Microsoft and Apple not playing fair with their customers!

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Microsoft and Apple not playing fair with their customers!

Postby Hugh-AR » 14 Jan 2018 14:22

I think Microsoft and Apple are not playing fair with their customers. I appreciate that they have to do 'updates' in order to 'fix' problems that shouldn't have occurred in the first place; to 'fix' vulnerabilities in software to thwart the hackers; and to upgrade their products so they can cope with the ever developing complexity of computer software.

But I draw the line at them rendering programs we have paid for in good faith virtually useless.

Take the latest incident. Having to go through a "Configuration process" when launching my WORD 2007. Paid for when I bought my laptop as part of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007.
Following a recent 'update' of Windows 10 I am finding every time I run WORD (I have Microsoft Office 2007) I find that before the document will launch I get a message that Windows is 'Configuring' Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007. Takes a while, then it launches.

That delay, to me, is completely unacceptable.
I have had an on-line chat about this with Microsoft and they say my Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 has passed it's 'sell by' date. Microsoft have not been updating this product, so as the programs it has to work with become more and more complex, it can't cope any more. So I will have to purchase it again, either Microsoft Office 2016 (£120), or Office 365 (£60 per year).

No mention of a solution to a problem that was created by them. I have outlined a solution to this problem here, no thanks to Microsoft.

viewtopic.php?f=317&t=5900#p38651

Hugh
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Re: Microsoft and Apple not playing fair with their customer

Postby Hugh-AR » 15 Jan 2018 10:15

Then there was the problem I had with Windows Movie Maker, which I had downloaded in order to create a video to go with an MP3 of mine. I was using my Laptop with Windows 10, and had a granddaughter staying at the time. Between us we succeeded in making a very reasonable video, and had fun doing it. But then when we wanted to SAVE our work in a format suitable for uploading to YouTube I found we had to purchase the program. Not FREE any more, like it was with Windows XP. So, not wanting to disappoint my granddaughter, as we had got so far, I paid the £25 with my Credit Card. And anyway, I felt I would be using the program a lot more in the future now that I knew how it worked.

Do a right-click to open up in a New Tab
viewtopic.php?f=317&t=5446#p36500

Fine. Then a while later my Laptop had a 'major update' of Windows 10. It took nearly 40 minutes to go through the process, even on the very fast broadband I have. When it had finished, I noticed that two things were missing. The Skype, and the Windows Movie Maker icons I had on my Taskbar. No worries, I had the Windows Movie Maker icon on my Desktop. But then I noticed that this had changed to just a white, square rectangle; and when I clicked on it it went nowhere. Said it couldn't find the program. That Windows 10 'update' had removed these LINKS from my computer! And I had paid £25 for this App (Program)!

I did find out where the program was, in the end. It was in C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Photo Gallery. Wouldn't have thought of looking in Photo Gallery for it! And they had changed it's name from Windows Movie Maker to just Movie Maker (moviemaker.exe). So I altered the 'path' on my Desktop icon to link up with moviemaker.exe, and suddenly the original Movie Maker icon appeared on my desktop, replacing the white square that was there. I have also put the program back on my Taskbar.

It's all back up and running again now. Brian (007) looked into it for me, and he reckoned that Microsoft had sold this program on to a third party. I presume that is why they changed it's name. But this is what I mean about Microsoft not playing fair. After all, I had paid £25 for it!
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Re: Microsoft and Apple not playing fair with their customer

Postby Hugh-AR » 15 Jan 2018 23:10

And then what about Apple, who sent iPhone 6 owners an 'update' that deliberately slowed those older mobiles down. Made you think it was time to maybe upgrade and get a new mobile! But Apple deny this had anything to do with selling new mobiles. They say it was because they were saving battery life as the model got older (the batteries are fixed in permanently and can't be changed without a great deal of hassle, and at great expense). But they did retract a bit and let people have new batteries a bit cheaper.

Why not have removable batteries, like I have in my Samsung Mobile? Then you could pop a new one in yourself.

Mind you, I have come across this phenomenon elsewhere. I get slower as I get older .. but unfortunately don't think I can solve this issue by having a new battery.

Hugh
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Re: Microsoft and Apple not playing fair with their customer

Postby Brian007 » 17 Jan 2018 17:39

Hi Hugh,

This is one of the reason I try and Buy as little software as I can, as we are little more than guinea pigs to software developer
unpaid beater testers , but everything moves on I suppose and we have to just accept it unfortunately

Brian007 :D :D
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Re: Microsoft and Apple not playing fair with their customer

Postby Westgarth » 31 Jan 2018 19:58

Can you imagine what would happen if your garage messed with your cars engine system to slow it down when you're in for a service.
Regards, Steve
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