Just look at this Its pathetic

[Techtips]

I was looking at an article about Windows Sockets (The Reg) and realised that I hadnt got the most recent update for MS office 2000
(Even after using Microsfts own Windows Update)

Which is service pack 2

Now for those unawares of "services packs" and MS what they do is toallow you to update the software and fix all currently know bugs (That they , MS, have Found in the sofware)

Now having recently built myself a new machine, Which I might add only took me 2 Hours to complete I spent the next TWO DAYS just updating the software.

Those of you who are familiar with updates should know that they have to be done in a methodical and systematic order.

No problem but what Gripes me is that it is ridiculous that a company can release sofware with so many bugs in it

The service pack 2 update for MS Office contains no less than 70 Bug fixs JUST FOR OUTLOOK ALONE.


http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q276/2/57.asp

This is AFTER all the fixes from Service pack 1

Now if you buy a product or service in this country (Software) I know that some Shops wont take back the sofwatre once you break the seal on the packet but for me this is an illegal act because under the terms of the SALES OF GOODS ACT "The software" is not "fit for the purpose intended" is it not.

Does anyone agree with me on this

For those using Office 2000

(Access,Word,Excel,Outlook,Powerpoint,Publisher)

Who havent updated yet

Service packs are available here

SP1) http://office.microsoft.com/Downloads/2000/O2kSR1DDL.aspx

SP2) http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/2000/SP2upd.aspx

They contain security updates as well.

[druid]

Yes I do agree with you!
If you purchased a music cd and it only played part of one track, we took it back and they said "Oh that's just a 'bug' or fault, you can't have a refund but if you visit here.... you can spend hours correcting the fault yourself, most of us would tell them to 'get stuffed' and demand a refund. Imagine if that new washing machine you had just bought only washed every fifth time you used it and you were told a similar story, would you accept it? I Don’t think so.

I feel that if we practised our rights more and refused to put up with 'shoddy' software, then may be the software companies might just take a little more care in 'ironing' out the bugs before they released it!

I have never heard about a court case-involving refusal to refund on faulty software and I bet that the software companies quickly act to prevent one in case it sets precedence!

John.

[Magnum malum]

The flip side is that you don'thave to buy it.

Almost all commercial software has bugs, it's got millions of lines of code in it. If they waited until it was bug free you'd never get it.

[druid]

That's true Nick, but I think Tech is emphasising that there are so many bugs, they seem to rush these new versions out and let us the users do their fault finding! Look at Win Me, you would have thought that as it is mostly based on Win 98 SE that they could have sorted most of the 'glitches' out, and it works fine at first, but when you actually start to use it by adding programmes (in many cases Microsofts own) then things start to play up!
Since I installed networking my old win 95 pc works fine, but the new one with ME will not shut down and will not 'Restart' unless I press the pc's reset button!

John.

[Magnum malum]

Chaos theory: one tiny change somewhere has a cascading, and sometimes catastophic, effect on lots of unexpected things.

[onomatopoeia]

As someone who writes and sells software for a living I can tell you that releasing bug free software for a PC is impossible if it's any more complex than "Hello World".

We run our software through in house testing, then beta programmes with existing users before release and there are still bugs discovered when it goes on sale. There is no way I can absolutely guarantee that something I write will work on every PC. It wont.

It is the nature of computer software. Anyone who has done programming for any length of time on a commercial product will understand this instinctively. I guess that people who haven't will fail to see the problem in finding a bug that may occur once in every 10,000 uses and is buried somewhere in amongst 500,000 lines of code.

For this reason I would never work on safety critical software.

[druid]

Mark, is it not true though that some companies make a little more effort to 'iron out' as many bugs as possible where perhaps others do not?

John.

[TNT]

Mark is absolutely right about not being possible to avoid bugs in large applications. But the number of security faults in Microsoft software is astounding and I would dare to say unacceptable. With Linux Wine project going very well we might soon hear Big Bad Wolf huffing and puffing outside Microsofts house of cards.

[Techtips]

Mark I agree,

As a fellow programmer I understand the complications,restrictions and implications behind trying to produce bug free code but when you spend nearly £500 on a peice of software and it is not suitable because there are faults in it you can take it back to the shop under the UK Sale of goods ACT.

Shops should not be allowed to refuse you returning software just because you took the wrapping off.

You cant have a Trade Law in the UK that applies to one product and not others.

Trade laws are there to protect your rights as a consumer and Software is still represented under the "Sale of Goods" ACT

Therefore your rights as a consumer allow you to take software back wether you took the wrapping off or not.

Those shops that are refusing to take back software that is "Not fit for the purpose it was intended" are breaking the Law.

Know your rights people.

[druid]

Again I agree with you!
A few years back I purchased some software by Corel, Corel gallery or something, it was clipart but in an unusual format that you had to use this programme for, it just would not work on my pc, I spent hours on the phone to Tech support in Ireland they made me fax them all my config files etc about 30 pages in all, which they promptly ignored anyway, after many days of being advised to reformat my HD and reinstall windows etc I decided to take the damn lot back to the shop, who refused to give me a refund, after some debate when I told them that I was a fellow shopkeeper and did know my rights they gave in and offered a refund.

John.

[Jill]

Makes you wonder though doesn't it. Microsoft are such a huge concern now, you'd think that with all the staff they have and beta testing etc, the bugs would be ironed out. Bit different for smaller concerns that can't afford to put in such a huge amount of time and effort, but Microsoft should be able to! Their products are expensive which should reflect extensive and comprehensive bug-testing. Instead, they appear to be selling what amounts to a beta product but at full price.

[SpaceAgent]

I've seen, and to a limited extent been involved with, Microsoft QA. I assure you that they put a truly massive effort into it. If their stuff appears to have more bugs I think it's mainly because they have a far larger user base using their software on a far wider range of PC configurations than anyone else.