Enhanced User Experience

I am not really a Microsoft basher, but I just encountered another example of marketing and user experience rhetoric winning over the actual experience.  I went to download Windows Media Encoder which allows one to encode video from a camera and use it in creative projects.  Its a free download.  The download site displays this message:

"Some downloads are made available only after users have validated their versions of Microsoft Windows. Firefox and Netscape Navigator browser users may install a helper program, the Windows Genuine Advantage plug-in, to enhance their download experience."

There are several really annoying aspects to this and they all go against basic user experience principles.  It assumes you don't own Microsoft Windows, even though you have validated your copy.  It calls out non-Microsoft products needing a "helper program" to "enhance their download experience."  The only thing it is enhancing is Microsoft's ability to check whether you are a theif or not.  After spending thousands of dollars on Microsoft products over the years and yes, also using other products I think are quality, Microsoft is still expects me to prove it to them.  Note to Microsoft, if you want to enhance MY user experience, don't force me to prove yet again that I am not a software pirate -- you already know it numerous times.

Comments

[paul]

Users are generally just numbers to Microsoft (imho), and if other OS's and browsers continue to improve at the rate they have been -- those numbers who currently use MS products will continue to decline.

[Jamie]

Yip. For a company that exhaustiveness user tests every one of it's software products during development(perversely, the opposite to Apple BTW), The irony of not testing the bit that makes you want to go through with downloading that product in the first place is something seen in so many of Microsoft's heavy-handed communication non-achievements.