Windiz Update provides an alternative update service for users of Microsoft operating systems. Quoting their list of reasons to use the service:

• No personally identifiable information is collected from your computer.
• No more unwanted spyware -- Microsoft Internet Explorer can finally be removed from your computer (if that were possible).
• It lists just the updates you need. If an update has been superceded by a newer one, it will not ask you to install the older one.
• Using enhanced data from MSBA, WindizUpdate will find more security patches needed for your O/S than the "other" website.
• If there is a security issue with a component that you have not got installed, it will not ask you to update it. For example, if you have not installed hyperterminal, it will not update it.
• It is not restricted to just Microsoft products. Software from other vendors can also be updated.
• Upgrading to the latest version of Internet Explorer is not considered a Critical Update!
• Works on Windows versions no longer supported by Microsoft -- Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 95
• Our plugin is not an ActiveX control.
• Integrated download manager with error detection -- you can cancel downloads at any time, and the next time you wish to install the cancelled update, it will continue from where it left off. Only corrupted sections of the file are redownloaded.

Sounds great to me, so I gave it a shot, and yes, it seems to work just fine. Site functionality is excellent and the interface is familiar. That said, this service caters to non-IE users; Mozilla Firefox 0.9.3, Netscape 4.0, Mozilla Firebird 0.7, Opera 5 and K-Meleon 0.9 are supported. Of course, this does eliminate yet another excuse for using IE. I personally know a few people that still cling to IE because certain sites, espcially Windows Update, require it's use.