OMBUDSMAN ALERT: WINDOWS WEBSITE COMMENDS ROCKLAND TIMES

BY DR. LOU ALPERT

WindowsReport.com, a website devoted to the technology of Microsoft’s Windows’ Operating Systems, in an unprecedented posting, cited its strong endorsement of the action taken by this newspaper in the matter of the “forced” upgrade by Microsoft of the Operating Systems of many of their customer’s computers to Windows 10.

In a quote from their website on 7-17-16 with the headline: “Microsoft Is In Trouble: NY Attorney General Pursuing Case About Windows 10 Upgrades,” they state “the lawmen have been helped by the Rockland County Times newspaper, which forwarded them a series of Windows 10 upgrade complaints.”

Windows Report further states that: “What goes around comes around…the time has come for Microsoft to offer some serious explanations. This time in front of New York’s Attorney General!”

WindowsReport.com goes on to further state that “such actions represent a guarantee that consumer rights are well protected.”

This writer is most pleased to be able to quote this latter statement from this widely recognized and influential Windows Website, since it helps to support and justify the very mission of this OMBUDSMAN ALERT column.

In a related issue, the Wall Street Journal of July 16-17, in an article entitled: “Microsoft Abandons Windows Goal,” points out the 1 billion initial target for devices running on Windows 10 by mid-2018 has been dropped partially due to “its retreat from the business of making smartphones that would have Windows 10.”

This writer, as well as many of our readers, may wonder if Microsoft’s inordinately aggressive program to “force” a Windows 10 upgrade on many of their existing customers was done, at least in part, to make up for their “loss” of such business due to their retreat from the smart phone industry!

Comments from our readers on this latter issue are welcomed at editor@rocklandcountytimes.