Software Missing From Vista's "Official Apps"

PetManimal writes "Microsoft has just released a list of 800 applications it says are 'officially supported' on Windows Vista. What's special about this list, however, are the programs that are not included: 'Popular Windows software that is conspicuously missing from Microsoft's list includes Adobe Systems Inc.'s entire line of graphics and multimedia software, Symantec Corp.'s security products, as well as the Mozilla Foundation's open-source Firefox Web browser, Skype Ltd.'s free voice-over-IP software and the OpenOffice.org alternative to Microsoft Office.' Another area in which Vista has found to be lacking is gaming, as discussed earlier on Slashdot."

Comments

If it won't work with what you need...

[pudding7]

...then don't use it.

Re:If it won't work with what you need...

[biocute]

Exactly.

I have heard statements like "If only Mac has this and that software, I would switch in a second" or "If only Linux has more games, I would leave Windows forever".

So now that Windows doesn't have support for this and that software, it has given users a chance to revisit those statements above and make a decision.

Re:If it won't work with what you need...

[h2_plus_O]

So now that Windows doesn't have support for this and that software

Actually, it does. Don't confuse logo certification with anything but what it is: a process where a MS-certified testing organization (like these guys) verifies that your app Conforms to specific guidelines that you really want your apps doing anyhow if you want them to run on Windows. This is what they check for, so there are no surprises.

It's not like your app won't work if it's not certified (otherwise how would they test it?). Being logo-certified just means you get to put a sticker on your retail box so that shoppers who only know that 'it's gotta work for me and I have windows' have some way to know it's been verified to pass those tests on their OS.

Re:If it won't work with what you need...

[Orion Blastar]

Actually Vista has a Classic Windows mode like OSX has a Carbon mode for Classic Macintosh, it does the whole WIN32 API. Any application that does not work just needs the API interface changed to work with Vista.

Just like when applications that would not work under OSX got patches released to make them work, so will Windows programs get that Vista patch to make them work under Vista.

I am using Vista and Firefox, Thunderbird, and Seamonkey all work, but Mozilla did not bother to test them to pass the Vista certification.

While there are a lot of commercial games that won't work under Vista due to draconian security protection preventing them, one can apply unprotect patches to bypass that draconian security protection from Game Copy World or whatever with the NOCD crack. Future commercial games will support DirectX 10, and only Vista uses DirectX 10, which means future games will shut out the Windows XP and lower markets because they cannot do DirectX 10. Civilization IV might have issues, for example, but Civilization V might not and only run under Vista.

Just like everyone moved to OSX and shut out the Classic Mac OS 9 and under crowd, so too will everyone move to Vista and shut out the XP and under crowd.

Yet I got a feeling that a lot of F/OSS projects will still support XP and under, despite the commercial software companies that have contracts with Microsoft to only make Vista versions.

RTFA

[eln]

From TFA:

There are many applications that are compatible and work well with Windows Vista but that are not listed in this article. This is because such applications have not yet gone through the Windows Vista logo program or are still going though this program.

Has the Mozilla Foundation or OO.org submitted an application to undergo the testing program? Probably not.

This list is just the programs that are allowed to put that official Microsoft logo on the box that says the program will work with Windows. It doesn't mean that programs whose developers haven't bothered to go through the testing program aren't going to work in Vista.

This is a non-story?

[MyNameIsEarl]

Doesn't this just mean that if you can't get an Adobe product to work on Vista you need to go to Adobe as you would under any other OS? Why should MS need to help you make an Adobe product work on their OS, Adobe should be the ones making it work. I use Adobe as my example so the Open Source fans don't get in an uproar about MS keeping the competition down (not that they aren't, but I don't feel they are here).

Non-story.

[Atlantis-Rising]

This is a non-story, sensational only in its attempt to stir up a hornet's nest. (But this is Slashdot, so why am I surprised?)

There's no story here. There is some vague hint in the summary that Microsoft is purposefully not certifying software, but this is a vague and unsupported claim at best. The only real claim that can be made is that some software is not on the list... and so what? There are dozens of reasons. The software could A) not work with Vista, b) not have been submitted for testing, C) be in the process of going through the process...

What's the point? As another poster said, if it doesn't work, don't use it.

Wait for SP1

[jmorris42]

Oh course Vista is a turd now, like every other Microsoft release. Which is why anyone with a lick of sense waits until the first service pack before deploying. Then it will only suck, but that is about as good as Microsoft knows how to make a product so those stuck on Windows have learned to live with that level of pain.

Of course ya just gotta feel sorry for the poor schmucks who buy a new namebrand PC between the release of Vista and SP1 since they don't get a choice. Which is just one more reason why only the uneducated masses buy a namebrand PC.

Vista **does** work fine

[EmbeddedJanitor]

Wel from MS's perspective anyway. The main purpose of Vista is to generate huge piles of income and revitalising interest to keep MS "fresh" in the eyes of the investors.

Re:Vista **does** work fine

[Trogre]

Which brings one to the conclusion that you(*), the purchaser of Microsoft products are not the customer. The shareholder is the customer.

You are the product.

(*) - That's "you" in a general sense. I in no way mean to accuse you personally of actually purchasing said software.

Lacking in gaming...

[SuperKendall]

Another area in which Vista has found to be lacking is gaming...

And people still claim Vista's not an OS X ripoff. What more proof do you need?

Who says it doesn't work???

[moronikos]

Hell, they all probably work. Firefox sure does. They just haven't been certified. The certification process takes a while and you have to pay for it. Microsoft sets the requirements and some 3rd party company administers it. After the 3rd party company has certified your product, then you can put the Vista (or XP) logo on your product. You also get listed on Microsoft's web site as having a certified product. Not being on the list means you either 1) haven't bothered to be certified, or 2) you failed certification. It doesn't mean the software doesn't run on that platform.

Re:Who says it doesn't work???

[jimicus]

Exactly. "Unsupported" is a magic word used by tech support departments so they can wash their hands of the problem.

Your OS keeps crashing? You're running an unsupported application. Go away and don't come back until you've fixed that.

Still crashing? You must be running unsupported hardware. What's the exact make and model number of every single component in your PC? You don't know? Go away and come back when you do.

Hardware vendors are just as bad:

Your hard disk appears to have failed? Sorry, you're running an unsupported operating system. Go away.

Your power supply has exploded? Sorry, we only support people who don't actually ring up requiring support.

Your power supply has caught fire, destroying your house and all your belongings? [click]