So it’s been far too long since my previous post, but keeping up with the anti-Microsoft sentiment in my previous cautionary tale, here’s an addendum to the way things turned out with my Vista installation.<\/p>\n
All the horror and angst of those experiences were riding high when I was going through trying to install a new PC game on my Vista machine. <\/span>Battlefield 2142<\/em> is a high-end first-person-shooter. For Windows XP. <\/span><\/p>\n I installed the game. <\/span>It ran for about five hours. Then I shut the computer down, went away for a while, and tried to play again when I came back. <\/span>No go. <\/span>I spent the next three days troubleshooting, sinking ridiculous amounts of time, trying to get this game to run again. <\/span><\/p>\n I contacted Electronic Arts, the game manufacturer. <\/span>They gave me a few troubleshooting steps, honestly trying to help. <\/span>Still no go. <\/span>Finally, after a week of back and forth emails, they said, “Uh, go to Microsoft. This game is for XP.”\u009d<\/p>\n So I went to Microsoft. <\/span>When I purchased this machine, which you may remember from my last post is one I built myself from a box of parts, I ordered an OEM version of Vista, because that’s what was offered.<\/p>\n First mistake.<\/p>\n Here’s why. <\/span>If you use an OEM version (Original Equipment Manufacturer, i.e. NOT retail version) of Windows Vista — now, make sure you read this carefully — YOU DO NOT<\/strong> RECEIVE ANY TECHNICAL SUPPORT FROM MICROSOFT. <\/span>If you need any kind of technical support, every instance that you contact their technical support department, you must pay $59. <\/span>That’s right. <\/span>Did you get that? <\/span>Tech support = $59\/pop. <\/span>Of course they make it clear that you should contact your PC manufacturer (ie Dell or HP) for any Vista issues. <\/span><\/p>\n How’s that for passing the buck? “<\/span>Here, you guys find all the bugs in our crappy software for us, then report back.”\u009d<\/p>\n What does that mean if you built your own PC, like moi, for instance?<\/p>\n This means that Microsoft expects everyone to buy their PC from HP or DELL. <\/span>They expect the USER or some other third party to find the bugs in their crappy software. <\/span>And the kicker is, YOU HAVE TO PAY TO HELP THEM FIX THE BUGS.<\/p>\n I must admit, that is absolutely brilliant. <\/span>Microsoft has the users of their crappy software PAY THEM to find the bugs in their crappy software. <\/span>That absolutely staggers the imagination, and whoever thought of it should probably be promoted to Vice-President in Charge of Consumer Pillaging.<\/p>\n So, here’s what happened when I broke down and finally decided to go through with it. <\/span>(From this, you can discern just how badly I wanted to play BF2142. <\/span>The Microsoft tech support cost more than the game itself.)<\/p>\n I contacted their tech support department, paid the $59, and was given a very polite and helpful Indian man to step through the troubleshooting process. <\/span>To be fair, the tech support guy was pretty decent to work with. <\/span>I’m pretty sure he’s about ten times smarter than everyone above him in the chain of command.<\/p>\n Over the course of about four hours, we went through the same series of steps about three times, without success at getting the game to run. <\/span>We were mystified. <\/span>And we were just as mystified, when suddenly, inexplicably, the game started to work. <\/span>I am 100% certain that the tech had no clue why. But it started working, and it’s still working. <\/span>So I thanked him, and he sent me over to his manager for a customer service review. <\/span><\/p>\n I told the manager that the tech had done a fine job in fixing my problem, but I made it abundantly, politely, unequivocally, crystal clear just how angry I was about having to pay them<\/em><\/strong> to fix their problems<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n And guess what? <\/span>The guy gave me my money back for the tech support.<\/p>\n So rather than stomp off in huff, I thanked him and went about my merry way.<\/p>\n In the two months since then, I haven’t had any problems with Vista, to my knowledge. <\/span>But then I haven’t bought any new games or hardware, or done any major software installations either.<\/p>\n So don’t buy Vista. <\/span>Wait until it comes on your new PC and you have no choice. <\/span>And if you build your own, be prepared for the worst.<\/p>\n \n\n\n