Skip the navigation
)
Opinion

The Trouble with Vista

It isn't the features you can see in Vista, or the lack thereof -- it's the priority shift at Microsoft's core

February 1, 2007 12:00 PM ET

Computerworld - When you make a decision, what sways you -- cogent rationalization or what your gut tells you?

I'll tell you what I believe in: real-world, hands-on research. And lots of it. I want to know every facet of a new product or technology before I judge it. I want to try it for myself. Run it through different situations. Measure how it reacts to different conditions, and record how I and others react to those things.

This doesn't work so well for cookware, mobile phones or large-screen TVs, because you won't get the real-world scenario in the showroom. But it works for automobiles pretty well if you're persistent about getting a decent test drive or two. And it especially works for computer software if you're a beta tester. My first copy of Windows Vista came to me in late 2003, and I can't even count the number of builds I tested before the gold code arrived in late November. I have spent hundreds of hours testing Vista.

In the end, though, my decision arrives from my gut. I do the objective and subjective research and wait to see what my unseen, unknown jury says. It's something like a Magic 8 Ball, except that unlike the 8 Ball, I've come to trust it.

The only problem is that even after all that research on Vista, my inner 8 Ball keeps saying, "Reply hazy, try again." How could that be?

What's Wrong with Vista?

At least 80% of the changes in Windows Vista are positive. Microsoft took the extra time to smooth over some of the speed bumps noticeable in the prerelease builds of the operating system. You can't fault the software giant for lack of effort with Vista's development process.

The graphics improvements, both in terms of hardware support and how the software takes advantage of that hardware, change the user interface in scores of subtle and overt ways, all of them positive. The single best advantage of Vista is that ergonomically, it's easier and just plain more satisfying -- at the gut level -- to use.

On the other hand, nothing about Vista is truly innovative or compelling. With the exception of security (and we don't know yet whether Microsoft's security changes will be enough to significantly change the Windows experience), there's no transformational, gotta-have-it feature in Vista.

This is why computer software reviewers, though mostly positive, have struggled to put their fingers on exactly why they're positive. To use the '90s vernacular, there's no killer feature; yet for the most part, most people will prefer Vista over XP once they've had a chance to live with Vista for a while.

Make no mistake, either: Windows Vista will be a success. Two years from now, it may be a roaring success. Even Windows ME -- the most embarrassingly uninspired version of Windows since Windows 2.0 -- was a relative financial success for Microsoft. Vista makes Windows ME look like somebody's "Hello World" experiment.

So how come Vista doesn't pass my gut check? Vista has become the version of Windows I just can't get excited about. I was far more excited about Windows ME because I hated it. I don't even hate Vista. I'm just supremely tired of it.



What is Tech Briefcase?
TechBriefcase is a new, free service where IT Professionals can Search, Store and Share IT white papers and content like this. Learn more
Bookmark content
Speed up your research efforts with content across the web.
Search and Store
Find the white papers you need. Create folders for any topic.
View Anywhere
Open your briefcase on your iPhone, tablet or desktop. Share with colleagues.
Don't have an account yet?
Additional Resources
Security KnowledgeVault
WHITE PAPER
Security is not an option. This KnowledgeVault Series offers professional advice how to be proactive in the fight against cybercrimes and multi-layered security threats; how to adopt a holistic approach to protecting and managing data; and how to hire a qualified security assessor. Make security your Number 1 priority.

Read now.

Cut Communications Costs Once and for All
WHITE PAPER
New IP-based communications systems are being deployed by small and midsized businesses at a rapid rate. Learn how these organizations are enabling faster responsiveness, creating better customer experiences, speeding office or mobile interactions, and dramatically reducing existing communications costs.

Read now.

Operating Systems White Papers
Ready Your Enterprise for the Next Generation of Client Computing
Data is now accessed via physical and virtual desktops, laptops and mobile devices. IT organizations struggle to control and manage the widening pool...
Consolidating Lotus Domino x86 Workloads on IBM Power Systems
Read the white paper to learn how moving up to Lotus Domino 8.5 and consolidating with IBM Power Servers can help you boost...
A Comparison of PowerVM and VMware vSphere (4.1 & 5.0) Virtualization Performance
This technical white paper presents benchmark results showing greater VM consolidation ratios than demonstrated in previous benchmarks and demonstrating the extent of the...
How Nimsoft Service Desk Speeds Deployment and Time to Value
For years, many support teams have been hamstrung by their traditional service desk platforms, which require complex, time-consuming coding for virtually every aspect...
Practice Management: Double Billing Rate and Improve Patient Services
Would you like to double your billing rate and achieve faster payment for services?

Download this customer success story to see how One Health...
All Operating Systems White Papers
Operating Systems Webcasts
Best Practices in Monitoring VMware
The benefits of virtualization are unassailable: increased agility, scale, and cost savings to name a few. However, so too are the monitoring challenges...
Distributed Database Security with Real-time Monitoring
View this demo and learn how IBM InfoSphere Guardium database activity monitoring can help protect your sensitive data in distributed DBMS environments with...
InfoSphere Warehouse Packs Demo
These flash modules make warehousing more tangible and relevant to business users through detailed explanations of the InfoSphere Warehouse Packs.
Delivery Management -- Extending Lifecycle Management
Date: Wednesday, June 20, 2012, 1:00 PM EDT

Siloed organizations continue doing the wrong things and doing things wrong, leading to increased costs,...
Leverage automation today to reduce IT complexity
Date: Tuesday, June 5, 2012, 2:00 PM EDT

Whether your B2B complexity is caused by multiple technologies due to M&A, business or application specific...
All Operating Systems Webcasts
Newsletter Sign-Up

Receive the latest news test, reviews and trends on your favorite technology topics

Choose a newsletter
  1. View all newsletters | Privacy Policy
IT Jobs