Drives me nuts!

CodeBubba · 12-06-06, 05:14 PM

Is there anyone else here besides me that's getting sick of this constant upgrading of the technology? I mean ... OK, there's some really cool stuff that has come out in recent years - but sometimes I just get to the point where the stuff I got works just fine - I don't really need anything more. I just got everything on my systems "settled down" to where we can work with it - and we're constantly besieged with stuff saying "upgrade now - you NEED it!" (That's what it seems to say).

This stuff with Windows Vista, Office 2007 and other stuff like that for example. I just rolled my system here at the office back from Office 2007 because they changed the entire way that it all works! OK - so it's got a gazillion new features and eye-candy up the ying-yang - but come on now, how many times must one upgrade a word processor? I just got used to Office 2003 and all my systems are running sweet under XP. Now I got to retool everything again?

Progress is progess - but sometimes it seems to me like it all just feeds on itself! No, I wouldn't want to go back 10 or 15 years to the DOS days - but all the upgrading is beginning to feel like it's accomplishing less than it did. I mean - I can edit video and photos on my computer almost effortlessly now - everything I have plugs in and works - I need to upgrade from this? I don't feel like letting any more $$ out of my wallet right now!

Thoughts?

I'm just going to use my stuff for awhile - I'm sick of reconfiguring my systems all the time!

-CB

star882 · 12-06-06, 05:36 PM

The real upgrade is to OpenOffice. We still wait for the day when Linux becomes mainstream enough to use alone. For now, let's use Linux with Windows XP in VMware.

12-06-06, 05:41 PM

I can see where any of us can get dizzy with how fast hardware and software changes these days. Most days this seems exciting to me, but I can see where you can get fed up with it in certain places - and I do agree that some of the 'make your word processor have 753 features' stuff is a little crazy.

I reckon like anything this comes down to looking closely at what an upgrade brings, and whether it's compelling enough to make the inevitable pain of upgrading worthwhile. With Vista, for example, for a lot of corporates the compelling factor is going to be enhanced security I would imagine.

I like the look of Office 2007 and Vista etc so far, but have not rushed to get them on my own laptop just yet ...

Pocketbrain · 12-06-06, 06:33 PM

Originally Posted by star882

The real upgrade is to OpenOffice. We still wait for the day when Linux becomes mainstream enough to use alone. For now, let's use Linux with Windows XP in VMware.

Do you know Python? The only reason Office (97) is still on my machine is that I use the VBASIC to do some things. I need to learn some Python so I can drop the old Office.

lorrborr · 12-06-06, 06:44 PM

I agree that the market does want us to throw away the old and bring in the new much too quickly. So, we have to be smart shoppers and not be lured into fads. Try to stay within needs and only give into wants once in a while. At least, that's what I try to do :)

I end up getting a new PC for home use every 4-5 years. With my last PC (a year ago), I still had Win2K, but was able to do intensive work such as video editing. I'm still using that PC as one of my work computers.

CodeBubba · 12-06-06, 07:45 PM

I'm in agreement that you need to let your needs dictate your upgrade path. I write software for a living so I'm constantly in that upgrade mode at work. Occasionally I just let it peg my B.S. meter a bit.

I'm not against the technology progress at all, really. As a developer it just drives you nuts that you're told that you have to retool everything to a new platform every two years. Sometimes (like this afternoon) the ol' brain just screams "Enough!". Heh ... thanks for letting me sound off.

Now where's that copy of Vista? <grin>

-cb :)

control · 12-06-06, 07:55 PM

I almost never do major upgrades on software. I'll install updates and patches but rarely will I jump a major version. I share your sentiments on Office. It seems like once I learn how to use Word effectively a new version comes out and everything is changed.

I've never upgraded an OS on an existing machine. I just use the OS that was current at the time the machine was purchased, which for me, is about every 6 to 7 years. On my home system, I jumped straight from Win 98 to XP.