The Back of Tuor's Head

The big confusion with Microsoft support is that they confuse versions with bug-fixes, across the board, and while that has been their strength in the past, it is now a thorn in their side.

Pop open windows update for a moment. It doesn't just have security and bug-fixes listed, nor does it contain itself to "Extras" like language packs and small maintenance utilities. It contains complete new versions of major software.

There are new versions of Media Player, Direct-X, Service Packs (Major point-releases for everyone else-with new features), Internet Explorer, Outlook, a new spyware program (this may be a "security" item, though), and much more.

Of course, if MS charged for some of these things, no one would buy upgrades. And herein lies the problem -- the desire to push customers along, support developers with advanced technology, and convince people their to swallow their buzzwords against the cost of loosing significant reason to upgrade.

It has come with many software publishers, and conventional wisdom, that the bug-fixes and security patches are expected, that these problems are a flaw in the original program that the complex "licensing" of the software implies. In a conventional turnover, of, say, five years, by the cycle end the version would have become unpopular enough that exploits would have dwindled due to lack of critical mass.

I mean, how many new DOS or Amiga viruses have you heard of?

Drop Internet Explorer, drop Direct-X, or fail to provide version updates for older systems, and you are facing big difficulties from your users and developers. They may not support your newest version, they want to ensure the humble Windows 98 user can play their game. They want the biggest market possible. Maybe they'll use OpenGL or Firefox.

I can't solve their problem, but maybe I am seeing it better from the outside.