Microsoft changing things for the sake of changing things.
Discussion
Is it me, or does Microsoft routinely mend things that don't need mending and in so doing mess them up?
I've noticed it with their Office applications. Word documents where the date changes each time they're opened, for example. Which genius thought that up?
Today my Nokia Lumia Windows Phone asked me to agree an update, so I did. I wish I hadn't. The calendar now seems to work completely differently, half the apps have "attention required" next to them and the battery is draining at an alarming rate.
Microsoft needs to learn that not all its customers want to learn funky new ways of doing stuff they already know how to do, or spend time making a smart phone work again which was working perfectly well before the "improvements".
Randomthoughts said:
You want to type a letter.
Others need to create proposal documents, tender responses, mass mailings, contract documents, and even more besides that.
Just because you should have just stuck with Wordpad because you don't do anything of any interest, doesn't mean that those of us who do something more involving should have to work in the stone ages.
Speaking personally, I have no problem whatsoever with progress and embracing new technology. I was one of the early adopters of Windows Phone and it has revolutionised the way I work.Others need to create proposal documents, tender responses, mass mailings, contract documents, and even more besides that.
Just because you should have just stuck with Wordpad because you don't do anything of any interest, doesn't mean that those of us who do something more involving should have to work in the stone ages.
What I DO have a problem with is when a manufacturer releases updates and improvements that don't work, cause damage or change things for the sake of changing them.
The WP update I refer to above is one such example. It immediately started draining the battery and there were error messages all over my phone. How is that helpful?
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Except they didn't! Microsoft sets it up that way by default. It is possible to change it, but when we first upgraded it took our IT chap a few minutes to actually make it happen.Why not have manual date entry as the default and automatic an option to be selected?
dododo said:
Poor skills with the software and an obsession to not change do not equate to poor software. Go learn how to use the improvements in the software or do us a favour and trade in your computer for a typewriter.
So you think software updates that stop a device working correctly equate to "poor skills" on the part of the user?Poor skills on the part of the software writers I'd have said.
dododo said:
Not working or user not understanding? After you did your phone update you saw the message about the apps unavailable. Then within 5 minutes the phone finished updating and went off to the marketplace to download the apps that needed updating. Works a treat, as designed.
Not working.Immediately after the update I had no mobile data, I had to manually reinstall apps that I already had on the phone and the battery level indicator was falling rapidly.
I am not sure how you think that equates to poor software skills.
dododo said:
Rubbish.
They spend absolute millions on design reviews and usability studies. They only make changes if the result of these studies say that it is beneficial to the majority if users - just because you aren't happy doesn't make it a poor product. Office makes billions for Microsoft so they aren't going to change it on a whim or to annoy people, so your comments are retarded.
And yet they still manage to get it completely wrong.They spend absolute millions on design reviews and usability studies. They only make changes if the result of these studies say that it is beneficial to the majority if users - just because you aren't happy doesn't make it a poor product. Office makes billions for Microsoft so they aren't going to change it on a whim or to annoy people, so your comments are retarded.
The reason for this is that unless they DO change things they'll be out of a job. So they change things that don't need changing and don't do it properly, so products become less easy to use and more unreliable.
And as for your charming comments "Rubbish" and "..your comments are retarded." You work in IT right? I have sacked plenty of IT people for this exact attitude. IT people like techy stuff and don't mind when it doesn't work properly if it's new and cool. The customer, however, who may not be techy, just wants things to work.
A great many IT bods blame the customer for being stupid, when in fact it is they who are stupid for not understanding how the end user thinks and what he or she wants. Which is usually just for things to work.
My main business is hospitality and accommodation these days. Your attitude is a bit like me changing the locks on a hotel room and leaving the new keys at reception. But without telling the guests. When the guests come to complain, I'll give them the new key and explain why it's so much better than the old key because it's lighter and can be programmed. I would fully expect the guest to say, "I don't give a f
k, I just want to be able to get into my hotel room".PW said:
Not really. The fact that it is new and there are differences is not hidden.
Anything to do with computers and software, people really do expect the Moon on a stick, for free, and will raise merry hell when they don't get it.
Couple of corrections here. On one of the major WP sites 67% of respondents complained that battery life had fallen since the upgrade.Anything to do with computers and software, people really do expect the Moon on a stick, for free, and will raise merry hell when they don't get it.
Secondly I didn't get the software free. I paid for the phone which had the software on it. It is not free, it's part of the bundle.
grumbledoak said:
Nah. It is better
1. You cannot fit a full desktop on a phone or a tablet. No keyboard, no mouse, no screen space - something has to give. Linux has the same issue.
2. The Start Screen is way better than the Start Menu. Your choice of icons on a single screen popping up with a single keypress plus instant search for the rest. It takes half an hour to set it up, a little longer to truly 'get it', but then it is superior and the same on phone, tablet, PC.
Also they want a break from Win32 API and Intel CPUs, thus RT.
It's all a bit of a muddle right now, but it is the most promising of the three main choices.
I actually think WP 8 was better than W8. I got whatever the first iteration of WP was, 7? and it was great. I really thought, "wow, this is going to improve my life" WP8 was the same but better.1. You cannot fit a full desktop on a phone or a tablet. No keyboard, no mouse, no screen space - something has to give. Linux has the same issue.
2. The Start Screen is way better than the Start Menu. Your choice of icons on a single screen popping up with a single keypress plus instant search for the rest. It takes half an hour to set it up, a little longer to truly 'get it', but then it is superior and the same on phone, tablet, PC.
Also they want a break from Win32 API and Intel CPUs, thus RT.
It's all a bit of a muddle right now, but it is the most promising of the three main choices.
When I got a PC with W8 on it, however, I thought, "wow, this crap". I haven't looked at 8.1 because 8 was so rubbish. My children are tech savvy and have learnt ITC formally since they were toddlers. Even they think 8 is cack and want me to put 7 on their machines.
When a company develops an operating system that everyone can use easily, is relatively bug free and which evolves slowly and logically they will clean up. But IT people will hate it because firstly they won't be able to feel quite so superior anymore and secondly many of them will be out of jobs. But that day will come, the opportunity is too big for it not to.
Okay so I have got my phone working something like normally now, though some processes have been made marginally longer than they were before.
The one thing that's still pissing me off though is when I open the calendar it doesn't open immediately. Instead there is a calendar icon for a while before the proper one opens. It used to be instantaneous.
Does anyone know how to sort this?
wolves_wanderer said:
Eleven said:
Okay so I have got my phone working something like normally now, though some processes have been made marginally longer than they were before.
The one thing that's still pissing me off though is when I open the calendar it doesn't open immediately. Instead there is a calendar icon for a while before the proper one opens. It used to be instantaneous.
Does anyone know how to sort this?
Leave it open and "multitask" back to it? In all seriousness I guess they have changed the whole app to give things like a week view [finally] so it is a bit slower from a fresh start.The one thing that's still pissing me off though is when I open the calendar it doesn't open immediately. Instead there is a calendar icon for a while before the proper one opens. It used to be instantaneous.
Does anyone know how to sort this?
I am assuming obviously that this has nothing to do with my poor software skills or MS's customers asking for a calendar that works more slowly.
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