Thoughts and Ramblings

So, I occasionally get asked why I hate Microsoft software so much, and today was a great example of my rationale.

I was working with a tremendous amount of data within Excel. Due to how the data was generated, I actually needed the transpose of the data in the spreadsheet. I spent nearly an hour trying to find the transpose function which used to be in the “Paste Special” function, but now appears to have been removed. I searched the help, and found nothing helpful. Google’s results pointed to the “Paste Special” function which I know no longer contains a transpose.

The Simpsons has packaged their season DVDs in unusual ways before, but the eleventh season takes the cake in being both cheap and destructive to the media. The DVDs are wedged in between two pieces of cardboard so tightly that one has to pinch it with two fingers to pull it out, scratching the disk’s surface in the process. What possessed these people to be so callous with delicate media? Do they secretly hope you destroy the disk and have to buy a new one? So, if anyone out there buys this set, get some DVD cases as well, so that you do not destroy the media over the years with this package.

My Grandfather just bought a new pickup, which he enjoyed showing to the rest of the family. Since Ford spent months trying to fulfill his order, he was about to give up when the dealership found a vehicle similar to what he wanted, but included several features he did not want, and thus didn’t pay for. (With behavior like this, no wonder the auto companies are failing, but that’s another discussion). One such item was Sync, by Microsoft.