I finally let Windows XP SP2 into my office through a Trojan Horse: a new Compaq notebook computer. It sports a sticker: "Designed for Windows XP." This means that the hardware and operating system work well together -- although, given the post-modern philosophy infecting our society, it could have no meaning whatsoever. Which, as this story illustrates, is the better interpretation of the sticker.
On my first cross-continent flight with the brandnew notebook, I used it for a while. (A bit difficult, given the "lady" in the seat ahead slamming her seat back shortly after take-off, and leaving it in the extreme un-upright position for the next 4.5 hours. Imagine, if you will, using a notebook computer in the shape of this V.)
Getting the hotel room, I plugged it in to recharge. There was about 10% charge left, and the little lightning bolt icon appeared to indicate the battery was being recharged. After a few minutes, a yellow Microsoft help balloon appeared: "Your battery is low. You should recharge it soon."
Which is why I am not excited about Vista.
If, after 20 years of working on Windows...
and if, after hiring the smartest people in the world...
and if, after creating a computer designed to work with the operating system...
...it still doesn't know the battery's already being recharged, I hold out little hope for future improvement.
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