Why Vista?

Hi everyone,

I thought I'd join the on going XP vs. Vista war with a little help from my good friends at Microsoft.

Microsoft states:

When Windows Vista debuted in January 2007, we declared it the best operating system we had ever made. "Windows Vista is beautiful," The New York Times raved. It's humbling that millions of you agree.

But we know a few of you were disappointed by your early encounter. Printers didn't work. Games felt sluggish. You told us—loudly at times—that the latest Windows wasn't always living up to your high expectations for a Microsoft product.

Well, we've been taking notes and addressing issues.

So as we prepare to stop selling Windows XP on June 30, it felt like the right time to update you on our progress, highlighted by the recent release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1).

Did you know?

Windows Vista now supports 77,000 printers, cameras, speakers and other devices and components.

Over 2,700 software programs are now certified to work on Windows Vista, including 97 of the top 100 consumer applications.

62% of small business said Windows Vista saves them time, and 70% said that it makes them more productive, according to an independent survey.

More than 140 million copies of Windows Vista have already sold, making it the fastest selling operating system in Microsoft history.

71% of Windows Vista customers liked it better than their last operating system.

People who are familiar with Windows Vista are two to three times more likely to have a favorable impression.

Why do I keep reading that Windows Vista won't work with my hardware or software?
We know that's what some people are saying on the Internet. And in its early days, Windows Vista did experience some compatibility problems. But thanks to our industry partners' efforts during the past 18 months, here's where things stand today:

Now supports nearly 77,000 hardware products and components—more than double the number supported at launch. In 9 out of 10 cases when you plug in a device, it should just work. No installation disc is required.

Runs 97 of the top 100 consumer software programs, including Apple iTunes, Adobe Photoshop, Intuit QuickBooks and more. In total, more than 2,700 applications are now certified to work on Windows Vista—and more join the list each day.

Runs the leading small business applications. Windows Vista supports software from Adobe, Autodesk, Avanquest, CA, Corel, Intuit, McAfee, Sage, Symantec, Trend Micro, and others.

Received a top-to-bottom tune up thanks to Windows Vista Service Pack 1. Released in February 2008, SP1 boosts file copying speed, shutters security loopholes, and much more. (Read more about Windows Vista SP1.)

Is Windows Vista really just a prettier version of Windows XP, as some people say?

Windows XP is a great operating system. Its continuing popularity, just shy of its seventh birthday, makes us proud. Our goal is always to make each new version of Windows better than the last. With Windows Vista, we're convinced we succeeded.

What does Windows Vista have over its predecessor? Some highlights:

Stronger security. Windows Vista has fewer than half the security vulnerabilities of Windows XP. It's also 60% less likely to be infected by spyware or malware than Windows XP SP2. The most secure Windows release to date.

Faster searching. Find stuff—documents, e-mail, photos, movies—fast with powerful, speedy Instant Search.

TV, music, movies & photos. Watch and record TV with Windows Media Center*. Edit HD video with Windows Movie Maker*. Manage your mushrooming digital snapshot collection with Windows Photo Gallery.

Greater productivity. Work smarter, not harder. Windows Mobility Center, Windows Meeting Space and Sync Center help you efficiently synchronize and stay connected to key information, people and devices.

More peace of mind. Protect your family with powerful new Parental Controls. Safeguard your precious data with the new Windows Backup and Restore Center and Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption**.

Sexier! Sure, Windows Vista gets a lot of compliments on its aesthetics. But its style serves an important purpose: to put everything within a click's reach and make you more productive.

So why am I digging all this information back up? It's rather simple. Microsoft wants to look toward the future. XP will not bring a better future for computer owners.

The next time you're force feeding a machine built on Vista the XP operating system, ask yourself, "Am I taking a step backwards?" "Am I really gaining that much by choosing to be out of date?" "What am I going to do when XP is no longer supported?"

What will happen to XP if I choose to be stubborn?

Microsoft states:

Last year you told us you weren't quite ready to say goodbye to Windows XP. We listened. That's why we delayed our plan to stop selling it until June 30, 2008.

We love that you love Windows XP. We've seen it on our website, in e-mails, and through independent online petition drives. Our engineers work hard to build innovative software that empowers our customers. It's nice when you tell us we've made a difference.

But our commitment to innovation sometimes means making tough choices. This is one of them.

After careful consultation with our customers and industry partners, we've decided to proceed with our plan to phase out Windows XP in June. It'll be a long goodbye. We plan to provide support for Windows XP until 2014.



Gabe

 

I agree. When I plugged in my friends Sony HC-30 DV camera vista actually recognized it which was a huge surprise. I hated Vista at first but really it a beautiful operating system and it looks amazing.

 

I love Vista, as do many people that have used it. I find that most people that have complaints about Vista are running a sub-par system that is not meant to handle it. It takes a couple months to get used to it, and I still have trouble remembering where Microsoft moved certain things but overall it is awesome. SP1 really helped.

 

I've been using Vista for a few months, and I love it. If you've used XP, you'll know what you're doing, and there are definately a lot of features that you never knew you wanted, but don't know what you would do without if you lost them.

 

@Callidor - For example, snipping tool is AWESOME. Before I was stuck using pnt-scrn then opening paint to do my stuff. Also, "spotlight" is pretty nice and I think it is better than spotlight on macs.

 

I love the search/start text box in the start menu. also the sliding scale for viewing objects in a folder...mostly aesthetic stuff, but it's so nice to have.

 

My first impression of it has been horrible, but that was mainly during launch and my NEW high-end system woudn't run well on it. I MAY give this OS a shot, but still don't see a reason to upgrade just yet. Sure they'll stop SELLING XP on June 30th. It doesn't mean they'll stop supporting it as well (unless I'm mistaken).

Also, Windows 7 is about to come out. Why switch to Vista now with 7 around the corner? Why not wait for 7.. it still looks like Vista too.

 

Windows 7 is "about to come out" in late 2009... almost a year and a half from now.

 

And???????????????????????????

 

Well, I don't consider late 2009 to be "right around the corner"... I don't know about you...

 

Windows 7 won't ship until 2010.

 

I hardly imagine that Windows 7 will be next year, simply because MS hasn't made all the money they can with Vista, many XP people as you can notice on these multiple threads are resisting Vista, so as long as they resist MS will push Windows 7 farther.

But, if windows 7 comes out, I will buy, certainly.

 

Around the corner? Not quite. The release is scheduled for almost two years from now.

 

Two years? There you go, and they will be late, so 2011-12. By then, I will be tire of Vista

 

And since MS has *never* shipped an OS late, we can be certain this timeframe is 100% accurate.

Vista isn't perfect, but I do enjoy using it, and I haven't run into any show-stopping issues whatsoever. All of my apps and games run fast, Aero is pleasing to the eye and slick, and I haven't had any problems with driver support.

 

I said scheduled. I didn't say anything about being released. Learn to read in context.

Same here.

 

I must confess to being a little confused about Windows 7. Considering how long XP was the standard, I'm not sure why they're making a new OS so (relatively) soon after the release of Vista. As we've said, this had some issues at the start, but now so many people really do seem to be happy with it. I don't see why they're making a new OS...perhaps it will be another one of the "lost" OSs..like ME or 2000.

 

As 7 is being build on Vista.... people who don't like Vista probably won't like it either

@Calidor: XP was supposed to be meant to last until 2003-04. Because of the 3 big viruses, they halted blackcomb and made SP2. After that they weren't pleased with blackcomb so they started anew with Vista.

 

One thing I cannot comment on is about Vista's inability to play old games, is a shame, and as much as I love packman I have to learn to let him go

But Vista can do so much stuff that is worth it to have it.

 

It's not so much that they're quick to release Windows 7, but that they took a long time after XP to release Vista. I mean... 95, 98, 98SE (in 1999), Me (2000), XP (2001)... now the 2.5-3 years between Vista and 7 isn't so long in that context.

Also there are a fair number of people who are determined to avoid anything called "Vista", no matter what problems they fix, so there's some incentive for them to get the next thing out sort of soon.

 

Windows 7 is already here - MS has already admitted that Win7 will be built on the _Vista kernel, so basically, other than some under-the-hood tweaks to the kernel, all we'll really be getting in 2010 will be "multi-touch" screens and another pimped, bloated GUI (well, of course I'm a pessimist; with MS pessimism is nothing more than realism ).

 

Personally, I'm expecting a more polished version of Vista, with a few cute new features like the touch stuff and some improved taskbar I heard about and stuff like that.

 

what do you mean by the "touch" stuff?

 

http://www.istartedsomething.com/20080529/evolution-of-taskbar-windows-7/

 

I consider Windows 7 to be the optimized version of Vista. Much like how 98 was a much improved version of 95.

Now, I do own a copy of Vista Ultimate x64, but other than the pretty Aeros, I don't see any reason to move to the OS just yet. I have it installed on another computer and I STILL haven't figured out how Dreamscape is supposed to work. it's installed but not selectable.. why?

 

cant wait to get finger prints all over the screen. lol. what a stupid feature.

 

Same here.

 

it'd be so cool if someone started a topic about vista resulting in discussion of Win7. Oh, wait....

 

Sure hasn't stopped everyone from going apesh-t over the iPhone and every other touchscreen phone that has come out over the last several years.

I'm sure the hardware manufacturers will figure out a way to limit fingerprint issues. If nothing else, it will be a huge boost for the "screen protector" secondary market.

 

the problem with a laptop screen is that you can't wipe it against your jeans quickly as you would do with your mobile xD

 

you cant compare the 2. the iphone is an "all touch" device. that is how it is used. a notebook or desktop on the other hand has to be used for many other things.

 

A touch screen is one of those things that will change the way a lot of people do computing. Sure, the fingerprint issue may be a bit bothersome to some, but c'mon. If it bothers a person that much, then just wear latex gloves.

 

Touchscreen is the future of personal computing, is natural and intituive, it will be the end of the mouse.

 

o Infidel!, why u fear? Resistance is Futile.

Muhahaha ..here comes Vista whether u like it or not.

 

True, but the demand from the phone aspect is just an extension of what is being worked on for laptops/desktops, as well as other uses (MS' Surface concept).

I may be wrong on this, but isn't Apple also working on something touchscreen-related for their future versions of Macs?

It seems to be "the next big thing" and as has been stated by others, could revolutionize the way people use their computers for everyday tasks. But, I doubt it is going to be the end of the mouse, since there is still a very large gaming and business community where a touchscreen just won't work (at least not yet).

 

Yes, they are. I actually heard rumors about them before I finally started hearing the rumors about Microsoft working on it.

 

Then how would we game? As violent as some people are with their razer or logitech mice, I think gaming would make short work of any touchscreen.

 

I will buy shares of Fellowes, a screen cleaning spray company

 

Motion sensors, aceleratormeters (Wii), etc.

 

I don't think you'll see motion sensing controllers taking over the mouse any time soon, if ever. If you used that to play, say, Counter-Strike, you would not fare so well. The mouse is much more accurate and precise. Motion sensing is more of a gimmick than anything; it offers nothing more than a tired arm for gaming. The only thing I can see replacing the mouse is brain control, which I doubt will come anytime soon.

Same with the keyboard. Touch screens will never replace the good ol' keyboard, with its tactile response and whatnot.

 

Clearly you've never actually played a ground-up FPS on the Wii (that means Resi is out, even though it's still an A+ game), eg MP3:Corruption or MoH:Heroes 2. The controls are definately on par with if not better than mouse controls. And if your arm gets tired after a bout of Wii-FPS'ing then either:
1: You've been playing way too long
or
2: You need more excercise (essentially read 1 again here)

 

FPS on Wii is A++.. thou not all titles, the experience of using the wii zapper to play fps is really nice. Accuracy wise, I would still say mouse is the better one.

 

KB: You probably don't have an iphone.

But, I didn't say that the KB will go away, I just said "mouse".

 

To add to your words, to go around with 15 to 40 pounds machine gun and don't get tire, then is science fiction and not a game with some realism in it.

 

imagine a controller that would change its weight depending on selected weapon, that'd be so cooool =)))) scifi though))

 

I would say rather realistic.

Also, what about put sensors on your body, and get an burning electrical chock when you get shut Today is not even fun, you die a millions times and don't even suffer a little, no anxiety, no real emotions in a real combat scenario.

 

what if you get killed with a headshot? nice buzz, lol =)))))))))))

 

Yeah, we could decided real batle just playing from your home, no need to spend all this money for the defense, which are in the $billions

The military slogan would be, defend your country playing

 

lol))) CS:S battle to decide the future of Iraq, de_dust.

 

oh, wait! just make a map cs_iraq and play 1024x1024 on it))) with ~1000000 hostages