The planned obsolescence of computer software
Ξ July 22nd, 2008 | → | ∇ Pet Peeves |
One of my greatest pet peeves is the diabolical scheme that the software companies have devised to keep separating their loyal customers from their dollars: the strategy of planning for the eventual obsolescence of their own products.
If you’re like me you have no doubt noticed how there seems to be a new version of your favorite program available on a regular basis, often within mere months of the release of the previous version. Of course these “upgrades” promise (and usually deliver) more features and easier day-to-day use, but these enhancements always come at a price that is way too high in my opinion for an upgrade to a product that you have already bought and paid for.
It wouldn’t be so bad if upgrading was always purely an option, but it isn’t. As many of us discovered when we bought a new PC with Windows Vista pre-installed, a number of our tried-and-true software programs that had worked just fine for years suddenly went belly-up. Now the only way to use them with Vista is to upgrade to the latest version. Argh!!!!
This of course brings me to the biggest offender of all: Microsoft. The boys in Redmond have fine-tuned the “upgrade process” until it’s nothing short of a virtual mint. But along with every new version of Windows also comes a plethora of new bugs and annoyances. Even worse, after a short while upgrading becomes mandatory because they “sunset” the older versions (stop supporting and releasing security updates for them).
Microsoft has been wanting to move their software business from a purchase model to a subscription model for quite some time now. For example, instead of paying a higher price up front for a full version of Windows Vista, you would pay a smaller fee once a month - say $15. All of a sudden the privilege of using that huge compilation of bugs and aggravation will set you back $180 each and every year instead of roughly that same amount once!
The fact of the matter is, Windows has already been sold on a virtual subscription basis for many years via the “upgrade process”. What Microsoft hopes to do is simply shorten the interval between payments from every few years to once a month - and make them truly mandatory each and every month. Miss a payment and your PC stops booting up. How do you like those apples?
Along with most software upgrades come real and tangible benefits that at least give you something in return for having to lay out the extra money. New features, easier ways to complete routine tasks, and enhanced program stability are the norm with the upgrades released by most companies, but not Microsoft’s.
Sure, as they did with Vista they’ll make some changes and add a few new features (which have usually been available from other companies for years), but the same old bugs will still be around along with a few new “friends” they picked up along the way. Add in a never-ending supply of new security holes and you soon realize you would have been better off sticking with XP (the only operating system they ever managed to “get right”). Oh wait, you can’t stick with XP - not for much longer anyway. It’s going to “sunset” before you know it! Argh!!!
I’m sorry that this post has turned out to be mostly about Microsoft, but they truly are the biggest offender, and by a whopping margin. Hey guys, how about putting a bit more of your R&D budget into security and stability and a little less into developing buggy versions of new “features” that can be found elsewhere for a lot less and with fewer problems? After all, Windows is an operating system, not an application.
Here’s a novel idea for you: How about concentrating your efforts on providing our PC’s with a safe and stable platform to run on and leave the development of useful programs to the guys who know how to do it best?
on July 24th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Does this mean that I am going to HAVE to go Vista? How soon?
on July 24th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Probably not Phyllis. By the time they sunset XP you’ll probably be ready for a new PC anyway.