Hate Windows Update (and Microsoft’s sneaky practices like installing “windows Genuine Advantage” spyware) as much as I do? Here are a couple of alternatives:
Shavlik NetChk Protect is now available for a one year free trial for anyone with a valid email address. It’s a powerful app designed for enterprise network environments, enabling sysadmins to maintain their networked Windows computers easily, effectively and safely. And it is designed to update many more softwares than just Microsoft offerings.
And you can download it and use it for a year for free.
Not too shabby.
If that’s too big a deal for you, BigFix can maintain your Microsoft products very, very effectively for free, freeing you from dependence on Microsoft’s cranky, unreliable and sneaky Windows Update procedure. And BigFix is free.
One of my Win2K comps had had problems for months installing certain security updates via Microsoft’s automatic update facility (or even directly from MessySoft using various download/install techniques). BigFix just handled it.
Either app is a Very Good thing, IMO. Give ’em a shot if you want to loosen the apron strings.
Of course, if ya wanna CUT the MessySoft apron strings, Ubuntu Linux 6.06 is super cool, capable, secure and easily updated, and most people have little need for anything that doesn’t come in the default install.
*heh*
A blonde enters a store that sells curtains. She tells the
salesman, “I would like to buy a pair of pink curtains.”
The salesman assures her that they have a large selection of pink curtains. He shows her several patterns, but the blonde seems to have a hard time choosing.
Finally she selects a lovely pink floral print. The salesman
then asks what size curtains she needs.
The blonde promptly replies, “Fifteen inches.”
“Fifteen inches?” asked the salesman. “That sounds very
small – what room are they for?”
The blonde tells him that they aren’t for a room, but they
are for her computer monitor.
The surprised salesman replies, “But miss, computers do not need curtains!”
The blonde says, “Hellllooooooooo! I’ve got Windoooooows!”
A blonde enters a store that sells curtains. She tells the
salesman, “I would like to buy a pair of pink curtains.”
The salesman assures her that they have a large selection of pink curtains. He shows her several patterns, but the blonde seems to have a hard time choosing.
Finally she selects a lovely pink floral print. The salesman
then asks what size curtains she needs.
The blonde promptly replies, “Fifteen inches.”
“Fifteen inches?” asked the salesman. “That sounds very
small – what room are they for?”
The blonde tells him that they aren’t for a room, but they
are for her computer monitor.
The surprised salesman replies, “But miss, computers do not need curtains!”
The blond says, “Hellllooooooooo! I’ve got Windoooooows!”