The joy of having several computers is that you have the opportunity to work closely with them and update them.  Constantly!

Each computer has its own peculiar ways.  I don't know which is most notorious.  I dislike updating my wife's Apple.  One, she's doing the updating.  Two, Apple isn't very forthcoming about what is going on and why.  They feel the veil of secrecy will protect it.

My wife treats her updates as a spectator sport.  She's the color announcer.  Her Apple and its updates receive many colorful names as the process...advances.  I use advances but I'm not sure if that's what's happening, given her statements.  Afterward, she complains about how much her latest update has wrecked her system. 

There's a lot of color in those complaints, too.

My Dell and Lenovos offer similiar deals.  I do my own color commentary.  My personal computer updates one week.  The others update the next week. 

I think the companies doing the updates like to draw it out to maximize the pain and inconvenience. 

Unlike the Apple, everything is done piecemeal on both of them.  Besides firmware updates and Java, Microsoft has updates for Office and Windows, along with several languages, the security systems need updates, Java, and the browsers need update, and Java needs updates. Adobe also needs updated but it's often updating a few times a week.  It's like an eager child, telling you what it's done and what it needs to do.  "Hey, there's a new update available.  You want to download it?  Huh?  Huh?  Huh?  Do you?  Do you?"

On the other side, the rest of the programs grunt their ways through their updates.  They like to pretend they're not updating.  You know, it's a transparent and seamless process that only's a little less intrusive than cats clawing up your legs. 

I like how they stagger them when they require reboots.  You know, one update is downloaded and installed as discreetly as a a pair of elephants rutting in my living room.  The reboot finishes, I celebrate a couple birthdays, and the reboot completes.  Next, some time is spent getting acquainted with the updates and applying updates to fix the updates.  Fun!

Once that's done, though, I know I'll be able to work in a secure and trouble free computing environment.

Except there is usually another update to endure that requires another reboot.  It likes to arrive just as you've settled back into your routines. 

The work computers did three updates yesterday.  None required a reboot.  One fixed the browser issue that had plagued me for a week.  (It was a little thing of the Intranet's home page not loading but not giving an error message. It was just loading and loading and loading....)  One of the other broke my chat capabilities.  They had been two integrated systems.  Now they're two separate systems that don't work. 

Another update on the work systems just completed.  I had to reboot for it.  The update process is gracious about it, giving you a choice:  "Either you reboot, or I will." 

I enjoy all these updates.  I'm afraid I'd have too much free time on my hands otherwise.

In an unrelated note, did you see that laptop and PC sales fell last year and failed to meet expectations?  Took analysts by surprise. 

That's not surprising.  The analysts are always surprised, whether it's the economy's growth, sales, or the job numbers.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has launched its Surface.  Did you see the ads?  Everyone is joyously dancing with their computer, clicking it together and taking it apart, because, see that's what it does really great.  You can take the keyboard off and click it to another screen. 

Nobody is using it for computer.

I wonder why.