Andy:  Good Morning Charlie Brown.  Well what do you have for us today?

Charlie:  When you are dealing with computers you have to keep current on the technical issues out there.  Today I want to mention a couple of items that appeared last week.

Andy:  Seems like a good thing to do.

 Charlie:   I know that many people have had problems with all the Windows updates.  Lots of updates and lots of problems with them!  Imagine if you had to manage updates on hundreds of PCs at a company and you had those kinds of problems.  Susan Bradly who is a veteran Patch Manager at a large company had these problems and wrote an open letter to Microsoft Management about 3 months ago detailing some of the problems she had seen.  The main problems she noted very clearly included:

  • Insider Beta Testing is not revealing problems with the patches. We are seeing problems with the patches affecting third party programs.  Moreover, we are also seeing problems with the patches affecting Microsoft programs.
  • Feature Release Fatigue: There are so many patches and the history of problems with them is causing patch managers and end users to turn off patches (if they can) to avoid problems with their systems.
  • Patch Usefulness: In many cases it is not clear what the patch is for and if I really need it.  I don’t want to apply a patch that does nothing but cause me problems.

The letter goes on in some detail about these items and makes the points clearly and concisely.  If you would like to read it, search for Open Letter to Microsoft.

Andy:  I know I have seen problems with Microsoft patches.  I am happy that someone was able to clearly detail some of these issues to Microsoft.

 Charlie:  Susan is also a moderator on a forum for other patch managers and she ran a short survey about how they felt.  About 1800 people replied to her survey:

  • Satisfaction with Windows Updates: Only 17% somewhat satisfied.
  • Windows 10 Updates Useful: Most said rarely useful
  • How Often would you like to see updates: Most said 1 per year
  • Is Windows 10 meeting your business needs: Most said yes

She surveyed end users with similar results.

Andy:  The results were not what a company would like to hear.  Have they responded?

Charlie:  The Open Letter was written about 3 months ago.  An unnamed customer service rep recently wrote a couple of letters to her.  They treated the letter as a service request and thanked her for her comments without really addressing any of them.  They said she should send further comments to their Feedback Hub.  (It took them 3 months to make this response.)

Andy:  Amazing.  That’s too bad.  I would have thought they would have made a more formal response.  The problem is most people need Windows for their computers.  You just wish using it was a more pleasant experience.

Charlie:  I do want to end on a positive note today!  If your computer usage involves a lot of on-line usage or you use cloud-based functions you might want to consider an alternative to Microsoft Windows.  For several years companies have been producing ChromeBooks or ChromeBase all-in-one desktop units.  Last week they came out with an on-line ad for their Chromebooks that is catchy and presents a very good alternative to Windows based machines.  Go to YouTube.com and search for If you want a laptop you can count on.  It presents some very good reasons to consider a Chromebook…and it’s fun to watch.

Andy:  And I know that you have liked Chromebooks for a long time.

Charlie:  You’re right.  If your work is on the Internet this might be a very good alternative.

Andy:  OK for more information on the Open Letter to Microsoft or for more information on Chromebooks, give Charlie and Dave a call at PC Applications, 533-6510, or visit their web site pcapp.com.

Charlie:  For Computers of renown, just call Charlie Brown!