Annoyance: Hardware Update
on 02.15.05, 07:31am in windows • comments (7)
Back in August, I mentioned that I thought having a new ‘Software Update’ service would be really useful, because frankly, it’s really difficult to tell when all of your installed applications need updates. The basic idea was to allow a setup program of an application a way to ‘register’ a web service that would provide update information that would be called whenever the user asked to do a software update.
This morning, I’d like to extend that to ‘Hardware Update‘.
While Windows Update picks up some of the hardware updates (for example, my video card), I just had to manually download and install 10 different drivers for my Thinkpad. This includes updated drivers for things like the UltraNav pointer, Presentation Director, internal Wifi card, etc.
Why, why, why, WHY? Why can’t there be an as place (like Windows Update) that does the same thing for all of my specific hardware device drivers?
Michael Brundage (February 15, 2005 @ 12:49 pm)
Apple Menu->Software Update
Mike Dimmick (February 15, 2005 @ 1:54 pm)
There is. Windows Update.
The problem seems to be that the hardware manufacturers don’t want to get their drivers signed and in a form that Windows Update can apply. They seem to want us to use their cool installer-of-the-week rather than recognising that their hardware helps us to get a job done - they should install then get out of the damned way!
It’s not helped by all the accusations of big-brothering coming from the gutter IT press.
Steve (February 15, 2005 @ 2:40 pm)
Well, that’s just not nice then.
How freaking annoying is that.
KeyboardGuy (February 15, 2005 @ 8:16 pm)
I got a new wireless keyboard & Mouse by Logitech 3 weeks ago and the amount of software it installed on my system (”iTouch”,”MouseWare” and “Desktop Messenger”) to run a Keyboard and mouse on XP!!!!
Then after installing the Logitech software I have to run MSCONFIG to deselect keyboard & mouse taskbar programs that were slowing down my Dell Dimension
Now after reading your post on your blog today. I hook up my wireless keyboard & Mouse to my iMac G5 and it worked no problem on my Mac no Drivers Needed. Nothing… Just Worked! Even the Special Function Keys “E-Mail”,‚ÄùMyHome‚Äù,”Calc” and “Vol”.
Why can’t this happen on my Dell
kdobey (February 16, 2005 @ 1:14 pm)
I hear ye. But. I recently decided to GO CHECK if there was new drivers for my MICROSOFT wireless keyboard and mouse at home or my MICROSOFT bluetooth mouse here in work …GUESS what … and they weren’t available on WUD (windows update) either.
What gives guys.
Jeremy Simmons (February 17, 2005 @ 1:07 pm)
Dell offers this service for it’s hardware.
http://autoupdate.dellfix.com
I own an Inspiron 600m notebook (highly upgradable) and this service works flawlessly whenever I need to do a re-install.
Do any of the other major hardware vendors play this game yet? I wouldn’t know as I haven’t purchased a OEM desktop system since the mid 90’s.
Bryn (June 4, 2005 @ 5:36 pm)
My thinkpad comes with a java app that is part of the ibm support, that does just what you are asking for. I can’t remember the name of it, but play with you installed ibm apps and look for software updates. It detects what hardware you have, what driver versions you have, and downloads and installs the latest.