At this point, with the drastically reduced feature set, I can’t see why I’d want it at all, especially with all the DRM.
How Much Is Windows Vista Really Worth?
Much has been said about how ungodly expensive Windows Vista is going to be, but what is it really worth? While software is rarely priced based on what it actually does, I figured I’d take a unique approach toward figuring out the real value of Vista, with a feature-by-feature analysis of how much the upgrades are worth to the user. Are there other ways to get the same features? How much do alternatives cost? Here’s my blow by blow analysis of Vista’s new features and what they’re really worth:
* Windows Aero – $20 – The new interface is pretty and all, but what’s a bunch of fancy windows and 3-D effects really worth? Well, about 20 bucks, based on existing software like WindowBlinds, which lets you snazz up your GUI with eye candy. Though Aero doesn’t actually do anything, it’s still the most anticipated part of Vista and 20 bucks sounds about right for it. I’m also including the new version of DirectX in here.
I have to agree with one poster, anyway: no matter how much MS charges for Vista, it will still be cheaper than trying to keep OSX current. The usual Apple apologists always say “but you don’t HAVE to upgrade!”. Yeah, right. I love my Macs, and I love OSX, but Apple’s upgrade policy sucks a big one. Corporate greed at its worst.
More to the subject, no matter what anybody says about Vista, we’ll all eventually be using it in some way or another. What OS will 99% of all new computers be shipped with, after all?
General Motors is probably purple with envy. They’ve been using planned obsolescense as a business model for 50 years, but MS has perfected it. Think ALL those bugs in MS products are unintentional? Yeah, just like GM can’t make a water pump that doesn’t break.
That’s an intresting article but misses the keypoint, without Windows API you can’t run any of these neat alternatives and in my case I can’t play indie games or emulators.
So I think Vista is worth 99€, that’s what I paid for my Xbox that runs a bunch of emulators 😀
I won’t be using Vista unless I run into it at work. I will be switching to Linux. Apple and Microsoft can byte my shiny hiney.
Won’t migrate to Vista. Just like #3, I’m going to move to Linux. OS X is nice, but switching to Apple would just be a change of dope dealer. So, to answer the question… Zero.
MS would have to pay me to use it. Eventually I’ll probably use it at work.
You have about a year after a new Windows release before the small annoying things put the pressure on to upgrade. I doubt MS will be encouraging software and hardware vendors to maintain a maximum effort to maintain XP compatibility. You will see new software releases, including games, with not all functionality available on XP.
My cost to upgrade is more than just the cost for Vista. My two year old 2.8 GHz super-computer does not meet the minimum hardware requirements.
Plus I don’t value most of those features that MS embeds. Mail? I don’t use desktop mail anymore. Nor do I use anti-virus or anti-spammers, and I really can’t stand DRM. I have google picasa for photo management, google desktop for widgets, and Open Office for word processing, etc.
Everything on that whole list of stuff either XP does for me now, or i don’t want.
and I always turn off all of the eye candy, so i don’t want that from Vista either.
The only thing that will make me want to switch over is DX10, if it never gets released for XP.
The original post ended up with “The final tally: $133”
My final tally didn’t come close to break even. MS heavy DRM made an overload on the negative side. (And I am not cheating MS for anything).
I won’t use the mail part. I use Thuderbird. Photogallery? Picasa.
I have to admit, I’ve been an upgrade junkie all my computer life. It’s been fun, but costly. Most of the time I’ve enjoyed it.
But I’m not excited about Vista. As for now it’s a no need upgrade. So would I fork out $259 for Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade DVD-Rom? Me thinks N O T ! It’s an OS for crying out loud.
And yes, I’d prefer the version with a complete set of bells and whistles.
MS made sure to name the $99.95 version Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Upgrade DVD-Rom. Did anyone say Windows Vista Wheelchair For Pussies?
And with all the DRM MS is shipping their products with, I’d assume there will be no piracy what so ever. And with the pricetag, it’ll probably double, triple or more MS’ revenue. Yeah, right. MS is sooooo hurting, so they need it for sure.
I have two machines running different flavors of Linux. I’m glad I have alternatives 🙂
This upgrade is worth much less than the article indicates. My Linux distro does all this for free:
http://www.ubuntu.com/
I don’t understand how people compare the cost of upgrading OS X to a single purchase of windows vista. Vista works on exactly one computer, but my understanding is that an OS X license entitles one to run it on 5 computers in the household. How is that more expensive?
OSX should cost more: It’s years ahead of Vista.
Mac OS X 10.4.6
(Single User)
$129.00
Family Pack
(5 license)
$199.00
Xcode 2.4: a recommended update for all Xcode users. It requires Mac OS X 10.4.x.
ILife: Mac OS X v10.3.9 or Mac OS X v10.4.3 or later; Mac OS X v10.4.4 recommended
IWork: Mac OS X 10.3.9 or 10.4.3 or later
Norton Antivirus: Mac OS X v. 10.3.x or later
Quicken: Mac OS X v10.3.9, 10.4.5 or later
Photoshop Elements: Mac OS X v10.3 or 10.4
Toast: Mac OS X v10.3.9 or later
Etc etc etc and so on and so on. Open source for Mac tends to be even worse… on a par with Linux O/S (i.e. dependency HELL.)
Say what you will about MS (and I do) the latest dev stuff still works under my 7 year old copy of W2K.
OSX is more like a subscription than a purchase… you can miss a version here and there, but within a dozen months or so, you WILL have to upgrade if you want to get in on the latest and greatest software releases.
Scam.
– Mac OS… $130 for one user, $200 for 5 users. (Vista approx. $400 for 1 user)
– real Mac updates, (not just fixing a encyclopedia of bugs and holes as in windows)… are free
– Real improvements in Mac OS operation are available almost every year as opposed to waiting indefinitely for a windows upgrade.
– Mac OS is always current. Microsoft watches Apple for improvements and tries to copy them. By the time they do, Mac is 2 generations ahead. That’s why Vista is taking so long. It will never catch up.
-In a real comparison, a Mac user need only upgrade once in 4 years to equal a Windows upgrade benefit. It is not a necessity to upgrade every year, but it IS an option. A new Mac user will always start with an advanced new OS, whereas a Windows user gets antiquation and 5 repair CD’s.
– It doesn’t crash
– It isn’t plagued by viruses
– It isn’t plagued by spyware
– It has the most intuitive interface
– it runs windows, for the poor slobs who have to.
#11, Matthew, you’re spot on. I don’t know how Apple handles their rights managment (I only have one PowerBook, running Panther), but to upgrade all five of the Windows boxes in my house puts Vista out of reach. Looks like I’m going to have to spend the time to get familiar with (*shudder*) Linux, and last time I looked (Red Hat 7.2) it sure wasn’t ready for prime time.
OSX is more like a subscription than a purchase…
And XP hasn’t become the same, with constant security updates? At least Apple is honest in the need to frequently update the OS.
Why pay M$ when OpenSuse has XGL (same as aero) for free. As well as Beagle desktop search and other widgets.
Problem for me is that much that comes with too much stuff I wont use. I do professional print graphics and DVD authoring and just will never use those solutions. I also dont care about Aero, except for the fact it looks nice- I didnt buy my system to make the desktop look cool… I did it to get my work done. I’ll be XP’ing a while longer.
I want a $99 version with the base OS almost none of the apps.
Except Minesweeper UPGRADED! That’s cool!
no thanks…I’ll stick with my Mac.
@#15…
“- It doesn’t crash” What’s this thing called a kernel panic that I keep hearing about?
“- It isn’t plagued by viruses” Yet.
“- It isn’t plagued by spyware” Yet.
“- It has the most intuitive interface” Except for people who are used to Windows. Or Linux. It took me weeks before I realized that the X doesn’t close the program. That’s counterintuitive to me.
“- it runs windows, for the poor slobs who have to.” And what does this tell you? Furthermore, isn’t this a hardware comment? OSX does not run Windows. Apple hardware runs Windows… sort of.
I don’t mean to get into a Windows vs. OSX debate, as I have both and love my Mac just as much as any of my Windows machines. I find neither OSX nor XP to be overarchingly superior on all fronts as an OS. Apple bundles better apps, yes, but that doesn’t make the OS better. Or worse.
Just different.
you could not pay me enough for me to put it on one of my computers.
I thought the price had to be so high because of all the ‘pirating’. Now that they can stop Windows bootlegs, the price will go down, right? HA! Jokes on you, that ‘bootleg’ noise is crock no matter who uses it.
Why does this OS cost almost the same amount as an XBOX360, what’s up with that?
Its not that XP and Vista are expensive, it is that OSX and Linux are discount products….
You get what you pay for…
Doug,
You may want to revisit the specs… Most of my main system (except for a couple of drives), is 2-3 years old and it runs Vista RC1 just fine, full areo glass effects and all. (and the vid card is one of the oldest components) So I truly doubt yours doesn’t meet the min specs, it might not meet the specs for Areo Glass effects, but it should still run Vista just fine. Take another look at the specs
(My system is base on a Atholon XP 3200+ (2.2 ghz), My slower laptop meets the min specs, but not the specs for the areo glass effects, and when Vista is finalized I’m sure Both of them will be running Vista, and I’m sure your 2 year old system which you say is a “super-computer” will run it just fine as well.
I dont know…
I wouldnt Touch anything by MS for at least 1 year after release.
I know there will be bugs, and Every hacker in the world will be looking for the holes.
AND we know MS installed them.
This is Just the same as the Xbox360…to MUCh protection to do much good.
after you add in all the protections, and all the defences, and windows can only run WINDOWS backed/distributed programs, what do you get? something that needs/REQUIRES 2 gigs of ram, 512 meg video, and 6+gig of HD just to run windows. Add a few other games, programs and options…And it will STILL be a slug.
Slug=Large snail with arm pits.
sorry to bring up the past, But I STILL had a computer that BEAT win 95 on a P150….and it was a 35mhz machine and was #1 in performance for 10 years BEFORE 1995-1998.
That old system did FULL video production and rendering.
Well, I’m finally satisfied with XP. All the patches seem to have cured whatever ailed it. Although it does seem to run slower, I can live with that.
I won’t be thinking of another OS until I build another computer and that will be probably end up being Linux.
I tried the Vista beta and there is nothing in it that would convince me to “upgrade” to that featureless product.
XP is OK, as long as you use the “normal” Windows Classic theme, rather than the slow, ugly “clown nose” XP theme, and disable all the UI “effects” that slow the interface (the UI animations, shadowing, that sort of stuff). The new Vista GUI will probably have the same problems, with the same fixes required.
I don’t like the OSX UI and the Linux window managers I’ve seen, for similar reasons. Motif wasn’t bad, and neither was the original Mac interface. Simple is good.
Vista is all about what is going on behind the scenes.
Writing a kernel from scratch is a major engineering feat.
There isn’t a company or group in the world that can match Microsoft.
In the past with Microsoft, is that they would add many features, that we never asked for, then bashed Microsoft when those added features cause bugs & problems.
Activex, DHTML – wonderful inventions – from scratch. What imagination.
Yet we bash Microsoft for a functionality that changed the life for many businesses and the web as we know it.
Same thing with Vista – yet the aproach from day 1 – security first.
Meaning you don’t log in as ROOT on a Linux box to run a game or OpenOffice. Same thing for Vista, you are NOT an administrator.
Yet, your game has to work. Your applications have to work.
Yes, paying 200$ for a new PC for XP or Vista, is perfectly ok.
Trust me, when a dual-core 3Ghz 2gig RAM and a 100g HD only costs 499$ with Vista included, you will get a new PC, never upgrade an existing PC.
Upgrading a PC to VISTA makes absolutely NO SENSE whatsoever.
You do a FORMAT C: and start over from scratch. And waste 5 hours of your life.
Instead you WILL buy a new whizz-bang PC with Vista pre-loaded and ready to rock.
I already see large corps leasing computers, laptops, servers for only 24 months.