Windows Update ( Server 08, Vista )

I know it's not just me lately that has noticed but it seems like Microsoft is unable to get it's own products updated safely using Windows Update. I have run Windows Update a couple thousand times at least and in the past I haven't had any problems with it; but it seems like lately certain updates are in need of updates; particularly in regards to Windows Server 2008 and then also secondarily to Windows Vista. It seems like lately I've seen too many instances of endless reboot loopings and blue screens from Windows Updates.

Come on, Microsoft; as if I don't spend too much time as it is supporting Windows and reinstalling it with clients etc; and I am probably one of the most automated people out there so at least I am using automated installation frameworks but I feel bad for the end-users; such as my own mother who recently had her brand new Dell laptop crash and burn after it ran an automatic Windows Update in the middle of the night. And after calling Dell; which by the way now offers to charge extra money on their XPS Premium Support line no less to speak to someone in America; she nearly had all of her information wiped out by some lously phone support guy.

I don't want to hear about Windows 7; for right now. I'm sure it's great and I'm sure I'll use it. But the fact remains that Vista and the Server 08 Operating System line is still flawed and somewhat unreliable compared to the prior version of the OS. I hate to see Microsoft slip in their corporate software like this because honestly it was the only thing that kept me saying good things about Windows to clients.

From my standpoint, the two biggest unresolved issues for Server 08 are network bandwidth and CPU performance. On my personal network, I think that the Windows Server computer which is ample in specification is just eating through LAN bandwidth to the point where the other computers on the network lose their internet and drop to local only levels. The other problem I notice is that the OS causes the Server's CPU fans to turn on the to the highest output levels even when it's not being taxed in the slightest way possible. The other thing I think needs to be addressed is that while Microsoft has touted the performance of Server 08 over Vista OS; truthfully I find 2008 unsatisfactorily slow if you have added more than a couple server management roles, so I try to keep my services running to an absolute minimal amount.

I have just installed the beta of SP2 to see if some of the problems have been resolved. I was thrilled at the nice Blue Screen crash that occurred during a restart of the update but it seems to be functioning so far past that. But for now I am setting anyone's computer I have to fix specifically NOT to automatic Update; and in certain cases I am disabling the service from the Management console so that it is not launched by accident too. I just don't think that on products intended for commercial environments especially for Server class computers no less than Windows is the way to go these days, but it's still the preferable way to go for many IT so I wish Microsoft could bear in mind that it is a Server OS and Servers aren't supposed to be restarted continually etc. Bad enough for Microsoft that I switched to OS X when Vista came out because I could not get anything done. But with Server 08 not being nearly as good as Server 03; I think OS X is a far superior OS to Windows; and I bet they Microsoft will continue to lose out on what's probably the most viable market right now in terms of the economy and customers who have money to spend on their technology.