PC software AND hardware sucks

[kjn]

Got a "help! computer trouble!" from one of thette's workmates. Their new 3G modem didn't work with their Packard-Bell laptop with XP SP2, and the "technician" had found that there was no error in the 3G modem (correct, except a case of BAD), and that the system on the laptop needed to be restored (incorrect).

Poor unsuspecting workmate did that, after which the computer didn't start up. I got a look at it, and noted it did do something (the harddrive was spinning constantly)—cue autopope's recent Vaio adventures. Leaving it to its own devices in little more than an hour did finally give a familiar XP desktop.

The 3G modem still didn't work. Instead, all sorts of things flaked out when it was inserted, the charge being led by something in the system tray called ROXIO_USBDAPP.

Tried the modem on my MacBook with Snow Leopard. Mounted ok (but why in the name of Roscoe did it mount as a CD?), installed OK, but the installed software failed to detect the modem (probably not compatible with Snowy). Did a WAG, and burnt the 3G installation programs to a CD. Said CD mounts perfectly on the Packard-Bell, autostarts and installs the modem software without a hitch. After some massaging (known as forced quit of ROXIO_USBDAPP) got the modem software talking with the modem and connectivity to Internet. Reads up on said crapware, and finds it's actually installed as DetectorApp.

Disables crapware in msconfig, and does a restart or two to make the setting stick. Now the modem works reliably. Declares success. Elapsed time: a little over two hours.

Comments

[nojay.livejournal.com]

Ah, Roxio... it's a CD burner application that was famous a few years ago for pissing all over XP installations. It was supplied with a lot of CD/RW drives and laptops as the burner app (probably because it was cheap for the integrator to licence). It played fast and loose with kernel stuff, screwed up other drivers etc. and was roundly condemned by most people who had the misfortune to run into it. There are better free and paid-for CD/DVD burner apps out there now.

[kjn]

Roxio Toast was quite popular and well-thought of on Mac OS Classic, and we used it quite a bit on early Mac OS X too, now that I think of it. Strange how quality in one area turns into crap in another.

But yeah, a big problem with Microsoft products is that due to (primarily) history and (secondarily) design, third-party vendors can and will piss all over the system.