Nicely put. I also think that the tone is sometimes overly sensational/critical, but you just mounted a solid defense.

Windows Vista is flawed? Could you please correct that?

Windows Vista is a new beginning and a transition for many. I think its the best version of Windows to date. For years folks have asked for a secure, modern well integrated with the web operating system from Microsoft. The Company has delivered and you actually sit there and type this abomination. Joe, you are unbelievable.

The richness and integration of the operating system make it so well suited for every user of the PC. The built in applications, the connected experience makes Vista in addition to its strong emphasis on security a strong choice. Managing photos, keeping organized with your calendar and email, making home movies, Windows Meeting Space, managing and engaging in your music.

These are the things Vista make seamless and have built right in. A feature like Sidebar gadgets just make Vista seem so modern and productive, access to information at the finger tips, stock quotes, weather, latest updates from your favorite websites including TMZ. I haven't even mentioned search yet which I believe is powerful feature that highlights the OS's critical management and productivity tools that makes the data users generate less burdensome to access and manage. Vista is a completely rich experience Joe and you know it. But you keep bashing it and I don't know. Speak the truth Joe.

I find your articles useful. Reasonably balanced between say Slashdot and the MS PR engine (which most of the press just blindly (deafly) parrots). I think there has to be an element of critism in good journalism and not just reprinting bits of press releases. Also there has to be something interesting, it can't just be boring and bland.

Andre, are you being sarcastic? Or do you work for Microsoft's PR department? It isn't really clear from your post.

The symptom in the body...

...will always show on the outside eventually.

Microsoft is at a standstill when it comes to Gates' XML vision.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1363
April 25th, 2008
BizTalk Server for Windows Server 2008 not till 2009
Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:27 pm

One Microsoft partner said BizTalk isn?t the only Microsoft application lagging well behind Windows Server 2008.

?System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 just released on April 1 2008, but it was developed and tested ONLY on a W2K3 platform and domain (plus it needs WINS too),? said Scott Hill, CIO of RightSize IT, a Microsoft Gold reseller partner based in Texas. ?It will not be supported on a W2K8 platform or ?native mode? domain until the Service Pack at year end.

?Another application has the same issues ? OCS (Office Communication Server)2007. That team is now stating that they will not have a fix this month as discussed in January, but are delaying until that service pack in December 2008,? Hill said.

Any other users running into other Windows Server 2008 compatibility snags with Microsoft and/or third-party apps?

(more at URL)

Joe, there is a certain well known nationally recognized computer radio show host who admonished listeners to "get over it" and accept Vista. I heard that, my jaw almost dropped.

Here is a host that everyone knows and people come to rely on for advice and the host just sidesteps and brushes off all the numerous Vista issues.

I mean why don't we just "get on with it" and accept spyware, malware , spam, why we are at it. Its there it is a part of life so just "get over it"

Sadly I no longer listen to that show as that person's credibility is out the window. This same person seems to also slam Linux and says stay with Windows.

I don't need to hear someone brush over or sugarcoat something so that they don't offend the anti spy-ware sponsors or the Redmond machine's free offerings. I mean if hosts get free software from the fine sponsors, you sure don't want to be critical on certain issues on the National show. Its known as tailoring the show to meet the sponsors needs, rather than the needs of listeners.

Joe, we come here because we need to hear your insight, experience and generally what you have to say.

I don't come here to bash Vista, ( believe me there are PLENTY of sites that one can go to for that).

The focus is on Microsoft and thats why I read your column. Microsoft changed the way we used computers and our lives good and bad (no matter what tactics they used to get there).

We see this once great company put its foot in its mouth more than once and get fined endlessly. but we buy their products and use them...when they work like they should.

If the product or products don't work as advertised, and have some real issues with them. We as users (who also grew up using the products) have a right criticize them.

We come to expect a huge multi national company with the best minds money can buy to make superior products that we can use in our everyday lives, because our lives are so wrapped up around computers in this day and age.

MSFT put themselves up to be the leading player because they have made some decent products and have changed the world.

When that company stumbles and falls numerous times, we take notice. They (still) own the field and cannot hit a home run and cannot score. When that happens, we take notice...again because our lives are so wrapped up in the digital realm now.

We expect better out of a company like MSFT, but when they stumble and make some really questionable business moves that end up hurting the company...we take notice and are critical.

Surely they can do better and do it for less money while taking care of its main customers. When they don't, we turn to columns like yours so we can understand whats going on. Many of us appreciate you not sugar coating, sweeping things under the rug.

Keep up the good work!

"piqued my interest some much"?

Me fail english? Thats unpossible!

@ Ralph,

Well put.

Joe,
Your articles are one of many sources that help me learn all I can about the state of Microsoft technologies. They are well written and, whether or not I agree with your opinions, I still respect them. I also learn from the many corroborated viewpoints from your readers, so long as they include substance. Unfortunately, I believe many people relish in the hating of Microsoft (bad for the heart!) whilst not celebrating the love for those technologies which they do truly admire.

Its the end of this year that will be interesting.

Project to convert a complete town to linux. On top in November a Linux equal to MS ADS is due freeipa note is a lot of ways it goes past the controls ADS offers.

Now really this is not the time for MS to be beeding market share. Year of the Linux Desktop no. Not quite yet. Year that Linux starts show teeth.

Alterations under way lot have to do with improving linux desktop. Video card mode setting moved to kernel space so a crashing X11 server does not leave you with a no way to get out of screen. KDE on windows nice little shared email clients and the like.

Biggest nail could be samba 4 if its release this year. A blade stuck straight into MS server market.

So far nothing how MS is going to handle this kind of competion. If MS/Novell join deals are any to go by MS is in trouble.

Technology is NOT by definition dull. Only technology that _works_ is dull. Click the switch in your living-room, the lights come on, you don't give it a second thought. But if the lights _don't_ come on, then things start to become interesting: is it just a bulb that's blown? Or could it be a wider neighbourhood power failure? Forgot to pay your electricity bill? Now you have to start figuring out what's going on.

Remember the old Chinese curse: "may you live in interesting times"? That's our job as techies: to live in interesting times.

Joe,

Thanks for clearing this up. For many months I have been convinced that someone else, possibly your 14 year old nephew, wrote the subject lines and teasers. They were biting and provocative and didn't match with school teacher-like prose in the rest of the articles.

I too am a big fan of your analysis of Microsoft's quarterly financial statements.

Joe:

"For me, writing is a creative outlet, and I endeavor to make the reading interesting..."

As a published author in the Sci-Fi adult fantasy realm, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN in your statement.

Writing has, more often than not, a positive outlet from reality for me.

Joe,

I find your articles always worth reading.

I find myself agreeing with you most of the time.

I find the comments to your articles mostly unreadable; there seems to be too much zealots and "fanboys" when the subject turns to Microsoft, no matter what aspect you pick.

While I find some truth in the mentioned criticism in that the quality of your articles varies -- and obviously so does the 'quality' of news and events related to Microsoft --, there are real analytical gems and short news commenting possessing lesser value for readers, the problem may be that you simply write (need to write?) too much; the common dilemma for any professional writer.

But what matters in the end is that you are a good write, be the subject Microsoft or something else.

Growing popularity of the Ubuntu blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=8618
Quote:"The demand for downloads and updates to the newly released Linux distribution was so tremendous, that the repositories are totally overwhelmed — you can’t connect to the US or central Canonical archives if your life depended on it today. According to a close industry source, Ubuntu saturated 20 Gigabits of bandwidth from both its main repositories and download locations over the last 24 hours."

Gee, I wonder if Microsoft has come to their senses and settled with VCSY?

By: POSCASHFLOW
26 Apr 2008, 07:51 PM EDT
Msg. 212386 of 212386
(This msg. is a reply to 212307 by arthurarnsley01.)

Hey Arthur! Could it be that Microsoft understands that it has finally met its match? If Microsoft is being honest in this article link here than these other options that MSFT has now just discovered to give them the confidence to just walk away from Yahoo must have come from somewhere. Perhaps from a liscensing(settlement) agreement from the company that owns this IP! Read here:

http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/25/technology/microsoft_livemesh.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2008042514

open standards - really!
Software giant offers a peak at Live Mesh, its new software-plus-services open platform to link multiple devices seamlessly.
By Michael V. Copeland, senior writer

SAN FRANCISCO (Fortune) -- One thing Microsoft isn't good at creating is buzz - that's Apple expertise. But if there's anything that set the crowd talking this week at Web 2.0 Expo, one of the year's largest gatherings, it was the software giant's upcoming Live Mesh service.

Live Mesh promises to let consumers connect and interact with all of their devices on the Internet. So a desktop at home, a PC at work, a laptop, a music/video player, a mobile phone - anything in thoery that can connect to the Internet - gets linked and is available via the "mesh" to anything else. Another virtual device, what Microsoft calls a "Live desktop," resides on the Web and can be used to access all your other connected devices.

"In many respects this marks a sea-change for Microsoft," said Joshua Holbrook, Yankee Group's director of enterprise research, after Microsoft announced Live Mesh on Wednesday. "They are taking a huge step toward opening up" their software so that it permeates the Internet the way it dominates desktop computers.

Open? Microsoft? Let's be frank here: The two haven't exactly gone hand in hand - just ask any number of high courts around the globe. But as computing continues to shift more toward the Web and away from the desktop even Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) doesn't have a choice. Live Mesh may be Microsoft's admission that the future of computing is open, and that even if it had to be dragged kicking and screaming to that conclusion, it has come to it.

The "mesh" is Microsoft's own take on a new concept known as "cloud computing," or the delivery of computing services over the Internet instead of the desktop. Microsoft is looking to offer a combination of storage plus software and services that it hosts in its own datacenters. The twist with Live Mesh is that it also makes a connection to all your desktop applications, all your local devices, and allows the option to work offline or in the "cloud."

That combination is powerful, and there isn't a company better suited to build a service that connects everything together than Microsoft, with its expertise in operating systems both for mobile and desktops, server software and the Internet. "We think we have a natural advantage here," says George Moromisato, a software designer and part of the team that joined Microsoft with Ray Ozzie, after it acquired Groove Networks, a developer of "virtual office" collaboration software, in 2005. "Bringing it all together is going to require a platform, and we're a platform company."

At the Web 2.0 conference on Thursday, Moromisato and a few colleagues demonstrated simple consumer applications that showed how you can invite a person or list of people to view a folder of documents or a slide show. You might drag some photos into your "mesh" on the Web, invite some friends to view them, and then start a live chat or gather comments for digesting later. You can also invite friends to add their own photos, edit them, or tag them. The same dynamic interaction applies to documents.

For now, Live Mesh is limited to an already oversubscribed 10,000 users. An open public beta is expected by the fall, and a Mac version is coming even sooner. The business model is uncertain, though users will get 5GB of storage for free. Beyond that, whether there is a fee for greater storage capacity or an ad-supported version, remains to be seen.

The applications on stage at Web 2.0 were some that Microsoft ginned up to demonstrate what Live Mesh could do. And while it is being positioned for the moment as a consumer service, in a work world of increasing globalization and home offices there are bound to be plenty of business applications. For example, you can imagine using it to collaborate on a project with a colleague, or work throught details with a customer halfway around the world. It might be as simple as accessing photos and videos that are stuck on the work PC from home so you can prepare for a presentation on Monday.

The success of Live Mesh ultimately depends on outside developers getting excited enough to create other applications that can take advantage of the platform which, in turn, will get users excited. And that is where its openness comes in. If developers are going to take up this challenge, Microsoft needs to deliver on that promise. Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) MacBooks and iPhones need to be able to connect to the Mesh as easily as Windows machines.

Moromisato and his team swear that their design does that. If it isn't open and easy to connect to, it isn't useful, Moromisato says. "One of the lessons we learned when working on collaboration at Groove, is that if you try to force people to use all the same technology, they won't have it, and then nobody uses it," he says. "We won't exclude anyone."

Easy to say, but some people aren't buying it yet. "It looks like it could be very interesting, as long as it truly is open," says Peter Daman, the chief information officer for a large government contractor. "But it's Microsoft, so you never know."

Andre Da Costa :

Windows Vista is flawed? Could you please correct that?

Why? It's true..

Good God I-Man. Stop spaming here. Get a life you dumb a** piece of sh*t. We all hate you.

@Andre Da Costa:

Andre, we all know that you're in love with Vista. You seem to believe that the rest of the world is, as well. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Joe is hardly the only one critical of Vista. The only reason you get on his case is because he has the ear of the public.

The fact is, from an historical perspective, Vista is one of the most spectacular product failures in Microsoft's history. It's the New Coke of the desktop OS market.

Failure is not measured by how much money Microsoft makes from Vista, because it is a foregone conclusion that Microsoft will make money. Failure is determined by whether Vista lives up to the public's expectations, as well as those of Microsoft's management.

It doesn't take a genius to realize that Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer are supremely disappointed at Vista's public acceptance. It does, however, take an ostrich like yourself to deny it. ("Denial is not a river in Egypt.")

Vista is deeply flawed. This subject has been amply covered in other articles and postings. No one will try to rehash all of it here. However, for your benefit, I'll just repeat a couple of points:

1) Vista is profoundly bloated compared to XP. It is definitely slower and more resource-hungry.

2) UAC is one of the most despised features of Vista. I'll make an easy prediction -- MS will remove or rework this feature in Windows 7.

3) Even after SP1, Vista still has too many driver and app compatibility issues.

I have personally experienced frustration with Vista. I would rather go back to XP, but it's too late.

One last point: my friend, who isn't computer savvy at all, just ordered a Dell Vostro 1400 laptop with WinXP for his son, who is going to university in the fall. He went out of his way to avoid Vista, and for good reasons!

C'mon, guys, Andre Da Costa only gets paid if he can convince i/d/i/o/t/s/ s/u/c/k/e/r/s/ consumers that Vista is a working OS.

Just click the link on his name.

(I do, of course, believe it should be corected. How about "Windows Vista is the worst O/S ever released by MSFT--including Me and W98 before the SE--and, were it not for monopoly powers, it would do for MSFT what O/S2 did for IBM"?)

Andre Da Costa must have just finished [ http://tinyurl.com/35c5f8 ] before he posted.

He loves relaxing, go figure...

Have a nice day Andre ;)

Ken Houghton Says :
"C'mon, guys, Andre Da Costa only gets paid if he can convince i/d/i/o/t/s/ s/u/c/k/e/r/s/ consumers that Vista is a working OS."

@Ken Houghton :
If '1 US Dollar = 74.75000 Jamaican Dollar', then go figure...

That is why he work so hard... A few Vista sales in JA. he will be worth as much as Gate$.

Have a nice day Ken ;)

@Andre :
"HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY HAILE SELASSIE THE FIRST"

@Andre :
Eye & eye done-know u aw likkle ute from yard.

BigUp to my brethren Andre
Check u in aw da morrows

One Love ;)

Andre Da Costa is an intelligent and accomplished tech enthusiast. He is, however, a bit too pro-Microsoft to be truly objective.

Bob Maine has most probably had just as good an experience with Vista as Andre. I installed Vista RTM on my self-build box practically the day it was available. It installed quickly and most drivers were there. The couple that weren't, worked totally fine with the XP drivers I had. Then my peripherals: scanner, 3 HP printers, 3 digital cameras, external drives, networking... not one single issue.

Here is my problem and no one, no one, no one, not even Joe Wilcox can give me a decent answer. XP installs absolutely fine, all my devices work with it, including all my peripherals and it it is FAST. I mean noticeably, substantially faster than Vista. And XP takes a much smaller chunk out of my hard drive. And I still cannot find anything compelling that Vista has or can do that XP cannot. And no one else has told me of anything.

Andre and others have talked about the GUI, Windows Media Player, Windows Photo gallery, Windows Mail, the Sidebar, Windows Search, the security. OK, the GUI is just eye candy, it does not allow Vista to run programs that XP cannot. Windows Media Player, Photo gallery and Windows Mail can all be installed on XP. The Sidebar and search can be bested by Google's version, but most people don't want that thing taking up desktop real estate anyway.

I know that Windows XP was a mess in the beginning, but since SP2, it has matured into a much more stable and safe OS. Just keep XP updated, keep good anti-malware updated, use an up-to-date internet browser and practice safe computing habits. If you don't, Vista's not going to save you.

The problem with Vista is that it just doesn't do much of anything more than XP, and the trade-off is a slower system, added cost, and for some... nightmare incompatibilities.

What do I like most about Vista? Personally, I think it is pretty. But even that can be mimicked in XP with 3rd party programs.

So here we are, almost 7 years after XP's release, and we do not have a Windows that can do more.

@Bob Maine

You are correct, but couldn't the same be said about Windows XP versus Windows 2000? The OS pretty much peaked there. Windows XP was more of an "update" to Windows 2000. They added a few components and gave it the "Fisher Price" GUI. Microsoft purposely named Windows NT 5 as Windows 2000 to segue into it becoming a business and home OS once NT 5.1 came out as XP.

Up until very recently, I noticed that virtually any software, including games, would run on Windows 2000 SP4. The reason some software will not is either due to said software checking the Windows version before installing, or because Microsoft is no longer updating Windows 2000 (except for security and bug fixes).

I run Windows 2000 on an older laptop, and I am telling you I can run/install anything I have on my Vista or XP PC's, except for MS own products! Like IE7, Windows Defender, Windows Media Player 10 or 11, Windows Live programs. But I can run anything from Google. Also, I have installed an GUI that really updates the look of Win2000. It has Vista icons and the aero interface. It looks really good and modern. And it will still run circles around XP or Vista in speed tests!

@Bob Maine:

Bob, I couldn't have said it better!

There's nothing "innovative" about Vista. It's basically just a repackaging of various features and apps that could easily be cobbled onto XP. It's more of a convenience thing for the end-user. Think of it as the same kind of packaging as Service Packs.

I concede that Vista does have some interesting reworking of the underlying plumbing for improving security. But overall, from the consumer perspective, Vista is hardly an improvement on XP.

Why in God's name do I want Vista to SLOW DOWN my beautiful Intel Quad-Core hardware?!! (I recently purchased a Dell Dimension 9200 powerhouse.)

Vista is a mess right now, just as XP was a mess at its beginning. After a couple more Service Packs, Vista may become much better (and after hardware evolves to run Vista much faster).

But I don't think there will be a couple more Service Packs. Windows 7 (aka SP2) is coming...

@Tom Berber:

The only problem with Windows 2000 is that it may not be supported on recent hardware. You might have to jump through hoops to find the proper drivers.

@Richard Eng
If it is service packs that are going to make Vista better (making it faster than XP? become able to do substantial things that XP cannot?), I am sure those things could be added to XP also. But they won't. However, you have a good point that by the time Vista would be ready for SP2, it may be moot as Windows 7 may be out, or close to out.

@Tom Berber
You're right to an extent about Windows 2000, but Microsoft has pretty much abandoned it other than the security & bug fixes as you mentioned. I am sure Microsoft could have continued enhancing Windows 2000, but then you pretty much would have XP without the GUI theme. So at this point in time, I would say that Windows XP is the best OS you can use from Microsoft.

Microsoft will abandon XP enhancements very soon. I am sure SP3 is about it. It will be like Windows 2000 with only security and bug fixes, as mainstream support is scheduled to end in April 2009. The problem is that Microsoft really didn't give us much more we can do with our PC's because of Vista. Vista isn't bad, but it doesn't have to be bad to be a failure. It is a failure because there is nothing compelling in it.

Dear Mister Ballmer,

How is it Microsoft spent so many billions over the past years and ended up with something as substantially "nothing"?

Was that your fault? Or do you blame your engineering staff? Do you blame the architects within that engineering staff? Or do you blame the project managers?

Who do you blame? The world will want to know shortly.

@portuno:
"How is it Microsoft spent so many billions over the past years and ended up with something as substantially "nothing"?

Was that your fault? Or do you blame your engineering staff? Do you blame the architects within that engineering staff? Or do you blame the project managers?

Who do you blame? The world will want to know shortly.".............

And now for my reply. First let me state your concern about out new Flagship OS, MS Vista, the soon to be obsolete OS that will be replaced by the new greatest and latest, Windows Seven.

However, Bill and I (MS), did not end up with nothing, although Bill's recent fall as the world's richest man has us both greatly concerned, as well as yourself, I imagine. We made a lot of money off Vista, Office 2007, and Windows ME, for that matter. And we will make even more money when all those folks wake up and discover that Vista ME2, needs to be replaced quickly with Windows Seven or XP. It like we sold em two OS'es, and double dipped in the cookie jar.

Blame? Its the pirates of course, or those Open Source Linux thieves, and even the Macheads to some degree. They all want Vista, expecially the Chinese, although why they only want Vista business or ultimate, so they can use the downgrade rights to XP, has stumped us.

As far as why Vista was release and what features Vista contains that XP does not, its simple, DRM. With DRM, MSFT will control the media on your computers, and you will pay again, and again, down the road, to play that same media. over and over again. With DRM its a brave new world folks.

Billy G. is like my Big Brother, in more ways than one. So stop picking on him. These questions were hard, and thats why we pay shills like Andre, so we never have to answer these questions, ever again.

Bob, your question: What does Vista do that Windows XP cannot?
I believe the real question you are asking is: What will Vista do FOR YOU that Windows XP cannot?
It sounds like the only thing you care about in an OS is speed. Is that it? Then the answer will forever be "nothing". As far as speed goes, Windows XP will always beat Vista and Windows 7, etc.
Everyone has different needs for the Windows operating system. Are you a gamer? Yes, Windows XP will give you higher performance for gaming. Want even faster performance? Install Windows 2000 or drop the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) completely and install Win98SE. Heck, I at home, installed the older OS's on old machines for classic gaming compatibility. The latest games being developed today, however, are being developed for Vista.
People are having driver issues. I blame Microsoft for not spreading the message to hardware manufacturers that most v1 drivers will not be support or compatible with the new v2 driver platform in Vista. I also blame the hardware manufacturers for not developing drivers using the new 2.0 driver layer, which was available to them for two years before Vista was released. For example, drivers were not available for my Canon 4 MP camera until a year after Vista was released. It's not Microsoft's responsibility to create drivers for third party hardware. Microsoft should have also added v1 support to Vista as an interim solution. As a developer, I downloaded the Canon driver Software Development Kit (SDK) from Canon's site and recompiled them using the new v2 driver header files from Microsoft. Canon could/should have done this much earlier.
Your complaint about Vista being "bloat ware" is quite valid. I remember being shocked when I started working with Windows 2000. The operating system required one GB of my hard drive. "Wow - an entire GB of drive space lost! Why?" After installing Vista, I realized that it took 10 GB of my hard drive. Again, I stated, "Wow! Ten GB? Does this thing control satellites?" Do you think Windows 7 will take less hard drive space? Do you think Windows 7 will be so much "better" than Vista, with other new features that you obviously don't care about?
I have complaints about Vista, too. However, it's not performance or drivers. It's my having to evolve, to relearn how to perform simple tasks in the OS. I grumble about Microsoft renaming "Add/Remove Programs" to "Programs" in the Control Panel. I whine while trying to navigate using the new Windows Explorer. I bitch like crazy working with the new IIS 7. But this 40 year old computer programmer must evolve or get left behind.
I drive a 2001 Ford F-150 pickup that has 167,000 miles. It came with an AM/FM/CD radio. I bought a new Dodge Charger that comes with Satellite radio, an MP3 player plug-in, 4-wheel disc brake, computer controlled suspension, a tire pressure mgmt (TPM) system and an improved anti-theft device for higher security.
I'll ask the exact same questions you asked. What does this new car do FOR ME that the old Ford didn't do for me? The new car doesn't really do anything special FOR ME (I don't own an iPod and I'm quick with a tire gauge) that the old truck didn't support. I still get to work on time in one piece. Should I also consider the TPM and satellite system as "bloat ware" that slows down the car and causes it to cost more? It does.
Everything evolves. Products evolve. Cars evolve. Operating systems evolve. As product purchasers, computer users, and automobile owners, we also need to evolve (or get left behind). It's your career, but I wouldn't go stating during an IT job interview that people should never evolve but rather stay at an (eventually) unsupported, older version of an operating system. Evolve for your career.

I wouldn't mind the so-called bloat if I found enough worthy of it in Vista. With Windows 2000, there was so much better about it compared to Windows 9x that we could see the benefit. It was worth going from an OS that installs at ~200MB to Win 2000 taking up 1GB or more. Just about anyone could make a short list. Stable NT kernel, FS protection and recovery, better security, user controls. And it didn't even have a different GUI from Windows 9x. The upgrade (fresh install) to Windows 2000 from 98SE wasn't easy, but once done and up and running, I knew I had a better system, and it was evidential.

The vehicle comparison is not correct. A better comparison would be my 2004 Honda Accord compared to my brother's 2007 Lincoln MKZ. My Accord is reliable, stable and secure. It weighs 700lbs less at roughly the same size. It has loads of options. It is 4 years old with 68,0000 miles and has only been to the dealer for oil changes, brakes and tires. Now my brother's 2007 Lincoln MKZ has been towed to the dealer 4 times in less than a year and a half. His security system locked him out of his own car. The computer in the car thought he was trying to steal it and shut the car down. Look under the hood of these cars side by side and see how complicated the engine in the MKZ looks in comparison.

Sure, time marches on. Technology increases. My 2004 Honda Accord is better than my '99 Honda Accord. The difference is that the technology makes sense and it is put together properly and provides better performance and capabilities, not just fancy looks and extra needless accessories.

The problem with Vista isn't the "4-wheel disc brakes, the tire pressure management, the computer controlled suspension and anti-theft devices". Heck, tell me what the analogy to these things are in Vista. The problem is Vista is all about the mp3 player, the moon roof, the satellite radio, the clear coat paint job. It is all about the fluff, and you can get fluff if you want it in XP. Just download it.

A year and a half after XP RTM'd, there were many things it could do that 9x could not. There were already many programs requiring Windows 2000/XP. I am not saying XP was/is perfect, that is definitely not the case. I just don't see Vista as a true advancement. A year and a half after Vista's RTM, still nothing out there that requires Vista only. It will happen, I know that, but that will be because of the end of mainstream support for XP. But you still cannot tell me: WHAT DOES VISTA DO THAT XP DOES NOT? Something of significance. Businesses will find no compelling reason to switch to Vista, other than an end of support for XP. Consumers will not bother with a Vista upgrade at all. Why would they? They will get Vista. But it will be by force on new computers.

A friend of mine received a brand new laptop for Christmas from his wife, with Vista. At lunch Friday, he just came out and said to me, "I just love Vista." I asked why he loved it. He said, "It just runs so smooth, it looks gorgeous. I find everything so easy with the search bar." I just told him, "Great. I love how it looks too and I have had no problems with it." Didn't want to burst his bubble. I didn't lie. I do love how it looks. It doesn't give me any problems. It's actually very good. I just have not found anything it actually does better, it just looks prettier doing it.

Davin Says:
"Everything evolves. Products evolve. Cars evolve. Operating systems evolve. As product purchasers, computer users, and automobile owners, we also need to evolve (or get left behind). It's your career, but I wouldn't go stating during an IT job interview that people should never evolve but rather stay at an (eventually) unsupported, older version of an operating system. Evolve for your career."

Here he is clearly speaking of Vista. But like Windows ME, Vista will quickly be replaced with Windows Seven. Vista, is going to the dustbin of Operating System history, just like Windows ME.

One could argue that Windows Seven is Just Vista SP2, the minor release, and that is probably true, but we won't know for sure until the first prototype comes out. And even if it is, Vista will be replaces as well. Vista, as Vista, and not Seven, will not make much of a dent on the market share, and will leave XP with an overwhelming share of the desktop market.

Davin, I'm sure your new Charger brought the steering wheel on the left side. With every week that passes by I'm convinced that was the only thing Microsoft missed changing in Vista.

I see Vista as the pinnacle of OS evolution, gone bad. A bit like an OS Carmina Burana opera. Ending were it starts, 20 years of OS evolution has taken me from a text based OS back to a text based OS.

It seems I now need to read more than before. The icons are not very descriptive and burdened with extra text. Imagine if the cruise controls in your brand new Charger said (in small print) "Click here to set the cruise speed of your vehicle to the current cruise speed you have now."

My impression of Vista is:
- Unnecessary rearrangement of tools, particularly control panel. I'd like to note that file dialogs like those in the ODBC configuration retain a certain Win98 look and feel which is scary. I get the feeling I need to read more and fiddle with more stuff to do the same thing. I'm sure your satellite radio works pretty much like your old AMFM one. The knobs on it are still intuitive as to what they do. That is not the case with Vista.

- Unnecessary error messages. For example I close Firefox and I get a message saying Firefox stopped working. Well no duh!

- Over convoluted and cluttered file browser. I have the same navigation functionality on the top bar as on the left. Too much information on screen while the most basic features are still blotted out from the user. Like simple file extension name changes. Using "." in the name. Using "." before the name to signal a hidden file. Etc etc.

- Problems installing tools and apps. For example I'm sure you can install other satellite radios or radios and audio equipments on your Charger no matter if it is SE, SE+, SXT, R/T and SRT8. Vista seems to have this idea that you can't. Even when they're Microsoft tools. Another problem is that some tools are disabled by default. Making some install shields fail. With a very descriptive message that says "Failed to install application".

- If your Charger were built by Microsoft you could surely turn the engine on without having the break on and pull the key out without being in parking. Because this MicroCharger was built that way is was better to call it a feature and then have your MicroCharger ask you about three times if you really, really, absolutely really want to turn it on.

As an end note. Whenever somebody comments on the driver issue I laugh. I laugh because hardware compatibility is an OS issue when talking about Linux and a manufacturer issue when talking about Windows. I also don't believe the line about speed. I have to agree with Bob. Things should be faster. Even if Windows does more things today than it did a few years back it has to do EXPONENTIALLY more things to justify being just as fast. It has to add more features at a pace GREATER THAN EXPONENTIAL to justify being slower.

I'm sorry I don't see Windows providing an exponential growth in features or functions. And like I said with MicroCharger, added loops to patch an initially flawed security is not a feature.

Maybe that should read "infinitely flawed security"? :)

RE: Gerardo Tasistro Post

Thank you. I have to believe that Microsoft rearranged placement of tools and moved back buttons (but not forward buttons) and renamed things just to make Vista appear more different. Like that means you are getting something for your money.

Microsoft - Please leave the basic GUI alone. If you want to add tools, change icons, make pretty glass windows; fine, that I can live with. It is the unnecessary movement of applets and tools that is annoying.

Guys,
Thank you for your feedback. My analogy wasn't great but it spurred interest.

Remember, home users migrated from Win98SE/WinME (not Win2k) to WinXP and, yes, it was pretty painful. Office users migrated from Win2k to Windows XP.

As part of my career, I must learn Vista/Win2008/Office 2007. I'll complain like a teenager about the time-consuming UI changes and performance loss, but so be it.

Since so many new machines are being sold with Vista, I (as my family/friends' computer expert) will have to support it. I have to work with it. I will learn to love it. I have to if I'm going to make those car payments.

@Davin; (quote)

"Since so many new machines are being sold with Vista, I (as my family/friends' computer expert) will have to support it. I have to work with it. I will learn to love it. I have to if I'm going to make those car payments."
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My most requested service for a new Vista machine is to replace it with XP. Followed by can you install a free antivirus that actually works with Vista, etc, and more free software that actually will work with Vista.

As I have stated before, it is my opinion that Vista is fast going to the dustbin of OS history. Windows Seven, XP, Linux, or buying a MAC, will wipe out most Vista computers in short order. Vista, despite the so called 140 million licenses sold (includes the ones that used downgrade rights to XP and other just wiped) is not making the dent in the desktop market share that is was supposed to. Vista is a failure, not from being a moneymaker, but as a piece of useful software.

I only see a need to provide limited service for Vista systems.

@chips

I total get what you are saying. There are only 2 people in my circle of family/friends/co-workers with Vista, and both were by purchase of a new laptop. My one buddy received his new laptop at Christmas from his wife. He loves it, but he is quite tech savy. The other is my sister and brother-in-law. They bought a new Dell XPS laptop with Vista pre-installed back in November 2007. A couple weeks ago, my sister called and said that when I have the time, they need me to take a look at the laptop as they are having all sorts of problems. So far I have only taken a quick glance at it, and I can see I am going to need to take it home and will probably spend countless hours getting it "fixed". Some problems I immediately noticed were: networking not working, printer not printing, aero interface not working, anti-virus not updating, system hangs and freeze-ups, and God knows what else. I helped them set this thing up back in November. Got Defender all set for updating and scanning, AVG anti-virus set-up for updating and scanning, windows firewall set-up, router firewall set-up. It worked fine for a couple months. If they have a virus or trojan, then so much for how secure Vista is. I never had to deal with their old XP laptops having so many severe problems.

As for the rest of my family/friend/co-workers, none have any interest in Vista and a few are hurrying to purchase new PC's with XP. I am an average guy with an average life, so I have to think not many people are interested in moving to Vista. In fact most are trying to avoid it completely.

You know. I would like to know the number of regular consumers who are actually making the move from XP to Vista. That would mean buying an upgrade DVD to put Vista on their current PC. Those numbers have GOT to be VERY low. I would venture to bet that there is a higher (much higher?) percentage of regular consumers moving their new PC's from Vista to XP than those upgrading their XP machines to Vista.