Three Reasons Why Windows Vista Is Sinking Like A Rock
Lately it sure seems like a day does not go by where I don’t run across at least one or two news stories about how annoying Microsoft’s Windows Vista is. A recent article on CNN is a prime example of how bad the reception of Vista has been from folks who simply know better. Talk of limitations on virtualization and media playback combined with hardware and software compatibility problems are making Vista look very bad in comparison to even Windows XP. Of course some of these issues might be addressed over the next few months but I think I have three good reasons why Vista is making for the bottom faster than you might think.
Technorati Tags: microsoft, virtualization, vista
Unless you have been living under a rock you may have already read some of the early impressions of Windows Vista. Even those early reviews reminded everyone that Vista was still a very new product and it would have some rough edges. What many seemed to have missed was just how annoying Windows Vista really is. Here are just three examples of why Windows Vista is destined to be compared to Windows Millennium and why Microsoft is already directing significant efforts on producing something to replace it within the next two years.
1. DRM problems and lack of anything even remotely demonstrating an understanding of how users want to use digital media.
Although there has already been a significant amount of bad press regarding DRM (Digital Rights Management) features and limitations under Windows Vista I think it is worth noting just how unrealistic Microsoft really is in thinking folks are going to go quietly when forced into such restrictions. Seriously, as people become more accustomed to using digital media they are going to expect greater freedoms not more restrictions. Windows Vista imposes (and has the capability to do much more) in some cases severe restrictions on how people can use media they already own. Most of the folks I know are going to dump Vista the second they get even the slightest indication that they can’t play something that used to work just fine under XP. Not that I advocate piracy but going to extremes to prevent a tiny number of users doing something wrong is almost as bad as the piracy itself. Of course you can expect that someone will write a work-around any day now for most of these restrictions anyway but just having them there to begin with is adding insult to injury.
2. Limits on how Vista can be used under Virtualization and activation requirements are chasing away users.
Like the CNN article indicates, the lack of support for virtualization in the cheaper versions of Windows Vista is definitely a marketing tactic. In fact, after thinking about this issue a bit I am willing to even claim that this is really a defensive move by Microsoft. The intent here is to prevent folks from running Windows Vista under other operating systems (virtualized) since this would erode existing Microsoft partnerships with PC makers. I also suspect they don’t want this to happen for several other reasons, not the least of which might be how quickly users of Mac OSX (or Ubuntu) might discover just how bad Vista is and forget they ever installed it.
UPDATE!!! Looks like the NY Times is weighing in on the virtualization issue…
3. Lack of stable drivers for key features is scaring both gamers and power users away from Windows Vista.
Like I myself discovered, Vista lacks the kind of stable driver support that we all had come to expect from Windows XP (did I say “stable” and “XP” in the same sentence!). Recent problems with video drivers has many early adopters who expected to be able to play common 3d games up in arms. Other problems with performance on even brand new hardware have driven many power users to uninstall Windows Vista in favor of XP for the time being. Given that Vista is very new some problems were to be expected, however the sheer number of complaints has been growing and with many corporations starting to impose temporary bans on Vista purchases I can’t see things getting better anytime soon.
Of course Windows Vista will eventually get better, but very much like Windows Millennium I suspect that by the time most of the issues have been resolved many folks will have moved on. Perhaps to whatever Microsoft comes up with to replace Vista, or maybe to other competing operating system.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention the price. Assuming a user who currently has a working install of XP, the upgrade path to Vista seems confusing and expensive. Much easier and cheaper to simply not upgrade.
Virtualization coming in at number 2? Really? I don’t think this is a big deal to the mass market.
What a load of crap.
I think you’re using some extremely poor examples, DRM capabilities in Vista are enabled simply for publishers to choose to consume, the fact that vista supports them doesn’t mean that Microsoft is imposing DRM on you.
Virtualization licensing in Vista is not drastically different from XP, infact if you so choose to buy the best version of vista you get an additional license to virtualize with, I fail to see how the inability to virtualize home basic for the niche market of v-desktop users is a primary concern for the mass market.
Stability of drivers is directly proportionate to the quality of drivers provided by the manufacturer, Vista is using the same driver store from XP w/ new drivers specifically developed by the OEM’s to provide driver support for your broken video card, if you have a beef with it’s stability, file a bug w/ the OEM and stop complaining about Microsoft not giving you a unicorn when they promised a pony.
4. Bittorrent
Media companies only pretend that DRM is only about piracy. It’s really about opening up new revenue streams, either by charging users incrementally for different use priveleges or by charging separate users who would otherwise use media communally. This is a fight between copyright holders and license consumers, and Microsoft has sided against its customers, saying that they didn’t actually get what they thought they were paying for when they bought their CDs and DVDs years ago. A stupid strategic mistake, IMHO, based on the assumption that the MPAA etc. will continue to define copyright law in ways that maximize shareholder revenue, rather than a faith that the democratic process will eventually yield laws that people consider fair.
Microsoft isn’t promising a unicorn, they’re promising rocket science. Have you seen the “Wow” ad comparing Windows Vista to, among other things, the first launch of a spaceship in history? They seem to be claiming that it is as new and exciting as going to the moon, which is a pretty big claim.
As regards to it being new, it took them 6 years to develop it, and it was in beta for almost a whole year. Many linux distros ship new, improved, fairly stable versions every six months, and Apple has shipped 5 OSes since 2000. Doesn’t really seem like much of an excuse to me.
Glad I only have to use Windows about 4% of the time.
It seems like you’re just jumping on the bandwagon complaining as others have complained before you…
Maybe if you show the other side; not all is bad in Vistaland…
Also, what proof do you have that Vista is underperforming in the marketplace, as your title suggests? Other than a lot of users having culture shock, the OS is still bundled with all new PCs and undoubtedly has already sold quite well to OEMs.
All reasons here don’t affect the average consumer. Does the average consumer care about Virtualization? No. How many people out there use this functionality on a regular basis? My bet is no many. Does the average consumer care about DRM? I’d argue no there as well considering that itunes seems to be doing well and as others have mentioned, you could still rip your own stuff and do what you wish.
As for drivers, once again, it’s not MS fault that manufactures don’t have a good set of drivers. I’m no Microsoft fan, but overall Vista is a better product then XP IMO.
I don’t install anything Microsoft until Service Pack 1 is released and usually all this nonsense is taken care of by then.
I don’t install anything Microsoft until Service Pack 1 is released and usually all this nonsense is taken care of by then.
The average consumer also won’t go out and buy the upgrade. Everyone who buys a new PC will get Vista. I think this and the other complaint articles are geared more towards “will people go out and upgrade?” People that upgrade aren’t average users. They weigh the pros and cons of doing so.
God this is so stupid. You’re a very technical person who writes for a technical blog. You don’t understand the fact that most people in this country are stupid. They don’t even know what DRM is. They only know two things: http://www.dell.com and http://www.hp.com. Eventually everybody’s PC is going to be obsolete and eventually everyone is going to have to upgrade. By everyone, I mean everyone minus Apple sheep and nerdy hackers that install Linux. Look at the world from a non-technical perspective. Windows Vista is the next step. Jump on the bandwagon man.
Umm…dude, have you even installed Vista? Oh wait, you’re an MCSE…suddenly this makes sense
I don’t think that MS is really promising more than they delivered.
Yes development time on the final packaged product took longer than expected, but MS has also shipped XP, Server 2k3, and a myriad of server & consumer software in the last 6 years, I fail to see how your anecdote about Linux and MacOS effectively shipping service pack style releases over the last 6 years makes them far superior.
If the linux kernel shipped 5 full point releases and Apple shipped OS XI through XV in the last 6 years then you can make the case that MS took too long to deliver and/or underdelivered, but sadly you cant say that.
This story lacks the fundamental facts and is merely additional FUD without something significant to support the claims made here.
Microsoft apparently forgot the lesson that put it into first place – give the customers as much as possible for as little as possible. The early days of DOS/Windows 3.1 were about adding features to the operating system — editors, programming utilities, new OS features, etc… Microsoft won because it was the best deal for people. Henry Ford did the same for the automobile – make it your mission to give as many people as much as possible for as little as possible and you’ll succeed. Walmart did much the same in retail and became huge.
Microsoft appears to have dropped this strategy and in place adopted the strategy “get as much from the customer as possible while giving only some of what the customer wants”. Looking at the DRM infestation that takes functionality away from customers, the license restrictions that limit what customer may do in virtual machines, the pricing model of Vista, and the ‘crippleware’ versions at the low end, it appears Microsoft has forgot what has kept it on top of the heap for so long. Perhaps Vista is the best thing that every happened to Linux, as Linux still has the “give someone as much as possible for as little as possible” model. While the momentum of existing executable code, the legacy of Office formats, and the backing of Hollywood for DRM infestation will help M$ win some battles, the strategy being pursued is one that will lose the war in the long term.
On a second note, not many people seem to connect the virtual machine restrictions with the DRM infestation. Don’t forget that a process running above the virtual machine can ‘peek down into’ an OS running inside a virtual machine. Full access to the audio and video output of the virtualized OS is thus available to a superior process in the virtual machine. DRM becomes easily curcumventable, as the superior process can record audio and video produced. In fact, the superior process can even pull values out of ‘protected’ memory inside the virtulized process.
So, sounds like discouraging virtual machine technology would be something that a company interested in promulgating DRM would be interested in…
weak anti ms propaganda will always get reddited and dugg.
Reason 1: DRM
If you own an Ipod get a mac, as the god damned banners in this site suggest.
Reason 2: Virtualization
If your OS X is so magnificent why you need Vista? After all is just a rip-off of Apple’s OS.
Lack of stable drivers
This is so vage that it doesn’t even qualify as pulled out of the ass. As with any OS, the manufacturer of devices must upgrade the drivers, now we are talking about a OS that came out 2 months ago and we already want 100% support for current and legacy drivers? Please.
Don’t believe any of the bullcrap all these mac wankers keep slandering. Vista works just fine as offered, but you need a decent computer to running, period. Your 5 year old clone will not do it.
I’m a professional producer using windows xp pro. on the hardware end i use a Digi 002 and Avid Mojo. niether have vista drivers yet, both siting stability issues. this is a problem since these are 2 of the biggest companies in professioal audio/video. not to mention drm being a nightmare. i wish things were different because i feel ready for an upgrade. especialy with my new system settled around a 4 core intel processor.
I think Martin summed it up eloquently: What a load of shit. What DRM restrictions? I haven’t come accross any in all the time I have been using Vista. Vista handles DRM’d and non DRM’d resources as well as or better than any other OS. As far as virtualization goes, it’s better than Mac’s, which isn’t even allowed at all by Apple. Run any version of Vista you want in a VM, you just can’t share multiple licenses of the lower versions. And finally, again more false rumors about drivers and software. I’ve upgraded older PC’s with no problems at all. And 99% of my software installed just fine. I’ve had more driver issues with linux (or should I say lack there of). And there are lot’s of programs, and games I can’t even run on my Mac or linux boxes.
No. The biggest reason is people don’t care what OS that’s running on their computer as long as it “just works”.
95% of consumers who own computers never change their operating system. It came with WinXP. When the machine finally dies, it’ll die with WinXP on it.
The average consumer isn’t going to upgrade from WinXP to Vista. Why would they? Will it let them run more software? Nope. More games? Nope (not yet). And it’d cost them how much?!?
MS’s biggest problem in trying to get people to upgrade to Vista is that for the most part, for most people, XP works.
The only way Vista propagates is when people eventually buy new machines from Dell {insert others here} and their new machine comes with Vista pre-installed.
More and more companies think that when they sell you something, that they continue to own it. Look at the MPAA, the RIAA, etc. They “license” music and movies to you. Even though you paid your hard earned money for it, those organizations think that the stuff still belongs to them and not to you. They want to control it.
Microsoft is the same way. They think they own your PC instead of you. They want to control it and what you do with. Their power and arrogance will be their downfall.
DRM: My first experience with Vista: I have all my music CDs copied on a portable hard-disk. These music CDs I purchased over the past 20 years. I made these copies a few years back, using XP. When I recently tried to play any song under Vista (via Vista Media Player), I had to connect to MS for some license file before the song I purchased would play on the computer package I purchased. If I were Gates I would do the same, but as a consumer/user I am annoyed by this featured paranoia.
[...] Techno-Babble offers a breathless “three reasons why Windows Vista is sinking like a rock,” and while the story has a point, I don’t really think that “limits on how Vista [...]
I recently bought a MacBook Pro and I wanted to get Windows because I need it to run Frontpage. The release of Vista made me confused and I started to ask questions like which version do I really need and what are the prices and also I wanted virtualisation and I read that you need the business or ultimate, when I saw the prices I was totally turned. I cannot understand why Microsoft decided to release so many versions of Vista. So I have decided to buy Windows XP which works with Boot Camp. I tried Vista in a shop and I am not impressed. XP is millions times better. It would be nice if Microsoft would port Frontpage to Mac. I also got the Mac because it has a better selection of midi audio software. The other problem for people switching to Vista especially Muscians is you need new drivers for the audio interfaces. There are two quick solutions for Microsoft, either re-release Windows XP under a new name or add Service Pack 1 ASAP to Vista Home and Premium and add virtualisation.
Well now the wizard has spoken!
Little little fella, I have been out here since my first MCSE with 3.51, yes that dates me. As for me, I like Vista. yes I do have Ultimate, no it is not perfect but then there have been few development efforts I have ever seen where someone wan’t crying out on the street.
Look, for those of us who make our living installing all this stuff Vista is an exciting change. I find it much more refreshing than I had expected. The only major complaint I have is that IE 7 keeps locking up on me when I click on the address bar. All the add-ons are disabled and this would drive the average user nuts. But there you have it….Vista is fun, refreshing and an important evolution in our technology landscape. Back it, help them fix it with constructive feedback and stop crying, babies belong at home with their toys!
They’ve had 5 years to get this right and it’s still not finished. LOL.
I predict this will be the year that Apple starts to make real gains in market share. And, they can include me as someone who as switched from Windows to Mac.
Here’s what I’ve done and do.. I have 4 hard drives on my “home built” pc that is almost 3 months old with all the bells and whistles.. If it’s missing anything, it don’t need it.. That’s the first key.. Build your pc, don’t buy it! You can build a super computer for less then what it would cost for a brand name pc such as Dell or Compaq etc..
Next, I’ve installed 4 300 gig WD drives (each partitioned x4).. The C:\ physical drive is dedicated strictly for Operating Systems.. I installed on the primary physical drive in the following order: Win98SE, Debian Linux, Win-XP Home (SP2).. The last partition of that drive is reserved for whatever I want it for.. The other drives and partitions are labelled with the programs and such that are germain or relavant to the OS’s I have installed on the pc.. THe rest are for images, audio and video files and other multimedia.. The last drive is the storage drive that I copy files from the other drives to for backing up onto CD’s..
As XP needs to be activated, I made sure not to activate my XP online.. Instead, I took the time to call MS after I took down all those numbers on the activation screen.. Then when MS gave me “their” numbers, I took those numbers down on a sheet of paper as I typed them into XP’s activation screen.. Now in the future if I need to replace a drive or what-have-we, I won’t have to call Mr. Gates to get reactivated nor have to worry about activation issues in the future, afrter XP goes the way of 98SE or DOS and the like.. I just type in the numbers I saved when I initially activated with over the phone that one time..
I now have the best of what I need to do what I do.. I can run 16 bit programs without the hassle that Vista won’t run them.. I have XP to use if I want to download from sites that no longer support 98SE and I can use 98SE to copy DVDs, use my 16 bit programs that I still enjoy using and not have to worry about DRM as I download from Napster with XP, tranfer to my SANDISK DAP player via XP, feed the audio back into the soundcard on Win98SE (The pc and soundcard don’t care or know that the audio or video is being played back from an outside source.. Gotta love 98SE for that) … LOL..
So the best soultion? Screw Vista because it’s still nothing more then a problem plagued OS with too many restrictions and such (and for those asking if I’ve even tried it? The CD is now under a ice filled glass of Long Island Iced Tea as we speak.. I’ve tried it and I’m not impressed.. The only real thing Vista can do over the other Windows flavors is it works hand in hand with 64 bit hardware and software (then again, XP does that too if you configure it right).. And though 64 bit hardware is out there, the inventory of software is still in it’s infancy.. I say save your $399.00 on Vista and invest in that new2 KDS 22″ flatscreen instead.. I’ve got money to burn, but many people don’t.. But hey, that’s me.. Just my thoughts.. Thanks for reading..
Respectfully…
Wow, Microsoft’s team of professional blog propagandists is here in force! You suck.
And Vista sucks. I set up a new machine with Vista three weeks ago for a relative, and I was shocked and how wretched this OS is. Slow, cumbersome, a total pain, is NOT compatible with much XP software, and drivers for a common HP printer weren’t even available.
I’m a finance guy, not an IT guy, but I’ve already convinced our CFO that Vista is evil poison and we should stick with XP and when XP becomes somehow unusable, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Vista is bloated crapware from a bloated company, and many of us are taking a stand so we don’t get it forced down our throats.
Much has change since the launch of XP (about 5 years ago). We expect a better OS, give the user the most you can! give them security, give them all.
I’ve expected more, the drivers for devices should have been there, included! Don’t blame the devices manufacters about this, microsoft as big as is now should have been consider this, come on!, we’re on 2007.
Virtualization should have been included on a user friendly and clean way, so users like me could play all the games we have. We don’t want techi words about virtualization, we want our stuff working out of the box.
You know what could have been really, really cool? To have a Vista OS that already has installed a XP Virtual Machines on a friendly way, so I can play with all my old stuff again. And don’t talk about security issues, for the price I’m paying they should give me that without complaining, is an upgrade of XP, isn’t?
I Think the writer is right on. I just bought XP and found it at about the same price as Vista and a damn site fewer problems.
Just bought XP Home, and I think it was a much better choice. Vista sucks.
Uh huh like man what’s this all about anyways? I mean come on we all got to come together man, its like called diversity or something like that. You use yours and I will use what ever I can get my hands on even if that mean yours. So uh it is kinda of a communication issue right? I mean can’t we find some common ground? For instantce it isn’t what OS we use it is the fact we all use and OS man. Don’t you see what I am saying? Totaly forget about whose OS is better, they where all made for different people for different reasons. Communcation man, it is esential, as long as this Vista dude or chick can commune-e-cate with all the other rigs out there on this planet then right on! It not like I am saying down with Redmonians or go buy $86 Mandrive USB 2gig flash drive that runs on realively low tech system specs and fancy 2007 version of Mandrive Distro with fancy GUI. That would just be silly. Do what you got to do and if you like well hey good for you, if you don’t well do something different. I am not talking shave your head Brittany or shave your nipples off Manson just roll back your OS to XP or hell 98 if thats what floats your boat. I dig it man about wanting a functional product but what about your young days when all you had was and FPU and you got a kick Poking you memory buffer? So Peace out brothers and sisters.
I’m a technician so just this week, I purchased Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition in order to start learning this new OS. Although I haven’t gotten into every single aspect of this new OS yet, I will say that the driver issue is annoying. My sound is intermittent and Microsoft’s “patch” known as KB929685 does not help whatsoever. In addition, calling Microsoft is a real headache! My copy of Vista Ultimate is an OEM version and it’s installed it on a brand new PC that I built myself. When calling Microsoft for help, DO NOT TELL THE MICROSOFT REP that you purchased an OEM version! The response I received is that OEM versions get no free technical support – only retail copies get the free support. Microsoft then wanted me to pay $59.95 to help me with my issue. Needless to say, I didn’t pay it. So now – Even though I am a registered system builder with Microsoft and they WANT me to tout their newest OS, I am NOT ALLOWED to get free tech support in order to fix MY problems with this new OS. How RUDE! Why should I now talk my clients into buying Vista when they don’t want to help me?!? Microsoft really needs to get their act together and support ANY AUTHENTIC LICENSED COPY of their OS. If you purchase a new PC with Vista preinstalled, it is up to the PC MANUFACTURER to give you support with Microsoft’s OS. Microsoft washes their hands of the whole idea that it’s their OS and they will NOT give you free support – only paid support is available. It’s like they want their cake and eat too. They want your copy to be authentic AND they want it to be retail in order to get free tech support. That is total BULL-ONEY!!!
Well, as far as Vista goes, I know that it sucks by experience. I just bought a new computer that came with Windows Vista OEM. So I started it up, it took 2 hours of configuring and going through some options which really doesn’t affect me either way. So I finally got it up and running, and go to install World of Warcraft, which I had on my inferior computer, componently speaking, and find that I had to run as administrator to even consider installing it, or else the install would fail each time. Frankly, I’m the only one who uses this computer, and I AM the administrator, I shouldn’t have to right-click a shortcut everytime to use a damn program. But I digress, I run World of Warcraft on the computer that is 2x as powerful as my old computer. And every 5 fucking minutes, W.o.W. crashes. I didn’t have that problem on my old computer. I only had a little lag issue. From experience, I do have to say, Windows Vista sucks balls. Oh, and it won’t install flash player 9, I have to go through red tape just to put anything on my computer. And I just want to play my game. Nothing more, nothing less. I want to put things on my computer with the same ease of Windows XP. Oh, I think windows Vista is far worse than Windows ME. Way to go Microsoft.
Well, I bought a HP laptop with Pista already installed on it. After the first 4 hours of trying to get it to print with my canon i850 on a print server and trying to get it to access the other 4 systems in my house (all with XP). I am ready to throw the new laptop out in the snow. Every 3rd time we put it to sleep (the recomended way to shut it off), when trying to wake it up, it gives me the blue screen and reboots. IE doesn’t work for crap and sound problems are intermittent. Try explaining that to Apu in India where the tech support for HP is. I spent 5 hours on the phone with tech before I finally was escallated to a corporate case manager. They can’t supply me with a copy of XP and he actually suggested that I return the comp to the store for a refund.
The other problem is that XP does not come with native SATA drivers and I am worried that when trying to install XP, I am going to have compatability problems. XP expects you to load drivers on drive A: but this laptop doesn’t come with a drive A: and when I use a USB flash drive, it becomes drive E:.
Not to mention that Microsoft has ordered all stores that sell their software to PULL XP OFF THE SHELVES! Now it seems that Pista is the only option and the only way you can get XP is on ebay or black market. (Pssst, come here buddy. I can fix ya up man. You want XP, I gots it. Cheap too.)
They are bound and determined to cram this crap down our throats. If I can return this laptop, I think I am going to get a powerbook.
Wow it sure looks like we had some Microshit fanboys/employees contributing to this thread doesn’t it? I hate to break it to them but there are MANY PC user that know exactly what DRM is and what Vista attempts to do about your ability to use your own movies and cds. You don’t have to be a tech head to know it either. I’m a 45 year old MOM and I know what it is. Throw in the millions of music users who likewise know what it is and well, Microshit has a problem. I wouldn’t hit a dead dog in the ass with this crap OS. An OS should be about enabling it’s users, not prohibiting them. I don’t spend a buttload of money on a PC so Gates or a bunch of Multimillionares can dictate to me how I use my system rr products I bought and paid for. What kind of idiot releases a new OS that isn’t supported by compatable drivers, nags you incessantly “Shut down” are you SURE you want to do that. Is slower than death and will require alot more memory to do the same things XP did with 1 gig…Sorry but I’m not biting. Gates can come out with an OS that doesn’t stink or I’ll have to look at a Mac. I was gonna buy a new Dell but decided against it because of this forced feeding of Vista
Well there sure are a few M$ Corp jerks on here .. Kevin for instance what a dweebe has he ever looked at other O/S’es i doubt it , he is most likley paid by the balmer life form .
I canned windoze way back when Linux was at 0.99 and aint looked back it is not needed for work that all hangs very niceley thank you with Linux (bookeeping and accounting) at work and heaps of electronics ect at home all Linux powered and many times more stable than the best M$ Corp can offer as for Vista well Lead brick comes to mind ..
#
Pete .
Piracy isn’t bad, capitalism is bad. And M$ was build from piracy anyway (the only program M$ ever made themselves – basic for altair – was written by using illegally university computers).
There’s a huge difference between downloading things for free and making lots of money out of nothing (0 & 1 are nothing) like M$ does.
I DO ADVOCATE PIRACY as it’s getting us free from worst-than-nazis american like the record/movie industry which is working for the global american dictatorship.
Vi$ta = Viru$ta = AIDS for computers
Vista will be fine after service pack 1 like ms products of the last few years…
I see the Microsoft stakeholders are here in force. Those are the voices you see here who make their livings from Microsoft products over even better support! Yes, they LOVE Vista. It means lots of extra sales and $$$$$$$$$$$$ sucked out of poor consumers.
I’ve installed Vista. It is slower than XP. It requires faster hardware to run at equivalent speeds. The restrictions on virtualization are anticompetitive move by Microsoft. Other than CPU hogging eye candy and the annoying UAC Vista is not very useful.
The only people who LOVE Vista are Microsoft Stakeholders: shareholders, employees, PC sellers and PC support people. I have not yet met a customer who wants Vista after they have tried it. They just want their computer to work. That is why Windows XP is getting harder and harder to find. When customers have a choice they do NOT choose Vista.
Service Pack 1 will not fix Vista. It is fundamentally crippled and flawed. Smart customers are looking for the exits from the Microsoft corral.
Microsoft meanwhile is trying to make sure they keep their strangle hold over naive consumers by making sure that THEY control the bottom tier of all the software on most computers. That is why there are restrictions on Virtualization. If Microsoft Windows runs within other operating systems, then users will migrate away from Windows using virtualization to run those Windows applications they already own, while operating regularly in a much more secure operating system. It does not matter which one either. They are ALL MORE SECURE than Windows.
You can run your current Windows XP within Linux today with VMWare for free.
http://www.advicesource.org/ubuntu/Run_Existing_Windows_Instalation_On_Ubuntu_With_Vmware_player.html
You can run your current Windows XP within MacOS with Parallels for $80 and soon VMWare. This path away from complete platform control is what Microsoft and their stakeholders fear most…..
vista is absolute garbage.i had vista on 2 pcs and had to take them back for a refund.i am up and running with a unit i bought at a discounter,with windows xp in it.so far so good! i am new at this game and didnt realize that when they crashed that it was due to vista being absolute garbage,although i had my hunches about vista after the 2nd unit crashed. i found out about badvista.org and then visited thier website and that answered all my questions! keep up the good work,badvista!
Hi folks,
Nick from VistaBlog
We are taking note of the minor issues users are having with Vista.
It appears though that the majority of problems being posted here are in fact not related to Vista itself but the inexperienced PC user.
Thats why we will be setting up a tutourial to assist users in using the PC and Vista.
The good part is, after only a few days of using the guide, the user will begin to experience the rich and productive environment which only Vista can offer.
More details will appear on VistaBlog soon.
Meanwhile, those who are finding it difficult and challenging to operate Vista should buy the more appropriate “Basic” licence and progress up to the “Ultimate” edition.
We look forward to hearing your WOW moments too.
Nick,
VistaBlog
I am very happy to see that I am not the only person that has given up on Microsoft. They have really crossed the line with the Vista and Office 2007 products. I have seen stupidity before, but not to the extent that Microsoft has displayed. I began to lose interest in Microsoft when they began implementing Genuine Advantage in Windows XP. Thanks to the Microsoft Corporation and their antics, I have now converted to Apple Macintosh and have since been very, very content. Apple doesn’t play silly games like Microsoft toying with people’s privacy and freedoms. That being said I am spreading the word to stay away from Microsoft products as I have begun my own official boycott. Keep your freedom! Maintain your privacy! Buy a Mac, Use Linux, Bring Microsoft to it’s knees!
I am very happy to see that I am not the only person that has given up on Microsoft. They have really crossed the line with the Vista and Office 2007 products. I have seen stupidity before, but not to the extent that Microsoft has displayed. I began to lose interest in Microsoft when they began implementing Genuine Advantage in Windows XP. Thanks to the Microsoft Corporation and their antics, I have now converted to Apple Macintosh MacBook Pro and with Parallels Desktop, I am able to run other Operating Systems with no problem at all, I have since been very, very content. Apple doesn’t play silly games like Microsoft does, toying with people’s privacy and freedoms. That being said I am spreading the word to stay away from Microsoft products as I have begun my own official boycott. Keep your freedom! Maintain your privacy! Buy a Mac, Use Linux, and Bring Microsoft to its knees!
@Nick Rice:
Well, lemme consider that bit about buying the “Basic” licence and then upgrading…
Vista Home Basic comes with no Aero, but costs $199. That’s ok, well, I paid half of that for Novell SuSE GNU/Linux a year ago – and I did get free support and a trustworthy (i. e. Open Source) OS (that was before the Novell-MS deal).
So, what you’re saying is that a consumer should get that version, and then proceed to learn about that OS. Well, he/she will, at least partially. Partially because the interface in the Ultimate edition will be very much different from the one he/she is operating now. (It will be, yeah? Please, $40 are worth a cool new interface with nice look&feel, aren’t they?) A power user can handle such a change quite good, but not a regular Joe User – at least that’s what’s my experience.
And after some time, you want that user to pay WHAT? $259? For an upgrade? You’re kidding, right? Please supply me with your gold-shitting yard ape (Ballmer was his name, wasn’t it?), and I’ll happily pay that amount.
Oh, and…you have the right to automatically disable my computer if you consider my software a threat? Wonderful, no more communist propaganda on my computer. No more Firefox or that evil GPL’d software I keep hearing about. Out, out, you demons of stupidity!
*goes back to code some more security-threatening open source PHP code*
Hi Manuel,
Thanks for your valuble input. Although you have some concerns over pricing, bear in mind that Vista took 5 years to develop and contains over 50 million lines of smart code. Highly-skilled programmers collaborated together to bring you the most advanced O/S ever. Vista features unique advantages which enhance your everyday productivity, satisfaction, and security like never before.
Features exclusive to Vista include latest technologies like DRM (which allows you to play premium content), the User Account Control, and hundreds of other WOW moments.
Think of it this way, you would not expect to pay the same price for a Merecedes as you would a domestic Ford automobile.
So, to sum up, you are actually getting outstanding value Manuel.
We advise you jump on board early to avoid being left out.
I personally welcome you to Vista. Enjoy the WOW!
Nick could you stop with commercial talk please. Most of the people here are computer literate and can see clearly what the M$ WoW really brings with it. Vista is nothing more than a repacked Windows Xp with new look, some new features, power and memory hungry OS, with new price and new problems (compatibility issues for example or problems with installation of “Vista ready” hardware). Except for Aero, DirectX 10 and UAC, I don’t see any other advantage in using Vista. If I want to play with Aero and User Management, I’ll use linux with beryl. If I want to play games, there is PS3 or XBox. Surfing, chatting, downloading and stuff like that can be done with Xp, linux, bsd…For Office I can use Open Office suite (which is shipped along with any large linux distribution), or older versions of MS Office. With Vista all I get is Notepad and Wordpad (not changed at all from year 95), some games (ripped off chess from Mac OS X), program to work with photos (another ripoff) and a search function which has such a nice behavior (for example to stop working when I click on something else). High price for OS that takes around 7-10 GB of space and brings so little with it. Most secure ? Time will tell about that. Advanced ? After 5 years of developing I expected more, a lot more than this.
So tell me Nick, where is this WoW ? Because I don’t see it at all.
Btw domain vistablog.com is for sale. What does that mean ?
Like Kickstand said in the first post, maybe the “Wow” was when everyone saw the price tag! Not to mention that if you upgrade your copy of XP to Vista, forget ever going back. The Vista upgrade process deactivates your XP key making any further XP activations impossible, including the possibility of dumping Vista in favor of re-installing XP on the same hardware. I just got bit by this when I tried to re-install XP on a laptop that I had upgraded to Vista Ultimate. Only way around this is to use the OEM restore CDs which contain a already activated install of XP….
What many people fail to realise is that it’s not just as simple as “providing DRM capability” for media producers to take advantage of should they wish.
Providing this DRM capability requires a large change in the structure of the operating system (moreso due to the ridiculous extremes Vista goes to to enforce DRM). This reduces the speed of the system whether or not you use DRM; and is at least partially responsible for many of Vista’s problems.
The simplest possible example: those “50 million lines of smart code” take time to load – even if you never use the DRM bits. (Of course some of it may not need to be loaded, but much will due to how closely intertwined DRM is with Vista)
But the change in structure of drivers and so forth is the major reason for Vista’s driver problems. Vista needs to be sure it can “trust” its hardware. And Vista demands that hardware notify it if things that might indicate an attempt at hacking (such as voltage spikes) occur.
You know what that means? Migraines for hardware manufacturers – hardware has to be designed specifically to keep Vista happy, and drivers are more complex. Firstly this means more expensive hardware. But it’s also less efficient hardware which means more energy consumption… to line the pockets of media companies? And same for the extra processing Vista requires.
I’m not going near Vista.
simply put, vista is a over Bloated monster.. the memory and resource requirements
are astonishing.. 512 megs just for Basic functionality.. memory isn’t cheap in rural areas.. over $100.00 for a 512 meg stick close to $200.00 for 1 gig.. hd’s over $100.00
os also $100.00 – $300.00..that’s $700.00 to $1,000.00 to upgrade.. Linux = free for
most distros and will run on existig hardware.. windows = no usB B oot.. linux can usB Boot.. usB hard drives are somewhat cheaper.. also linux low hardware overhead means you don’t have to Buy expensive memory.. I’m going with linux, having used vista, vista sux…
It’s not so much the DRM and Virtualization scheme itself that bugs the hell out of me, it’s the principle behind it: “guilty before proven innocent”. I pay a ridiculous $399 for an OS, and I STILL have to goddamn activate the POS? Microsoft, please take this shit thou hast spouted, and ram it back up your fat ass.
When I see talented programmers spending their time contributing to an OS that’s dedicated to freedom (most GNU/Linux variants), I can think of no other way to describe Microsoft than to call it a PIG. I dunno about you, but $399 is more than my monthly salary, and where I live, I’m already pretty well off.
Oh please, even OS X, with all its evils, costs only $129. Even taking account its proprietary hardware, that’s WAY better than Vista. What the heck is M$ thinking?
People in this debate/opinion forum seem to be lacking focus on one very important area >> COST!!
XP, one can buy a full retail version under 150 bucks, OEM under 100!! Now Vista Ultimate? retails no less than 350!! THATS 2 times the cost of XP..
Media center integrated into Ultimate? Big fk’n deal, ATI all in wonder card in XP BASICALLY the same thing..
VM’S? basically the same as XP..DRM’S please, this is all BS non factors really. The greater issues I beleive I am covering here
People have not dicussed the horrific networking of Vista here either. Forcing TCP/IP and dumping IPX was not a good idea.
Network configuration over simplistic to the point I consider it a security hole as do allot of other network experts.
XP frequently locks up when using IE7 for some reason. I have seen this on various machines.
But ok sure, its a new OS, we can expects bugs, THE PRICING FOLKS is the sole reason NOT TO MAKE THE MOVE TO VISTA!!
Their anti piracy WPA is a joke, making it much harder on legit users to reinstall and change HW around.. AND>>> HACKERS have already created virtual SLIC channeling, so now a pirate can activate any version of vista simply by emulating the OEM bios along with the cert key. BRAVO MS, your so called new anti piracy shit has already been defeated!! Not to mention spoofed KMS and the old SRM-REARM trick.
Bottom line, XP is better because it is stable, has full driver support and most importantly, IS OVER HALF THE PRICE OF VISTA ULTIMATE!!..
Did I also mention the NSA admits to helping MS develop Vista?
May I ask why a government intelligence agency helped develop an os for a private corporation?
People remember about 2 years the US government, some people were dicussing laws to allow the Gov to monitor everyone on the internet? Remember it was shot down publically?
now ask yourself again “why did the NSA help develop Vista”?
Here is the answer for you simplitons;
They are using Vista to monitor everyone, channeling a backdoor to the NSA.. Can I prove this? NO, can we see the source code, NO!!
last time, WHY DI THE NSA, a public government branch help a private corp, Microsoft, DEVELOP VISTA?
Peace, out!!
is the answer obvious enough to you yet?
I bought a new laptop the had Vista on it. Bought Vista office to get Powerpoint. Worked up a presentation presentation. Hooked up my Optoma video projector and… nothing. The projector searched but never found the signal. Then I went to Windows Vista website and found out that there are only about 8 projectors that are Vista certified! All the presentations on laptops that are done and now almost none of them will work with Vista? BTW, the new Vista Powerpoint is not backward compatible so all my work cannot be transfered to my XP machine and look the same. WOW!
Over all the years, while not a Microsoft apologist, I have generally liked Microsoft products. I have installed Beta versions of Windows 95, NT4.0, 98, Me, 2000 and XP. Every time, I couldn’t wait for the release date.
But with Vista, for the first time, I went back to my previous OS. I actually stopped using the Beta, because there were too many problems and I didn’t feel like trying to solve them all (turns out a couple aren’t solvable anyway because there are still no drivers). In fact, all of my computers will have driver issues with Vista of one kind or another.
Sure, there were some cool features like using a spare USB key for extra memory, but there was just something about the constant UAC popups and the fact that some software doesn’t work that just made me feel very uncomfortable.
So, I tried a Ubuntu Live CD to see what all the fuss was about. I have to admit, I am more intrigued by Ubuntu than I was by Vista. And it’s not like I have far to go since I already use Firefox, Thunderbird and OpenOffice on XP anwyay. I am now eagerly awaiting the Feisty Fawn release of Ubuntu and reading how to make things compatible with it.
In psychology, they talk about how emotional divorce precedes the actual divorce in a marriage. I think I’m there with Microsoft. I don’t think there’s anything they could do at this point to change that fact. I want a divorce!
And if Ubuntu lives up to the hype, I will start helping others to install it and use it, the way I used to when Windows was still hard to deal with.
“Umm…dude, have you even installed Vista? Oh wait, you’re an MCSE…suddenly this makes sense ”
Enough said: My personal favorite on this blog!
Vista sucks, period. I have used it on several machines at work, and by tomorrow, it will be gone from all of them. I wiped it off my computer yesterday and replaced with XP. Have an HP, pre-installed Vista, on our internet-isolated R&D network; today, it tells its user that it needs to “re-activate,” and gives choices of buying a new license, running with reduced functionality, etc. There were no hardware or software changes made to this machine, Vista was factory-installed and activated. I can’t run an OS that wants to “phone home” on a network with no net connection.
Oh yeah, during the several months I tested pre-installed Vista on my desktop, it cxrashed a MINIMUM of 3 times per day. I installed XP, wiped Vista, and reclaimed 50 GIGS of HD space (Vista wrote lots of stuff to disk when it crashed . I already run FreeBSD and OpenBSD servers, and I am trying to talk mnanagement into minimizing the number of Windows servers, moving to Linux and OS X on the desktops, and using a thin client approach for Windows-based server software. No way I can work with a product this flaky.
this blog rocks i love reading about how crappy vista is aint no way i’ll ever go near that os and i tell everyone i know to stay away from it also. Try out vector linux its sweet very fast and easy to use fastest linux i have used anyway.
When i first heard of vista i was really looking forward to it because of the visuals. Now after reading these reviews and actually trying vista i am now going to stick with my dell with xp until i have enough money for a MacBook Pro. if there are any Microsoft employees posing here tell bill gates to go FUCK HIMSELF and not put consumers through this shit he calls vista!!!
Microshit is definitely not the consumers friends and never was…I am HIGHLY suspect of any code written with the help of the NSA…we are living in the New World Order and the people who are in control will be the ultra-rich..such as Gates..how will they stay in Control? by cooperating with Goverment agencies desighned to limit and control freedom..where is most freedom expressed..on the internet…DRM…and all these other contraptions will be used under the hood if possible to fuck the worlds free and poor…
Hmmm, I can see that there are a lot of M$ spindoctors here who are still determined to force-feed the crappy-excuse-of-an-OS that Vi$ta is down people’s throats. Oh please, your slick marketing lingo isn’t fooling anyone Nick Rice–the Wow moments people are having over Vi$ta are “Wow, what a load of crap!” and “Wow, what a waste of money and time”.
It is simply not worth it to spend that much money and effort for an OS that is unstable when you can buy better alternatives for half that price. You can save yourself a lot of money–and headaches–by using XP, Linux or a Mac OS: aside from being cheaper and more stable than Vista, these operating systems also run more efficiently than the power and hardware-hungry Vi$ta. So you don’t have to chuck out all that hardware and buy more expensive parts, because your computer already works just fine with these operating systems.
M$ should just focus its time fixing crappy Vi$ta, and then work on creating a truly useful OS that really delivers–instead of exerting all its efforts hyping up and making sorry excuses for its products that do not give consumers what they paid for.
Vista sucks, I have to press the power button too many times because of program not responding. And it is their own software like MSN live and their own explorer. On XP all I do is bring up task manager, kill and start a new one. On Vista the power button seems to be the only option. What a piece of shit!!!
would anyone recommended Sony Dual Core laptop with Mac OS X? I also need to run XP as a virtual Machine so I can play some of the DirectX game. Right now I bought the laptop that come with Vista and I install VMWare/XP. I would love to give Mac OS a shot.
we live “down under”, I bought vista for the promises of a “better system”..
I am glad I am not hanging by my nuts for the valid system to arise…
I am totally pissed off, because not only with all the driver problems that were every way you turned for 95 % of my existing programs, but the imbeciles, won’t allow me to run my Visual Studio Pro 6, on the machine, nor will Visual Studio 2005, run the Visual Studio projects, unless I convert all my code.
WTF are they doing, do they sell a product, supposedly “advanced”, which does not have backward compatability with 99.99% of my existing software and in some instances hardware..
Typical Microsoft arrogance, a law unto themselves, legends in their own minds, arrogant deceptive thieves.?, I wonder.
They can shove their Vista,”down Under”, up theirs..
When they develope an acceptable attitude towards their clientelle, and produce a more valid and viable os , in the name of vista, then maybe they will gain back some of their loyal clientelle that abandoned them for the act of being abandoned by MS… Bend over Bill, and u betta brace yourself…
Vista is the most annoying os I have ever had, XP ME 95 etc. I have had very little luck installing any of my commonly used software on it. I wish there was a valid, strong competitor out there! Maybe it is time for a MAC
Well, people are clearly pissed. When people feel a real sense of loss or a lack of options, they tend to lose some of their perspective and grace. Many people feel like Vista is being crammed down their throats and that there is something terribly wrong with it, and perhaps even that there is “no going back” if MS gets away with it.
I will never personally purchase a copy of Vista, because I object to the company which I have given A LOT OF MONEY over the years treating its users like criminals or morons who need to be kept in line by force. The whole relationship of the user to the OS is wrong.
When you stop to consider the digital millennium copyright act, you will see the kind of junk law that never would have held up historically when we were a nation of laws, for the people, dedicated to a democratic world view. In effect, whoever produces content has usurped the right to legislate without appeal or over site or even explanation. In the case of the music industry, they have also usurped the authority to execute judgment. In other countries, there are agencies dedicated to protecting consumers existing fair use rights and interests. No more here. Junk law has been rammed through which considers only the interest of special interest lobbyists, with no checks or balances upon it. MS was never able to win in court what they have imposed by technical constraints. In time this becomes precedent and accepted. Consumers – you have to look out for yourselves now, because nobody else is minding the store. The fuddy dudies who make the law are clueless or corrupt.
DRM has become offensive, intrusive and compulsory. It interferes with legitimate use. Pay attention and make good choices. Blue ray disk? Just like the CD ROM itself, it did not take over the market because it was the best product or choice for consumers. It was introduced as a copy protection scheme. Yes, people get together and have meetings about these things and then tell us (the consumer) what we want. Educate yourselves.
Mac is an excellent (if expensive) alternative. Linux is an excellent alternative (if more geared towards the techies). A careful analysis of the costs involved in going Mac might surprise you though. It may just end up as a net savings.
The best software was developed in academic environment, as collaborative exercise, with peer review. This has been historically true and it is still true. Would mandatory DRM be included in such an open source project, especially if it interfered with legitimate use and made the system run like crap? Clearly not. Consumers are paying a price and business is paying a price, and furthermore democracy is paying a price. There is an unnoticed crisis brewing in US business today related to the expense and return on expense associated with IT. Companies like Microsoft are making this problem much worse. Other side effects include outsourcing. We need to think hard and carefully about how we are going to protect intellectual property, because clearly those who have been running the show thus far haven’t done an acceptable job.
After upgrading to vista from xp you can’t revert back because xp will not validate? What the hell is that about? Looks like you better have your mind made up once you take the plunge! Microsoft what your selling I ain’t buying!
I am looking to buy a new laptop so goodbye microsoft hello Mac! Oh by the way your an asshole!
Tahnks for posting