Upgrade from Hell

Beware of geeks bearing gifts--especially when they require a quick yes-or-no answer

Is it just me, or has installing software become harder? It used to be that setting up a new program simply meant sticking a disc in my computer and clicking yes when asked if I agreed to an unfair and unintelligible licensing agreement. My computer would then crunch away for a while, restart, and--voila!--the application was ready to go.

Lately, though, installing software feels like a cross between talking to a telemarketer at dinner and a national referendum on health care. Do you want the program to be your default browser? Do you want to overwrite an earlier version of DirectX?...

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