Damned if you do, Damned if you don't..

This CNET article is saying that Microsoft is planning to automatically push IE7 as part of a Windows Update. The user will be prompted to install it or not. Then it is not automatic, is it? :-)

Automatic Updates will first notify people when IE 7 is ready to install and then show a welcome screen that presents key features and the choices to install, not install or postpone installation.

Like the average user can understand half the features and make a decistion!!! If they know that much, they will be using firefox. IE7 might break some of your web applications. That is why Microsoft is giving you another tool to automatically block the automatic IE7 update. Is your head spinning at the last one? Gee, Microsoft thinks of everything :-)

Blake Ross himself has said IE7 is much improved. So IE7 has made progress and is more secure and should keep you safe. But it might break your existing apps. Damned if you update. Damned if you don't.

I tried IE7 on XP and was the butt of many jokes at work. People stopped at my cube, said - this guy tries pre-alpha software from Microsoft and laughed uncontrollably. It was painful. I tried rolling it back and it left me in a strange state. It functioned like IE7 but reported IE6(or the other way - I try not to remember all the details). Microsoft support interestingly sent me a link to googlegroups article which didn't help. If India based tech support also gave up on you, then there is no hope :-)

I think I will first turn off my automatic update and wait for emails from National Cyber Alert Systems.

May Gates be with you!