Rare to see an anti-virus/malware protector not having automatic updates

It is extremely rare to find an anti-virus/malware protector not having an automatic update facility to its engine and database. Windows Defender running in Windows 8.x is one such rare species.

This happens if the user chooses the option in Windows Update not to use automatic updates, a choice giving the user better control which upgrades should be applied.

In that case, Microsoft acknowledges that it is a design decision that the user is not given the normal Windows Update notification, except in the log in screen. While I accept, only reluctantly, that there is a shred of logic in this, albeit very draconian one, why does that affect the important updates to a protection software which depends on timely update of its database/engine?

I have used a variety of AV and this has to be the first one that fails to update automatically or tell me an update pending when I choose not to use automatic Windows update option. Most of them has automatic update by default and is not under the influence of Windows Update.

This situation is a good example of Golden-Hamer anti-pattern resulting in leaving its Windows user vulnerable to attacks. So if you want more controls on your Windows' updates, don't use Windows Defender. Furthermore, another case of don't believe everything you read (on Microsoft product) and here is one taken from the Windows Defender's Update page for Win8.1:

It only updates automatically if Windows update is set to automatic. That "Did you know" message needs to be clearly qualified to avoid misunderstanding.

Windows has all sorts of detections and options, surely in the Windows update control panel applet Microsoft can add a check box there to let the user to choose if one wants to receive notification, including Windows Defender update notification. Or in Windows Defender to have a check box to remove automatic updates if the update notification is so distractive; it could and should update silently. Cutting that out altogether is just plainly a bad design decision. I suspect that is other sinister motive than what has been revealed.

I am wondering if this draconian approach will be addressed in the upcoming Windows 10?

If you persist to support Windows Defender with your choice of Windows updates option, the other option is to use a Task Scheduler to register the Defender updates periodically. It is a choice to ditch Windows Update or to use the Task Scheduler.

I will now experiment with some of the Windows Update Notification tools to address the Windows 8.x deficiency.

One size does not fit - Windows 8.1 upgrade

It appears Microsoft has not learned that one-size does not fit all when designing Windows 8 to replace Windows 7. The comments from this article <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/09/12/windows_eight_one_review> puts it succinctly the difficulties Microsoft is facing inflicted by herself:

The Search app also deserves a mention. Search “Everywhere” from the Charms menu, and an app pieces together local and web results into a multimedia view that works brilliantly for certain types of search. It is an excellent app. The question is: will users who are stuck in the desktop ever discover it? That question expresses Microsoft’s difficulty. The more it steers users towards the Windows 8 tablet platform, the more complaints it gets from bemused and often conservative Windows users. The more it enables user to stay in the desktop environment, the harder it becomes to establish its new app platform.

I honestly don't understand why Microsoft is hell-bend on subscribing to this silly idea that there is only one way to use a computing device. The only conclusion is to use a force users to use the "Modern" (aka Metro) apps so that their effort will quickly boost up the number to compete with Apple and Google. In order words, Microsoft is using her customers as their foot soldiers.

Apple seems to understand this issue much better than Microsoft and handles the situation with finesse. Apple does not try to make MacOS to run and behave like iOS. This is not only sensible but free each group of designers the constraint one form of device would impose on the other learning to all sort of ridiculous compromises.

Microsoft appears to be incapable of learning from its past. When Microsoft brought out the PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a fore-father of today's smart phone, it tried to make its operating system emulating the Windows' and this exercise failed miserably.

Now Microsoft is contended on forcing Desktop user to run like a 9-10" touch devices when they do not have any touch facility. Surely with the kind of resources available in Microsoft, they can build into the Windows the intelligence to detect the operating hardware and to be adaptive.

As a concession to Desktop user with 19+" monitors, Windows 8.1 now allows user to resize their "Modern" apps. 

I actually find this term "Modern" user interface kind of inappropriate. What is so 'modern' when you look at one, it reminds one of the good old dumb terminal display - always fixed at that size (80x24) - except that this now has color and gaphics. Nevertheless, it is fixed and can't be resized, except in Windows 8.1. All controls are flat ugly as compared to those in Windows 7, even without Aero, and lacking any feedback. In many applications one can't tell if it is a clickable control or just a piece of text. Calling that 'Modern'? Please bring back the ancient user interface.

Missing cursor keys in Windows 8 Tablet

Cursor keys have also been banished from the soft keyboard of Windows 8 tablet. It may be the first time Microsoft has removed the cursor keys from their soft keyboard.


The soft keyboard part, of the Windows 7 Tablet Input Panel definitely has the cursor keys.

Why is it so inappropriate to have cursor keys in a Touch tablet when it is often impossible to using the finger to move the cursor by one character? Remember because of the font uses, each character is not of the same width and I challenge anyone to move the cursor between two dots with precision.

It is crazy. I am so glad that there is a good practical solution for my Android Tablet.