The Inquirer – Tuesday 30 January 2007:
VISTA WILL LAUNCH today with fanfare, parties, hypocrisy, hollow promises and tame reviews. For me, it is something different, it makes me sad.
MS will tell you that Vista is the next great thing in every way, it took billions of dollars to develop, millions of man-hours, and undoubtedly will be the best selling OS ever launched. The problem is that Vista brings almost nothing to the table that can’t be described by as three year old as “shiny”.
As I said before, to me this is a sad thing. Why? MS, possibly the richest most powerful and recognised company on the planet gave us Vista. They can buy governments to quash lawsuits, bend large companies with a mere audit, and co-opt technologies with the writ of a lawyer, and all we get is a shiny UI?
Vista could have been innovative instead of warmed over. Vista could have defended our rights instead of raping them. Vista could have been lean and mean instead of bloated and DRM slowed. Vista could have brought new ways of doing things instead of the same old same old. Vista could have been cheaper instead of a stealth price increase. Vista could have pioneered new ways of letting us use computers instead of activated tethers and licence problems. Vista could have been compatible and advanced standards instead of breaking software in the name of locking you in.
Guess what?
See why I am sad?
YAWN ……………………………
If software can make you sad, you have more problems than you think. Vista is what it is. Only you can control your emotions. I suggest actively seeking a method to rapidly discern what course of action you should take to regain your emotional control(s).
Vista doesn’t make me sad. I would be sad if Vista was the only alternative, but there isn’t. So as many already said, I hope Vista is the best ad for Open Source software, where there is some real innovation going on, at a very fast pace.
I will be keeping XP on my PC, and Ubuntu on a different one. Ubuntu is evolving fast, and hopefully will overtake Vista even in the ‘eye-candy’ area.
backwards compatibility MS can be breaking too many computers.
This will always stifle extreme innovation. Apple can afford to be a bit more aggressive, but not much. The so called security issues is the big issue to me. Have they patched enough exploits or only opened up more? There are some issues that may curb enthusiast appeal. Apparently the upgrades kills your old XP key so it can’t be activated again. This is bad if you have to remove Vista for driver issues.
2. “Vista is what it is.”
Yeah, why have expectations for corporations? Or governments. Or people. Let’s just sit around control our emotions. Live long and prosper!
I follow this whole Vista-bashing thing with a bit of humor. Many if not most of the complaints about Vista are from people who aren’t the primary customer base for the software anyway. All the non-techie beta testers who I spoke to about Vista loved it.
Has Apple suffered in sales from agressive file management and controls in iTunes? People will pay for functionality and convenience.
5. “All the non-techie beta testers who I spoke to about Vista loved it.”
Yeah, and unfortunately the masses also love reality shows, boy bands, and gas guzzlers.
I think the problem a lot of us are having is that Microsoft appears to be turning its back on us techies. We’re the guys who sat out waiting for Win95. We’re the ones who bought every release. Well, until WinME came out. But by then us techies moved on to W2K, after dual booting with NT4, of course..
Now with product activation Microsoft is making it hard for people who build their own systems. I’ve said this before, I get the impression that Microsoft would prefer if we just switched to linux.
And I openly admit, we’re a niche market, so why not use a niche OS? But we’re also the guys (and gals) who fix the computers of our friends and family. We’re the guys (and gals) who make recommendations. We’re the guys (and gals) who set trends, not follow them. I think Microsoft is making a big mistake by brushing us aside.
#1 nailed it.
“I hate Vista…”
The minute a new game comes out, requiring DirectX10 (which is VISTA only) is the time most will “upgrade” because they want to play that game.
Thats what is sad. Everyone will take the DRM, the “update and remove” processes, and all the other Hyperbole the minute an application, game, or programming environment requires it.
Why is it that change is bad? Why is it we become so locked into our own little world that we forget there are other options?
Why is it we (as a user base) can find ourselves in this predicament?
Because change is bad apparently. It is the only answer I can come up with – but it does explain why we still have cars that run on Petroleum, the RIAA, the MPAA, and all the other ‘wonderful’ things we are stuck with.
Linux is an alternative. Not a good alternative, but a different one.
It just can’t play the “newest” whatever.
So MS will succeed in getting its DRM laden, buggy as beans software out into the environment.
Because “Change is bad….m’kay?”
You have a much better option BUY OSX!!!!
So, correct me if I am in error: I can purchase OSX and install it to my PC?
Is this what you are saying?
Is that a picture of Tiny Tim or his look-a-like in REM? Shiny Happy Vista People indeed!
“So, correct me if I am in error: I can purchase OSX and install it to my PC?
Is this what you are saying? ”
No, like most if not all Apple fanatics a measly 2 or 3 grand is a pittance for the joy of running OSX even if it requires new hardware. “rolls eyes at elitist apple fanatics”
On a personal note I fell for that apple BS line, after way to much money spent and months of frustration I finally got rid of it.
Microsoft really is in a lose lose situation, but they are gonna make mad money either way, it doesnt really make me sad, its interesting, but until i buy a new computer or get a new processor for my computer i wont be switching to Vista. All i know that i expected for the whole technological community to gang up on poor defenseless Vista. so no surprise there.
Lets see…
What is an OS for?
Running programs.
Running games,
Keeping in touch in the net.
Designing things, painting,
What has happened, is MS has designed a structure, that you Program FOR/UNDER Vista…NOT into it as the other OS’s do.
Vista has become a Environment, and a Programming language.
Superb Marketing.
They now OWN the OS, the Programming language and the environment, AS WELL as the distribution/sales of ANY software that will come out on their product.
They have Pulled away from the herd,a nd Made their OWN world.
Who will jump on/in, who will UNWILLINGLY be drafted??
Will and when, will Linux comeup and keep up with the NEW chipset?
Purchased Vista online at windowsmarketplace.com, upgraded my machine in 2 hours, and guess what:
IT ROCKS!!! Congratulations Redmond, a fine job 🙂
I find it funny that all the people bashing Vista either:
1. Never tried it
2. Are Linux or OSX users
3. Are hopeless fanboys
4. Hopeless loosers who keep downloading pirated software then complain it doesn´t work
It saddens me how square you are. Our era is all about new technology. To sit in one side throwing rocks at the other is to embrace ignorance.
I use it all: Vista, XP, Ubuntu, Fedora, OSX, IE7, Opera, MS Office, Open Office, you name it. I am an informed person.
Bottom line, I like Microsoft products and I believe they face enormous challenges being the giant that they are.
I love their competitors because they force Microsoft to come up with even more brilliant tech.
Now, when you spend your time in forums telling people how you only use Ford cars, one can only forgive you for thinking Ford invented the wheel… catch my drift? It´s people like you that prevent an informed world.
Why is it that ‘for some reason’ PRETTY sells in this country.
If you cut the 90% security processes, that protect the RIAA, MPAA, and other corps, as well as the Propritary Interface, so that OTHERS may program for it….
WOW, you might have a decent environment..
This $hit keeps up, eventually M$ will decide to have us pay monthly rental fees to keep an OS going. Then they’ll *really* have us by the short and curlies.
Haha!
Found something to be happy about with Vista. I found good market share data.
XP has 74.3%
Other versions of windows have 21.6%
Linux has 2.5%
OS X has 1.6%
Apple shill source: http://tinyurl.com/3dzu4c
So my guess is, in the last 72 hours, Vista has already surpassed OSX in market share terms.