Musing on the methods of software updates under Windows. Seems that the assorted linuxes are well ahead here; Debian’s apt-get upgrade, SuSE’s rug update, not just the operating system but application packages too.

Windows has Windows Update, but every other application has its own mechanism — perhaps. Monitor the mailing lists, read the web page, click “check for update” in the application….

Today’s updates were for the Edge 305, GPS firmware update to 2.60, Motionbased agent updated to 2.3.0.0, Garmin Training Centre updated to 3.1.4. All performed differently, all initiated manually.

I think Windows needs an API where applications can register an update URL, a time frequency (eg monthly, weekly, daily, manually), and an update behaviour. A single “check for updates” tool could then find everything that you have installed.

Back to the Garmin Edge. Hopefully the Edge 305 2.60 firmware will be better than the bad 2.40 and the appalling 2.20, there are shocking bugs in all of them — this is not a product that’s is ready for release! Twice this week I’ve gone to turn the unit on in the morning only to be told that it has a flat battery, and I know that I turned it off the night before…. Plug it into the charger and the damn thing turns itself on after a while, then complains that it can’t see the satellites. Turn it off and a while later it does it again! Firmware version 2.60 can’t possibly be any worse….