why can't these vendors use a grown up OS like QNX or WindRiver's VxWorks.

I don't understand this obsession with using Windows in embedded situations! Especially critical systems. Why?? There are other OS's designed for safety, reliability and embedding. Why are these medical equipment companies ignoring these better alternatives?