It's really unusual to see so little attention being paid to the new Windows 7 which is scheduled for release on October 22 this year. When Vista blew onto the scene there were literally months (prior to its release) of campaign advertisements flooding the marketplace. Everyone was "a buzz" in anticipation of an excitingly innovative OS(operating system) with "easy-to-use" interface and "top-of-the-line" browsing/security features.
I was one of those excited individuals that couldn't wait to get my hands on Vista. By the time I did purchase Vista though, there was suddenly a lot of negative consumer product input. People were saying it was too hard to work with, the security features were not "friendly features" they felt confident or comfortable using, etc. Many Vista users became so disenchanted with the OS that they reverted back to earlier versions of Windows (like XP), leaving Vista to collect dust in a back corner cabinet somewhere.
Unlike others, who didn't take the time to learn the ins and outs of Vista, I did. And I fell in love with the new OS. At first, it was really hard to get used to (and learn). But after awhile I became familiar with the new themed features, style, navigation/security controls... and it was a pleasure to use.
For the longest time, I never had a single issue with the Vista OS. Programs all worked fine; the system automatically received and installed important updates; scheduled tasks ran regular maintenance scans,etc,etc,etc...
Until 3 days ago. Suddenly, out of the blue, I turn on my computer to find a pop-up message that said: "Host Process for Windows Services stopped working and was closed. A problem caused the application to stop working correctly. Windows will notify you if a solution is available.". Hmmmm. I sorta thought that was weird at first, since I wasn't quite sure what the message meant. But, given all my programs were running fine and the computer seemed to be in great shape, I paid no attention to the message and closed it off.
To my dismay, the message started to re-appear (about every 5-10 minutes). Each time I closed it off, it would pop up again like clock-work. It wast totally annoying, so much so, that I decided to look into the message via Help and Support files. Of course, doing this lead to lamenting intimidation... Do this, do that, but if you do this, that might not function properly - if it does not solve the problem, try doing this... or doing that, etc!
Even I was not confident in attempting to resolve my error message annoyance by taking action in the technical sense the way the Help and Support Files advised. So, I decided to get a second opinion and went on Tech-Net (a computer technician support site) to see if someone else might be able to help me solve the problem. A few computer geeks answered my question, giving directions dervived "VERBATIM" from where else? Microsoft Help and Support Files. Dah... like I didn't already check that out!
I was so frustrated at not getting the answers I was looking for that I decided to just do a System Restore (to a couple days earlier). Sounded good to me until I tried to access the system restore feature and found yet another error message (# 0x81000202). Looking up the error code I discovered it was related to another error code (0x80070422) that had to do with that stupid Host Process Services pop-up message!!
What was suddenly going on with my computer? I don't visit untrusted sites or open email from people I don't know; I don't have a virus (because I fully scanned my computer using two different programs and everything is fine)So, if I don't have a virus, my programs are all working, intrusions (worms,trojans,unwanted programs) are quarantined, what in heavens name could possibly be causing these Errors? I've thought about this long and hard and believe something suspicious is going on in the world of Windows operating systems!
What I am really getting at is that I've come to this conclusion: THERE IS A CONSPIRACY IN PLAY to fool Windows users into purchasing the newest OS (Windows 7)when it comes out in late October of this year!
Yeah, you heard me right A CONSPIRACY! Why else would Microsoft shy away from advertising bombardment with their Windows 7 Edition in comparison to previous ad campaigns for earlier versions? Why so, hush, hush about the new Windows OS? With my curiosity piqued, I did a little online investigating and came upon a site that offered some interesting comments:
When Windows 7 is launched on October 22nd, a Microsoft spokesperson said:
“We will be doing something interesting and exciting. It’s hard to say what direction we will go in right now, but it will be appropriate to the times and not anything terribly extravagant.”
And this this article:
Bill Gates, in an interview with Newsweek, suggested that the next version of Windows would "be more user-centric". Gates later said that Windows 7 will also focus on performance improvements. Steven Sinofsky later expanded on this point, explaining in the Engineering Windows 7 blog that the company was using a variety of new tracing tools to measure the performance of many areas of the operating system on an ongoing basis, to help locate inefficient code paths and to help prevent performance regressions.
Senior Vice President Bill Veghte stated that Windows Vista users migrating to Windows 7 would not find the kind of device compatibility issues they encountered migrating from Windows XP. Speaking about Windows 7, on October 16, 2008, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed compatibility between Vista and Windows 7, indicating that Windows 7 will be a "refined version of Windows Vista."
Hmmmm... A refined version of Vista; more "user-centric"; new tracing tools to measure the performance; help locate inefficient code paths, prevent performance regressions??? Now if that is not the ear-mark of a conspiracy by Microsoft to coerce consumers into buying Windows 7, I don't know what is!
Of course it's not that I am accusing Microsoft of planting "hidden code" that could potentially cause internal problems into my computer. How could they possibly do that? The only contact my computer has with Microsoft directly is through its automatic Windows Updates feature...
Ahhhh, Windows Update! Hmmmm... interesting. Just exactly what do these updates contain? Do we really know? They are perceived as containing patches/fixes for your Windows OS (regardless of version). But, could they not also deliver "detrimental" code as well? How would we know - the majority of us have our systems set to automatically download and install these so-called Updates! Why, you might ask? Because WE TRUST MICROSOFT! Yet, when you really think about it... should we trust them?
Let's just theorize here for a second. Given the current global economic crisis we are all involved in, what if Microsoft decided they didn't want to spend too much money on an advertising campaign. What other means of advertising would be at their disposal free of charge? Not much, aside from "word of mouth" praises from those lucky enough to have downloaded the FREE Beta version of Windows 7 last year.
So, how could Microsoft manage to get computer users excited about (and perhaps anxious to purchase) the new OS when it is released? If a user is satisfied with his/her current operating system, it's highly unlikely they would be interested in purchasing an upgrade to a newer one. Especially if the OS was promoted simply as a "Refined version of Vista."
However, if users were suddenly plagued by computer problems (whether serious or just trivial annoyances like error codes) they might consider upgrading to Windows 7, would they not? Uh,huh, of course they would! Most computer users are not geeks, who can figure out how to fix computer errors/problems using knowledge base information, support files or their own expertise. Most computer users find themselves intimidated by the computer in general - even more so when it comes to the thought of attempting make repairs of any sort.
Look at it this way... Just like any other products we own, if they breakdown (and we don't or can't repair them)we simply go out and buy a new one. So the same can be said for our computer's operating system! What better way to get people to purchase an upgraded OS system than to ensure their old version causes so many headaches that people find themselves without any other option than to purchase an upgrade.
Now wouldn't that be an innovative marketing ploy to use in place of a traditional advertising campaign? Imagine buying a brand new TV, using it for a year or so without a problem and suddenly it starts to fail (picture flicking,color-fading for example). You might opt to have it repaired (at great cost)by a repairman. Or, return it to the manufacturer to effect repair/exchange if it is still under warranty. Otherwise, you are left with no other alternative than to purchase a new TV!
The same can be said for your computer's OS. Granted, you don't have to get a new computer if something goes awry, but you certainly need an operating system to use it. So, if your operating system is not "operating" correctly, you will likely look into upgrading/purchasing an newer OS, versus having a computer technician fix the problems/issues for an outlandish "fee."
I, for one, will not allow a couple error messages (from whatever source they are coming from)deter me from continuing to use my current Vista OS. Should they become more problematic, (or detrimental to my PC health)I will look into fixing them by whatever means available, affordable and at my disposal.
Since I believe Microsoft is somehow behind the conspicuous appearance of error issues on my OS (their idea of a 'forced' purchase incentive), they will not see me lining up to buy the new Windows 7 OS when it goes on the market in October. I will deal with the errors and such one-by one in the best way I can.
And, should I find myself unable to work with my Vista because of too many errors, I will do what others have done in the past... wipe my hard-drive and re-install my Vista. If worse comes to worse,and I am unable to re-install Vista, I'll do a fresh install of an earlier version of Windows, like XP.
Let this be a lesson to Microsoft: Not all of us are fooled by your overbearing appetite to corner and retain the market on operating systems. Just as hackers find ways to infiltrate your so-called secure systems, we layman will find ways to ensure you never get the upper hand with such acts of Tom-foolery!