I am not real computer literate.
Anyone know what .Net Framework is for and would I need it? Update says I need a 200+ update. I just surf, email and play some games on our PC.
The .Net Framework is an application hosting “runtime” environment that gets loaded on top of the Windows operating system.
It is a programming language independent framework for development of MS-based applications. If you do not run programs that were designed for .Net, then you likely don’t “need” the update. In that sense it is somewhat analogous to Java - if you don’t run Java apps, you don’t need Java runtime.
If you ever install a .Net app, it will either include the .Net runtime or will tell you that you need it. It comes standard with current operating systems.
By the way, don’t let all the anti-MS talk scare you away from MS products if they happen to fit your needs. I’ve been programming various OS’s since the 70’s. They all have bugs, of course, but XP has been one of the more stable ones and v7 looks promising.
Many love to bash MS for whatever anecdotal reasons. But history will note that it was Billy Gates and his folks who brought the power of the computer into most homes and nearly every business. To think that competitors would not be coming along in our great (still somewhat) free market and, maybe, someday take over the MS market share would be naive. But I’ve heard predictions of their doom for two decades now.
I run MS operating systems on several machines at work and home. I’ve not had any major OS or update caused problems for a long time. I even remotely updated (including one service pack) a mission critical machine in another state WHILE WATCHING THE SUPERBOWL! No problems whatsoever. No IIS problems, no driver problems, no settings unset...nothing to whine about, I feel left out.