Pester me please, Mr. Computer
February 29, 2008
A Windows Vista tale:
ITunes insisted on upgrading in order to add support for a feature I’m not likely to use and devices I don’t own. But I let it update anyway. The next time I tried to run iTunes it refused because there’s a problem with my audio configuration.
The solution: un-install then re-install Quicktime.
So I go to the place in Vista you have to go in order to uninstall programs, wait for this control panel to load, select the program to unload. Windows Vista asks me if I’m sure and I say yes. The Quicktime uninstaller asks me some yes-or-no question and I click “yes” without reading the message because — and this is really keen — there’s an error in the dialog box and the message won’t display. It’s not like I ignored the message, it just isn’t there. Quicktime takes a while to uninstall and then pops up a dialog box letting me know it’s done and I click “OK.”
Then I go to the Apple site to get Quicktime where I follow a download link and then have to blank out the checkboxes that say “please spam me” and click another download link. Firefox asks me to confirm I want to download something and I tell it yes. The installer downloads.
Then I open the installer and Vista notifies me that I downloaded this program off the Internet and do I really want to run it, and I say yes. The installer starts, then hangs for several seconds. Finally, Vista interrupts to ask me to confirm I want to install a program and I say yes. Then Quicktime installs.
After it’s done installing, Quicktime tells me it’s done and I have to acknowledge that dialog box, then they pop up another box asking me to consider purchasing Quicktime Pro for a few sawbucks and I say no thank you.
With Quicktime re-installed iTunes loads again.
There are people who think computers are like magic wands and that those of us who know how to work them can do almost anything and it takes no effort whatsoever because the computer really does all the work for us. All we provide is the proper incantation. Or maybe an aura that vibrates at just the right frequency.
But the truth is the current strategy for responding to security threats has created for me a computer that can’t so much as fart without me giving it permission.
Posted in Grumbles
content rss
February 29th, 2008 at 11:57 am
I’d tell you to switch to Fedora Core, but iTunes isn’t supported. Buy a Mac or go back to XP.
February 29th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Going back to XP is not an option for a variety of reasons, and anyway I am running XP on a couple other machines. Vista is on this particular machine for a reason.
I also do own a Mac, and Macs are only marginally better about this. They use the same “confirm and reconfirm” strategy to handle security threats, they just do it a little bit better.
Incidentally, “Switch operating systems” is always spectacularly unhelpful response. There’s usually a reason — especially for computer professionals — that people are working with the operating system(s) they have.
February 29th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
So what I got from that is that you really, really want a farting computer. :)
February 29th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
If you don’t want people to tell you to switch your OS, don’t complain about the one you’re running.
February 29th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
No, Mike. I’m not going to take the blame for you being both wrong *and* boring.
February 29th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Wrong about what exactly?