Sometimes various companies supply associated software with hardware products they make. Digital cameras and mobile phones are the common ones. They almost make these programs a requirements as they are part of the functionality that is the product, in that the mobile phone syncs to your computer and transfers files, the digital camera does extra controls and allows panoramic stitching and more…

All very good features, but the implementation of these programs is not always so good. I often find that these programs are made by little geniuses in their back shed and bought as a product by the big company and distributed with the hardware.

Then comes along an update, I got onto to Windows Vista quite early and this was one of the problems. When I tried to install my camera software it stated that it would only install on Windows 95, XP, 2000 or later… Not Vista released this century it seemed, only last century release operating systems. So after various emails I got a patch, then had to tell them a patch is useless unless the original software actually installed, so I got a disc, after 5 months of waiting a solution eventually came through.

Why do they make it hard on themselves and release software that is really non-standard and doesn’t fit within standard installs and processes that Microsoft would prefer, and then when a change comes along, they struggle to keep up.

Now it seems even with the user interface, I need to install their Nokia software, and from time to time there are updates, like today and all came down fine and installed. It all looked really cool because instead of being standard windows format it presents with a black border, special controls and a step through graph bar… ooooohhh….. Impressed.

And then at the end it prompted me with this…

I must restart my system (restart vista because I updated a program?) or I can wait until later, click "Yes" or click "No". Then I am presented with a tick and a cross. OK, if I hover over the buttons it shows a Yes and a No but somewhere along the line, once again the graphics department in all their wisdom thought it would look better but they didn’t talk to the programmers and tell them what it would look like.