The PC world could learn a lot from Apple's AirPort system. Why is home networking so complicated? The company that figures out the combination of wireless networking that not only works but is simple to configure likely will make a mint. (Starting in Windows' SAFE MODE seems to make things defragment faster, but I should not have to give up my PC for days to get this maintenance thing accomplished.) The system's clock slows down, and the whole thing drags on and on. Let's hope the boys in Redmond rethink this idea before launch.ĭoes anybody else's Disk Defragmenter take days to complete? Mine, whether I use Norton's SpeedDisk or the one built into Windows, will take several days to defragment my 20 gig hard drive. If you decide to upgrade your hard drive, video card and RAM, you need Microsoft's permission to continue to use your $400 operating system? I think not. I think it will be a nice operating system if it arrives in the fall as advertised, but Microsoft's answer to piracy (tying the operating system to specific hardware in your PC) is moronic. I have said it before, but this thing is a disaster waiting to happen. The winner in this category, as much as I hate to say it, is Windows Media Player, which seems to do most everything right.

If you are going to make something free, don't annoy me about it. This one is not nearly as bad, but every time I launch it I get an advertisement to buy the upgrade version of this free player. And I am blitzed with upgrade offers, channels and all manner of stuff because I once gave them an e-mail address of mine.Īpple Quicktime. If you try to remove the 'Start Center' icon from the system tray (right-click, hit Preferences, then START CENTER), a pop-up box implores you to keep it. Then you get a tray icon you don't want and a 'download manager' you didn't ask for. Once you find it, it installs all manner of intrusive junk on your hard drive and takes over file associations you set up to other applications. First, this 'free' application is nearly impossible to find on the company's Web site because you keep getting harassed to buy the $29 'Plus' version. This application, which plays audio and video files over the Web, could be the most arrogant program in the history of computing. More things that drive me absolutely crazy (and maybe how to fix them).

How to remove realplayer icon from tray