Until Jan. 3, 2010, eligible college students can get a copy of Windows 7 for only $29.99 – an offer that claims to be too sweet to pass up.
For 32-bit Vista machines, the deal also includes an error message that reads, ‘We are unable to create or save new files in the folder in which this application was downloaded.’
This deal is so good, participants should refrain from being greedy and do what Microsoft’s Web site instructs and ‘share this offer with a friend.’
Computer problems are only fun when everyone is a part of the joke that is a computer upgrade. The punch line to this joke is Windows needs to be drastically improved.
Everyone wants to have the latest technology. When products get transformed into status symbols instead of the tools they should be, the companies that make them take advantage of users’ egos to make a profit.
And when they do not work as advertised, they present a real problem to the ego.
The product was supposed to make life easier, and instead, it is a paperweight; users are no longer cool or trendy. This joke becomes more devastating because technology has become a fundamental part of the day-to-day lives of students, as well as to the process of education, making students the most vulnerable to the problems presented.
When a computer stops working, it points out the fact that common users have no clear idea of what made it work in the first place. For most people, the basic functions of a computer are enough to accomplish the work that is required of them.
Without computers, work can no longer be accomplished. There is no need to risk current work for a product that users cannot comprehend. The only reason to buy something new is if it is needed or if the old version no longer works, not to inflate the ego.
While Windows 7 might be better than Vista, it’s not worth the extra $30 because it still has a lot of problems. If nothing else, it should make for a good Mac commercial.
Travis Hensley is a philosophy and communication senior and may be reached at [email protected]
