Randar's Tech Page: Ten Reasons to Not Buy Windows Vista

TEN REASONS TO NOT BUY WINDOWS ~~VISTA~~ 7

FINAL UPDATE:
Ho-Hum. Here we go again. Now it's Windows 7. Who cares? Only Micro$oft, that's who. I just don't care anymore. You can only buy into the hype for so long and then it's all such a mind-numbing waste of time. The changes that Microsoft brings to their operating system are now just incremental improvements here and there – mostly to networking and security. But, in order to sell it they have to make the obligatory cosmetic changes. That is, after all, what we really notice. And such superficialities sell most people. I have grown rather weary of it all. So, is Windows 7 worth it? Well, it is certainly better than Vista – at least that's what they tell us. But do we really need Windows 7? Of course not! But that does not matter any more, now does it? Will I eventually move up to Windows 7? Probably, eventually, but will I have a choice? Will you? So, here we go again. Ho-Hum ...
FINAL UPDATE:

PREVIOUS UPDATE: This article was written before Vista was released. I have now been using Vista more and more over the last year or so. And now, I have gone and done it ... I built a Vista machine! For more recent thoughts on Vista see below, at the bottom of this article.

(Okay, you have read, “Ten Reasons to Buy Windows Vista.” If not go read it here. Now it’s my turn ...)

I thought about entitling this article, “Ten Reasons to Hate Vista.” And, I quickly realized that this piece could also be called, “Ten Reasons to Hate Microsoft.” But, I decided to take a slightly softer and saner approach to the problem of the never-ending Windows upgrades that increasingly grow ever more expensive. Well, let me say it flat out – I understand why so many hate Microsoft. But, let me try to tone it down a little and just talk about all the reasons I do not look forward to Windows Vista and why I don’t believe that there is really any compelling reason to rush out and buy Vista. In fact, I would recommend holding off on buying Vista for at least six months after the official retail release. Why? Let the early adopters of Vista be the guinea pigs, not you.

Now, you need to know that I have not been able to do any hands on testing with Windows Vista. You also need to know, however, that I have read extensively in the media and the technology industry about Windows Vista. So this article is based on my first impressions of second hand information about the upcoming release of Windows Vista. I have to tell you right off the bat that much of what I have read is just so much hype and tripe! Very little is reasoned and seasoned. (In fact, I don’t even claim that this article is “reasoned and seasoned”! It’s a little speculation and a whole lot of opinion. Just so you know.) To find out more about Vista and its new features (without all the hype) go here and here! So, for what it’s worth (and it’s not worth too much) here are my Top Ten reasons to not buy Windows Vista:

REASON NUMBER TEN: Remember all the hype and jive over Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP and now Windows Vista? Remember that with each incarnation we were and are being told that this will be the version that will revolutionize computing? This will be the easiest to use, performance enhancing, safest, most secure and stable version yet? With this version we will be able to work smarter and faster than ever before? Yeah, sure! We have been promised one version of Windows after another and not one of them delivered! Not one! (Well, personally I think that Windows XP eventually came pretty close with the release of SP2.) Yet, here we go again. The reason Microsoft has to do all this hype and jive is to “justify” themselves and delude us into thinking that we are actually getting what we pay for ... and pay for ... and pay for.

Here is a thought: Microsoft should give away one of its Operating Systems for free to atone for all the garbage they have been giving us for years. How about releasing Windows 98 (so someone could turn it into a decent operating system!), or better yet Windows 2000? The fact is most computer users could go back to Windows 2000 and do just fine. Windows 2000 was (and is) a very respectable system. In fact, it was not until Windows 2000 that we finally got a version of Windows that was relatively stable. Windows XP was just an upgrade to Windows 2000 and it looks like Windows Vista is only going to be an upgrade to Windows XP. We sure are paying a fortune for just a bunch of upgrades! What is worse, Microsoft has the audacity to charge an exorbitant price for what should have only been small and reasonable upgrade prices all along for most of these operating systems. When is Microsoft going to give us the real deal? I think we already know the answer to that one.

REASON NUMBER NINE: One of the areas that most point to about the virtues of Windows Vista is better media and multimedia capabilities. To that I say, “So what? Big deal!” Everyone else has been doing this better and longer than Microsoft anyway. (Can you say OS X?) And there are plenty of FREE programs that do Windows better than Microsoft. Vista will have new multimedia programs like Movie Maker and DVD Maker and Photo Gallery; and the Media Player will be upgraded. Whoopie! Almost any third-party multimedia program (and some of them FREE!) will far surpass anything that Microsoft includes in their bloated operating system. So, why bother with Vista? You could just stick with Windows 2000 or Windows XP and cobble together your own system with all the bells and most of the whistles of Vista. But, why all of this hoopla over multimedia anyway?

As an interesting aside, I have noticed that computing and computers almost seem to be moving away from serious work and moving more into the realm of “play.” (Yes, I know that for some “play” is “work” and for others “work” is “play.” But we are moving, and have been moving, into a cultural mindset where “play” is not only the main thing it’s the only thing.) Now, it seems that computers are more about “media” and “multimedia” than anything else. (Why is it that all my computing magazines are branching out into the realm of “fun and games”? Have they lost their focus and center? Have we? Just consider for one moment what our Cell Phones have evolved into – a complete entertainment center! Now, everywhere you go you see young and not-so-young people “plugged in” to their Mobile Media Centers as if they were IVs serving up their favorite drugs of choice. Have you noticed that nobody can be quiet anymore. Nobody can sit still. We have to turn up the volume because we can’t stand the silence in our own souls. That silence is deafening! There is a lesson to be learned in silence. But, no one is listening. What in the world is going on here?) Was it a coincidence that Microsoft made XP look rather “cartoonish” and then brought out “Windows XP Media Center.” The entire technology industry seems to be going in the same direction. In a word – “That’s Entertainment!” Everything seems focused on “fun and games.” This has become our magnificent obsession. And now, it appears that this mania is both fueling and driving the industry. For better or worse, I am afraid that we are the modern Romans facing the collapse of our civilization ... but, no matter, we have our “bread and circuses” to keep us fat and happy while all around us Rome burns.

REASON NUMBER EIGHT: The Mozilla Family of Internet and Email applications still does it better than than IE7, Windows Mail and Windows Calendar. This reason merely serves to prove in a practical way Reason Number Nine! The fact is that almost anything that Microsoft does, someone sooner or later does better. Name a program, I dare you? Chances are 10 to 1 that you can find a much better program somewhere else. Even more to the point, most of those programs can be free or very reasonably priced alternatives to Microsoft bloat. Don’t challenge me on this. I have built this web site looking for anything and everything that does Microsoft one better, for free.

REASON NUMBER SEVEN: Brain dead applications like Backup/Restore and Meeting Space – Why bother? Every version of these (and other) stupid utilities and applications is getting worse and worse. For instance, in Vista, Write no longer supports the doc format. Why is that? Why is it that with every single release of Windows Microsoft includes some lame program that nobody will ever use anyway? Why is it that they remove features that everyone liked? The only people that used Briefcase and Windows Search in previous versions of Windows were people who did not know any better. (Maybe this is the real reason for Microsoft’s very existence. Microsoft exists for the vast majority of those who just don’t know any better and are unwilling to learn any different. So, Microsoft’s target audience is really not for those who think and question and challenge. (Are Linux users right on this?) Well, I guess that Microsoft does fill a need in the overall scheme of things after all. I suppose that that’s really okay. Not everyone wants to be a power user. Yet, by now Microsoft should have been able to make Windows the “Best Operating System Ever,” especially for the unwashed masses of humanity. So, why aren’t all the applications that come with Windows “killer apps” by now?) It was always amusing to me that every single Windows Instruction Manual out there would go into great depth and detail about Windows Briefcase and the Windows Search feature. It was mandatory, I suppose. But, then after plowing through all of that (useless) information on how to use these programs you would almost always be told about their serious shortcomings and in the final analysis how it would be prudent to use a third-party program. My question always was, “Then why in the world bother with these Windows applets?” Again, there are much better alternatives to these and most other Microsoft programs and applets and many of them are free! What I find over and over is that all of the programs included in Windows are really for people that basically will never really use them anyway. Anyone who is interested in some Windows application and wants to do some serious work will quickly find nothing but frustration with Microsoft’s pathetic offerings. They will then be forced to go out and find some third-party program anyway. Bottom line: Don’t buy any Microsoft Operating System – including Vista – for any of the applications it contains. They are just not worth it. Show me one Windows app that you can’t live without and I’ll show you a much better alternative that is probably free! So, why is anyone using the programs included with Windows as a “selling point” for Vista? Beats me!

REASON NUMBER SIX: Well, we have all been searching for a better search program. Now we are being told that Windows finally has a great search program. Well, so what? It's about time. But there are already great search programs out there and they have been out there for a very long time. Why has this feature been such a miserable, crippled failure up until now? So, Microsoft, too little, too late. Here is a question for Microsoft: Why is it that with all the talent you own and all the money you have you can’t create the best of the best programs in most any category? Why do you consistently release such sorry excuses for cutting edge technology? (Can anyone say, “Microsoft Bob” or his “Search Dog, Rover” or “Clippy”?) Are you trying to be cute or just kidding, Microsoft? Why can’t all your products be as great as TweakUI? And yet, you did not even automatically include it in Windows? This was one program (besides Solitaire and a few others) that really worked and worked well. In the early days of computing, when CDs first came on the scene, some were called “shovel-ware” because the producers thought that if they just put enough programs and features on the CD it would sell like hot-cakes. Most of the programs and features were poorly implemented and just plain junky. They were there just to “pad” the CD and make it look like you were getting a really good deal. (“Hey, look at all the programs the CD comes with!”) Pretty soon, however, everyone caught on. Shame on you Microsoft for doing pretty much the same thing. Much of what you package into your operating system looks and feels like “shovel-ware.” Too bad nobody has yet caught on. Shame on us!

REASON NUMBER FIVE: We are also now being told that Security is one of the best reasons to switch to Vista since this version of windows will now be the most secure ever. Again, sure! So what? Too little, too late! So, Microsoft, we're not going to have any more never-ending cycles of Critical Updates to patch broken Windows, huh? After all, fifty million lines of code can’t be buggy and contain any major security flaws, can they? We have been promised better security forever and have not seen that much improvement over the years. Will this be any different? We'll believe it when we see it! But I, for one, am not holding my breath. (Personally I would love to retract Reason Number Five. So, Microsoft, I am waiting for you to “put up or shut up.” If you put up, I’ll shut up. But, if you are just stringing us along for another dog of a pony show, I’ll have more than ever to say about you. Honestly, Microsoft, you make this way too easy. And it’s not because you are such a big target. It’s because of all the hype you have fed us over the years. We are still waiting for you to deliver on just the Security issue.)

Well, as Windows Vista goes on the market, there are already reports of security problems that will have to be patched. Here we go again ... Let’s wait and see if Vista is more or less secure than XP. Time will tell.

REASON NUMBER FOUR: Oh yes, security for Vista will come in the form of “User Account Control.” What kind of solution is this? Microsoft's answer to security is to constantly nag the user about everything that goes on with the computer. So we can expect continual annoyances as we receive a constant barrage of pop-ups to grant permission to every little device or program or process that tries to use the computer? (I thought that only malware was supposed to annoy us, not the Operating System!) You call this a solution Microsoft? Most people will probably disable this “security” feature or they will just blindly click on “okay” anyway. So, how secure is Vista now? There are already plenty of security programs that can be set to do most all of what “User Account Control” will be doing – constantly annoying us as to every little process or program that wants to start up. So, once again, what’s the big deal with turning every user into a virtual “traffic cop” who has to constantly grant permission for everything that goes on in his or her computer? (Actually, I think I know what it is: If a Microsoft user now gets a virus or a hacker or a Trojan or a worm or some other for of malware on their system, it’s their own fault! After all, Vista warned them but they ignored the warnings and let the beast on to their computer.)

REASON NUMBER THREE: Aero-Pains!!! Oh come on, what is the big deal about stupid eye-candy?!? Why is everybody and their dog hyping this inane feature as if this is what an operating system is all about? Who cares! And, what’s more, why the incredible hardware requirements for this stupid feature? We now have to buy big, fast, expensive computers so the operating system can sit there and look pretty. So we buy operating systems because they “look good” and all desktop systems need to be high end systems to support this nonsense? Are we that shallow and naive? (Oh wait a minute. Maybe it’s no longer about technology. Maybe it’s really about something else!) Microsoft is now all about slick marketing and a Madison Avenue mentality that pays more attention to trite prettiness and superficiality rather than true power and substance. Rather than being a true technological leader, Microsoft, all you care about now is being a wall street market leader. That's why so much hype and jive is being given to this worthless feature. Microsoft, you lost your passion and sold your soul for a mess of pottage a long time ago. (And, while I am at it, this is exactly what is wrong with our shallow and superficial culture!) What's wrong Microsoft, you couldn't make Windows look better without all this expensive hardware? Every other operating system has been doing more with less, for years. The reason that this feature is being touted is to cover up for the fact that the Emperor has no clothes. Microsoft, you started out with a ton of impressive promised features for Vista and then you steadily cut out most of the best ones (i.e., WinFS) from the list. But, you left in the features that matter the least (Aero!) and you and others give them the most hype of all. How sad to have lost the substance of our soul and be satisfied with only how something looks. Hey! Wait a minute! Am I talking about Microsoft or about our culture?

So, let’s see. If I remember Tech 101, it’s called a “Win-Tel” (Microsoft Windows and Intel) machine. You can’t have one without the other. So, one company must drive the other so that both can be powerful. If we make an operating system we have to have a machine to run it on. If we make a computer we have to have an operating system to run on the machine. The only way to keep things going is through planned obsolescence. We have to do something to convince the masses that they can’t keep computing on their old, out-of-date systems. They must have shiny new computers! If we can just get them to do less with more, but tell them that it’s for their own good and that it is necessary. (Whatever we do don’t tell them that they can do more with less. Don’t let them ever know that almost no one really needs all of that power in a three to five year old computer. Why, most people don’t ever use all the power they have in their old computers and programs! After all, how many have ever bumped up against the limits of their current systems or used or needed all the features in, say, Microsoft Word? Well, we will make all of this happen by designing our operating system so that it demands more power just to razzle-dazzle them with high end graphics for the desktop alone, and we will make them think that this is really “doing” something. That way we will push the people to buy more boxes with more power so we can sell more of our operating systems.) You see marketing in the material world is really all about telling the people that they need your product and then convincing them they need it even when they don’t. It is all about creating an illusion that the consumer does not just want something – he needs it. And somehow having that product will fulfill those needs and in the process fulfill our empty, pathetic lives.

REASON NUMBER TWO: Windows Draconian Licensing Restrictions and Business Practices, Digital Rights Management and Trusted Computing Technologies, Product Activation Restrictions, Genuine Advantage Checks, Ob$cene Price, and a Ridiculous Number of Versions. I am convinced that all you care about, Microsoft, is money, money and more money. (But then, who doesn’t care about money?) You are now the eight hundred pound gorilla – a mega monopoly! – and you can do whatever you want. You have built for yourself a veritable empire with thousands of employees who slave away for you. You also have millions of clients who mindlessly do your bidding. One would think that you would have the talent and the treasury to finally produce the Mother of All Operating Systems instead of an ever increasing piece of bloated software that promises much but delivers little. Shame on you, Microsoft ... and shame on us too. You see, Microsoft is not really the “problem” that many love to make her out to be – the problem is ... us! Too many who self-righteously rail against Microsoft think that they are above reproach. How foolish! Don’t we realize that our institutions are for the most part composed of “ordinary people” just like us – with all the same foibles and failings. So, in reality, if you want to know what the problems in any organization are, look at the people in that organization and consider the cultural climate of which they are a part. If the culture is rotten, the institutions within that culture will be rotten. The institutions we create frequently are but a mirror of our own hearts and souls. What is wrong with Microsoft is what is wrong with us.

AND NOW …

REASON NUMBER ONE: Why, Linux is looking better and better all the time!!! The fact is, there are only one or two reasons to go with Windows Vista: (1) Programs that will only run in Windows; and (2) Cutting Edge Hardware, Multimedia and High End Games. If Linux could ever get it’s act together and solve these two “little” problems ... Oh well, by now you should realize that I could also write an article entitled, “Ten Reasons to Hate Linux.” (But I don’t know if I could think of that many reasons. However, Linux is no Nirvana either.) For more on “Windows versus Linux” go here.

(To read more about criticisms of Windows Vista go here or here! Or for more fun, go to BadVista and read about the ongoing problems of Window Vista and more good reasons not to bother with it. Also go to Google and just type in either, “Ten Reasons to Buy Windows Vista” or “Ten Reasons to Not Buy Windows Vista” [without the quotes] and see what turns up!)

Well, let’s slow it down a bit and come back to reality. Windows is not going to go away. (Unlike some, I really don’t want it to!) And, most people are still going to go with Windows over any other operating system. (You probably will too.) In fact, I am still mostly doing Windows and I will eventually build a Vista machine. Why? Because I have to, not because I really want to or need to. (As far as I am concerned I can keep doing Windows 2000 as well as Office 2000 just fine. They don’t require Product Activation and all of the foolishness that goes along with that. But, one day Microsoft will eventually discontinue supporting Windows 2000 and Windows XP just like they did with Windows 98. That will probably take place sometime around 2010. Then I too will have to move all of my systems to the next Great Operating System ... either that, or I’ll have to use Windows.) As a tech I have to keep current and I will have to learn all the ins and outs of Vista because all my clients will be using Vista sooner or later, whether they want to or not, mostly because they won’t know any better.

It seems that Microsoft loves to forever change Windows for the sake of change. Why do they constantly move things around between version of Windows, rename the programs, reshuffle the menus, and play the game of hide-and-seek with various features? Why do they make so many different versions that no one can keep up with without having a road map. Sometimes I think that Microsoft does this for the same reason that car makers keep coming out with different styles every year even though there is no real difference between them and there is no real (or little) progress made in the technology or reliability of the cars they offer. It looks for all the world that all this is done just to sell cars! When something comes out that works too well and lasts too long – it's doomed! (I recently talked with a salesman at Fry’s Electronics about HDTV and asked what is wrong with the older CRT technology – especially since it is much more reliable and lasts longer than LCD, DLP, or Plasma. He said, “Nothing is wrong with CRT technology. It’s just that they can’t make enough money on a technology that lasts too long and is so reliable that we don’t need to replace it every few years. That is why CRTs are being phased out.” Wow! An honest salesman!) We can't have that. We must have the latest and not so greatest throw-away and disposable technologies (to match our throw-away lives) so that we will be forced to buy it “new” every few years. This is just one more dirty little secret that the powers that be don’t want you to know.

Here is a nasty little question: Would you rather have a product that works and works well and lasts a long time – forgetting about all the bells and whistles and gingerbread; or is “fluff and stuff” more important to you than quality? I am convinced that automakers could make a car that would be both reliable and affordable and that would easily reach 200,000 miles. But, they won’t do it because they are greedy and so are we. We don’t want last years model. We have to have the latest and greatest. So the real problem is with them and with us. If we would say “No!” to this monster mentality, they would have to listen. But, we won’t do it. So they don’t either. (It is sort of like spam and the Nigerian 411 scam. The reason there is so much spam and the reason there are so many scams is because ... they work! And the reason they work is because there are so many stupid idiots out there who fall for them and keep them going. Please don’t be one of the idiots.)

Is there anything that Vista has probably done right? Well, yes! Windows networking is finally where it should have been years ago. What took you so long, Microsoft? And, even though I trashed it, Windows security is probably better in Vista, in spite of “User Account Control.” The entire kernel has been rewritten to make Vista more secure and stable. And, sure, Aero will be “purdy” – if that is what is important to you. Also, the only way to get DirectX 10 and experience the next generation of graphics and gaming will require Windows Vista.

Now why did Microsoft go and make DirectX 10 a part of Vista without making it a part of Windows 2000/XP? The answer is rather simple. They want to “force” us to upgrade to Vista and this is just one of the many ways they do it. The fact is Windows XP is a perfectly respectable gaming platform. In fact Windows XP is a perfectly respectable business platform too. When you think about it rationally there is really no reason to upgrade to Vista since Windows XP is basically “good enough.” With a few more Service Packs it might be even better! But, no, Microsoft has to sell operating systems whether or not we need them. In fact, they really have to “force” us to by obsoleting all previous operating systems. I can understand that this is necessary for Windows 95, 98 and ME, but it is not at all necessary for Windows 2000/XP. Yet, they are going to eventually quit supporting Windows 2000/XP whether we like it or not. (Oh yes, the funny thing is there are no games or hardware that even does DirectX 10 yet, and it will be some time before DirectX 10 becomes mainstream. But, I suppose that I could almost say the same thing for 64 bit computing.)

And, there will also be lots of “invisible” fixes and tweaks as well as quite a few new features (SuperFetch, ReadyBoost, etc.) that went into making Windows Vista the next greatest incarnation of Microsoft’s Premier Operating System. So, will Windows Vista be a good operating system? Why, of course! But, will it be great? Probably not! Why do I say that? All you have to do is simply look at the history and hype of Microsoft and DOS and Windows and you will know why. However, to be fair, by the time of Windows Vista SP1 and especially SP2, Vista will surely be a much better (even great?) product! Well, if you don’t like Vista, there is always the next version of Windows to look forward to. After all, the joy is in the journey not just in the destination. So, my friends, journey on. And while you journey learn to find the joy in things that really and truly matter most in this life ... And guess what? Windows Vista ain’t one of those things. (And, neither is Linux or OS X.) Do you know what matters most and what matters not at all? Now that’s the real question. Hey does that mean that all of this is much ado about nothing? Well ...

(For the best attempt to refute all of the negative press swirling around Windows Vista go here.)

UPDATE NUMBER ONE:

I must confess. I have now tried out Windows Vista. Why? Because several clients just insisted on buying new machines which came with Vista pre-installed. And so, I have had some time to play with Vista. My thoughts? Well, I am not impressed and I do not feel the need to change anything I have written above. Let me say this though; if anything, Vista is “worse” than I expected. How so? Basically the machines that came with Vista pre-installed were much, much beefer than anything I usually work with. They were the latest and the greatest. But, these systems with their super fast processors and lots of memory were still not enough for Vista. In a word, Vista is s-l-o-w ... much slower than Windows XP. These machines should have been screaming! And I guess they were – for even faster processors and for even more memory. If you are going to get Vista, get at the very least 2 Gigabytes of RAM and make sure that you use Vista on a system that is dual core! I would not recommend even considering upgrading an older machine to Vista. If you do, you will surely experience serious conflicts in the nightmare upgrading process. The best scenario is to buy a beefy new system with Vista pre-installed. If you build a monster system, make sure all the hardware is the latest and greatest. And, the bottom line is, don't “upgrade” at all. Do a fresh install only! If after the install some piece of hardware does not work, replace it with one that will work. If some old software gives Vista problems, dump it and get software that will play well with Vista. (I did do something smart with the clients that just had to have a new computer with Vista: I told them that they were to forget about all of their old hardware peripherals and all of their beloved old programs. They had to buy everything new! And they did, and you had better do the same thing too.)

You need to realize that the computing industry is in the middle of the long and complex process of switching from 32 bit computing to 64 bit computing. Vista is really all about moving us in that direction. Do you remember the move from 16 bit to 32 bit computing, and how aggravating that was, and how long that took? Well, “happy days are here again.” There are and will be numerous “gottchas” along the way as we are forced to make this transition. For instance, you think that you can dump scads of memory into a Vista system and make it happy? Think again! You will find grief if you try. If you really want to use all of that memory, you are going to have to do Vista 64. Oops! Sorry, you are probably going to have to wait on that until they get all the bugs worked out of that one too. But 64 bit computing is the wave of the future.

And then there is the funny thing that happens right out of the box. You guessed it. There are lots and lots of Critical Windows Updates waiting for you. Well, at least I got to see how long Vista takes shutting down and restarting. Did I mention how slow Vista is? And there is that little thing called “User Account Control.” Can you say, “Microsoft, I hate your idea of security?” I must have seen this pop-up about fifty times (no kidding!) during the first couple of hours of setup on each machine. If you do anything, you will see this nuisance every few minutes no matter what you do. If these were my machines, I would have eventually turned this “feature” off!

So, after extensively playing around with Vista, am I going to run out and get Vista for myself? Absolutely not! I am even more convinced about everything I and others have written about this operating system. So far Vista is a dog that needs some serious work to make it a purebred. That might happen with Service Pack One – or, more likely, Service Pack Two. In the meantime, I really, really like Windows XP. So much so, that when I saw the Vista train coming I went out and bought myself one more copy of Windows XP Professional and I bought my wife a really nice, big, beefy computer ... with Windows XP preloaded! It was one of the last times anyone could find any company still doing XP. She could not be happier with her brand new, super fast system with dual processors and gobs of memory. If she is happy, I'm happy. Oh yes, what about my clients who got those shiny new Windows Vista systems? Well, they are happy too, but they just don't know any better, poor souls! Their Vista systems actually replaced Windows 98 antiques. So, anything is better than that ... and none of them ever knew the beauty and glory that is Windows XP. And, I'm not telling them what they are really missing. They can't miss what they never had. But, I am already “missing” Windows XP. Why? Because Microsoft is already letting us know that its days are numbered. I wonder, does Microsoft ever think that her days are numbered? Do you ever think that maybe your days are numbered too?

For a great article on how to make Windows XP last for years to come and make it do what Vista does, but better, go here!

UPDATE NUMBER TWO:

Okay, I have been using Windows Vista more and more since the release of Service Pack One. So, what are my thoughts about Vista now? Well, basically I still don't see the point! Yes, it's pretty. But, you know what I did after playing with all of its gingerbread settings for just a little while? I turned all of that fancy stuff off and just kept a few settings that keep the Clear Type and Smooth Fonts settings intact. I also keep a few of the shadows and and basic tweaks to make the menus look decent. (By the way, I did the same thing with Windows XP.) But Aero's glass effects are a total waste of resources. I would rather have better performance for real programs than worthless special effects that make the operating system cutesy. (And don't get me started about those stupid 3D Cube effects for the Vista and Linux desktops that so many rave about.)

Windows Vista does have a few more tech tools than Windows XP. (As far as I am concerned, you can never have enough tools to play with and tweak the system!) It did take a little while to get used to exactly where everything was, since Microsoft felt they had to move things around. But, if you have some experience with Windows XP, it won't take that long to learn where everything is in Vista.

Oh, have I mentioned that I hate “User Account Control”?!? On any machine of mine, it would be the very first thing turned off. (Then I would turn off most of Aero's features. Then I would change the Start Menu back to the more sensible and usable format of Windows 2000 and XP.)

I am still waiting for a good “thumbs up” from the business and tech community regarding Vista. I have yet to hear of a clean roll-out of Vista in any production environment. Mostly I hear horror stories. My advise still is, if you are going to do Vista, do only Vista and make sure that everything (i.e., all hardware and software) is Vista friendly. Also, I wouldn't think twice about getting a new machine or laptop with Vista Home Premium (with SP1) on it – if that computer was made for Vista and had a dual core minimum, at least 3 Gigs of memory, and a dedicated graphics card. And, if I was going to build a new system, I would probably put Vista on it now. Why? Because everything moves on and Windows XP will eventually be killed off by Microsoft, like all previous operating systems. (By the way, I still don't have Vista on any of my five systems at home. I only have one system with Vista [on a laptop], at work ... and two other non-Vista systems.)

UPDATE NUMBER THREE:

Well, I've gone and done it! I have just built a Vista system. It is an Asus M3M78-VM motherboard with an AMD Phenom X4 Quad – 9550 (2.2 GHz) Core Processor. It has 4 Gigs of DDR2 RAM and an Nvidia GeForce 9800 GT video card with 512 Megs of dedicated DDR3 RAM. The system uses a Seagate 300 Gig hard drive for the primary drive and a 300 Gig Maxtor for additional storage. The Windows Vista Performance rating of this machine is 5.7 out of 5.9. (Everything has a 5.9 [the maximum score] except the hard drives, which have a 5.7) The building and burn-in of this system went flawlessly. I then installed Vista Home Premium with no problems. All updates were done and then I began the serious business of tweaking the system to beat it into submission. (There are a lot of tweak sites for Vista, some of the better ones I have listed on my links page.) After getting the operating system up and running the way I wanted it, I began the laborious task of installing dozens of needed utilities. (All of them free! All of them listed on the links page.) Next I added a few needed business programs (Microsoft Office 2007) and a couple of games – just for the fun of it. Everything has gone quite well with no serious problems whatsoever. And the tweaking goes on. (In fact, it never really stops.)

One of the things I have noticed about Vista is that it is hugely bloated. While I could eventually streamline XP to run beautifully on only 25 processes; Vista requires a monstrous 50 plus processes to get by! (And that is after doing some preliminary whittling!) I won't even get into the overwhelming number of services that are running. Suffice it to say, all this alone is why you need multiple processors and why you need to max out the memory. In spite of all of this, I'm rather happy with Vista SP1. Is it better than XP? Not by much, but I do like some of the features. Among the best is the Networking – it's wonderful! Among the worst “features” of Vista is the “User Account Control” – what a royal pain!!! (I turned it off after a few hours of its constant nagging. This is not at all recommended, but I could not take it any more. Now it is rather peaceful and all is well with my view of the world through Windows Vista. By the way, I eventually used the TweakUAC utility to deal with this problem.) One of the smartest things I did was to research every piece of hardware and software and make sure that everything played well with Vista.

By the way, I would probably not change much on the above article, “Ten Reasons To Not Buy Windows Vista.” Why? Because it is still mostly true. And, I did mention some of the good points along the way. Besides, it's too much trouble to go back and re-write. It's easier to make the change and adjust – it's inevitable, you know. Life goes on. Nothing stays the same, and all that. What is more, I now have a new toy to play with and even better, I get to tweak it! For joy, for joy! Let the games begin ...

Latest Revision: 08-08-09

Randar

A+/Network+/Server+/INet+/Linux+ CompTIA Certified Technician

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