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What's Really Broken with Windows Update - Trust
Be Cool writes "According to ZDNet, Microsoft has steered itself into a real trust tarpit with Windows Update: 'See, here's the problem. To feel comfortable with having an open channel that allows your OS to be updated at the whim of a third party (even/especially* Microsoft ... * delete as applicable) requires that the user trusts the third party not to screw around with the system in question. This means no fiddling on the sly, being clear about what the updates do and trying not to release updates that hose systems. While any and all updates have the potential to hose a system, there's no excuse for hiding the true nature of updates and absolutely no excuse for pushing sneaky updates down the tubes. Over the months vigilant Windows users have caught Microsoft betraying user trust on several separate occasions and this behavior is eroding customer confidence in the entire update mechanism.'"
People can easily switch to Linux, right? Right?
[ think ]
I don't see Microsoft doing anything different with Windows Update than Apple has been doing with their iPhone firmware update. They're simply asserting their control over their operating system. Whereas I don't think it's an idea or appropriate way to manage things, this has not been an uncommon practice in the past.
As has been said before, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." The solution is to take the control out of Microsoft's hands. There are services/sites out there that allow you to manually download the necessary updates. Most, however, are too lazy to do such a thing.
Take off the tinfoil hat man. I think people just were too lazy to update their computers. That would be why service pack 2 turned on automatic update.
I smoked pot once. But I DID NOT inhale. Will you hire me?
Oh so OS X took nothing from KDE, or the 1000's of developers writing code for free? Funny I always thought OS X was based off of BSD and I thought KDE and most open source software could run on BSD. Damn I never would have thought Apple wrote every line of code in OS X.
I smoked pot once. But I DID NOT inhale. Will you hire me?
Ahh, you mean the OSX with was started using BSD was it? The majority of the hard work being done form them? Sure, that will save some costs. Until you go to pay overprices x86 hardware from the same company to get the OSX. Oh, and then you still have to pay for OSX point releases.
Ya..cheaper indeed.
Maybe Linux should stop duplicating Unix. Or OpenOffice should stop duplicating MS Office.
Well if you are working for free you are a fucking dumb ass
Hear me out. I'm getting sick of hearing about how windows has all these "closed, secret updates". News flash, if you're a major corporation, you know EXACTLY what MS is pushing out, and often times have access to the source via an NDA for what is being pushed out. Now, this article may be very valid for joe schmoe user, but at the end of the day, linux is no better. SO WHAT if my grandpa can look at the code to the update being pushed to him. For him, that update is just as much of a black box as anything that MS pushes out. It is just as likely, if not more so, to break something, than any MS update. I have had FAR, FAR more updates on *nix* boxes *break EVERYTHING* than MS. Yes, I was able to work around it, which is great for me, because I know what I'm doing. If it were my grandpa's machine, he'd be paying someone to fix it, just like if his windows machine broke. So no, I don't think linux updates are in any way any better for the average user. I would be pressed to say that it's any better for the LEGIT power user either.
Let's be honest here, the people with the biggest issues with MS update are those with pirated copies of windows. Ya, sucks for them, but let's not cry about the fact that you got caught with your hand in the cookie jar.
Hmm. I did tech support for dell and never ran into what you speak of. To me you sound like a Linux guy just spreading some fud. But whatever works for you.
I smoked pot once. But I DID NOT inhale. Will you hire me?
MS is NOT intentionally breaking XP and anyone who would think so should seek professionally counseling.
I see so many conspiracy theories on this site pertaining to Windows and it just cracks me up. I've been using Windows since 3.11 and other than screwing around with it and breaking it myself in the early days, I've hardly ever had a problem with it since 2000. Any problems I do encounter have either been driver related or promptly remedied with online support or a prompt reply from a MS tech rep. XP has served me very well for my day job and my home business running all sorts of varied, resource intensive software. I also use OS X for work and home and enjoy it's benefits as well, but all you MS hating penguins really need to just give it a rest already. Either that or put on your aluminum foil hats and shut yourselves in with your Linux boxes and leave the rest of us "normal" folks alone.
I don't really care because it doesnt matter what they do-- People are going to complain. Why? BECAUSE ITS MICROSOFT.
Wrong. A normal user wouldn't go trying to customize their Windows Updates and F-up like you did and set it to update hardware drivers as well as critical updates.
Nice attempt at furthering the MS-bashing, though. Hence your + mod that shouldn't have been.