Saturday, October 30, 2010

The illusion of listening to feedback

Yesterday, I got an email regarding IE9 feedback which I had posted on Connect. All I had requested is to keep existing features intact for power users who don't want a "simplified" reduced functionality experience. Microsoft seems to have assumed new levels of EPIC FAIL. Here's what their response says:
"Thank you for your feedback. At this time we do not plan on fixing this issue. Your feedback is very important to us, and it helps us improve the quality of Internet Explorer. Unfortunately, we are currently unable to address this particular feedback. This request doesn't match with our design goal of reduced concepts. We continue to welcome more feedback, so please don't hesitate to report other ways that we can improve Internet Explorer."

WTF! Are they trying to contradict each statement with the next one? What sort of weasel wording is this? My feedback as a user is important yet they can do nothing about it. They have design goals of reduced functionality!!! And then they expect me to still continue to give them more feedback in the vain hope that maybe they will listen to their users and make changes! I won't even consider giving any more feedback no this shit product that takes away more useful functionality that whatever irrelevant features it adds (irrelevant because without core features like progress bar, download speed and XP support, this browser is anyways useless). Goodbye IE. It was nice using you from the Internet Jumpstart Kit (IE 1.0) days.

Microsoft has done the same with Windows 7. They are very successful in creating the illusion that they actually listen to our feedback and change the product accordingly. But in reality, our feedback all falls on deaf ears. It's a lost cause now. I don't know which OS to go with. As long as Windows XP, Office 2003, IE8, WMP10 are there, it won't be a problem. Once their support expires, I will have to consider Mac OS X Lion. But doesn't Apple do the same? (Linux is out of the question due to poor design and usability compared to the commercial platforms). How long will I be stuck on Windows XP? (not that it's obsolete by any means) but I make a genuine effort to like the newer crap coming out of Microsoft but simply can't. I will not accept reduced functionality or customizability.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Zune software 4.7 is getting bloated

So the new Zune software 4.7 released today and as is the trend these days at Microsoft, they are tying Windows Phone 7 and Zune brands together. Windows Mobile Device Center is dead. If you own a Windows Phone 7-based device, you must download the bloated 551 MB software. Why is it 551 MB I ask? Probably because it now includes Windows Phone 7 device drivers (both x86 and x64 versions) and other eye-candy as well for Windows Phone including the app store support. What use do I have for it with only a Zune HD? This is a perfect example of choice being taken away for Zune-only customers. The Zune software should have been left to do only what it originally did. Windows Phone spoils the experience for me. Sure, updating from the existing version is fast, some are saying but what if I have to reformat and reinstall Windows? 551 MB of bloat in unacceptable if I just want to sync my Zune HD with my PCs. Windows Phone may be a great phone platform but why does Microsoft not have a separate "Windows Phone" software to do whatever the "Zune" software does?

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Windows Live Essentials 2011: Unnecessary UI changes and dropping some features

The dumbing down era continues as yesterday Windows Live Evil Essentials 2011 got released. What's broken, what's missing by accident or removed by design? Someone tell me. I am too tired of struggling against Microsoft products. Every release is a massive heartburn.