Windows Vista Vista voted No 1 Disappointment of 2007

[floppybootstomp]

By PC World magazine.

Link

No wonder so many users are clinging to XP like shipwrecked sailors to a life raft, while others who made the upgrade are switching back. And when the fastest Vista notebook PC World has ever tested is an Apple MacBook Pro, there's something deeply wrong with the universe.

I've been on the verge of changing to Vista on my main machine but after some time reading and reading and asking and looking, I've decided to hold off until it becomes absolutely neccessary. And no, not being able to play Halo 2 doesn't count.

The main reason I'm hesitating is the 64 Bit OS just doesn't seem to work as it should, due, it's fair to say, mostly to hardware being incompatible.

MS Office 2007 and Mac's Leopard OS also made the list.

If an industry toady like PC World magazine slates Vista then it's a fair bet something really is wrong.

 

[Ian]

At first I wasn't too keen on Vista, however now I quite like it - but that may be because I'm used to it I don't think it's that much of a change for 6 years work really, which is the disappointing part. I was expecting something radically different at the time, like a big speed boost. I do remember the driver problems I had at the beginning though

However, something I do really like is Office 2007 It seems much faster on my machine, and the graphing tools are much improved.

That said, if I had to pay the full non-oem price for either of these products I don't think I would have got them.

One thing I'll miss about being a student is the discounts on software and cinema tickets!

 

[muckshifter]

Many of the innovations the operating system was supposed to bring ... like more efficient file and communications systems ... got tossed overboard as Microsoft struggled to get the OS out the door.

That was my main concern ... however, there are some innovations that are yet to be really tested, due, again, to the lack of support from leading manufacturers, even MS themselves, that could save the day.


Here is one example, MS please note ... I akin it to an iPhone for Vista.

http://messenger.yahoo.com/windowsvista.php

http://messenger.yahoo.com/vista_popup.php




Vista's improvements in desktop security are enough for most/some people to justify the move, and new features for remote management and usability are also compelling.

Games? Well, sorry but if you really want to take advantage of DX10, then you'll need Vista ... again I say, it's down to the software writers. No, I know it ain't easy but they will come ... who uses tape cassettes these days? or even floppy disks?

What MS got radically wrong was, all the different versions, and, price/licencing ... they deserve to fail on that count alone!!

 

[Taffycat]

I wouldn't think of trying to compete on the technical front with most people here, as I'm mostly a user who is prepared to "tinker a bit" here and there therefore I'm not attempting to "argue" the 64 bit dilemma ... So speaking purely from that viewpoint, I wonder if the bias against Vista is totally justified?

Surely many of the "faults" which are bandied about, are directly due to the lack of co-ordination between Microsoft and software manufacturers; for some reason, Microsoft felt it necessary to get the new OS out much too hastily. Initially, it probably would have benefited from a bit more tweaking. A further benefit (to users) would have been for Microsoft and the software manufacturers of popular games and applications to have "talked" amongst themselves a bit more. Obviously, users are going to complain bitterly if they discover that their favourite games/peripherals/office software or whatever, will not work.

It probably didn't help either, when the major PC vendors decided that we all had to have Vista, like it or not. When we bought two PCs earlier this year, we willingly made one choice Vista. The other, was to be XP.... but the only way of getting it, was to install the OS myself, because as I have said Vista was all that was on offer (and I'm referring to customised builds, not the local high-street stores.) It has been thrust at the PC-buying public as if XP was going to cease to exist within the year... so there must have been a lot of disgruntled people who probably felt that they had been forced to make the change, before they wanted to and many of them would be quick to find fault even with minor annoyances, as a result.

Many vendors are busily advertising very cheap PC "deals" which have Vista pre-installed, but with hopelessly inadequate amounts of RAM to run it efficiently, so again, I imagine those PCs are going to seem terribly slow. However, if the buyer is not very computer-savvy, they don't necessarily know about the specs they should be looking for (if it wasn't for PC Review, I wouldn't have either!) so will probably feel pretty disappointed.

I've read several magazine articles recently with titles such as "How to Survive Vista" it usually makes me mutter a few rude comments, because what is there to "survive?" Most things can be got-around pretty easily. My biggest gripe, was that it wouldn't accept the software for a brand new all-in-one HP printer - but it would use the printer perfectly well with it's own Vista software (and, had I had broadband at the time, I could have downloaded the correct software anyway.) It also would happily connect to my other very old HP printer, (born in the days of ME) without problems. I have no problem at all with on-line gaming (specifically GW which runs smoothly.) Many of my old software programmes still work with Vista - photo editing programmes, etc., because Vista still has the option to use the compatability mode - though I have needed that rarely.

BOINC at first would not automatically run at startup, but once again, there is a small "Startup Unblocker" programme which can be freely obtained to - as the name suggests - unblock the programme(s) you want to start.

So, in a nutshell, yes, Vista is a bit different to XP but I don't think it deserves such a bad press - at least, not from the user-experience point of view. I have found it to be equally as "forgiving" as XP when I have, on a couple of occasions made a blunder with something or other. It has some very helpful features too - such as making a restore point automatically, a minor plus maybe, but one which we less computer-savvy types can find to be extremely useful sometimes

It all comes down to personal choice in the end, of course, and if like Floppy, you are looking for something very specific, then I can understand the hesitancy, but otherwise, I think Vista is getting a bit of an unfair press.

Woops! Just fell of soapbox

 

[Anon_F]

Woops! Just fell of soapbox

A nice concise view on Vista.

 

[nivrip]

I think Vista is getting a bit of an unfair press.

A superbly crafted piece, with which I agree entirely.

 

[floppybootstomp]

I'm wondering whether this debate will fall into two camps:

1) Those with Vista who will champion it.

2) Those not using Vista who will see only the negative aspects of MS's newest OS.

And I wonder:

a) Will those using Vista - whether voluntarily or have had it forced upon them - support it regardless of all it's shortcomings simply because they have it?

b) Will those not using Vista take note of all the criticism levelled against it, sneer and simply refuse to buy a copy, perhaps attracting comments such as 'Luddite'?

Our very own Mr Mucks has been been somewhat of a supporter of Vista by and large, yet in his above post he acknowledges some of it's shortcomings. Now that's the kind of objective we need.

And that comment of mine is not critical of anybody who's posted in this thread, simply my own opinion.

Myself, I really wanted Vista to be good, I have almost purchased a copy (Home Premium 32 bit) several times but always shied away when reading of yet another flaw.

My prime interest on my main machine is gaming. I would love DX10, but I'd also like good support for my Creative Sound card and it would appear, with Vista, I cannot have both.

I'd love to use a 64 Bit system and in this field it would appear Vista can deliver the goods but as taffycat pointed out, it does help to have narrative with the hardware manufacturers who have to supply drivers for their product. And the fact the majority of motherboards don't have true 64 bit chipset architecture is nothing short of a major disappointment for me.

And this new snappy Operating System, it would seem, runs like molasses down a slope on a Febrary morning and comes in a bewildering variety of configs. I do like eye candy but not at the expense of speed.

So, for now, I shall wait until the day when something, something - forces me to install Vista. And until that day comes the only thing I regret not having is the use of DX10.

 

[Anon_F]

I'm using Vista through VMWare on my laptop.
Even though my laptop runs it OK, their are some issues with running it.
I have the Vista Business Upgrade CD for it & at some time will install it.
It's getting round to getting all the drivers etc.

May be this can be a project for the new year.

 

[Ian]

My prime interest on my main machine is gaming. I would love DX10, but I'd also like good support for my Creative Sound card and it would appear, with Vista, I cannot have both.

Which creative sound card do you have? I've got the Audigy 2 and it works great in Vista

I'm not sure which camp I fall in to, as I only upgraded to Vista because I won it in a competition and I was at the point of upgrading my PC to a newer system within weeks. If it wasn't for that, I'm sure I would by typing away on XP quite happily.

Because of this, I think I'm quite apathetic when it comes to my Vista experience. I know there are lots of things I was hoping that Vista would do better - however, after a few days of sorting driver problems out (Wireless card mainly) it has worked fine. It doesn't crash, it seems fast, it looks pretty - it just doesn't have the wow I was hoping for.

I wouldn't recommend anyone to upgrade to Vista if they are expecting a big leap in the overall computer experience, however I do suggest to people that get new PC's to go for Vista. Primarily because it is inevitable that it will become the standard operating system in the near future, and getting XP now would simply mean another £60+ forked out further down the line.

XP and Vista are on a par for meeting my personal computing requirements, however as I had Vista already I may as well take the plunge sooner rather than later - and get some glossy looking windows at the same time Linux is just a no-go for my main PC, because as much as I want to use it, the software I use day-in, day-out just won't work on it.

 

[floppybootstomp]

I have the Creative X-Fi Extreme Audio Sound Card which sounds great and works fine in XP. I know at one time, perhaps a month or two ago, there were no drivers available for this card to work in Vista.

Perhaps now there are. I shall check.

And from what I can determine, my card isn't a 'True X-Fi' card but merely a souped up Audigy 2, but I have an Audigy 2 in another machine and this 'X-Fi' most definitely sounds better.

 

[Ian]

I think this is the one for your card here :

32 Bit

64 Bit

 

[floppybootstomp]

My goodness, that would appear to be the one Ian

Now I'm considering Vista again....

hehe, I keep blowing hot and cold, I dunno, we shall now wait til 2008 anyway