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Detailed Windows Vista Review
Update: See my cheatsheet on Windows Vista Buying Advice for the easy answer of what you need to buy.
Have you been wondering just exactly what Window’s Vista is and when to upgrade? The most detailed review I’ve found is from Paul Thurrott’s SuperSite for Windows. Admittedly, there’s a pro-windows bias here (we all have some kind of bias) and the mousemines that litter the site, waiting for you to accidentally mouse over them and launch a video are truly annoying. Still, there’s plenty of good info here. Here’s Paul’s eight part review:
- Part 1: Introduction
- Part 2: Vista Product Editions
- Part 3: Installing Windows Vista
- Part 4: The Vista Experience
- Part 5: Windows Vista Features
- User Interface Features
- Security Features
- Performance Features
- Reliability Features
- Internet Features
- Bundled Applications
- Digital Media Features
- Networking Features
- Mobility Features
- Other Features
- Part 6: Compatibility
- Part 7: Where Windows Vista Fails
- Part 8: Wrapping Up
If that’s too much reading for you, here’s my short review: Vista is late, most of the interested features have been jettisoned, and the rest have been available in OSX or through XP add-ons for months or more, but even so, if you use Windows, it’s not a matter of if you’ll upgrade, but when. So, it doesn’t really matter what the features are frankly. Eventually, you’ll buy it.
Posted by windley on January 9, 2007 10:16 AM
Comment from Danno Ferrin at January 9, 2007 10:55 AM
You may want to update the links, they are all relative and there is no link at all to paul's base site.
Comment from Christer Edwards at January 9, 2007 1:40 PM
I say the question is not, as you say, if you upgrade but when. The question is when you'll upgrade to a Mac, not if you'll upgrade to a Mac.
Comment from Archeious at January 10, 2007 6:13 PM
I have Vista and love it. When will I upgrade to Mac, probably never. It is a matter of principle now. I will never become the stuck up person that most mac users portray themselves as. I will stick to Windows and Linux for my business and tech/geek needs respectively.
Comment from Nathan at January 11, 2007 9:45 AM
Archeious, isn't refusing to consider the technical merits of a Mac because you look down on the (what you say is) stuck up behaviour of those who use them...sort of a stuck up attitude? It's like some sort of social recursion.
By the way, Phil's a Mac user himself...
Comment from Archeious at January 11, 2007 10:45 AM
Not all Mac users are stuck up. But you have to admit Apple tries to protray their users as better people then the riff raff that use other OSes. Plus I don't see the technical advantages of a Mac. To me a computer serves two purposes, that of a tool and a toy. I use Windows XP and Debian as the tools and Ubuntu and Vista as the toys. There is nothing a Mac can do that Vista will not do for half the price or Linux will do for the cost of hardware.
Comment from Tyler at January 17, 2007 1:35 PM
woah...I'm a Windows/Mac hybrid user. I grew up on DOS and use Mac for video productions.
Mac people need to chill...we have our empire of hundreds of computers across the country...they might fit your needs better, but you're still outnumbered a billion to one. There's more of a reason people use Windows than just to tick Mac people off.
Windows folks...you guys get pretty riled up at the mac people. Which is funny to me...oh well.
Just my two cents.
Comment from Tyler at January 17, 2007 1:35 PM
woah...I'm a Windows/Mac hybrid user. I grew up on DOS and use Mac for video productions.
Mac people need to chill...we have our empire of hundreds of computers across the country...they might fit your needs better, but you're still outnumbered a billion to one. There's more of a reason people use Windows than just to tick Mac people off.
Windows folks...you guys get pretty riled up at the mac people. Which is funny to me...oh well.
Just my two cents.
Comment from test at January 23, 2007 8:31 PM
The only reason I use windows xp is because of the dvd copy programs(dvd shrink et all) which are unavailable in Linux - atleast not with a good GUI. Else Linux OSes is better than any other choices out there.
Comment from brandon at January 29, 2007 1:53 PM
most Mac users annoy me.. and so do the TV commercials. It seems to me that Macs are for elitist/non-conformist type people, people who need an idiot proof one-button mouse, or for people who actually use them for some special function that PCs arent designed for.. BUT I think the former two make up the majority or Mac users. and if you're a gamer? forget it. Mac games come out 6-12 months after their PC counterparts.. IF they ever come out at all. Apple should just port OSX to PC and compete with Microsoft that way.. but I suppose they make most of their money from overpriced hardware.. oh well, to each his own but I haven't had a use for an Apple since I played "Oregon Trail" some 20 years ago. Even then C64 was better! ;P
Comment from Bob at January 29, 2007 3:05 PM
Here's my slant. I learned on Windoze back when 3 was the neatest thing. It progressed downward from there. When I switched to Mac I was finally using a computer that worked steadily and reliably. Keep in mind that not everyone owns a Roll Royce, so is it a piece of crap? I think not. Once you go Mac, you never go back.
Comment from Mac-Daddy XP 3.2.1.2.3.5 Beta 1 at January 29, 2007 9:38 PM
These are all good points. I just thought I'd summarize here.
Pros:
Mac:
Reliable and Stable
Great Video/Image Editing (always has been top in that category)
Easy to Use
Latest OS is Unix-based so it can be extremely powerful
Windows:
Maximum Support world-wide
Gotta have this to play PC games
Linux:
Great for those who want to make a MythTV box
Allows for ultimate configuration
Highest number of PCs hosting websites are Linux
More secure than Windows
Cons:
Mac:
Small software support (although the virtual machine software allows support for most Windows programs)
Smaller fan base
Windows:
Unstable
Unsecure
Microsoft's upgrade process is driving toward no support for older products, and what's up with limited upgrades?
Linux:
Waaaaaay to configurable for the standard end user.
Software packages can be unreliable and difficult to get going (be ready to spend hours installing)
Limited hardware support.
So, to each their own.
As for me, I use Windows to play Everquest II, Linux to host my website, and Mac to do my video editing. Rarely do they ever operate simultaneously... :)
Comment from Loren R at February 3, 2007 11:59 AM
It's not that Mac users are stuck up, they just roll their eyes at Windows which is simply designed to make Microsoft every michel it can from licensing and user fees. All those security holes from from them making certain the get their license and user fees. Mac is not worried about this and simply focus' onmaking a great OS. Mac OS 2.5 MM lines of code. Windows 50 MM lines of code. Simpliciyt makes al the difference.
And if you love your Windows, great. Stay with it.
Comment from Loren R at February 3, 2007 11:59 AM
It's not that Mac users are stuck up, they just roll their eyes at Windows which is simply designed to make Microsoft every michel it can from licensing and user fees. All those security holes from from them making certain the get their license and user fees. Mac is not worried about this and simply focus' onmaking a great OS. Mac OS 2.5 MM lines of code. Windows 50 MM lines of code. Simpliciyt makes al the difference.
And if you love your Windows, great. Stay with it.
Comment from Loren R at February 3, 2007 12:00 PM
It's not that Mac users are stuck up, they just roll their eyes at Windows which is simply designed to make Microsoft every michel it can from licensing and user fees. All those security holes from from them making certain the get their license and user fees. Mac is not worried about this and simply focus' onmaking a great OS. Mac OS 2.5 MM lines of code. Windows 50 MM lines of code. Simpliciyt makes al the difference.
And if you love your Windows, great. Stay with it.
Comment from Dion Abbott at February 3, 2007 8:47 PM
Most mac users are idiots, Windows is more popular for a reason.
Comment from Jeremy Litt at February 5, 2007 12:09 PM
Macs are moron-proof, which is good considering the morons that use them.
Comment from Peter at February 9, 2007 10:04 AM
I use practically everything. For games and office work I use Windows XP Pro, with the intention of moving to Vista in the fall when I upgrade my vid card because I'm interesting in DirectX 10-based games. In my computer lab at work I have 80 or so machines that run an assortment of Linux, Solaris, AIX, HP-UX (yes, some of them are old). And I've got a Macbook pro that I use when travelling and at the coffee shop that is fantastic. Its all about what you intend to do with the technology that matters.
Comment from Joel at February 10, 2007 7:29 PM
'Most Mac users are idiots. Windows is more popular for a reason'
Wow, study some computer history before making a blanket statement. Windows is more popular because of marketing and because Apple booted Steve Jobs when he was just getting started. Now that Steve Jobs is back in control look at what has happened to computers and technology as a whole; Apple is changing and leading the trends, Microsoft does what it does best, follow.
Is Vista good? Sure it is. Do I like OS X better? Absolutely, it's proven. Vista isn't, XP wasn't, it's all just a show from here. Too bad in 3 months or so, Vista will once again be totally outdated.
Comment from Fardin at February 12, 2007 11:43 PM
Old Mac & Windows fight, again!
As a professional PC repair guy, I love Microsoft products. You wonder what is the reason: MS softwares are always full of bugs & problems, forget the non-secure issue for now. MS applications help us to make a good money from poor clients who are tired of calling MS & getting nothing except the usual message: "Your O/S is corrupted, take it to the nearest PC Repair Shop & fix it"!
I've tried to work on different Linux O/S for our clients as an alternative for MS O/S, no success. They are meant for technical people not average Joe, at least for now.
I also don't think Mac is secured better than Windows. Mac users are just lucky all the hackers/virus writters/crackers and so on are after the big bully.
Again, you can find no better solution for an avergage user who just wants to check the emial & write a note. It's a shame.
Comment from mike at February 22, 2007 12:13 AM
dont know if i like it or not im having compatibilty issues with a bunck of old games and media downloaders and there is no pathes or upgrades for them
Comment from mike at February 22, 2007 12:13 AM
dont know if i like it or not im having compatibilty issues with a bunck of old games and media downloaders and there is no patches or upgrades for them
Comment from Cameron at February 22, 2007 3:11 PM
I am a computer tech for a computer repair company, and my personal opinion is that Windows is one of the best Operating systems out there... it's just not USER FRIENDLY!! Windows works fine if you know the IN's and OUT's of it, and knowing those points can make your experience a lot better. Most people are not incredibly computer savvy, and MAC's in my opinion are for the people who want to do basic things, and not have to worry about learning the majority of how to work and configure a standard PC.
If you take the time to REALLY learn the PC, you will find out that it is incredibly stable as well.
I have had appointments with people that have told me their "Cup-holder" on their computer wasn't working anymore, and I get there, and they really mean their CD player, those people in my opinion don't even need to have a computer.
PC's is a very complicated electronic device, and Windows user interface can make anyone's experience undoubtedly bad if you aren't savvy with computers and modern, "millennial" type technology.
Just my 2 cents.
Comment from Prime at February 23, 2007 12:04 AM
"I also don't think Mac is secured better than Windows. Mac users are just lucky all the hackers/virus writters/crackers and so on are after the big bully."
What are you talking about? You can't write a virus on a unix based system anymore unless it's configured completely wrong. Trojans are the best those 'virus writters' can do. So basically the Mac user would need to click 'Yes please delete my harddrive. Oh, and here is my administrative password!' Being the 'computer tech for a computer repair company' that you are, how can you possibly believe windows is more secure than that? Neither the Darwin kernel on OS X, nor any other kernel for Linux will ever have a virus as devestating as those that show up for Windows at least annually.
Comment from Prime at February 23, 2007 12:17 AM
"Mac people need to chill...we have our empire of hundreds of computers across the country...they might fit your needs better, but you're still outnumbered a billion to one. There's more of a reason people use Windows than just to tick Mac people off."
Outnumbered a billion to one. The reality is ten to one, so that means you were only off by a factor of 100,000,000! Great investigative work there. Seriously, do you people take pleasure in vomiting complete garbage onto sites like this? Is it all a big inside joke that I'm not in on, or do you really believe what you are saying?
Comment from Roger Bougie at February 24, 2007 11:33 AM
I live near Montreal, Canada and yesterday I went to shop for a laptop computer for my brother, one NOT pre-loaded with Vista. I did 2 Futures Shop store It was at the 2nd. Future Shop that we found one. So we bought it right away. Now, after talking a bit with the clerk from the first and second store we where informed that the MIB team from Microsoft Canada visited the store and remove ALL Windows XP packages that was left and apparently there was quite a lot. They did that in both stores, talk about MIB trying to erase the Windows XP from our memories. It seems that the only place where you can still purchase an OEM version of XP is in the small independant computer shops. Nice going Bill. Talk about creating a false need for the product. I guess the migration from XP to Vista needed a bit of help from their creators. Geeee....Bill never learns does he?
Comment from Mehdi at April 10, 2007 5:46 PM
Ah! I just wanted to know if Vista makes your computer work slower than XP or not! and instead I dropped in the middle of a fight! Well, I'll check elsewhere! Have fun guys!
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