Well, this week SP1 for Windows Vista came out. I haven’t had any problem with Windows Vista so I wasn’t really waiting for the update but my Windows update icon popped up and said “A new update is available for you“.
Before starting the update I checked the small print on the Microsoft website. There are some drivers which are a problem but Microsoft has build in some kind of mechanism which prevents the automatic update of PC’s with such drivers. I didn’t seem to have this problem so I started the download.
The whole SP1 package is something of 470MB. The update of my machine was only 82MB and was downloaded quickly. Installing the update took about 15 minutes and went on without any hiccups. After the reboot my machine was ready and everything seems to work.
I have been reading on the net about people complaining about not getting the updates, the fact that drivers are not compatible and that Microsoft is not offering the help people want. I agree that Microsoft should do more that only “their best” in solving the problems with driver. On the other hand people should also complain with the other manufactures for not providing drivers which are “Vista compliant”. I recognize the same problem when I have to explain to a customer why a certain software package cannot be used because it is not “Windows XP certified” and the supplier doesn’t want the certify it because it thinks it is costing to much. If only the manufacturer had started of with building a software package which is based on the Windows software principles.
I remember, many years ago, getting my hands on the Apple Software bible. It was a handbook on how Apple software should be constructed and what requirements it had to meet. If only there weren’t so many manufacturers who are looking for the quick buck and make to many shortcuts.