Binary Rescue

Baby Vista Swallows a Bug

June 20, 2008 – 2:52 am

This is just too funny to pass up. So it turns out that a paper in Seattle published an article in late January that served as a progress report on Vista one year after release. Now here is the funny part. For that entire year some poor old man could not get his printer to work. After reading the article Microsoft sent help. And not just some underling mind you, they set the manager for the printing group.

Here is the best part:

Here’s what White figured out: When Mr. Walling bought his new Windows Vista machine, he initially used the installation disc that came with his Dell 942 All in One printer that he had been using with his previous PC. That disc was meant for Windows XP. The problem: Dell’s printer driver for Windows XP did install on Windows Vista. But it didn’t work. And it couldn’t be easily removed.

So not only did Vista happily install software without doing any kind of compatibility verification, it also forgot where it put everything. Kudos to them for caring enough to send someone of this level to the customers home albeit it took several trips. However - rant begins - I expect more from a software company of the size and stature of Microsoft. They have been releasing operating systems for almost 15 years. By now they should be more than capable of preventing issues like this from occurring in the first place. They call it quality control - look into it! And FYI - we ( your customers ) are not your testing department.

The whole situation reminds me of raising children. As any parent can attest a small child will pick up anything and everything and promptly put it in their mouth. Their parent has to tell the child that whatever they are attempting to devour is not compatible with their digestive system and remember to put said object where the child can not reach it. What strikes me as funny is the fact Microsoft, a company with 79,000 employees sells a software product that has all of the intelligence and an functionality of a toddler.