Vista’s death march picked up some pace after a metrics researcher revealed that nearly 35 per cent of PCs built to run the Windows operating system have been downgraded to XP.
In a survey of more than 3,000 computers, performance testing software developer Devil Mountain Software estimated that more than one in three new machines had either been downgraded by vendors such as Dell, or by customers once they bought the PC…
That’s a damning verdict on an OS that Microsoft still wants frustrated customers to love.
The software beast has already admitted it made some pretty big mistakes with Vista. Now, after trying some heavy duty marketing, Microsoft has finally conceded it’s high time to move on by explaining how MS will engineer Windows 7.
I left the wonderful world of Microsoft OS’ three years ago. Never looked back.
#31 – Have you tried turning UAC back on once you got your computers all set up?
No… What is the advantage? I understand UAC as a security measure and all of my security is controlled by third party apps.
#31 “For home users the biggest change is mostly the added security.”
You’re kidding, right? I made a regular user account for my young daughter on Vista (running AV, AS, FW, etc.) and within days it had 1100 infected files and a root kit on it. Due to the stupid kernel restrictions MS laid on Sec companies (including the anemic kernel APIs) I had to get the root kit out by hand.
So, still waiting for a list of REAL benefits…
#35
UAC alerts you any time any software requests admin privileges, just like all other major OS’s have done for years. The idea is that it can protect your system from malicious software that hasn’t been identified yet. If you’re surfing the internet or you put in a music CD with a rootkit and suddenly UAC pops up without you doing anything you can click cancel and it wont allow the malicious software to run.
It’s not perfect, but it is a major security improvement.
#36
I hate to be rude, but I don’t really believe you since I know from your other comments that you’ve got some sort of irrational hate for Vista.
I really wish people would stop bringing up bogus claims like that story about Microsoft not working with security companies. That story was never true to begin with.
#37 I could care less what you think. I’ve forgotten more about PC security than you’ve ever known.
Have you looked at the APIs in question. Have you worked with MS during the dev of Vista security?
Thought not.
#39
Well, do you have any proof that Microsoft hasn’t worked with security companies? Any articles that show that detection rates are worse on Vista? Last I checked every major virus scanner was available and fully functional under Vista.
Its just really hard for me to believe you when I haven’t seen any of these issues working around 80 or so Vista machines for the last several months, and I’ve been using it at home since the commercial launch.
I’m tired of the all the Vista FUD.
I downgraded my new Dell from Vista to XP Pro for two reasons. Vista kept blue screening on me. Toward the end it blue screened four times in one week. Also, I realized I would have to spend hundreds of dollars to upgrade some of the development tools I use to Vista compatible versions with no other benefit other than running on Vista. It took a while to locate all the XP drivers, but was worth in in the end. XP also runs much faster on my computer.
I also have this computer dual-booting into Ubuntu, but the poor video performance (I mean movies and TV shows) has kept me from migrating full-time. It’s too bad because Ubuntu has the eye candy as well as the performance.
#39 “Last I checked every major virus scanner was available and fully functional under Vista.”
Except the root kit detection is almost non-existent now.
“Well, do you have any proof that Microsoft hasn’t worked with security companies?”
Sure, study the security APIs vs. kernel access under XP.
Transferring files to a Palm PDA is busted in Vista, and Palm has not released a fix. There’s another big reason not to upgrade. My son is in the process of backing up his stuff in preparation of downgrading this weekend.
Look back at what an OS is supposed to be…a platform that allows you to run your applications. Vista does not add anything most users need or want, such as performance or an easier UI.
IMO, the new Vista start menu is a train wreck, and the “browser-like” dialog boxes are goofy, and why in fsck does the file open/save dialog need a place for urls? A redesign that solves nothing other than the MS Office agenda.
Vista’s a witch! Turned me into a newt. Burn her!!!!
tcc3, did you get better? And does Steve Ballmer weigh the same as a duck?
#28 – Else
>>The hardest part for most people has actually
>>been Office 2007.
Office 2007 does nothing that 2003 didn’t do, other than introduce a new, incompatible file format, an absurd “ribbon” interface that takes all the familiar element of 2003 and hides them, and hogs resources.
Vista does nothing that XP didn’t do, other than introduce an onerous DRM “security” system, a stupid translucent interface (which everybody turns off right away), takes all the familiar XP elements, and hogs resources.
I bought a “Vista ready” laptop, and slogged along with the shitty OS and the shitty Office suite for a while. I dumped both, and installed XP and Office 2003, and the machine is screaming like a banshee. Supersonic. I still have Vista/ Office 2007 on another machine, and when I use it, it feels like trying to swim through molasses.
Most people aren’t interested in buying a quad core overclocked machine with 12G of memory just to do what they could do with XP/ Office 2007 with 1/12th the resources.
#45 Well said!
Vista is more secure. Vista plays better with more cores. Vista 64 seems to be growing at an increasing rate.
For the end user who isn’t into eye candy that is about it.
It is stable and works well with the new stuff.
I’ve seen more software kicking out Win 98 and expect the same is happening with 2000. XP should still work with just about anything. No need to rush.
The HDCP and Blu-Ray copy protection is implemented in hardware. Microsoft had nothing to do with it, and contrary to the BS in your third link it doesn’t use any CPU cycles unless you’re actually watching a commercial Blu-Ray movie.
Its the same thing with the cable card. If you’re just using a regular TV tuner you can record whatever you want. The cable card is what prevents you from recording certain shows. There’s nothing Microsoft can do about it.
“Haw haw haw! That’s hilarious! What did you do, run .bat files from the DOS prompt???”
It’s remarks like this that really prove that you’re talking out of your ass.
It’s my roommates laptop. He uses it mostly for word and excel stuff, and its fast enough to run less intensive games like Age of Empires III just fine. He won’t be playing Crysis on it, but it works fine.
Vista is really good OS.
I use Win XP at work and a laptop with Vista Home Premium at home. Both are stable, though Vista Premium has better video features, and doesn’t crash. If I decide to buy another PC and have a choice I’ll probably get Vista as its OS as well.
Vista Hints: uncheck the “Enable Windows Transparency” checkbox on the screen that lets you choose window colors. I found that a semi-transparent interface is hard on the eyes, and slows the display more than any other Vista video feature, at least with 2 gigs of memory.
Enabling the XP GUI (as opposed to the Vista GUI) doesn’t seem to speed things up at all if you already have a PC with 2 gigs of memory.
A trial copy of Office 2007 was installed on my PC. I played with it a bit, but was unimpressed. I don’t like the ribbon controls. I’m using OpenOffice, which is good enough for use at home.
#51 – Here is another Vista hint – Use OSX. Friends don’t let friends use Vista.
1 year with Vista, and would never go back to XP. I have XP and Linux on my 2nd PC but hardly use either. I’ve been with Windows since 3.1. Tried a Mac don’t care for the GUI in particular the menu bar.
I like building my own systems. Most of these Vista stories are FUD.
# 12 James Hill said:
“My wife recently purchased a new gaming laptop (with red flames and everything), and I’ve spent the last two nights trying to get it to connect to our wireless network. All signs point to Vista being the problem.”
I have heard that Vista is incompatible with one particular brand of wireless routers. A member of my user group had the exact same problem with his wife’s new laptop. It connected immediately with the (different brand) wireless router at our meeting site (public library). (Sorry, it’s been months & I can’t remember the brand.) Try taking the laptop to a free hotspot or two.
Microsoft has been playing this game of expanding its OS to push the limits of current PC hardware. Forcing users to buy more ram, and larger hard drives. Eventually, opting to get a faster PC to handle the ever swelling size of Microsoft software.
Perhaps these users who dropped Vista, were satisfied with XP on their old PC. And just wanted the speed boost that the new PC’s hardware gave to it. But Microsoft gave the OEMs no choice but to ship new PCes with Vista. The downgrade option allowed users to have a screamingly fast version of XP running with their old media files. Whereas Vista was slower and pickier about the DRM of everything.
Microsoft probably figured 99% of users wouldn’t bother downgrading, after seeing Vista’s “transparent” UI improvements. But I’ve seen old Linux distros that did transparent panes, without the need for newer video hardware. So that’s a big con.
Get a MAC . .. Yea, so your software will have Steve Jobs personal guarantee on each item. He will after all have test it to assure it was Apple acceptable. .. Oh you want to use software like what is available for windows, but wait, you have one of those MAC’s. Too bad..
Coming from DOS 2.1 through all of MS versions Vista is the biggest disappointment since ME. Win 2K was a real step forward for MS with the exception of lack of entertainment support (drivers), XP eventually resolved that issue. Vista has not really offered any improvement over XP and for certain PC configurations has introduced additional problems.
For all you Vista fans try the following examples:
1.)Monitor your individual network / vpn connections for traffic by just looking at the system tray.
2.)Find some empty real estate in the File Explorer righthand pane to create a new folder
3.)Likewise drop a new file into Explorer (if sub dirs are only content).
4.)Spend 10 times longer transferring files (only affects some PC’s)
All these well used, fundamental features worked in XP but seem to have been made worse in Vista. As an example why after having a massive Windows educated user base would MS change a well known Control Panel features like Add / Remove Programs to Programs and Features? Did it add value or efficiency? No it just takes end users longer to find the exact same XP utility which to my mind is just plain dumb. Given the expense of upgrading, additional support staff training and end-user training required to roll vista out no wonder corporates are staying away in droves.
Having said all that I don’t think MS are stupid enough to release 2 turkey’s in a row so the next iteration should be worth waiting for.