Angry Birds fired onto PCs - for free

Intel AppUp - Massive Fail

Apparently 2 issues here. According to Intel's own support forums.

Firstly, their servers are being overloaded by people trying to get Angry Birds for free. Particularly by requests from people in countries that can't actually take part in the offer.

Secondly, AppUp currently can't handle most 64-bit versions of Windows, apart from Windows 7 Enterprise(?!?).

Not that the installer tells you that. Installs the program without a murmur. You start it up and - "Error -13".
You have to go to a separate website to look up the error code ("connection error"). Then the Intel Support Forums to find the real problem.

Also, PC World and Curries don't seem to mention this either. Which is odd, as they flog virtually all their recent PCs and laptops with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

So Intel don't do the AppUp for the flavour of Windows that best uses their chips. And PC World and Curries are going to tick off recent customers (like me) by making them think they can get Angry Birds for free.

The only winners here are Rovio, as it's a hell of an endorsement for their game ("demand brought down Intel's servers").

And probably the Apple and Android Apps stores.

By Penfolduk01 on 1 Feb 2011

Trip Down Memory Lane

One good thing to come out of this - haven't come across obscure numeric only error messages since the early 1980s. Took me right back.

Now, if Intel can get it to say "Guru Meditation: FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF3" instead, I'd be in Heaven. :-)

By Penfolduk01 on 1 Feb 2011

Dire

Hands up anyone who has managed to download this yet. Nope, thought not!

And kinda beside the point, but how ugly and bad thought out is AppUp? That is why Intel should stick to hardware.

By The_Scrote on 1 Feb 2011

nope - not free anymore

By plwalter on 1 Feb 2011