If Microsoft made toasters

I believe that Microsoft’s domination of the PC software market has dulled and altered our expectations of the ‘fit for purpose’ and ‘use from the box’ aspect of all – not just computer software – products we now shell out our hard earned for.

Everyone knows that any new Microsoft product – particularly operating systems – will not work to 100% expectations, and that some ‘work-arounds’ will be necessary. In fact, bugs and work-arounds are the new first cuckoos of Summer. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of computer geeks want to be the first to discover a bug in the latest MS product, and also be the first to produce an online work-around.  

My analogy of this phenomenon is the Microsoft toaster…. 

BBG – Before Bill Gates – anyone that purchased a toaster that only toasted one slice, instead of two, would automatically return the unit, demanding their money back or a replacement. ABG – After Bill Gate – If anyone buys a Microsoft toaster, they will readily accept that it will only toast one slice. They will not return the unit, but instead go online to find a work around – probably either toast one slice at a time or cut the slices extra thin (with a freeware or shareware slicer) and turnover manually.

Surely this can’t be right? Why shouldn’t we expect 100% reliabily from tecnology products? Why don’t we demand recompense when we pay for goods, services or software that’s doesn’t do exactly what it says on the box?