Well,

I have used all of the Windows products from the beginning and can never remember a time when I have been more frustrated with an operating system!

A 'feature' of Vista is the 'User Access Control' which is a security measure introduced with Vista. There are dire warnings about switching it off - allowing viruses to enter the machine etc., but it is an absolute pain.

Every time you want to open a program that Microsoft do not want to recognise - like Firefox and some of their own products like Windows Fax and Scan, a window pops up asking if yuou are sure that you want to continue. In fact there are more pop ups with many things that you try to do.

If you want to connect the Vista computer to a network so that you can access devices and computers there, then there will probably be issues - many of them unresolvable because drivers are unavailable. I have a new Lexmark printer and cannot connect to it over the network from the Vista machine. Lexmark printers are not alone and there are lots of printers that will not connect. Access to the Vista machine will be difficult if not impossible without delving into the tangled depths of the security 'features'.

I also have a USB memory stick that I use with every other computer other than the Vista machine. The Vista machine will not recognise it. I bought it in mid-2007.

I was fortunate to attend a Vista release show and all of the emphasis was on security.. particularly for business not ease of use or reliability. The product is clearly aimed at this sector where the 'boss' may want to fully control his PC's so that even USB drives cannot be used, no software can be added, internet access is limited and severely controlled. Machines can be locked down so tightly they will not allow any flexibility.. like adding a new printer without bringing in a tech guy.

Forget the Aero interface - it is 'cute' but you will tire of using it and eventually forget it.

I also do not like the new 'Start' menu where it can be difficult to find the program you need. Unlike XP the list of program files does not expand across the screen to show them all. Vista has a scrollable window which shows some programs and other folders with programs where further delving is necessary. More work than XP.

Note that I am not plugging Linux... but the disk space overhead and the slow boot up and shut down times should make you look in that direction also if you must change....

Just ignore people who say Vista sucks or not to get it. These are stupid peole who are afraid of change .

If you feel you want to give Windows Vista a chance, do so. Don't rely on what other people say to form an opinion. Afterwards, whether or not you like it, you know that's the case because of *you*, not some obscure fanboy from either side.

To be honest, I wouldn't really advise anybody buying new computers to get XP. That is dumb advice. XP will be legacy soon. Remember Vista will be the one to get new software and features from now on.

And to those who say Visat is XP in a pretty dress: you're stupid.

Warning: High mushroom intake today...

Ya, I was kind of leaning towards getting Vista anyway, since it is the newest one, and they might fix little problems with it later, while if I get XP, I'll feel like I am kind of stuck in the past.


While the things thompa listed are definitely annoying, they're smaller things, and I don't think they'll sway me away from the OS. Right now I feel like I'm just going to try Vista out, hope it's not that bad, and if it is, learn how to partition and how to use Linux

Don't forget the insignificant cost... and it might be worth considering taht SP1 is just around the corner - supposedly..!

Also, look at the different versions - there are some big differences and some things in XP have been removed in the 'lower' versions of Vista.

Just last night I was trying to use Windows Fax and Scan which is only available in the more costly version. When I started it up, there pops up the 'Are you sure?'screen - even though it's an MS product! Quite annoying. There are so many facilities in this program missing... like it will only send .tif files - not .jpg or .pdf as attachments.. and initially I couldn't get it to use a long distance call carrier.. although I tricked it into doing that after a few hours!

XP will be around for a long time if Business reporters are correct in the view that most businesses are putting off migrating to Vista for the time being. Most large businesses see no benefit... I know a few that are replacing Vista with XP SP2 on new machines to make sure that there is no maintenance overhead.

After all one has to look at the benefits. Don't expect a faster start up, shut down, or loading of programs. XP is reliable.. so there is no bonus there either.

I am a tech junkie and love exploring the latest products... but you will need lots of time to work with Vista and if you are looking to be productive... then be prepared for a slow-down!

From what i have heard from jbennet (mate of mine and fellow poster here) Vista is too 'fluffy' and is very system draining. I myself don't use Vista and don't intend to unless it is crucial, in the instance that everyone, everywhere uses it, along with there being a penalty for using XP I am going to try and jump Vista, unless someone can prove that it is worth buying a new computer with it pre-installed.

As with any Microsoft product, you'll find opinions very split on this issue. I like Vista a lot more than XP, and it's because of the little things. For instance, I find Aero quite pleasing in that it smoothes a lot of effects, but doesn't interfere (as some of the Linux alternatives do). UAC hasn't been a problem for me - it only seems to come up when I update software, change system settings, or run Visual Studio (and the latter only when I want to use IIS, which requires admin privileges to debug). The new start menu does take some getting used to, and I sort of prefer the expanding one they had in previous versions, but the search is a nice addition; either way, it's not bad, it's just different.

On the other hand, I would strongly suggest that you have at least 2GB of memory. I two computers running Vista, one has 2GB, the other has 4GB. They both run fine (the 2GB is a little slow under a heavy load), but having less than that would probably be frustrating.

I have it on good authority that SP1 is, in fact, "just around the corner"

I have to agree. I don't see why so many people make such a fuss over UAC (Actually I do: it's an entire generation bred to despise Microsoft and make a big fuss over every little thing they do, not because they are smart and decisive, but because other people tell them to. Some don't even know *why* they hate Microsoft so much). It really only pops up when I'm installing stuff or doing things that modify the system. I like the fact that it doesn't discriminate any program based on it's author. It gives me the peace of mind to know that if something malicous happened to latch itself onto any software in my system, no matter who made it, it could do nothing without me knowing.

As for SP1, I've read that February 15 is when it should be out by. They say Microsoft doesn't want to come out and admit it in case they need to make last minute changes and extend the date. They also said the current builds are very stable so chances are that date may be final. But really, it's just gossip...

If you are buying a new PC with Vista installed, you have a reasonable assurance that it has appropriate drivers for the hardware. Finding XP drivers for new hardware is a hit or miss proposition. (Probably more than half the posts on HP/Compaq laptop forum are for help finding XP drivers.)

Many of the power sucking fluffy things in Vista can be turned off - set the theme to Classic and you may see 10% CPU usage freed up. Same with the Desktop Sidebar gadgets. There are tweaks that disable the frequent UAC pop ups with actually turning off UAC, but you will still have to respond to "Mother May I?" in some cases.

It is more of a memory hog than XP. Figure you need minimum 1GB RAM, and that's not counting what may be used by the video system in shared memory situations. 2GB is probably the sweet spot for average users.

In closing, I find that Vista continues the trend of the computer being more in Redmond's control than the owner's. Big Brother Bill knows what's best for us. Of course he does

In my opinion, Vista is a great OS, with many new features. People say it's slow, buggy, etc. because they don't "feed" it the right way. Vista is a hungry OS, but if you feed it, it will run like a rocket.

Here are the goods of Vista:
1. Revamped and Improved security
2. Aero for premium versions
3. Sidebar, Calendar, and Windows Mail
4. Simpler windows update
5. Better start menu with search
6. Media Center for ultimate and home premium
7. Flip 3-D for premium versions
8. Internet Explorer 7 with phishing filter
9. Better and improved games
10. Much More!!!

Here are the bads of Vista:

1. Compatibility Issues with older software, printers, and applications.

2. New OS= have to learn how to use
3. Requires 2gb ram or higher to run smoothly while multitasking.

4. UAC is annoying and many turn it off.
5. Can run slow if low on disk space or has not enough ram.
6. Vista is known as the "memory hog".


But, if you buy a new pc with 2gb+ ram, a 120gb+ hdd @5400rpm or more, decent video card, and vista home premium or ultimate, you are almost guaranteed a smooth and quick pc. Any 1ghz processor or higher will work great as long as it is dual core or quad core. A broadband connection will enhance your experience even more!
If you are a gamer, certain games may run sluggishly on vista pc's even if they were great on xp. So if you are a gamer, and your games don't work well on vista, try to dual boot vista and xp to get both of them when you need them. Just be aware that microsoft will soon stop supporting windows xp or giving it any updates, and new apps and games may be made for vista only.

If you want a great laptop, buy an hp dv9700t series notebook. It is the best bang for the buck, has a 17" screen and has the option for 4gb ram and a partially shared video card (nvidia 8600m gs with 256mb dedicated and 767mb shared. This video card has the best performance.

Hope that helps!!

P.S. Just remember that the key product for vista performance is ram, and ram is very cheap!!!