Windows 7
2010-03-11 17:50:39.179248+00 by Dan Lyke 0 comments
Okay, so far Windows 7 doesn't suck more than Vista (aside from the fact that the .NET framework handles 2d matrices differently in ways that broke my software), but the upgrade process?
Went to Staples. Guy met me when I walked in the door, asked if he could help, I said "Windows 7 upgrade", he called specialist. I thought "great, don't have to learn anything, just let guy solve problem!". They were out of "Windows 7 Ultimate" upgrade, so he suggested "Professional" for my "Vista 64 Home Premium". Got home, opened case, saw 32 bit disk, drove back to Staples, someone figured out that, indeed, stuffed in under the packaging was the 64 bit disk.
Came home, put disk in machine, started install, disk told me that I could only install if I wiped the drive and started again, but if I'd bought the Windows 7 Home Premium or Ultimate upgrades then I wouldn't have had to do this.
Drove back to Staples, where they told me that since the disk package was opened I couldn't return it.
Drove home, commenced backing up my machine in preparation for total reinstall (+ 2 days of feeding the stupid things disks for software I've already installed on it), got pissy, left a nasty email with Staples web site.
Later that evening, while machine was still backing up to server, got call from Staples headquarters that they'd relented and would let me return the "Professional" for "Home Premium". While there, we looked at the packaging, and there were no warnings on the box that you had to match the upgrade to the original version, in fact the box implied everything would work.
Got home with "Home Premium" and realized that there was an additional layer of wrapping that hadn't been on the "Professional" upgrade I'd bought. So someone else had returned the "Professional" upgrade before me.
Hopefully Staples will filter this back up to Microsoft, but: Dear Microsoft, you can't possibly convince me that as use cases for the packaging was being discussed someone didn't say "here's the scenario, I bought a PC with Vista on it, I walk into retail store looking for upgrade, how do I find the right version?"
Damn, I'm glad I only have to deal with that sucky-ass excuse for an operating system when I'm getting paid to do so.
And what's with the graphic design? My status bar feels like I got time-warped back into the late '80s.