Re: Windows updates and dial up users

[Valdis.Kletnieks () vt edu]

On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 18:25:50 EDT, Sean Donelan <sean () donelan com>  said:

> "I recently put this suggestion to Microsoft and their response basically
> avoided the whole issue. Why wouldn't the company want to offer such a CD,
> assuming that's the motivation behind their stonewalling?"

It would cost money to produce and ship a new CD on a frequent enough basis
for it to do any good.  Consider that we're seeing worms within 4 weeks of the
patch coming out.  How many CD duplicating places are willing to take on
a multi-million run with a 1-2 week turn-around, once a month, every month?

And how much of a market would there really be?  Are there enough people that
would apply patches if they got a monthly CD that it would actually make a
measurable difference?  What price point are they willing to pay for the CD, and
what does it mean for Microsoft?

I mean... look at it from Microsoft's point of view - why should they *CARE* if
65% or 85% of the hosts on the Infobahn are exploding Pintos, when unlike a Pinto
exploding on the Washington Beltway, a Pinto exploding on the Infobahn doesn't
affect their bottom line any?

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