Microsofts latest venture into the psyche of the Windows computer user is called SP1.  It’s bad enough that MS "loses so much revenue" that they strong-arm the installation of the "Genuine Microsoft" software checker.  Now, they’ve taken it a step further by coming out with a service pack that has the effect of bringing your computer to its knees.  If you think I’m kidding, take a look at the MS Support Site.  They are offering F*R*E*E support to anyone who installed SP1.  Luckily after my last update experience, I checked the net before I allowed the update.  Hit Google with "Vista SP1 complaints" and being reading.  It’s a real eye-opener.

Now, before you think I’m being overly harsh on poor little M$, check out the SP1 blocker they created for their corporate clients.  This little gem will block the installation of SP1.  Must be pretty bad when you have to create software to protect your customers from your own software!

Paul McDougall at Information Week wrote an article highlighting the woes of an SP1 update. You can read it at
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206905389

Here’s a shot of the MS Support page for Vista SP1.  Good luck if you’ve attempted the update.

Click here for screen shot in a new window.

Here’s a cute clip that shows what you can do when you have entirely too much time on your hands.

If you think the flash menus and moving messages and clever blobs of information and color are helping your users navigate your web site. Think again. A recent study on Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox shows that over one-quarter of the users who wanted to perform a search can’t get to Google to find anything!

This is a “frame of reference issue”. Users who are new to computing have no idea what the web is about, how to navigate using URL’s, and are mostly lost unless they have an icon to push.

Simple, clear and concise lables and navigation tabs should be the order of the day. Here’s what Mr. Nielsen’s group has discovered.

Getting to Google is Hard

I’m not talking about the challenge of formulating a good query, interpreting the results, or revising your search strategy to reap better results. Those are all very complicated research skills, and few people excel at them.

I’m talking only about the very first step in searching the Web: Getting to your favorite search engine so that you can run a search there.

Would you say this is easy or difficult? Think a bit before reading on.

Rather than tinker with Photoshop or Fireworks to make small buttons for use on your blog or web site, try this free on-line tool from BlogFlux


It creates a gif that you can download and put on your site. You have control over the text and background colors and text alignment.

For a quick button image, this gets the job done.