Dear readers,
I had a great post prepared this morning for Thanksgiving, but just as I was adding the tags, Internet Explorer stopped responding. With Windows Vista, the screen turns milky and the little hourglass won't go away. I was patient, just in case the problem might work itself out, but to no avail. later, I opened the task manager and with the push of the end task button, several times, all that work was gone.
Well, not really gone. You see, over the year that I've had this Vista laptop I've learned this can happen...way too often. So now, I write in notepad and transfer it to whatever destination is appropriate. Sure, its extra work, but at least when IE takes a dump I don't have to start over.
As a technology guy, I know transitions can be difficult. There is always a learning curve which can be frustrating, so I always establish a time frame for the upgrade to make itself useful. During that period I write of my frustration. If the upgrade doesn't prove itself out, then its gone.
I'll use three examples today.
1- Suddenlink Communications, our cable provider, has "upgraded" the software in our DVRs. We have two boxes, one for my son, which keeps his father sane, and another for the adults. When the adult DVR failed in late September, I took it to the local office and they exchanged it for a new box with new software.
As usual, the transition was difficult, but I said I'd give it to mid-November to get used to it. Well, it wasn't me...the software is definitely inferior to the previous version. I contacted Suddenlink to see if there was a chance of getting an old box, but to no avail. Everything was being "upgraded." True, if I hadn't used the old software, I would have known how bad it was. Unfortunately, there is no going back.
2- My wife's place of employment "upgraded" their off-site mail access last week. She is in a field where access to e-mail away from the office is essential, so when she couldn't get on line over the weekend, it was off to the office for her. As of today, two days into the following week, her IT guy won't respond. I know its only been a couple of days, but this is essential stuff. We'll see how this goes in the long run.
3- Finally there is Window's Vista. I bought my first Vista computer a year ago last October. Knowing Vista's reputation, I planned to give it a full year before giving it a yea or nay. That year is up, and I have bought two more computers...both with Windows XP. Luckily, major manufacturers have recognized the continued problems with Vista, and make new XP computers available for those of us who want a reliable operating system.
Technology is a TOOL for me, so I've learned to just say no when the newest thing comes along. To coin an old phrase, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Someone else can work the bugs out, and later, if the upgrade is worthy, I'll embrace it.
In the meantime, when a salesman comes to you with the latest upgrade, take a step back and ask if the upgrade is really for you, or just for the salesman.
Blue skies,
Sam White
www.samwhiterealty.com
PS - Join me for next month's rant regarding short time-outs and overly complicated passwords.
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