More Signs That Microsoft is Abandoning Vista?
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A big bug in Vista Media Center that I have encountered twice in the past two months, which required me to completely wipe and reconfigure my channel list guide and scheduled recordings has been fixed. But only in Windows7, according to mikehayton, a Microsoft MCE Team Member:
"This is a known bug fixed in Win7. At this stage there are not
sufficient instances of it reported to warrant backporting the fix (and
then doing the full test pass to ensure that in this version of the
code that it hasnt broken something else)."
Seriously? Is Microsoft even supporting Windows Vista with bug fixes these days or what? When I purchased Vista Ultimate two months ago, I didn't realize that I was buying into an end-of-life product. (I know, I'm not even supposed to have TV Pack 2008, but it was applied to a fresh Vista install, per Microsoft's instruction to OEM's). But seriously, this really can't bode well for users of Vista hoping for fixes to their documented bugs.
How many other issues will only fixed in Windows7? For me, it doesn't matter... For my last remaining home Windows OS, Media Center, Mac/AppleTV can't come soon enough.
This is just one more, and likely the last, nail in the coffin for Microsoft operating systems for me. Since buying a MacBook last week, I've only needed to boot into XP once, and that was to Remote Desktop into a client's workstation.
EDIT: After a quick Google search, I've eliminated my last reason to boot into XP. Thanks Microsoft!
Full text of the error log, for search engine indexing is below:
Unhandled Exception - 12/16/2008 19:08:49
Message: Unable to cast object of type
'Microsoft.MediaCenter.Playback.LiveBroadcastMediaItem' to type
'Microsoft.MediaCenter.Playback.IUriMediaItem'.
Exception:
System.InvalidCastException: Unable to cast
object of type 'Microsoft.MediaCenter.Playback.LiveBroadcastMediaItem'
to type 'Microsoft.MediaCenter.Playback.IUriMediaItem'.
at Microsoft.MediaCenter.Playback.MediaSessionBindings.ProceedWithBinding()
at Microsoft.MediaCenter.Playback.MediaSessionBindings.ProceedWorker(Object notUsed)
at Microsoft.MediaCenter.UI.Application.DeferredInvokeItem.Dispatch()
at Microsoft.MediaCenter.UI.Dispatcher.ConfigurableMainLoopBody(Feeder feeder, Boolean includeExtensibility)
at Microsoft.MediaCenter.UI.Dispatcher.MainLoopBody(Feeder feeder)
at Microsoft.MediaCenter.UI.Dispatcher.MainLoop(LoopCondition condition, LoopBody body)
at Microsoft.MediaCenter.UI.Dispatcher.MainLoop(LoopCondition loopCondition)
at Microsoft.MediaCenter.UI.Application.Run()
at ServiceBus.UIFramework.PageBasedUCPService.Run()
at ServiceBus.UIFramework.UserControlPoint.Launch(String args)
at Microsoft.MediaCenter.Internal.LaunchMediaCenter.LaunchMediaCenterHelper()
This is a known bug fixed in Win7. At this stage there are not
sufficient instances of it reported to warrant backporting the fix (and
then doing the full test pass to ensure that in this version of the
code that it hasnt broken something else).
from tasks->settings->tv->guide->edit channels->hide Preview
you can uncheck and 'hide' the channel that is creating the problem.
re-runing tv signal setup from under tasks->settings->tv should clear the channel out.
Comments
I participated in the Beta
I participated in the Beta test for Vista, and had a chance to use the full version as soon as it was released - the experiences turned me into a full-time Linux user at home, good job Microsoft!
M.Sharp...For the better part
M.Sharp...For the better part of a year Microsoft's "people" on sites like The Green Button, talked up and hyped up Fiji and for many it was FINALLY offering support for what we wanted: Clear QAM. Microsoft dangled QAM and Blu-ray support in front of buyers eyes from back in the days of the Beta releases. So it's like being teased and revved up that you can and SHOULD expect these features, only for Microsoft's coding and roll-up to be YET AGAIN not ready to handle things, so they dump it off in a corner (OEM box retailers)...knowing full well that those of us who really want it will be able to find it. Then they can sit back and say to us that we'll offer you no support. WHAT A CROCK OF $#1+ !
While for the most part I really like the VMC setup, I'm about at the end of my desire to be led around by a chain on a nose ring. There are other options out there. Hopefully, this administration will take up the prosecution of this monopoly. If nothing else there should be lawsuits and fines levied against them for lost productivity in the U.S. Cigarettes killed people and cost us millions and millions a year in every for health care we sued them and tax them more for that; yet we let Microsoft off for all the lost productivity due to crashing OS's.
I never understood how people
I never understood how people can complain about problems with things they should not even have.
You admit that you are not suppose to have this product, it is not made available with the OS you purchased, but for some reason you are upset that they wil not fix it for you.
This is like stealing a car, then contacting the dealership to complain it needs a tune-up.
It is not relevant to the
It is not relevant to the discussion if I am
supposed to have it. The fact is the bug exists, no patch or fix is
being offered by Microsoft, and that OS appears to already be
abandoned. Also, you are incorrect; The TV Pack IS being offered for the Vista operating system, but only to OEM's.
Are you implying that if a
bug exists in a product that is only a few months old and it only inconveniences a few then it is OK to leave it, or worse yet, only fix it in the next paid operating system?
Again, the bug is not about me, its about the apparent lack of support or unpaid upgrade path from Microsoft.
Oh yeah, and your car analogy is really flawed. It would be more
accurate to say
that I purchased a new Honda Accord from a non-Honda dealer. Honda
then released a new piece of hardware, free-of-charge to customers who
purchased their cards from authorized dealers, that gives the engine 25
more
horse power. I'm not supposed to have this part because I did not buy
my Accord from an authorized dealer, but somehow I acquired it, and
installed it per Honda's tech bulletins. But instead of making my
car's
engine more powerful, my car will no longer start.
I'm not complaining that my car won't start, as I performed an
upgrade I wasn't supposed to have access to. What I am complaining
about is the upgrade path from the manufacturer is to buy a new car. Lesson learned; My next car will be an Apple.
I think both of the analogies
I think both of the analogies fit, but because you're not an authorized service tech, they don't have to warranty the vehicle.
Don't get me wrong, I think that MS should have released the TV Pack to the public, but since it wasn't the only people that have a right to complain about it are the ones that got it pre-installed from their OEM of choice.
I also find it curious how
I also find it curious how Microsoft determines something to be "reported." Normal users don't have access to tools like Microsoft Connect, and MS Tech Support doesn't normally file bug reports. I'm surprised that Microsoft rests so easily on the notion that a bug "hasn't been reported enough" to fix in the currently shipping version of Windows.
Chris, I agree with your
Chris,
I agree with your observation (mainly as I don't know any differently). As a contrast, while Apple Inc. doesn't have a "bug drop-box" so to speak. Anyone can sign up for a free Apple Developer Connection account
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