I know. Cheap headline grab.

Last night I was woken up at 3am by my computer rebooting itself. Like a cat hoarking up a hairball, my box was trying to purge a trojan virus it had caught. I’m usually careful, especially after being on the web for so long. But no one is 100% safe, right? Anyway, my machine is sick.

Originally, I was a good boy and purchased XP Home (full price!) when it came out and suffered through it’s first year of updates and upgrades. Then SP2 happened. You remember, don’t you? Can’t get updates if you don’t install SP2! So I download the patch, like a good drone, and experience a 30% drop in operating speed, much like everyone else.  I suffered through it as long as I could but had a glimmer of hope when it was said that XPsp2 on disk mysteriously doesn’t have the speed problems. But as fast as the glimmer came, it was snuffed out: I was told I was uneligible for the SP2 on disk upgrade because I had it already installed on my machine (or some such Catch 22 nonsense) and I would have to re-purchase XPsp2. Wha? A techy friend came to my rescue and installed a multi-license XPsp2 on my machine. Glory! However, now, I can’t install any new updates like Windows Media 11 or Defender as that I am in violation of someone’s rules somewhere. Save me, Cory Doctorow!

Now I have a trojan bug in my machine and I am thinking that the fastes route to get rid of it would be re-installing. What about upgrading to Vista? I’m not feeling the WOW with Vista, to be honest and at best, I would only be able to use the paired down, unfun version. What’s the point, anyway? Vista is a Mac-in-the-Box cute pony show much like XP’s new interface and logos were when it came out on the heels of OS X.

I’m in total agreement with John Thompson when he says (emphasis mine)

Consumers should not be confused. Vista is not a security solution. Vista is an operating system, and Vista provides some very important advances from Microsoft’s perspective

In short, if it’s not broke, don’t upgrade to fix it. It’s sort of in line with Gizmodo’s editor emeritus, Joel Johnson’s rant about jumping on the bleeding edge bandwagon. (very funny read!) Was the announcement of the iPhone the shark jumping moment in the gadget world? Are we tired of dumping money into hastily produced product? I know I laughed at the PS3 line up joke: “Hey guys! The line up for PS4 is starting on the other side of the building!”

So this weekend I’m off to buy XPsp2 on disk somewhere to remedy this viral problem and in the fall, I will be installing it on my WintelMac dual core dual boot. Wish me luck.

PS: Anna Nicole is still dead. (via Deadthingsonsticks)