a reboot-less microsoft installer?
We use SharePoint 2007 at work, and I have a blog on it for work-related posts. I had heard good things about Windows Live Writer, Microsoft’s desktop blog post composer for Windows Live and Sharepoint blogs, so I decided to give it a try.
The first thing it did was ask me to update my Windows Installer, which is pretty standard since Microsoft likes to overhaul their installer system every couple years. So I did, and soon I had moved on to installing Writer.
Once the actual install began, I was shocked — shocked, I tell you! — by what I saw. The first was a line at the top that read:
“As each item finishes, you can start using it while the others continue to install.”
Then below the progress meter was another message which read:
“Installation may take a few minutes. Feel free to do other things while you wait.”
What?! You mean to tell me that Microsoft has finally figured out how to install/update non-OS software components without “suggesting” that you close all open programs, nagging you multiple times if you don’t, and then pestering you to reboot afterwards every few minutes until you cave? Maybe Microsoft is finally starting to take users’ productivity seriously? They are actually encouraging users to remain productive while software is being installed!
I mean, as a Linux user, I’m used to such things. I take it for granted that I can update my Apache webserver while it’s running, then do a “graceful” service reload afterwards with nary a second of actual service interruption or downtime. I take it for granted that I can update my web browser or word processor or IM program while they are running, and close/restart only those apps at my convenience.
But this is Microsoft! This is the same company that has taught the world that rebooting your computer is the first thing to try when something goes wrong and not the last! Sadly, my euphoria was burst later that evening when I installed IE8 Beta 2 on a Windows XP test box, which then required that I reboot after installation. Forcing a reboot after a web browser upgrade… now that’s the Microsoft I know!
