Dialup hell
Okay, I didn’t install Ubuntu on my mom’s hard drive. I did go prepared though. Apart from the OS, I carried a couple of Windows software so that I could update her computer. Most of those were simple productivity tools that my old parents could use and I wanted to install or upgrade those for them offline because downloading them via a dialup line is like choking their line for hours together not to mention the cost of an engaged telephone line.
This is what I wanted to install / upgrade for my parents and what happened:
Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0 — I carried the entire 24MB of shit with me on a CD and when I tried to install this on a Windows 98, it said (oh what was that?) this archive needs a newer version of Windows to uncompress. To all those idiots who worked on Acrobat Reader 7.0, I wonder how many really tested the install sequence on an older Windows. I just looked up their website again and they have different install versions for differnt Windows. So, I’m an idiot too, because I assumed the install would work on a Windows 98. But seriously, why couldn’t they provide one archive which would determine the version of OS and install accordingly. Being a fool that I am in believing that big companies like Adobe produce better software, I had uninstalled Reader 6.0 before trying 7.0. Downloading a 24MB software again via dialup was out of the question. and so, it didn’t get installed. Luckily, I read about Foxit PDF Reader on Sniptools a while ago. This is a fully functional 24 times smaller and extremely fast loading pdf reader that came to my rescue and, that’s what sits on my mother’s computer now.
MSN Messenger 7.0 — My mom likes to chat sometimes, so she’s been asking me to install the new version and so I did carry an offline installable version (and because it’s pretty large file). The archive was fine but it refused to install and said it required Internet Explorer 6.0 and above to be installed. Gobble-de-gook. What the hell is wrong with these people or companies. Can they not make simple software that can bloody stand on its feet and not be a parasite on some other thing?
Y! Messenger — Same *ucking story. Needs more files to be downloaded when you run setup!
Eventually I couldn’t install any of the new ones. Even the older ones are disabled and don’t work until you download the new version. I couldn’t possibly download 10-20MB per software that would take days (provided there was electricity and it wouldn’t disconnect). That’s a remote possibility. Eventually I installed Miranda IM which is so small and yet connects to virtually anything IM. It may not have voice or video support, but hell it is functional.
Are Microsoft and Yahoo and Adobe so blind not to see how many are on dialup line wanting to use their software, but can’t? They continue to churn out bloatware after bloatware and nobody seems to care. I know this for a fact: Most of India is on a dialup line except for the five metros. Most of my friends here in Malaysia are on a dialup connection (how’s that?). I assume a similar thing in Australia. Broadband penetration is very very low, especially among home users because it is either unavailable or too pricey for [old] folks to afford. Most population of the third world countries have at best a dialup connection to the virtual world.
It’s unbelievable that some very smart people in those above mentioned companies working on these utilityware forgot this essential and important bit.
El Stupido, bang-on-forehead-o. If you want to make your software usable, make sure it comes standalone and that it works right-off the box.
The only other thing that worked like a charm was Firefox, and my mom does not even realize she’s using something other than the blue-E.
That’s bloody foolish to have to install a browser upgrade to run the latest IM. I am with you to say these companies have their eyes closed and don’t know that there are many users out there who don’t upgrade their machines so very often. And that includes the OS they work with. My PC has almost 75% machines running Windows 98. We don’t need an upgrade so don’t bother. But yes thinking of running all the latest software on them would be an issue, just like the one you had on your Mom’s PC.
Aug 23, 05 at 14:12Kapil: No, we do need upgrades especially if you’re going online a lot.
Aug 23, 05 at 20:18