Monday, September 7th, 2009

Are there more problems with new software?

Posted by Tyler King

I have a lot of experience helping people switch technology. From setting up a new cell phone to changing operating systems, I've seen it all. No matter who is making the switch, there's always a little but of push-back when new problems are encountered. There always seems to be the idea that the old system "just worked" and the new one, while flashy and slick, has more problems.

Is this true? Does new software sacrifice stability and usability for glitz and glamor? Obviously it depends on the software, but I think that new tools are almost always more reliable than their older counter-parts.

But then why does it seem like new software is so buggy? I think that this perception is caused entirely by the familiarity we have with existing bugs. When you're copying files in Windows XP, it doesn't seem like a bug when the time estimation goes from 30 seconds to 17 hours and back. We're all so used to it that we hardly even notice how annoying that is.

However, the first time you try out Vista, you notice that there's an confirmation window that pops up all the time for no apparent reason. Is this problem worse than any of the number of problems with XP? No, it's certainly not (especially because you can turn it off). An yet many, many people have a misguided idea that XP is better than Vista.

I'm not trying to make this specifically about Windows operating systems, but the public image problems Vista had (has?) are frustrating and they perfectly summarize the point I'm trying to make. Vista is better than XP. It's not a lot better, but it is definitely a step up and anyone that tried Vista and decided that XP was better only thinks that because they're already used to all the annoying problems with XP.

I don't want to sound like a broken record by once again saying that people should keep an open mind when trying new things, so instead I'll say that you should keep a open mind when evaluating old things. Don't forget about the problems. Don't ever stop expecting improvement. When you're complaining that your new smart phone is slower than your old cell phone, think instead about how much easier it is to text with a full keyboard or how much better the web browser is.

Tags: Using Technology

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This is a blog for small businesses interested in how they can better use technology. Most tech is targetted at either individual consumers or huge corporations. We'll help you find the tools that are powerful enough to help run your business, but simple enough that you won't need an I.T. team to use them.

There are two main writers on the Less Annoying Blog: Tyler has worked on the tech side of several small businesses and knows first hand what the little guys need, and don't need. Bracken is finishing up a PhD at MIT and he's always experimenting with any new software he can get his hands on.

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