We found a regular product description. Nothing wrong with it. Excellent job. It even sports a form that allows us to download the software:
Excerpt from the download page for MS Windows 7 RC
Notice that the text reads:
"choose the version that fits the system you'll be using, pick your language, and click go to register for and download the RC."
Register? OK... granted the text is present, but when looking for a download link it's easy to miss. Register we must, and we wind up at the Registration Center. (There's some javascripted click-tracking, but we have javascript disabled, so the click-tracker doesn't work. Does not prevent us from reaching our next target: the registration center. Good job. Other parts of Microsoft's site should follow this example.)
Microsoft Registration Center
Hmm... that looks rather blank. That strikes us as odd, since the previous page, the download page, behaved so well.
Some things we notice:
- Lack of indication that javascript should be enabled, nor for which domains
- Lack of indication that iframes should be enabled, nor for which domains
- Lack indication that anything should happen, except for the fact that we did expect something to happen, and it didn't
Remember what Vincent Flanders said:
"If your customers can't find it, it isn't there."
Downloading the RC
Here's what we found when we persisted to try and have this software downloaden. This is not a joke.
- We could not use Opera to use the Registration Center. It was necessary to use Microsoft's own browser. This was not mentioned in any way readily available.
- We could not use the Registration Center without adding Live.com and Microsoft.com to Microsoft's Trusted Sites Security Zone. This task seems trivial to people like me, however it can be daunting to those with less experience, if not entirely impossible to those whose IT departments refuse to provide access to any possibly damaging system functions. Changing the assignments in the Security Zones is a risk to the computer and the network.
- Once the registration is completed, we receive a product key for trying the software. We copy this into a file for later use. This would be a positive point... if it weren't for the fact that this page sports 2 objects that look like standard HTML buttons. We click on them... and nothing happens. Yes, you guessed it: they aren't real buttons at all; they're javascripted look-a-likes. (Why is this a problem? Didn't we already enable javascript by adding the entire domain into the Trusted Sites zone? True... but we didn't start out like that. We started out with only adding the specific sub sites... then we noticed this bad development choice all over and decided to simply add the entire domain and be done with it. Just remember to remove it later on.)
- We are transported to a page that requires us to install a download manager. This comes in 2 flavours: java or active-x. Since the Registration Center forced us into using whatever its manufacturor thinks is a browser, we're stuck with the active-x version.
- To install the active-x, we need to have administrator privileges. Yes, admin privileges, on the internet, using a browser known for its security holes. So we need to quit our current session (the safe one, running in user mode) and start a new, unsafe session in admin mode.
- We have to complete the registration again... We had bookmarked the direct download links and tried those first, to find that the system recognised our attempt. Smart? Maybe. It did however force us to enter Live.com and Microsoft.com to Microsoft's Trusted Sites Security Zone again (since the admin profile and the user profile have their own settings for this), and it forced us to enter our credentials again, and it supplied us with a second, redundant, product key.
- We get back to the download page and asked to install the download manager... we can't. Even with the page in the Trusted Sites zone, and with admin privileges, we're unable to install the component. We started downgrading the security levels one by one. Even the lowest, least secure browsing mode, did not do the trick. After about an hour of trying, we found that we could install the download manager by turning off the browser's function that checks whether the component's signing certificate was revoked by its publisher, and by turning on the ability to install unsigned components. So much for security. However, it also meant restarting the browser... so now we have to go through the entire process again (did I mention that the shortcuts were rendered useless?), and we receive a 3rd product key.
- Then we install the download manager and start downloading. 3.3GB of data, which should take about 1 hour on my network. After starting the download, we receive a 4th product key. Why? Beats me. Maybe they want to encourage people to sell them.
- When at last we downloaded the entire file, we wish to burn it to disc. It's a big file, and the installation manual instructs us to burn it to a DVD. We happen to have a computer outfitted with a DVD burner. Lucky us... untill we find out that it doesn't burn DVDs. It only burns CDs. Huh? Microsoft Windows XP (even the professional version) does not burn DVDs. The installation manual fails to point this out. We have to install a separate application to burn the software to a DVD.
The Fail
Microsoft is a commercial company, looking to maximize profit. Making it difficult for their potential customers to access their software does not look like a very commercial attitude. Any non-profit organization is allowed to confuse customers... though it isn't the smartest thing to do when you wish to spread the message. For a profit-seeking company however, driving away your customers means that you lose business.
Even worse a fail, is the fact that the mentioned problems are easily fixed. Therefore this Registration Center deserves a failure note, and we add it into the category:
"Your Money Isn't Good Enough"
Fine with us. We'll just go spend our money at the competition...