XP Users Get the Redheaded Stepchild Treatment Once Again from Microsoft

Once again, Windows XP users get the short shrift from Microsoft, no doubt another attempt to shift them to Windows Vista or the upcoming Windows 7. Announced yesterday on Ars Technica, an August update to the Windows update code will make things more user friendly, according to Redmond.

Update to Windows Update will improve the user interface

Microsoft has disclosed details of an upcoming infrastructure update to Windows Update that will improve the user interface for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 users. The update will begin to roll out at the end of August.

Starting in late August, and continuing over the next couple of months, Microsoft will be upgrading its update services, which will affect the Windows Update and Automatic Updates client code. This update will improve the user interface for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 users, adding a more visible description of updates as well as improvements in how users are notified about service packs.

However, no description about the interface changes is given. Is that because they are not yet established?

As with any update released via WU, Windows Vista customers who select “never check for updates” will not receive this update. Otherwise, if Windows Update or Automatic Updates is enabled to automatically check for updates, download updates, or install updates on your computer then the infrastructure update will be downloaded and installed automatically.

The people who run Windows Vista that I know are usually so happy when they get things working well that they are very suspicious of changing anything. It is simply too hard for them to maintain a usable system without surprises that disrupt workflow. I wonder how many will want this, no matter the possible benefits.

Microsoft notes three things that this update will not do: it will not change the Windows XP user experience, it will not change the look and feel of Automatic Updates, and it will not change the current Windows Update or Automatic Updates settings.

Of course, move along, no one is using this operating system, are they? What about the ones who have been using the system for less than a year? Does Microsoft not think that this treatment will alienate those people?

In order to provide customers with improvements in reliability and service quality, Microsoft needs to occasionally update Windows Update and Automatic Updates. Windows Update infrastructure updates occur usually about once a year. The last one, which improved scan times, began rolling out in July 2008.

On one hand, I realize how this sounds, so forgive me, but…what has changed in the ‘technology’ of gathering updates and supplying them for online installation? Should this have not been ’scienced out’ long ago? I may be overly suspicious, but this sounds like modification of code to control piracy under a different  name.

I’d welcome any comments from a Microsoft representative on this.

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Yeah!