Why isn't microsoft embarassed about critical flaws and the need to issue weekly patches.?

Question

Microsoft embrace necessary updates to fix critical security flaws and even use them as a means to control your computer by making it necessary foe customers to allow additional content to be installed by Microsoft every week.

Why don't they get their operating systems right in the first place rather than using their customers as beta testers and exposing them to fraud, identity theft and viruses.

Why aren't people annoyed about paying for a finished product by receiving a work in progress.

Shouldn't they be embarassed and apologising instead of beligerently using the necessitiy to trust their downloads so they can make alterations to our system which we don't even want,

eg xp SP2 which stops most file downloads from starting automatically making life difficult for both customers and software vendors to transfer files.

Techigril. I think you have it backwards when you say the customers should be embarassed that the supplier fails to supply something in good working order. Being any sort of supplier places a responsibility to provide goods in good working order and the fact that Linux is available does not absolve Microsoft from their reponsibility.

The main reason people buy Windows is not because of the operating system per se, it is that most software written for Windows. There is very limited choice for Linux and opensource programs are generally buggy and difficult to install. That is excusable because it is written by hobbyists who admit that they are offering work in progress, made in their own time and given away free. Windows, however, is far from cheap, is written by the richest company on the planet and has no excuse for being shipped while it still does not work properly.

Duckman. I doubt that you have designed an operating system so no point to ask me as if you have and I haven't. I assume we are both consumers, not Microsoft programmers or are you writing this in support of your boss? Every product is designed by a few people on behalf of many so that argument has no weight and the problem is not that we are beta testing for Microsoft while the OS is in beta, the problem is that we continue to beta test for them after the beta testing is supposed to have ended and the product is supposed to be a commercial release.

Answer 1

A more appropriate question is why do some people spend their pitiful existence trying to break it? Considering the operating system is amongst the cheapest software we put on our computers and it is continuously being updated and fixed for free, I don't think that's a bad thing. Yes, I find it annoying when I experience a bug or a crash that was an error in the OS, but at least they fix it for free.
I have worked with engineering design software that cost over $25000.00 and it had bugs in it. Now that is a reason to be pissed.
Could they do a better job, yes. Will they, yes. Will there continue to be bugs, yes. The more features we demand and they supply it is inevitable.
If your that unhappy, I suggest going to UNIX, it doesn't get any better than that.

Answer 2

As someone on a laptop running linux and firefox. I'd have to say Microsoft have nothing to be embarrased about, it's all the dumbo's who purchase the products who should feel embarrased.

There are alternatives to Microsoft but most people seem to be incapable of dealing with the change. I have a stable operating system, my browser works perfectly, and i've got all the applications i could possibley need.

If i want to play games i use my nintendo wii or my playstation, and i'm pounds richer for not paying for the products by using opensource products for all my productivity needs

Answer 3

Because they are the mainstream OS so people with little computer knowledge just use what most people do and what comes installed. I agree XP is so annoying as Ive had 3 problems but just running one program where as in other OS's you wouldnt get those. Also viruses are mainly windows based due to the mass usage and most people dont know that. I myself am a Windows XP user and its ok for some things but it is rather annoying having to scan your computer for viruses every day and make sure no errors have occured due to something wrong with XP.

Answer 4

lol ever made an operating system? know how hard it is for a few hundred people to outsmart a few million? Making a OS is not easy and the updates are for a multidude of reason like peoples incompitence of their own computers, people always searching for holes in the security and as to beta testing, people are told that it IS risky to use a beta as it is by definition unfinished, the warnings are clear to people that read the contract...

Answer 5

The answer is very simple...because they have everyone by the short and curlies...and it's another way to get you to buy their "new and improved" upgrades!!!!