Let's talk about software updates: Could they be more frequent? It seems every second day I’m getting a new Firefox or iTunes update. Yes, I know you get the little window that asks if you want to install now or later, but I’m getting a little tired of working on my computer and getting these requests, “Download now?” or “Install now?” and so on.
They may seem more frequent to me because I use two laptops – a Mac and a PC, and while I mainly use the Mac (fewer headaches), I jump to the PC often enough that both are running through the day. The point is, if I get an update on the Mac, I can expect one on the PC pretty soon, and vice versa.
Of course, these are updates are nothing like the Windows and security updates I get on the PC, which is running Vista. I love being in the middle of working on something and have everything shut down, no warnings, work lost, as the laptop implodes so it can eventually restart. Or, actually shutting down the PC myself and realizing it’s not shutting down, it’s grabbing updates, it’s configuring them etc.
After the last update on the PC, either a Vista or a Firefox update (or were they working in tandem?), every second time I go to a new page in the browser (Firefox) I get a “Server not found” page and I have to “try again.” Could it get more annoying? Yes. It could be every page I try to go to. Maybe that will come with the next update.
With everything that gets downloaded and updated, it’s hard to know who or what is to blame for all this, but that’s the nature of technology. Stuff happens, you have no idea how or why, but if you’re willing to spend a great deal of time getting an extensive, expert background in computer programming, maybe you’ll be able to understand it one day. You’ll need an MBA too because you’ll also want to understand the convoluted thinking that went behind the business decision for some of the changes.
As I compose and post this I see that WordPress also has a new update - version 2.5, I think. And they'd like me to update my blogs to it. Well, at least they are asking in a not too intrusive manner. But it seems to me I just updated recently and now they want me to update again.
Updates seem to have become the new Internet obsession. Perhaps someone could find an update for me, something that would revive my interest in the Web, because I am suffering from update fatigue.
Listen
Follow Writelife on Twitter
