What used to be Microsoft’s mysterious “Project Longhorn,” has evolved into the soon-to-be-released Windows Vista. As this new OS is being preped for launch, many questions have been asked amoung consumers. First off, What is so speacial about Vista? Why should I purchase a new Vista capable PC? Microsofts description of their new OS doesn’t put our minds at rest. They just claims that it will be the “most secure” Windows OS yet. The only other features that are claimed by Vista are Internet Explorer 7, Sidebar, Voice Regonitions, and more stability and security. So the question is out there, Why Vista?
I was at a tech conference in the late spring where Microsoft gave a demo of Vista and tried to tell us how much it would improve our lives. After the laughter died down, Microsoft (one of their VPs of something or other) was unable to explain exactly why Vista was needed. The biggest changes are in the graphics (hence the need for a powerhouse graphics card) but I can’t see the need or use of this in the business environment. All the security stuff could easily be done as patches to XP, Explorer, etc.
I agree about waiting for the bugs to be fixed. Windows seems to be highly unstable before the first service pack is released. I thought that is what Beta testing was for?
As for the Mac fans, it’s very true that Mac is more stable, however, I personally find the Windows environment more programmer/developer friendly. Maybe in some irony Window’s ability to crash has to do with it’s easy to develope, in other words its greatest strenght is also its weakness.
Dude, Mac OS X comes with an IDE right in the OS, including Objective C, Java, etc. No need to even buy any other software, plus all the usual gnu tools that come from the BSD side of things.
If you think it’s easier to develop an application in windows than in Mac OS X, then you’ve never programmed in Mac OS X. Honestly, that’s not an insult, it’s just ignorance.
I can, with a clean install of Mac OS X, have a simple application programmed, compiled and run in 5 minutes.
You can’t do that in windows, you need to buy extra stuff, install extra stuff, and you’re stuck with unportable code.
So you think that Windows is insecure because of two things:
it’s popular
the users are stupid
And that’s it? nothing else?
How about the design of windows? How about the fact that a website can modify files on your computer without your permission? That’s neither of the above, is it?
How exactly is Windows Vista going to change any of that?
It’s true that I have a very limited programming experience in Mac and I’m definately not saying that Windows is a better OS. I know it’s unreliable. I spend more time fixing PCs than I do programming. As for software, MS has nothing going for it. Mozilla proved how unsecure, unstable, and how inefective MS software (Internet Explorer, I’m generalizing) can be.
But in all fairness I wasn’t trying to defend Windows. I was simply stating that IF Windows Vista was as secure as MS says it will be, THEN EVEN THOUGH the OS is reliable, the popularity of the OS will make it more likely to be targeted for malware and the human stupidly factor comes into play when they unknowingly download malware.
Trust me, I know that Windows has its many bugs. I have really considered getting a Mac for college, but I still like the familiarity and compatability of PCs (MS software compatable with other PCs).
Back on the subject of Windows Vista, I assume that you think it’s a little to late for MS to release a working OS.
How do you think the adverage consumer (knowing very little about PCs/Mac) will react?
How will MS sales fare?
The average consumer couldn’t care less - they just take whatever is bundled with the computer. How many computers do you see for sale with no OS - and where the consumer has to choose an OS?
Just came back from PG, standing looking over some of the parts with the laptop display to my back at Future Shop; a crowd aroud a $499 P.O.S. laptop, obscure maker & puny screen:
*we could use a good one like that to do our company books on!
does it come with Microsoft Office? My kid needs Office for school (kid is like 13)
(favorite:)My God do we have to spend that much just to get a laptop?
*
I run three Linux boxes at home and my kid has an XP Pro box …I hate maintaining the windows box.
I will always choose some type of *nix over Windows (Linux, FreeBSD, OS X)
I have been a PC user since as long as i remember but lately my computer has become quite sluggish and i constantly update and runn spyware removal apps and keep my registry as clean as possible. i have not liked microsoft since XP, wich is why i am still running win 2000
i hate windows XP with the constant pop upps like " your computer might be at risk" blagh blagh. it sounds more like george bush then an opperating system. i do know how to fix a computer i dont needed to be treated like one of those people that calls IT everyday
A couple of weeks ago me and my girlfriend were up at the compusmart in terrace looking at the iMacs and the macbooks and trying out the apps that come with them i made my mind up right then and there. macs are not the expensive proprietary boxes they used to be, as soon as i have the money saved im getting a 20inch iMac. They just work its plain and simple.
and im sure that soon (and when i say soon i mean 5 years) microsoft will finally release vista cause everytime apple puts out a new version of osx, microsoft has to stop and go back to their photocopiers
Yeah, although I’m pretty sure Windows XP itself has only crashed on me a few rare times over the past 3 years or so, I have been able to CTRL ALT DEL to restart the explorer.exe service. On the other hand I have had several worms, viruses, etc in the same period. I’ll bet Windows Vista to be comparably vulnerable. It seems different AV applications will detect different things… I’ve been running Symantec.Norton products for a while now, and recently decided to try McAfee for a change. McAfee found a worm immediately after installing. I’ve also tried Kapersky’s or whatever, which is also better than Norton IMO.
Sometime later this year when I upgrade to an LG775 platform, (Conroe or otherwise) I’ll try out a MacOSX install. I’ve never been able to try it.
How long has XP been out? It’s only now really maturing. The last 5 years have been a beta test
Microsoft’s between a rock and a hard place with Vista.
Release it now and it will be absolute shit, full of bugs, full of holes, and no real reason for corporate customers to upgrade. A lot of corporate customers never upgraded from W2K to XP, so what does Vista have to offer for $400 a pop?
On the other hand, if they take their time to get it right, introduce some of the features they said it would have (where’s the new filesystem they were talking about a year ago? Have they dropped it?), then people will complain that it’s taking too long.
So either release a piece of crap and face the complaints, or take the time to make it better and face the complaints. Either way, we’re going to complain.
