As I type, I am installing a Linksys wireless router. A wireless routers is like a broadband (internet access) distributor- it distributes the broadband via wired lines (LAN cable) and wirelessly. This ought to be a painless exercise because the technology is around for years.
But no- companies like Linksys and Microsoft can still mess things up. Instead of a simple installation, it takes 20 minutes to download the updates, run the software and just when you thought the torture is over, the computer informs you that .NET 3.5 framework needed to be installed and it will take a blindingly fast time of 10-20 minutes!!!
Had this been a Mac installation- I would have started working by now instead of installing software. Among my nerd friends, they all are, we have this endless debates about the merits between using a Mac versus a PC. How come the Mac get it right all the time? How come a Mac engineer wakes up every morning and plans to make users' experience better? Is it all about Steve Jobs? How come a PC must be needlessly complicated and technically painful? Do they feel bad when they add another checkbox or another incomprehensible feature to the bloated software?
But the market has a way of punishing stupidity and useless complexity, we buy more Mac and dump more PCs.
I have been using PCs all these years but let's do the decent thing in our computing life - buy a Mac.
Harold Fock
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld
But no- companies like Linksys and Microsoft can still mess things up. Instead of a simple installation, it takes 20 minutes to download the updates, run the software and just when you thought the torture is over, the computer informs you that .NET 3.5 framework needed to be installed and it will take a blindingly fast time of 10-20 minutes!!!
Had this been a Mac installation- I would have started working by now instead of installing software. Among my nerd friends, they all are, we have this endless debates about the merits between using a Mac versus a PC. How come the Mac get it right all the time? How come a Mac engineer wakes up every morning and plans to make users' experience better? Is it all about Steve Jobs? How come a PC must be needlessly complicated and technically painful? Do they feel bad when they add another checkbox or another incomprehensible feature to the bloated software?
But the market has a way of punishing stupidity and useless complexity, we buy more Mac and dump more PCs.
I have been using PCs all these years but let's do the decent thing in our computing life - buy a Mac.
Harold Fock
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld
Why would you need to install any software at all? Plug the router in, turn on power, browse to 192.168.1.1 to set-up. All done in 5 minutes. Ok, maybe it's the misleading Linksys guide that said you need to install a software in Windows PC? (hint hint: it's not really required to do this).
Posted by: chewearn | December 20, 2009 at 11:27 PM