#110 - Microsoft rethinks its Vista

Last week Microsoft announced that they will continue to sell Windows XP through June of 2008. This is good news for most PC customers. The former deadline of January was forcing many to buy PCs with XP early.

Now Microsoft isn't scrapping Vista they just gave their customers more time to deal with Vista. By June the first update release should be out and many corporate customers won't migrate to a new operating system until the first update is out.

So why has there been so much resistance to Vista? The reasons are many but here are some of mine:

1. Vista requires PCs with fast processors and minimum 1GB memory with 2GB more desirable. Even with the best hardware, I've never seen Vista run fast. You have to turn off many of the features to get to move so-so. I don't have the Gadgets on or the User Account Controls, because they just slow down my Vista PC too much. I guess the bottom line on this is Vista is a bloated memory hog that gives you not much in return. Its so bad I strongly suggest that if you have to have Vista buy a new PC with it installed. DO NOT UPGRADE to Vista!

2. Confusion: I'm not sure why Microsoft decided to issue 4 different versions of the operating system. XP had Home and Professional. More must be better. So we get Home Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate. I guess we'll get 8 versions of Vista's successor. The differences between the 4 isn't well thought out. For instance I think every operating system should have a DVD/CD burner software build in. Surprise you only get it in Home Premium and Ultimate. Actually I don't know a reason why anyone would buy Home Basic other then the cheapest PC. There are so few features in that version that it's not worth the difference in cost versus Home Premium.

3. Incompatibility: This is the big reason corporate America hasn't embraced Vista. Vendors have been slow to come up with drivers for older hardware. Software people have just not made their software to run under Vista. Special software just doesn't work on Vista without an upgrade. So not only do you have to spend money on new PCs and Printers, you have pay for a new version of your software (if it is available).

Three strikes and your out. No wonder they can't make enough Macs. Sounds like a formula for disaster? We'll see how it plays out in 2008.