Updates, updates, updates...
I have to admit to a certain lack of enthusiasm
when I hear that a new version of Windows or Microsoft Office is
about to hit the streets. I feel bad about this because, after
all, I make my living from working with these programs so I
should welcome any advances, improvements or embellishments that
Microsoft come up with. I have three computers on my desk. One
running Office 2003 on Vista is used for most of my business
work but with an increasing number of people moving to Office
2007 I turn to another machine running Office 2007 on Windows 7.
A third machine running Vista currently hosts the beta of Office
2010.
I recently decided to reinstall Vista on one
computer because it was slowly grinding to a halt. It seemed to
take ages to do simple jobs like start a program or load a web
page. Whenever I came to it it was busy doing heaven knows what.
I had tested the hardware and thoroughly checked it out for
viruses and malware but it was clean. Reinstalling the operating
system did the trick and now it runs like new. Maybe I'm being
naïve but doesn't Microsoft seem
obsessed with updates? Sometimes I think that Windows exists
solely to update itself. I've heard all the arguments for why
updates are necessary but surely much of this stuff should have
been fixed before the system was released. After reinstalling
Vista my PC I checked for updates and it found 104 that it
needed to install - and that excludes any optional ones! Could
the fact that over time so many fixes, additions and patches get
applied that what started out as a sleek and efficient system
ends up as a mess of safety pins and sticking plaster?
Despite my grumbles, have to say that Vista has
been a great success for me. I got tired of seeing the "blue
screen of death" in Windows XP. Many die-hards insist on
sticking with XP but it's getting pretty long in the tooth and
for me at least Vista has been much more stable. I've yet to see
a blue screen on any of my PCs running Vista.
I have had a couple of Windows 7 disks sitting
on my desk for a while so I eventually gave in and bought a new
box to install it on. I use this as my main "personal" PC. It
currently runs Office 2007 but I plan to upgrade it to Office
2010 when the final version is released. I've only been using
Windows 7 for a month or so and I haven't really had time to
form an opinion but what I really notice is the fast boot-up and
shut-down times. No more sitting around waiting for everything
to load before I can pick up my mail in the morning!
Another thumbs-up for Windows 7 came a couple of
days ago when I tried to apply a Vista update to my laptop.
Built for Windows XP this machine has been running Vista quite
happily for a while now but I had put off installing Service
Pack 1 because when I attempted this a while ago the laptop got
stuck when booting up - a problem I was able to resolve by
booting in safe mode and doing a System Restore. So, the other
day I decided to have another go, thinking maybe Microsoft had
fixed whatever had caused the problem last time. Wrong! This
time boot-up stalled and I couldn't even get into safe mode. I
was about to reinstall Vista when I thought I would give Windows
7 a try. The laptop is several years old and of only moderate
spec so I wasn't really expecting a good result but to my
surprise Windows 7 installed without a hitch and my laptop has
been running like new. Well done Microsoft!
If you are still using Office 2003 and are
thinking of upgrading, I should wait until the release of Office
2010. There's nothing wrong with Office 2007. In fact, after the
initial bewilderment stage when I just couldn't find anything,
I've quickly grown to love it. Microsoft seem to really have
listened to its users and, judging from the beta, Office 2010 is
Office 2007 with the bits people didn't like fixed and some
great new tools. Check out Microsoft's web site for previews.
Cheery bye!
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