# Automatic upgrades



## chrispenycate (Jan 27, 2009)

iTunes has upgraded itself automatically, and discovered that its most recent version won't run on my computer. 

I don't know why. It claims it's because it requires QuickTime 7.3.1 or later, but since I've got a more recent version than that, it's something else that's got up its nose, and I don't know what. Perhaps it wants to sell more computers, perhaps it's just bothered that I haven't downloaded masses of music. 

It's upgraded itself many times in the past, adding lots of clever things I don't need, and each time it tries to fool me by hiding the things I do want in different folders, changing the graphics, generally trying to confuse me, and it does it with my assumed consent. There are other programs doing this, too, and not just in this computer. The PCs keep telling me they've installed this, upgraded that and deleted the other, then sit there, tails waving slowly, expecting praise for their initiative.

Virus eating programs need to evolve constantly to keep up with their prey, but couldn't the ordinary, banale programs wait until I'd need for a newer version, and went, grumbling and complaining to search one out to solve a problem? That way I'd at least have a backup of the one that worked in my system, rather than it being wiped to make way for the new, improved, you're bound to prefer this, version. 

A couple of hours ago I turned on my sound effects computer. Not over bright, it runs DOS on a 386, with a twenty meg hard disc. It has never known the web, and hsn't even a mouse. It might have been here for twenty years, with nary a change of software, doing one job, and never breaking down. I suppose I'll have to replace it sometime, because it'll be impossible to get a new hard drive or something, but I'm going to miss it. It, at least, I know what to expect.


----------

