Some Thoughts On Windows Vista

Microsoft's new operating system is called Windows Vista. It represents a significant milestone for the software manufacturer.

I've been running it for the past couple of months and have come to a number of conclusions which may shock and awe many of you.

1. Windows Vista is stable. I did not have any issues with the stability of the OS or its components. When an application which had been installed had an issue, it never resulted in my needing to reboot the computer.
2. Windows Vista is slow. I have a cutting edge laptop with dedicated graphics, plenty of memory and more. All of that was useless against Windows Vista which was far less responsive than Windows XP.
3. Windows Vista has some nice features. I did like the fact that search is tightly integrated into the whole UI. I also appreciated the ReadyBoost feature which allows you to use an external memory device to supplement your PC and cache some memory for you. That said, in my experience, it didn't seem to make a difference as I have 2 GB of memory installed already.
4. Windows Vista is pretty. The new Aero Glass user interface is very attractive. It doesn't add any real value to the end user but it's nice to look at.
5. Windows Media Center... I'm a big fan of this application and instead of maintaining a separate OS with this application, it's included in the Home Premium and Ultimate versions of Windows Vista. With a compatible TV tuner/capture device, your computer can act as a DVR and keep you connected to your media.

In conclusion, I think that Windows Vista is an incremental improvement to Windows XP. If you're happy with Windows XP, then you shouldn't bother with the upgrade. Keep in mind that when you buy a new computer, the chances are very good that it's going to come with Vista pre-installed and that's not a bad thing because an older computer just isn't going to be able to handle all of Vista's new capabilities.

Personally, I've already uninstalled Windows Vista and gone back to XP but that's only because I have a handful of applications that aren't compatible with Vista at this time.