Years?! Ha! Right, I so want to upgrade to Ultimate now.

I've learned from the Zune that Microsoft doesn't deliver. They just act smug and say that features are coming, even though they need to be here now. The last Zune update was a shuffle fix. Whoop-de-doo. Now where's the iPod-killing Wi-Fi implementation?

Is it any wonder that Microsft are being killed by Apple and Google?

I have Ultimate on my main box and Basic on my laptop...and despite the lack of "glass" in basic, I see no real difference between the two and don't see any reason to take the notebook up to Ultimate. And I like Vista...just not the need different versions...

I agree whole heartily. I won't deny I've had a certain angst about Vista, I've been a Windows user for 15 years since 95. I don't like the progression of WGA/OGA, DRM and other such invasive, preventative and restrictive technologies.

I did recently buy a Dell because I game and my old p4 doesn't cut it. I even got Vista Ultimate because I need dx10 and I have an xp license to move to it. I was grossly disappointed. The extra features are like you say completely lack lustre, apart from the fact that I needed it to use it in a VM (Premium and less licenses are legally restricted from that), I don't see any appreciable difference. It's a joke. MS has proven now that they are incompetent to the nth degree, they simply have no sense of the consumer market (If you make an "Ultimate" version, make sure its damn well ULTIMATE!!! How about virtual workspaces, oh I'm sorry... free Linux has been doing that for years, my bad for expecting an Ultimate version to have that feature.) and that is why Apple and Google will continue to crush them, they know whats going on.

MS from all I have seen, now coasts on the fact that they have addicted so many people (and developers) to Windows that any new version they make will be pushed out to the market and adopted. I freed myself from that, I now dual boot with Linux on all my machines. I don't see myself buying another Windows license, according to their progression so far it will be only more draconian in its restrictions. I for one, don't liked to be spyed on or told by my OS what I can and cannot do.

Oh and all of you concerned about Google privacy, read this. http://news.softpedia.com/news/Forget-about-the-WGA-20-Windows-Vista-Features-and-Services-Harvest-User-Data-for-Microsoft-58752.shtml
Now you can know that Microsoft will spy on you locally while Google records everything your IP views/searches. Yay for progress.

Joe, consider doing a piece on that link please.

I was originaly skeptical of Ultimate. However, I changed my mind because I wanted the option of using XP on VM and because, with the full Vista backup package, I can kiss Norton Ghost bye-bye. I am now 100% Symantec-free and couldn't be happier.

If anyone still believes in the tooth fairy, or for MS to keep their word, just remember what P. T. Barnum used to say; theres one born every minute.

Joe, here so more on the Xbox 360;
Nearly one in every three Xbox 360 consoles fail, according to retailer reports.
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=7892

Joe, but you are still writing this column with Microsoft Vista .....

Ya (agreeing with chips on 360), I couldn't believe that number when I first saw it chips. I have since changed my mind, after seeing hundreds (probably closer to thousands) of complaints across gaming forums I know and other gamer hangouts. I have also asked close friends about their experience. After all my research, I can only surmise that the problem is systemic. The 360 was designed poorly (hardware wise) and runs too hot (its the 3 PPC chips I gather). It does not have sufficient heat syncs and fans to cool it and thus overheats and fails often. It also seems to scratch disks like crazy, overall MS seems to have dropped the ball in hardware.

I was considering buying one, but that number is ridiculous (I even saw an article with a guy that got 11 defective or partially defective models). It's clear MS didn't care about designing a great product, they wanted to be first and get the devs on board (sounds like their Zune strategy IMO). I wish they'd have put as much effort into the hardware as they did into Live! (which is a great service, I give credit for that, it's vastly superior to Sony's service).

As much as the PS3 doesn't have all the XBox games, I can't drop 600$ on a console to take the chance I'm that 1 in 3 that gets a dud. I'll pay my extra hundred and live with a few less games (I don't play shooters like Halo 3 or Gears anyway).

Someone said: "This time we'll make the Windblows Millenium farce work!" ...except, of course, using XP and Vi$ta. I'm kidding, but whatever - getting Vi$ta is really throwing money away - don't have any to waste (mental note: parad0x vi$ta :)); besides, it's just to try and save face :P

This reminds me of Windows XP Plus! (their exclamation point, not mine). Boy, did I get screwed on that deal - waiting 5 years for "additional, Web-delivered content" that never materialized, and all for the low, low cost of $29.95 (I think) that gave me three media player skins and special screen savers that overwhelmed my system's graphics card.

Boy those were the days - and they're here again by all accounts.

Bleh!

Two words : Ultimate disappointment.

Microsoft is quickly managing itself into oblivion. Will I recommend Vista? Does it matter? No one I know WANTS an opinion about whether to buy - they don't want to touch the freaking thing.

And I do NOTHING to discourage that point of view.

Maybe MS will wise the heck up and clue it, but I doubt it.

Heck, even a few of the MS screensavers would have been better than the card game.

Bitlocker? Seriously? Going the linux way of creating an impossible to use feature so that you can sell something extra to make it usable? Seriously?

And as for language packs... That's a freaking laugh. The one thing NO ONE NEEDS. If you can't get the base product in the language you need, do you need the product at all? Seriously? MSDN subscribers might need it, and have traditionally gotten in as part of that package (and still will) - who else needs it?

MS is gonna end up in court again sooner or later over Ultimate - you just wait. Some Attorney General is gonna get annoyed on behalf of his state and then lawyers will get 5000$ an hour to sue while consumers get a 25$ coupon good for nothing they want to buy.

Microsoft apologizes for "Ultimate Extras" embarrassment. Now if they would only fix Vista and sell it at a reasonable price.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070702-microsoft-apologizes-for-ultimate-extras-embarrassment.html

Windows Vista Ultimate sux big time! it doesnt provide anything ultimate, play videos on the desktop, and online key backup, come on that is nothing, i hate myself more and more for getting ultimate when i could had gotten business a lot cheaper.

Really disappointment from Microsoft for this.

"Ultimate disappointment," yeah. I like Zepol's term. I thought from the way the team members started blogging that this would be a different kind of Microsoft. But it's a bait-and-switch. (Were those folks shot in the head? Where did they go?) It's the same old thing from Microsoft. Turns out we can only trust what we get in the box once we have it in hand. Believe no promises of future improvements from the Borg. Other companies actually walk the walk instead of putting talking heads on websites to spew at us.

Ultimate does give very little extra for the money. The full backup program included is not great, 3rd party programs are much better. This goes for the photo, video, and defender spyware program. There are free or very inexpensive alternatives that are much better. I use Picasa for photos, Studio for video, Acronis True image for backups including image backups, Ashampoo burning studio 6 for DVD burning and Webroot Spyware sweeper for malware. Microsoft's mistakes are going to hurt them dearly.

What's the bet that if they do come up with actual worthy 'extras', they'll sell them as part of a new product edition: Vista Superty Dooper
With so many product editions for what is really just one product, you have to bet that some of them are better value than others.
In keeping with previous posters, I offer this: Ultimate Rip-off

Vista will be a success because MS has a lock on the market, so MS simply no longer needs PC enthusiasts or for that matter the "low end" PC market that Vista has all but gutted. The firm can now twist the screws and sell upmarket for max profit, Apple-style.

What MS is doing with Vista's nominally tiered version structure is in effect, a process of raising the real dollar price of the OS relative to XP, and by virtue of direct upgrading taking that extra profit 100% for itself.

By forcing customers to pay a lot for Ultimate just to get virtualization, and by forcing us to buy Ultimate just to get all of what XP Pro offered in terms of total features in general, a major price increase is effected with virtually all of the profit no longer needing to be shared with OEMs or retail vendors. And where it is shared there is still more money taken in over XP Pro.

By redefining common little pluses, as well as a critical backup app, as Ultimate-only rewards, the firm also lowers its costs in terms of what it fronts as valuable goodies, while also creating extra pressure to get Ultimate.

The bigger thing though is that with Vista developers now confront a Windows Vista user base with broadly varying capabilities that will be expensive to program for, and which makes it impossible for web 2.0 software to be sure it can run reliably on any one Vista PC, thus ensuring the Windows desktop dominion.

I am shocked at how Microsoft continues to make such classic blunders and this one is an 'ultimate' blunder because it touches their core business. They have so many sharp engineers working there; I doubt anyone would disagree. It's obviously the management that sets the direction for the engineers and the end-strategy that is disintegrating Microsoft and leaving huge opportunity for agile and dynamic competitors to take share. I suppose that's the circle of life and ultimately what the industry needs. It's too bad to see Microsoft turning into IBM; that is an irony in itself and Apple for instance seems still as relevant and disruptive. To quote from Pirates of Silicon Valley (Steve Jobs): 'IBM [Microsoft] is a crumbling castle, and we're storming it...' This time, Apple isn't alone but they are leading the consumer charge.

I could say the usual "Linux" stuff but I won't as we have all heard it but please pay attention to the news I heard yesterday about Windows developers have dropped almost 10% in the last year alone. Say what you want but where the developers are is where the industry WILL go!

A class action suit needs to be filed, if someone is working on it already. God knows I would sign it!

MS thinks there crap don't stink, well IBM once had the same mentality.

I am an IT guy and am telling all my customers stick with XP or if Vista is a must then just do premium. And this is only to the ones that I think can or will not learn linux. Linux has come such a long way. My wife was being productive with it in two days!

Just my opinion

I would like to see an app equivalent to beryl. That would be ultimate to me. Until then, spare me.

Best idea: An Ultimate license would permit unlimited personal/family use of any desktop Windows OS, similar to a TechNet Plus subscription that only includes Windows. In a business setting, all licenses must be used by the same person, but in a home setting they can be used by family members (similar to Office Home and Student).

Other ideas: Ultimate licensing should at least permit multiple simultaneous installs/ instances on the same hardware, such as for virtual machines or parallel installs, with the same license.
In addition, a holder of an Ultimate license should be permitted to purchase unlimited Premium licenses at low cost (maybe $20-40, such as was briefly permitted (was limit 2, expired in June), and a number of free Basic licenses (maybe 5), provided they are for personal/family use only.

These are things that should be included, not counting the promised "extras".

The main reason that enthusiasts do and will continue to use ultimate edition has NOTHING to do with ultimate extras. It's a little baby called domain support. See all home based editions of windows vista, and xp home, are unable to join a domain. The only versions of vista that can business and ultimate. Using business would be OK, but it dosn't have media centre and other parts that home premium for instance does have. This is where ultimate edition comes into it's own as it's effectivly home premuim with domain support.