Dear Microsoft,
I would like to let you know that you are not nearly as helpful as you think you are or claim to be. Most of the times you think you are anticipating my needs by providing inputs on that I have not requested but you assume that I will want. Please let me assure you that in most cases you have gotten it wrong. Also the big brother aspect is really annoying. Please respect me enough to allow me to be me.
Case in point. I was trying to do a lesson the other day and I wanted to listen to my audio file recording of the lesson plan. I clicked on the file fully expecting it to open in Windows Media Player version 9 and play. I like version 9 for XP because I can speed up the spoken audio books to double speed and listen at a more comfortable pace. This is a great feature and as enabled me to get through many a book on tape. I can even opt for the unabridged version knowing that it can be completed in a fair amount of time. I really like this feature and hope that someday I can find an MP3 player that has the same capability.
Anyway, back to the story. A few days before this I was surfing the net and the Media Player said that there was an upgrade available and ask if I wanted it. At least it asked. I like many thought that an upgrade would be a good thing hence the term up grade. After a long laborious download (did I mention that I am still using dial up on an old computer) it was on my computer as well as a version 11 that I don’t recall asking for. Oh well, I got a two for one and since it is all ready here what the heck.
Turns out I did not get two versions, I only got version 11, and when I went to play my lesson, the thing I am expecting to hear did not come out of my speakers. Instead, I see a message saying welcome to the new version and in order for it to work it has to check that it is an authentic copy. What? You downloaded it, from your site, on your recommendation, from and existing version, how could it be anything but authentic? I then recalled reading something about Microsoft installing a big brother something or rather that wants to check all the software on your machine for validity. Not that anything on this machine is illegal but it is none of their business what I run on my machine, not to mention I don’t have time for this right now, I only have so many minutes with which to listen to my lesson.
So now what? I start searching to see if I can find the old program. Fortunately, I know my way around a little bit and was able to find a copy of version 9 sitting in the background. There was also a copy of version 8 which was originally on the machine until the last upgrade that got me the variable playback speed capabilities I wanted. I still had to run the remove program program and let the OS revert back to its previous state. I then had to do the always typical reboot to make things work again. Five minutes later (did I mention this was an old machine) the sign on was completed and I could finally get to my lesson. All tolled this exercise took me an extra 45 minutes in my efforts to be extra productive with the high speed playback of Windows Media Player.
Later, I may write about the irritating way you pick my formatting for me in Word and Excel or the totally useless waste that help has become since being strictly an on-line venture. I actually get answers for what I am looking for about 2 times in 10. Did I mention anything about not supporting software that is still selling in stores such as Flight Sim 2002? I went for the older software (did I mention my older computer) because I wasn’t going to get sucked into buying the latest and greatest only to find that it only works properly on a new $4,000 machine.
I may offer suggestions on how to make things work better, at least from my point of view, but for now I think it is time for bed. This has taken much to long to write as it is. Where are the productivity gains? At least that stupid paper clip only popped up once this time.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
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