No questions, no answers, just some griping:1. This shouldn't annoy me but it does: Every time I go to Microsoft's site it invites me to install Silverlight. Can't someone invent a "No" cookie to respond to all offers unless I decide I'm in the mood?Today I was trying to figure out whether to go with a Vista Home Premium pre-install on a new laptop or buy Vista Business Edition. I can't call Vista Business Editi No questions, no answers, just some griping:1. This shouldn’t annoy me but it does: Every time I go to Microsoft’s site it invites me to install Silverlight. Can’t someone invent a “No” cookie to respond to all offers unless I decide I’m in the mood?Today I was trying to figure out whether to go with a Vista Home Premium pre-install on a new laptop or buy Vista Business Edition. I can’t call Vista Business Edition an upgrade because Home Premium has features Business edition lacks, and vice versa. Call it a side-grade.Anyway, I’m was doing my research (after rejecting Silverlight one more time) and found a Microsoft document that purportedly explains the differences among Vista editions.It was available in two formats: .docx and XPS. XPS is Microsoft’s attempt to compete with PDF; .docx is what Microsoft hopes will eventually supplant .doc as the defacto standard for document files, but … NEWS FLASH … it hasn’t yet. Here’s why all of this is so annoying. Silverlight is just what the world doesn’t need: A very-late-to-the-party competitor to Flash (I think — Microsoft’s explanation is pretty murky); XPS is a very-late-to-the-party competitor to PDF; and Microsoft, instead of addressing unsatisfied needs (hint: an operating system that runs faster than its predecessor) demonstrates a business strategy based on the principle that, “We ARE GOING to define new standards whether anyone wants them or not, because … because … well, because that’s what we do.”2. Did I mention how irritating it is to have all the different Vista editions? I don’t even like having so many different versions of Crest to choose from in the toothpaste section. This isn’t an original gripe, of course, but the truly great gripes bear endless repetition. If that isn’t true, what’s the point of having a blog?3. Even though I knew better I bought a new HP multi-function gadget: Printer, scanner, copier, fax. HP makes excellent hardware, after all, and the price was in range. Turns out I was right — I did know better. The hardware is worthless without the software to run it, and HP’s software sets a very high bar for bloat. Just installing it took well over 20 minutes. Then the scanner wouldn’t work.None of which is what’s irritating. Here’s what it is, and you know it’s coming:Can’t companies offer a special tech support number you can call if you’ve already tried rebooting, uninstalling, reinstalling and rebooting again? Every company that sells software seems to use the same cookie-cutter protocol. No matter what your problem, here’s the solution they’ll give you when you call: (1) Reboot; (2) Uninstall; (3) Reboot; (4) Reinstall; (5) Reboot. Somewhere in there you’re supposed to disable your firewall and antivirus, then bring up your browser to connect to the provider’s on-line chat support because that’s considered a security best practice.Best, that is, for driving you to practice running a deep system scan afterward, because what nitwit deliberately disables the firewall and antivirus, then opens the browser?For my HP multi-function device, four uninstalls later the sucker still wouldn’t work. Back it went to Costco for a different brand. There simply has to be a better solution for tech support to fix things than “If you’ll just uninstall and reinstall it again, I’m sure it will work. It’s different this time because the last time we only did a level-three uninstall.”Did I mention that because each uninstall requires a reboot, it lets the person on the other end of the chat session off the hook?Okay, thanks. The lithium is kicking in and I feel much better now. – Bob Technology Industry