Re: Demand That 'Microsoft Sell No Code Before Its Time'

All Things Mopar wrote:

> Writing software is a business, where the intent is to make
> money. Testing and fixing bugs costs money that can better be
> spent on new features. So, compromises are frequently made
> when quality problems become obvious. Maybe nobody sets out to
> design bad code, but "management" certainly condones it by
> making an economic judgement /not/ to fix things that are
> obviously broken if they at all think they can get away with
> it. If 100 million users showed up at M$'s HQ in Redmond with
> their CD in hand demanding a refund, you can bet your ass
> there'd be some changes made in the debugging process!

And what would the 100 million users say when the price of Windows changed
to reflect the costs of the new engineering standards required of it?

http://www.fastcompany.com/online/06/writestuff.html

A very interesting article, but reflect on the differences in the
engineering philosophy and the costs of applying that to a big project such
as Windows.

Also we have to accept that the market drives the need for commercial
shrinkwrap software. You say you want perfection, we all do for sure, and
yet millions of people buy software that isn't perfect, and being 2nd to
market with a perfect product while someone with a product that is simply
"good enough" eats your lunch can kill your company stone dead.

> If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Whether
> software developers personally, or robber baron bastards like
> Bill Gates like it or not, there is /never/ an excuse for
> /knowingly/ producing and selling defective code, nor in
> charging a fee for trying to get it to work.

I've _never_ been charged by Apple or Microsoft for a bug fix.

> It /is/ possible
> to automate regression testing, and it /is/ possible to buy
> the various hardware and software you purport to support, and
> test your own code, and testing /does/ uncover bugs.

You _are_ aware that Microsoft already do this, right?


--
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Rob Moir
Website - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk
Virtual PC 2004 FAQ - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk/win/VirtualPC2004FAQ.html
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