The Big PC/software conspiracy

Start Here: Its a loop...

1. You give your new software to the computer manufacturers... iPhones  bit.ly/IOSupgrades are a special case (same con though). The software has to be very system intensive, it runs OK on this new machine, but it would be really slow on a older (otherwise fine) machine.
2. This bit is crucial, the new software has to have some MINOR incompatibility with the old software. The files you create must be readable by people with an older machine with older software, but there must be a little something that makes it irritating for them to use. Maybe they need a compatibility patch, or it flashes up a message every once in a while warning them that they are not using the very latest software. The new software does not need to have any actual improvements over the old software whatsoever!!!
3. As more and more people get the new machine with the new software, people with the older software will occasionally, think, "oh bugger - I may as well upgrade to get rid of that irritating upgrade message- you never know, there may be some additional functionality [there may be none- but the victim does not know this] even though my current software seems fine". They upgrade.
4. These people who upgrade now find that actually, whilst the new software may look pretty... it has slightly slowed down their new machine*. Generally, they blame their PC, maybe they make the terrible mistake of blaming the operating system and choose to upgrade that!! Oh no... What a mistaker to maker!! These totally unnecessary upgrades have just made your perfectly good PC become obsolete. These users now invariably buy a new PC and get new software and return to "stage 1".
5. Many people feel no obligation to upgrade their software.... These are the smart guys, but the Software company is smarter. Ever noticed these constant urges to update your software. They claim this is for security reasons, bugs, added functionality. They do this for love right? WRONG!!!! The Software company is tricking/forcing you to download and install the new patches. They do it to SLOW down your system and precipitate you moving to "stage 4".
6. All ways up you are driven to upgrade your software, your machine slows down and you return to stage 1 and re-start the loop?

The solution? Well I guess all this currently legal, so the real solution would be for it to be legislated against the technique. There is little we little people can do apart from to resist upgrading your software at all costs.  I remember being tricked into purchase of mortgage endowments and worthless payment protection once.  Eventually, these banks got their come-up-pance. My optimistic view is that one day, the government will catch up with these sharp practises and force compensation to be paid by the software companies, for decades of abuse of customers.


*note that a re-install of your existing operating system will certainly speed up your computer.  It will then slow down again hence forth.  Alternatively if you upgrade your software it may take some before the slowdown takes place and temporary files are collected etc.

Posted with Blogsy

Why Apple are so keen for us to all upgrade to IOS9

Now the general trick is described here: http://bit.ly/softwarescam

Here's how it will go with IOS9, the operating system that runs iPhones, iPads, iPod touch.

(1) You are invited to upgrade your IOS.

(2) Every time you do, your lovely little device will get slower and slower until you feel you have to buy a new device. If you stuck to the original IOS, you would be fine with that device, pretty much for ever.

(3) If you are able to withstand the small irritation of warnings that you have not yet upgraded, eventually, you will find one of your software products (installed on your device) Pages, Numbers, whatever... Will require you to upgrade to continue to work.... When you upgrade that, you will find that it cannot be used until you upgrade your entire IOS. Once you do that, you are again back to stage "(2)".

"BUT STOP NO Richard; I upgraded my IOS software to IOS9 and it was faster than it was before. QED".
Ah, they've really got you!!  "Non-QED" because all computers (including iPhones) slow down as storage space diminishes and temporary files build up etc.  Therefore a fresh install of your operating system may initially and *temporarily* seem faster, but this won't last.  It would be fun to install IOS6 on a brand new device and see how that zoomed along!!


So if it is not obvious to everyone, the reason they change this software is not to improve the product, but to tempt our "geek-gland" into upgrading and thence making our own perfectly good device obsolete. I think a nice new verb would be "to obseletize" if there is currently no such word already!



I guess it is all legal....
I wonder if some day this will come back to bite them on the backside!

Posted with Blogsy