Windows Vista: speechless or listless?
Posted 2 August 2007 at 8:33AM by Simon Dickson in IT systems and support
I've been living a double life for the past couple of months. My trusty desktop machine is still running Windows XP; but I bought a new laptop with the new Windows Vista pre-installed. On a daily basis, I switch numerous times from one operating system to the other, depending on where I am and what I'm doing. Microsoft's marketing campaign for Vista promised that it would leave me 'speechless'. With five years' extra development time, you'd be entitled to expect the newer model to be a dramatic improvement. It should feel like a step backwards when I return to XP, shouldn't it?
I'm afraid the truth is, it doesn't. In day-to-day business use, Vista doesn't feel markedly different to its predecessor - and if anything, it annoys me more often than it impresses me. Constant 'are you sure?' prompts are intended to give extra security, preventing anything too serious happening without your explicit consent - but all too often, they just get in the way. The 'glass' visual effect around the edges of your windows was cool initially, but I'm starting to find it rather distracting.
And then there's the compatibility problems which nobody warns you about. Not all Windows programs are compatible with Vista; and even worse, not all Vista-compatible programs are compatible with all flavours of Vista. For example, my new laptop has an AMD 64-bit processor - promising 'longer battery life, enhanced security, and compatibility with the latest wireless and graphics technologies, today and tomorrow'. Great... until you discover that a lot of Vista software has only been written for 32-bit processing. Updates are generally forthcoming, but that doesn't ease the frustration of installing something which stubbornly refuses to work, for no obvious reason.
To complicate the picture even further, Microsoft is already talking about Vista's successor, known internally as 'Windows 7'. Comments at a Florida sales conference a week or two back seemed to point to a 2010 release date - which doesn't sound too far away. (Although it wouldn't be the first time a Windows release got delayed...)
Thankfully, the operating system doesn't matter half as much as it used to: more and more activity is moving from the desktop to the web. You're probably already familiar with email and photo or video storage within the web browser; companies like Google and Zoho already have well-established web-based word processor and spreadsheet programs, which are closing the gap with their desktop counterparts. Pretty soon, you won't even need a live web connection: Google and Firefox are both working on offline functionality within the web browser for future releases.
If you asked me 'should I get a Windows Vista PC?', I wouldn't talk you out of it - but I'd certainly advise you to revise down your expectations. It has its plus points, particularly in its handling of multimedia content. But in ordinary day-to-day usage, it leaves me listless rather than speechless. Instead, feast your eyes on the visual effects promised for the next version of the free Ubuntu Linux-based operating system, due in October. Now that does deserve a 'wow'.
Tags: amd, google, microsoft windows, ubuntu, windows vista, windows xp, zoho
New feature: Rate this post!
Average rating: 2.8/5
Comments
2. At August 2, 2007 5:09 PM, James Hayden wrote:
I recently upgraded to vista and all went well for a good few months. It was extremely fast and a huge improvement on my 5 year old PC!
One of the things I like most is the search facility, which finds any files or folders instantly.
The only downside is support for the 64 Bit editions is the lack of support for software as stated especially security software that says "Vista Compatible" and yet when you try installing you are prompted that it is "only compatible with 32 bit editions"!!!
However I managed to run a Windows 98 game on Vista, something that XP refused to do!
And now when I try and play videos I get the dreaded "blue screen of death", which I did not once get on my XP machine.
Anyway I am considering going back to XP as it is getting so annoying with all the security pop ups.
This brings me onto my next question - When will BT be releasing Internet Security that is compatible with Vista 64 Bit?
3. At August 3, 2007 1:20 PM, Chris Hainey wrote:
I don't think I'll be going anywhere near Vista until they get the flaws from the initial release sorted out... In fact maybe when they get a Service Pack 3 or 4 out I'll consider Vista... XP worked (eventually) so why change it just to have new "Glass" style 3D windows when you can download patches for XP which do this anyway and use 1/4 of the RAM?
4. At August 3, 2007 1:23 PM, Mark Thorpe wrote:
I have to disagree with the constant vista bashing that goes on at work and on the internet.
I installed vista on a vaio laptop. Not the best spec (mobile centrino, 512mb DDR ram though about to be upgraded to 1gb, onboard graphics etc) and although slow due to not having my new ram delivered yet, it runs very smoothly. The monitor of choice on my vista sidebar shows no more than maybe 50% cpu usage when using various graphics progs, and it generally only uses about 300mb of DDR ram when not in use, leaving the rest for work etc. The vaguelly pathetic vaio onboard graphics doesn't allow for the Aero features unfortunately, but doesn't cause any adverse effects on the useability and functionality of what I have to say is a very practical OS.
Thumbs up from me!
5. At August 3, 2007 2:42 PM, Vicki Kelly wrote:
In my line of work I come across Customers who use Vista on a regular basis. And find Vista very user friendly, although most functions and utilities have been renamed and moved around the search bar makes it very easy to find everything especially for those who are not very technically minded. It certainly makes my job easier and the customers I interact with are always very happy with there new OS. :)
6. At August 3, 2007 6:38 PM, Alasdair McTavish wrote:
Windows Vista promised too much and delivered very little over Windows XP. Where was the highly anticipated new filing system Microsoft had been touting? The sales of the OS so far have shown that people are happy enough with Windows XP and don't require any "MAC OS" simplicity.
I have been playing about with it for a while and still can't get completely used to it. I have Windows Vista Home Premium on my laptop which is essentially just used for surfing the web which it does easy enough (although why do all my windows look so ugly when I maximise them?). My desktop machine is a different story as there are still problems with backwards compatibility and drivers for certain devices. I experience minor annoyances with major applications like Adobe Photoshop CS2 and Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 which run perfectly fine in Win XP.
Never before has the previously simple act of creating a folder on the desktop been so arduous! I realise it is simple enough to disable but come on... I'm only creating a new folder!
"This brings me onto my next question - When will BT be releasing Internet Security that is compatible with Vista 64 Bit?" - LOL!
7. At August 6, 2007 7:13 AM, Mark Thorpe wrote:
Alisdair, what you have to bear in mind is that Vista is a relatively new OS and that kinks are yet to be ironed out. The service packs, once released will iron out all of these issues and no doubt integrate new features at the same time. So don't give up just yet....
8. At August 6, 2007 12:38 PM, Alasdair McTavish wrote:
I realise it has potential hence why I purchased it for my laptop instead of Win XP because eventually it shall become the standard.
The problem I have is with Microsoft releasing these half tested products meaning early adopters are more like beta testers. Instead of getting an OS which does exactly what you expect of it you have to wait a couple of weeks (or even months!) to run the most basic applications. For some reason I still can't get MSN messenger to work properly and I have to make do with Trillian despite it working perfectly in a beta release. The mind boggles!
This article suggests a new operating system coming out in 2010 so am I going to have to get a complete new computer with a DirectX 11 enabled graphics card? Or is it going to be like Win XP over Win 2000 which was essentially just a GUI overhaul? Hopefully the latter!
9. At August 6, 2007 12:56 PM, Anjanesh wrote:
Interesting bit of discussion this ;I would think that Microsoft should let Vista sink itself in with users rather than ram it down their throats - come jan 08 , no Dell machines would come preinstalled with XP .Dell was forced to reintroduced XP installed machines after a public outcry ( which points to something - doesn't it?) Vista is currently I believe all eye candy and little practicality.Having used it on a dual boot laptop - it did not last more than a month due to compatibility issues and simply non intuitive user interface. All said and done , vista might lead the way in parallelism supported by OS ( not seen in XP) which could see a more effecient use of multi core processors which is definitely the road ahead. But lets not chuck out good ol Xp yet folks. As for Ubuntu , it is indeed the best user friendly linux distro around.Individual views may vary but for a OS that combines the best of both worlds - looks and functions ,built by collaborative efforts of developers across the world and free of charge ; there is no equal.
10. At August 6, 2007 2:19 PM, Wendy Clark wrote:
We are a small business compared to most, we operate on Windows 2000 Pro with our main system and XP on two laptops, the new laptop purchased a few months ago was pre-loaded with Vista. It actually takes twice as long to get anything done on the new laptop. Vista is meant to be 'logical'. I find it more illogical than Spock's opinion of McCoy on a bad day at the Enterprise.
It was too much of leap up the Microsoft mountain for any of us to find it bettering anything we currently use. Where our business is built on strict and prompt levels of customer service, we need operating systems that work with us, not something that continually has to ask us if we want to 'do something'.
11. At August 7, 2007 7:19 AM, Patrick Coach wrote:
I used Windows Vista once...it was pretty...it had lots of new things like this card game called "solitaire" where you have to arrange the cards into an order based on suit and value and you get timed when playing it so the faster you do it, the better. Absolutely brilliant! What will Bill Gates think of next? Coloured Monitors? Who knows!
12. At August 7, 2007 1:47 PM, Wayne Doul wrote:
It would of course help if certain outlets would stop touting 64bit processors as a great investment whilst packaging them with preinstalled 32bit OS's.
I'd agree that 'more and more stuff' is moving to the web, but you get what you pay for and ultimately the web is still dependent on a stable and secure desktop platform.
Vista is about customisation, and things like glassy themes are barely worth a mention beyond the cheap knock intended. It may well be distracting, but when considering that it can be easily turned off is hardly an issue with Vista and more an issue of personal preference.
For my part, the new interface is cleaner, faster, and far easier to navigate. The search software allows for almost anything to be found from either stgartmenu or taskbar, and the security features, whilst infuriating, soon stop once you are done installing things.
All in all it's a superb step up from the Duplo-esque, insecure, Windows XP and the extra functionality is there for those taking the time to understand it.
XP is dead, support ceases at end of year, and the uptake of Vista is faster than that of XP.
All in all, the Vista bashing bandwagon is a bit old now, and most of it smacks of people failing to adapt to improvement thourgh change.
The key to Vista is it's deployment and setup - once that's done there's very little to worry about.
13. At August 7, 2007 3:16 PM, Anjanesh wrote:
Could never been more clear Wendy ; you have put you view in the right way - OS are supposed to work with us ; not the other way around. Ditto
14. At August 8, 2007 8:07 AM, Chris Hainey wrote:
I have to agree and disagree with Wayne, above.
XP was Duplo-esque and is still receiving constant security updates (almost daily) however, the platform does seem to have stabilised itself. Vista is still in its fledgling state and as such will have teething problems.The uptake of Vista has been quicker than any other OS largely due to PC vendors (PC World, Dell et al) forcing customers to take this under developed product by only pre-installing Vista rather than give customers the choice of OS.
The other statement you made about XP support being withdrawn by Microsoft at the end of the year definitely seems like a premature decision given the current state of Vista.
This is not Vista bashing, it is just the feelings of a Microsoft slave who has waited for many years for XP to become almost (for my use) totally reliable, and to then have the support withdrawn in favour of an incomplete system just illustrates the arrogance of Microsoft.
I think I might just try Ubuntu to escape Bill Gates.
15. At August 8, 2007 9:44 AM, Izza Manellie wrote:
Windows vista is excellent if you are computer literate, but stay away from it if you don't even know where the enter key is on the keyboard or you will be totally lost. All though there is still service packs to come out for vista and it may still be a little while before it actually is fully operational without disrubtions.
16. At August 8, 2007 4:27 PM, Chris Robb wrote:
Windows Vista is doing itself no favours at the moment. While it might be fresher and easier to navigate I agree with Chris Hainey though. XP has finally ironed itself out to be workable.
If I paid for XP why should i have to "migrate" to vista because it's new? Microsoft keep touting it as more secure. While security is a big issue they are trying to use scare tactics and make the computer users want to switch over otherwise they will have major problems and get hacked etc. There is no need for it.
Hopefully Dell will start pre-installing Linux at this side of the Atlantic too and maybe help people get off the Microsoft bandwagon. With all the compettion Google is putting up, who knows they might even release a free OS!
17. At August 9, 2007 9:36 AM, Anjanesh wrote:
With reference to Wayne Doul's post which is quite illustrative of the pros for Vista I quote: "All in all it's a superb step up from the Duplo-esque, insecure, Windows XP and the extra functionality is there for those taking the time to understand it". Exactly the reason why Vista is not being assimilated at the rate XP was in - time.
No one in a corporate world has got time to keep learning new stuff for the sake of it. XP insecure ? yes - but how secure is Vista? You never know until the next patch is released and / or a service pack comes along.
Extra functionality is good enough for people who are happy to spend time learning it ; I don't.Most simply expect a smoother transition. As for support being stopped end of this year - that is not going to change anything. You can't expect companies to change over to Vista just because support is out - a company I know of still uses windows 2000 for over 600 machines, and it is working great on low spec machines.
How much support do you actually get from Microsoft ? Updates ?or patches ? As long as internal IT supports OS and I can work on it intuitively - no Vista for me. Vista means multiple investment in terms of hardware upgrades, software and training time spent - not a value added proposition at the moment.Sure, Vista might be the way ahead; but XP is still the champ.
18. At August 9, 2007 1:41 PM, Chris Paton wrote:
The main problem with Vista is the fact that Microsoft changed a lot of the layout compared to what was pretty stable with all the other windows. Sure it looks pretty, but looks aren't everything, and therefore should only count slightly in it's favour.
I bought a new PC about 2-3 months ago, and I chose to get XP with it rather than vista, for two reasons.
1. I knew XP pretty well, and anything that went wrong with it I could sort pretty much by myself.
2. A lot of programs are not compatible with Vista at all, same with hardware, this is a problem I find at work all the time.
But inevitably I will have to update to Vista as all the new games and programs that are coming out are Vista only, which I don't see the point in to be honest.
Oh well....guess I should save some money up over the next few month for an update pack.
19. At August 10, 2007 4:32 PM, Dan Addicott wrote:
Vista this Vista that! I have an old but still very capable p3 laptop with wireless Lan, I HAVE to stick with XP because the system requirements for Vista are rediculous. I`m all for moving fowards but You CANT upgrade the graphics card on Nearly all laptops! So my laptop is going to die with XP when the mainstream support ends for it? NOPE! It will still surf the net and play my MP3 and Videos just fine. Microsoft have not made the best of this opportunity to upgrade XP PAH!
Post a comment
As 14 days have passed, comments are now closed for this entry.
1. At August 2, 2007 2:36 PM, Heather Wilson wrote: