The other crazy thing is that every time I use a Microsoft Windows machine I feel like creating a new blog post to relieve the stress that was imposed on me by using Windows. I almost never use Microsoft products any more but this week I had to use both Windows 7 and Windows 8 laptops. I know several people who have had problems with their new 2014 MacBook Pro laptops, which makes me very sad. Even fighting those issues, they are still better than using Windows. Let me explain why...
At the customer site where I am working now, we have a Dell laptop set aside for running usability studies when we need in person on-site testing. We had not used that laptop since April of this year. I knew that was asking for trouble since I knew there would be many Windows updates. I just never thought there would be 81 of them and after 2 reboots and 2 hours later I had the laptop in working order. There are still a couple of old programs installed that are constantly sending notifications to the screen that I have to see but don't help me in any way. Too painful to even find how to uninstall them so I just let them be by ignoring them as they only show up each time I reboot and login. They will not appear during our usability study sessions so I don't have to waste any more time on that laptop.
Then came today when I had to add TechSmith's Morae Observer to a Windows 8 machine. It is the same machine I used last year, at this time, to create the Windows Store app that I blogged about during the 6 weeks. I seldom use the laptop but some of the guys at work use it to validate their web apps. I started that baby up today and alas there were all kinds of updates. It took me 3 reboots and 3 hours to wade thru them. Several of them were so slow that I thought the machine was completely locked up. I tried to be patient and finally I had a usable laptop. It has to be an accident that there is a direct correlation between the number of hours and reboots I have suffered thru on two different laptops.
Now I need to vent... One of the updates was to download the latest Zune player. I really thought iTunes and iPods had killed the Zune player, but I assume the latest Windows phones must have it installed. I am willing to try anything once I thought I would give it a try. It turns out that is just about the worst looking app I have seen in a long time. It kind of reminds me of the old Winamp audio player with a very bad skin. Some screenshots are in order...
The first bit of bad news is that I have to watch a very pink and orange progress screen for a long time as it took way too long to install this one app:
It is not easter and I don't need to see a magic trick of a bunny popping out of a hat when the install is finally complete:
The first subsequent screen presented to me is a wizard to help find music for me. Zune asked me to select the 3 music groups I like the best. I entered the great Jeff Beck as my first choice and then I got this error screen. I guess what they really meant was it would be magic if you can actually enter 3 but you can try if you like being a magician.
I needed a break and went to my Mac to Skype my buds at work and to relieve some Post Traumatic Windows Stress Syndrome from this process. I came back to the Windows 8 laptop and then saw this confusing bundle of tiles. As you move the mouse over the Zune window all kinds of things happen none of which are helpful. I finally gave up as I realized I was never going to use Zune ever.
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