Simplify the following text for a Grade 9 native English-speaking person.
Original: With the release of Windows Me in 2000 , Microsoft introduced Automatic Updates as a replacement for the Critical Update Notification tool . Unlike its predecessor , Automatic Updates includes the ability to download and install updates without using a web browser .
Simplified: With the release of Windows ME a feature called Automatic Updates was added ; this meant updates could be installed in the background .