Painful as it usually is, the worst I've ever experienced was when the "weather bug" program threatened that I would likely die if I chose to uninstall it.
Others were more forceful in Microsoft's defense. I was reminded of many arguments I'd had in my software career with technical people who seemed incapable of imagining designs that weren't abysmally stupid, offensive, and exasperating for any reasonable human being:
Confirmation of a delete of any kind is both a bit annoying and a valuable requirement. It's part of the look and feel of Windows. I for one would not have it any other way, especially at the end of a long hard day when my thinking and my fingers get sloppy.As a programmer I've even put in a double confirm ("Do you really, really want to do this?") when what is being deleted is critical to the operation of my software.
While I have lots of problems with Microsoft, you are being a bit unfair. Most of the issues you raise in the column have nothing to do with Microsoft but rather with the application author. Microsoft provides the shell that is used by the application to uninstall.
Further, the unused DLL question is giving you a chance to opt out of a determination made by Windows that the files are no longer needed. If you weren't given the choice you would complain about Microsoft taking an action without your knowledge. You can always keep the superfluous file in any case.
Mr. Pogue:
I suspect that you have not had the experience of handling a panicked telephone call from someone who "accidentally" hit the wrong button in a computer window and deleted a file that was vital for them.
Asking, "Are you sure you want to delete ..." is a simple, non-technical way to give the user a moment to be sure they did not do something by accident or did not change their mind suddenly.
Today's column was an extreme disappointment. Why do you so strongly assert that Microsoft is to blame? Microsoft provides a technology called Windows Installer (msi). The problem occurs when a third party developer decides not to use that technology, which they often do. Wouldn't it make more sense to blame the companies that actually inconvenienced you with a negative Uninstall experience? If Microsoft forced you to use their installer all of the time, wouldn't this be considered restrictive and anti-innovation?
Article comments
1 - Temple Stark
Pretty funny stuff. A nice shortening of the discussions highpoints.
There are still some odd things left if you uninstall a program in Macs. But normally these are in only two folders and are fairly easy to determine where they go.
Pogue is a guy who used to write for MacWorld but has affection for both PC-Mac. Not me. I've never sent my Mac in for repair; never wondered what the hell happened there. I did have to erase everything on my work disk once, but that wasn't my fault (I was assured)
And OSX has elimnated program crashes completelty. One program dies, you force quit it and the computer runs as before.
Of course, it's all down to what you started with and I started with Macs in 1995.
2 - Mark Saleski
the .net comment was particularly funny.
great solultion to bad software...wrap it in an even heavier layer of more software.
3 - DrPat
As someone who has worked with both Mac and PC, I would have to agree that Macs side-step a lot of the problems seen in Windows.
On the other hand, they also have problems with some common stuff. (If I had a nickel for every attached eMail file my Mac-dedicated friend Dave told me he couldn't see, I'd have a szit-load of nickels!)
Same thing holds true with Linux and Unix and other operating systems. You pays yer money, and you takes yer choice...
4 - gonzo marx
being a Fan of David Pogue's stuff for quite the number of years..it was good to see him tee off this way..
i also am in a dual boot household..i went from an Amiga 500 to a 386 PC, next computer was a Mac and kept with them for years ...my better half being into graphic design for 10 years...
i went with 2 computers when i needed to learn XP for work, since the game center LANs were going to be using it, while our servers were Linux builds...
while XP is by far my favorite flavor of n Windows...there are sO many problems inherent in the OS that the strange "unistall" difficulties are merely the surface...
Apple tends ot avoid a lot fo this by requiring their software makers to adhere to a very strict code fo standers...from the way a program installs, to the look and feel as well as function of the Interface and beyond
each has it's strength's and weaknesses
but for Bloat and obscurity..nothing tops Windows...
nuff said?
Excelsior!