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Bill Gates on Windows Usability (2003)

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Re: Bill Gates on Windows Usability (2003)

#31

Post by fty66gg »

stephenr wrote: post #20

I very rarely use Windows now (at the time this happened I was working with it M-F doing support) - I’m not convinced it’s any better now is it? I downloaded an “IETester” image from Microsoft to confirm behaviour of a clients site from a Windows PC - it literally spent more time installing updates and rebooting than I did either downloading the entire vm image file or actually testing the thing I wanted to test. How…

You seem to be assuming that behavior is a daily occurrence for most users?

End users are not updating dependencies or even installing that much new software on a weekly basis, let alone daily.

Also a lot of software wants to reboot for no reason other than “just to be sure”. That’s hardly a Windows issue when a random developer includes behavior that isn’t needed.

Re: Bill Gates on Windows Usability (2003)

#33

Post by babypuncher »

stephenr wrote: post #20

I very rarely use Windows now (at the time this happened I was working with it M-F doing support) - I’m not convinced it’s any better now is it? I downloaded an “IETester” image from Microsoft to confirm behaviour of a clients site from a Windows PC - it literally spent more time installing updates and rebooting than I did either downloading the entire vm image file or actually testing the thing I wanted to test. How…

This isn't the typical user experience if you power on your computer more than once every few months.

Re: Bill Gates on Windows Usability (2003)

#34

Post by Hamuko »

enitihas wrote: post #18

Bill was doing a fantastic job here, but it is a bit too sad to see how most of the executives in the mail show much less concern for the company's and customer's goals, and more concerns on who should own the problem. I think this is a bit too common in any corporate environment.

Isn't Microsoft the poster child for siloed groups?

Re: Bill Gates on Windows Usability (2003)

#35

Post by adamkittelson »

I signed up for the xbox game pass for pc (beta) today. After downloading the app I found that signing in to said app was completely broken. After some googling I found a workaround, if I sign in to a completely different app (xbox companion) that would also sign me in to the xbox game pass app.

Then I tried to download a game (The Outer Wilds). The download just sat at 0 bytes. I tried several things so I'm not positive what actually fixed it, but I think what did it is I located the folder it created for game downloads, which I did not even have permission to view, and forced an ownership change of the folder to my user.

Granted this is a beta but... not looking good for usability so far.

Re: Bill Gates on Windows Usability (2003)

#36

Post by mrgreenfur »

cfors wrote: post #22
enitihas wrote: post #18

Bill was doing a fantastic job here, but it is a bit too sad to see how most of the executives in the mail show much less concern for the company's and customer's goals, and more concerns on who should own the problem. I think this is a bit too common in any corporate environment.

This was my takeaway too. Too much talking about doing at big corporate companies, and not enough actual doing. Drives me up a wall.

But isn't it the exec's job to make sure there are people aligned to problems worth solving? Yelling about problems does nothing without staffing and accountability.

Re: Bill Gates on Windows Usability (2003)

#37

Post by gist »

enitihas wrote: post #18

Bill was doing a fantastic job here, but it is a bit too sad to see how most of the executives in the mail show much less concern for the company's and customer's goals, and more concerns on who should own the problem. I think this is a bit too common in any corporate environment.

> Bill was doing a fantastic job here

Fantastic job of what? Building a company that has a typical type of organization, employees and incentives that this can happen at? It's like the CEO of Comcast (Brian Roberts) going into a Comcast store (in stealth; or phoning them) and then experiencing the frustration of a normal customer and the idiots they deal with.

There is ZERO reason a large company with resources can't make sure that things like this don't happen. They simply choose (and get rewarded) for looking at the big picture and not the small everyday details.

I wonder how many times Bill has been aggravated with his own operating system and then had to work hours and hours (with nobody to ask and a normal person's brain and no internet resources) to have to get out something in order to earn a living.

Re: Bill Gates on Windows Usability (2003)

#38

Post by stephenr »

fty66gg wrote: post #31
stephenr wrote: post #20

I very rarely use Windows now (at the time this happened I was working with it M-F doing support) - I’m not convinced it’s any better now is it? I downloaded an “IETester” image from Microsoft to confirm behaviour of a clients site from a Windows PC - it literally spent more time installing updates and rebooting than I did either downloading the entire vm image file or actually testing the thing I wanted to test. How…

You seem to be assuming that behavior is a daily occurrence for most users? End users are not updating dependencies or even installing that much new software on a weekly basis, let alone daily. Also a lot of software wants to reboot for no reason other than “just to be sure”. That’s hardly a Windows issue when a random developer includes behavior that isn’t needed.

None of the rebooting or installing I’m talking about was new or third party software.

Just whatever the hell they call windows update now.

Re: Bill Gates on Windows Usability (2003)

#40

Post by stephenr »

AnIdiotOnTheNet wrote: post #30
stephenr wrote: post #20

I very rarely use Windows now (at the time this happened I was working with it M-F doing support) - I’m not convinced it’s any better now is it? I downloaded an “IETester” image from Microsoft to confirm behaviour of a clients site from a Windows PC - it literally spent more time installing updates and rebooting than I did either downloading the entire vm image file or actually testing the thing I wanted to test. How…

I agree with your assessment, and as a daily Windows user I believe I can answer your question: because the alternatives are still somehow worse.

We clearly have different ideas of “worse”.
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