First, there is news that OEMs are still demanding XP for their customers:

While Microsoft is still pushing Vista hard, the company is quietly allowing PC makers to offer a “downgrade” option to buyers that get machines with the new operating system but want to switch to Windows XP.

The program applies only to Windows Vista Business and Ultimate versions, and it is up to PC makers to decide how, if at all, they want to make XP available. Fujitsu has been among the most aggressive, starting last month to include an XP disc in the box with its laptops and tablets.

Second, Vista still sucks for gaming:

I had thought that if I threw enough hardware at Windows Vista that I would get similar gaming performance to that of Windows XP – I was wrong.

Windows Vista went RTM back in November of last year and it was released to the public at the end of January and things have improved considerably over the intervening months. More Vista compatible hardware has been released and many companies have been continually releasing updated drivers in an attempt to squeeze as much power from the new OS as possible. However, testing seems to suggest that Vista has a long way to go to before it can match XP.

Over at the PC Doc HQ we’ve been carrying out some testing on the quad-core systems that we built a little while ago (parts list here). The testing that we carried out was relatively simple but proved (to us at any rate) that XP is still much better when it comes to gaming that Vista.

And lastly Microsoft is still breaking its promises of downloadable “extras” for Vista Ultimate users…

Tomorrow is the beginning of the fall and end of summer 2007. That means time is running out for Microsoft’s promise to release new extras to Vista Ultimate users.



  1. OhForTheLoveOf says:

    #17 – What are you laughing about? Even if Vista is broken, it still does more than any Apple OS.

    Apple can’t game. What else is there to say after that?

  2. ECA says:

    NOW,
    the hard part…
    TRYING to get this knowledge to the NON-Geeky…
    Try to get enough info into their little heads to make a PUNCH in the gut of MS.
    If we could make it known, well enough to others to understand, THAT vista ISNT a choice…that any DELL/HP/Compaq, with a All ready installed OS of Vista, ISNT a nice thing, and to call and TELL them that want an ALTERNATIVE…is the only way to let the market KNOW, that we KNOW, that THEY know, that we know, this is a PIECE of CRAP.

  3. Jane Quatam says:

    Apparently the Titanic has sprung a wee bit of a leak. While Vista is buggy, bloated, slow and expensive, it is also unnecessary. Pile this on to the other recent M$ successes like office 2007, IE7 and the wonderful new Zune2 (now available in BLACK!) and one could plot the future of the company on any interface that supports a downward spiral, like say a paper airplane fer instance.

    If you stick your finger in the socket once and you get shocked it could be an anomaly, but if you do it 5 times, I’m pretty certain you’ve got a trend forming.

    Microsoft is crapped out, intellectually, concept wise, SOL and the marketing department has caught the bug as well, hence such breakthroughs as the “squircle” on the new Zune2 – “the pain continues” line.

    As the sun slowly sinks in Redmond,we see Bill Gates in Silouette lighting a cigar with his last 100 dollar bill, is that a tear in his eye?

  4. Jay J says:

    As far as I can tell from my own personal experiences vista is just not worth it. In the fall of 2006 I purchased a new computer a dual core XP it was very exciting for me its the first computer Iv had with a dual core CPU with DDR2 RAM this PC made me say WOW this is awsome dual core DDR2! The only thing I could think was this is super nice for a XP. Ok now to the point in the second week in Feb. I went to the local wal-mart picked up vista home premium for $160 did a clean install my jaw dropped when I saw it using 800MB RAM just at the desktop WTF! hmmm… oh gee thats great its pegging both CPU cores at 100% WOW see I knew vista had a WOW that they advertised as in WOW this is a complete P.O.S. so being wise I found the recovery XP disc that I made and put the original OS back on now the RAM is roughly 300MB used and the CPU core at about 0-1% idle ok thats better. Why does vista need so much RAM just idling? No im not talking super fetched I mean actual usage. Why does my dual core AMD 3800+ hit 100% for no reason? Why does my hard drive constantly thrash? 2GB RAM should be enough right? with a 7600GT GPU.
    So I give vista another try a few weeks ago I purchased a extra 2GB RAM for a total of 4GB thats right 4GB RAM WOW WOW WOW! Also purchased a 8500GT 256MB GDDR3 for the DX10 I like to game.
    Lets do some math
    Vista $160
    Extra RAM $200
    DX10 card $110
    And its still junk pure garbage ITS NOT WORTH IT I STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS crazy cpu hoggish memory usage HD thrashing.
    Gaming is horrible even if I put in the 7600GT. Microsoft says it supports 4GB RAM get ready for another vista WOW when you discover 3.50GB total WOW WOW WOW.
    XP is back on my PC again I removed the extra 2GB ram you see XP only needs 1 or 2GB RAM to be happy and my 3800+ dual core has plenty of muscle. I will not be going back to vista. XP will be on this PC forever Im very upset with microsoft. Lot of money down the drain. I guarantee you my next computer will not have a microsoft OS on it!

    My honest thoughts VISTA is Windows ME with turd polish!
    Microsoft you have lost be as a customer. I hope you have fun with the money I gave you.

  5. Humpty Dumpty says:

    I have found a total cure for all Vista problems – I have wiped hard-drive and installed LINUX! The best yet, and as a free big bonus, I have also regained total control of my PC – without “Big Brother” watching every move!
    HD

  6. Narf says:

    Fuck Microsoft. Just Pirate the fuck out of XP Pro and tell Bill Gates how he can kiss your ass.


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