Code Bloat
Arrrgghhhh...
Trying to download some OCR software to streamline the tax stuff (need to get four months of bank statements input into Quicken)
I found something that looked pretty good and went to download it.
404 Megabytes for a single application with zero option to download chunks. With the satellite connection, downloads sometime get dropped but the hosting service (Digital River) does allow for restarting a download without loosing the previous data if you catch it within 30 seconds or so.
I had to re-start about twenty times and was up to over 300 MB of received data. The download got wedged again, I hit the download button again and was presented with the following error message:
The number of downloads you have attempted indicates you are having difficulty receiving your file. Please contact Customer Care for assistance in receiving your product.
Message Number: 12
The words
Customer Care have a link that presents me with the option of entering the order number and my password. I do this and I am presented with the same file download page I just left. I go to download the file and am presented with the same fricking error message and by now, the 30 seconds or so is gone along with the fricking 300+ Megs of the stupid 400 Meg application I just paid money for.
The product is ScanSoft (now Nuance) OmniPage and because of the stupid error-handling system at Digital River, I am going to have to drive into town, find an internet café that actually has PCs for people to use and pay them to let me download the fricking software that I was planning to use tonight.
Needless to say, I am not a happy camper and although this may well be an excellent application, I really fail to see why a simple OCR program needs to take up 400 Megabytes of space...
I sent some email -- we will see what happens...
Posted by DaveH at March 8, 2006 9:39 PM