Before we begin the main topic of this column, I just have to comment on those cute Apple vs. PC ads you see on TV these days. I really like them, and apparently so do a lot of people - even though I really do find them somewhat misrepresentative. The one where they duct tape a camera to the top of the PC's head is a bit lame - it is true that some Apple models have built-in cameras, but so do some PCs.
But the one that shows a husky guard-type guy behind the PC monitoring and asking approval for everything the newly Vista--equipped PC does is hilarious. Not because it is ha-ha funny, but because it's so true. Microsoft blared ads all during the Oscars this past week, trying to tell us how "Wow!" Vista was. Well, the people have spoken, and it's far less than wow. But the most annoying and obnoxious thing is the User Access Control which literally asks you for permission to do what you wanted to do in the first place. Now I understand why it is there - so the bad guys can't install stuff or change your system settings without you knowing it - but gosh is it overbearing. At least, let it remember the operations you do want to do, and always accept those, but we don't even get that option. Thank you MS for again making my life so rich and rewarding - NOT!
I have been monitoring the state of HP drivers for printers and cameras lately, and the trend is not good. The term "bloat" wouldn't even begin to describe them. HP feels compelled to throw in everything including the kitchen sink. The drivers should be just that - drivers - the code that actually runs the hardware. But HP includes all kinds of applications and task bars to supposedly help you out. The problem is that the installations take huge amounts of time, sometimes as much as a half an hour or more, and are very prone to failure.
If they at least installed and worked OK, then the issue would just be the wait involved. But the installs often fail, usually by just hanging. Now you are in real trouble, as you can't back out and you can't continue. Even if you turn the PC off and back on, you still can't get out of the installation, and often the PC is stuck doing an unknown something that causes it to slow down to a crawl.
I had two clients call me last week with exactly this same problem, on two different types of printers. But that wasn't the only problem. My clients had first called HP for help and by the time the HP support people were finished both PCs were literally vegetables. Now I normally think HP support is very good, and I wasn't around to see what was going on, but two independent occurrences makes me very suspicious.
I was able to resurrect one PC by manually eliminating everything HP on it - not just drivers and programs for the printer, but for all HP devices. We were then able to download the latest drivers from the HP website and they almost correctly installed. It hung at 98% installed, but rebooting the PC yielded a working printer. I am not sure what HP was doing in the remaining 2% of the installation, but apparently nothing that would keep the printer from operating.
I am still working on the other PC. What a mess, and all over a printer install…
My recommendations are: 1) You pays your money and you takes your choice, but I like Canon printers first, followed by Epson, followed by HP. 2) Try not to use the installation CD that comes with the unit; log onto the HP website and download the latest (and hopefully less buggy) drivers. 3) Take a System Checkpoint before you start the install - go to Start / All Programs / Accessories / System Tools / System Restore - if there are problems you may be able to recover by just going back to the restore point.
But most of all be very careful when dealing with support. If they recommend that you do something, try to understand what it is and how to restore it (if appropriate) when done. Don't just blindly do what they say. I can understand them doing certain operations for diagnostic reasons, but they should restore your PC when done.
(Bob Seidel is a local computer consultant in the Southport - Oak Island area. You can visit his Website at www.bobseidel.com or e-mail questions or column ideas to him at bsc@bobseidel.com. For specific inquiries, please call Bob Seidel Consulting, LLC at 278-1007.)