Even cable modem users now have to share the pipe with so many others that dial-up is faster in some places. So minimize download time wherever you can. By now most managers know how vital software maintenance has become. I'm not talking about annual upgrades to bloated office suites, which mostly add unwanted features with new bugs. That's not the same thing as service releases to fix specific flaws.
Some service releases introduce more problems than they solve.
But when important pieces of code have security exposures, you ought to patch them. Patches that target one or two flaws cause less trouble than megabyte-sized service releases to correct dozens of obscure problems. Microsoft Corp. has come up with a way around this dilemma. Specify product version and service releases to see at a glance exactly what you need to download. John McCormick is a free-lance writer and computer consultant.