Could it get any Worse?

Issue 3: Missing Features

Are we going to have a backup program like we did in the old days? Are we going to get dual monitor support in the home version like Windows 98 SE has? Are we going to get back the basic fax functionality we used to have? These types of questions are driving even more angst in the consumer community. People are getting very mixed signals about all of this.

So why all the fuss? Because Microsoft spend years bundling these types of applications and features into the operating system, essentially driving competitors out of the business. It would not be fair to then start pulling those features back out and making us pay extra for them, particularly since they may now the only vendor. I used to have Central Point Backup, Norton Backup and a whole lot more, but when Microsoft started giving those functions away for free, it drove those companies to stop making those products. There was no money in it when it could be had for free. But many feel that what Microsoft giveth, they will taketh away. They fear that in order to get those features, we will have to buy a "Plus Pack" of some kind for another 50 dollars. They fear that you may strip those features from the home version and force us to pay an extra 100 or 200 dollars to get the professional version. Take away our Dual Monitor support? Are you insane? Some of us actually use that feature! How dare you make us pay extra for it now that you got us hooked on it. Day traders will be out of their mind with grief! What may actually happen is that people get so angry that they boycott the XP release. But that may be impossibly difficult because of the fact that you can barely buy a brand name PC without the latest version of Windows attached at the hip. Microsoft may very well stop allowing you to buy Windows 98 SE, Windows ME or Windows 2000, and as a result force us to go the XP route and lose some of the functionality that we have grown accustomed to. You can easily give things to people with no problem, but taking them away or making us pay for what used to be free? That is tempting fate and the wrath of the previously loyal consumer.

Issue 4: Bundling Restrictions And Excessive Integration

The biggest issue that most people have in this area is with how tightly Internet Explorer and other such software is with the core operating system. Many of us feel uncomfortable that we are forced to use IE instead of Opera or Netscape browsers. We don't want all of that internet bloat-ware bundled into the basic operating system. We want to be able to uninstall IE and Outlook Express whenever we feel the urge. Not that we will necessarily, because both of those products are actually pretty good in their 6.x versions, but we want the option.

Why all the fuss? If Microsoft keeps forcing this integration down our throats, that is going to keep making people nervous. Not just customers, but the government as well. How can it all be fixed? The smart move here is to just break all of the Internet stuff out of the core operating system and make it a bundle that you can download and use separately. Make sure that IE and OE are isolated from the rest of the system so that if they crash or become compromised, they won't bring down any other aspect of the system. Don't let anybody run system or office scripts from the web browser or email package. Don't let anyone use Java, JavaScript, VB Script or any other scripting language outside of those environments. Take the fear out of the issue by doing the right thing and making the Internet features a separate, distinct area of code that does not interact with the operating system on a low level. You want to tout how secure and safe the Internet can be, then walk the talk and give us some options. Make sure that the scripting language in Windows XP is unique and separate from any scripting in your other Internet savvy products. Do the same for your Office scripting as well. Let us pull out all of the Microsoft branded Internet software and install what we want to install without having to deal with all the headaches. We don't want Windows to reset all of the Internet file associations when the system restarts. We don't want you to keep reminding us how much better IE 6 might be. We want to be able to install Quick Time viewer or Sun's Java Virtual Machine. What it boils down to is that we just want control over our Internet experience and our own applications. Is that too much to ask?