Windows Vista - Still Fresh After 19 Months?

MyStuff writes "ZDNet blog Hardware 2.0 looks at the effect of having used Windows Vista for over 18 months. It Windows Vista the indispensable upgrade that Microsoft wants you to think it is? Writer Kingsley-Hughes says 'Having been using Vista for over 18 months I believe that it's a huge improvement over XP and even though I still use XP I find that I miss many of the features that Vista offers.' Just the same, he goes on, 'I wouldn't call any of the changes earth-shattering. When I'm using XP systems I miss some of the features but not so much that they push me to upgrade any faster.' He then goes on to give a feature-by-feature breakdown of all of the improvements Vista has over XP, and what long-term use of these features can net." A possibly useful guide for gamers or administrators thinking about upgrading sometime soon.

Comments

You've got to be kidding me...

[Svartalf]

The BOFH has it right...

"You should go to Vista."

"So you like Vista?"

"Not really, no. I run a Vista simulator."

"Virtual Server?" the Boss asks.

"Nah, I just turned on all the flashy crap in XP, changed the background image, took some memory out of my box and clocked down the CPU. Then broke Media player. Works like a charm."

Quality questions

[wombatmobile]

This from a professional reviewer after 19 months on the job:

"Is Vista more stable that XP? Hard to tell as I don't have a lot of problems with XP but I do feel that Vista is on the whole more robust."

On the whole, ZDNET adheres presents a robust standard of informative journalism. But there are exceptions.

Re:Quality questions

[jez9999]

What Aero does is for the first time give you a truly 2.5D desktop in Windows. Speaking as someone who writes computational geometry software for a living, I'm pretty sure that statement is just a load of words strung together to sound cool, while having absolutely no real meaning whatsoever. What it means is that all the windows as still 2d, but when you press alt-tab, you get rotated 3d windows passing by instead of inferior icons.

I mean, I know Bethesda Softworks and Valve and people have been making advanced 3d engines for a while now, but Microsoft managed to rotate windows in Vista. I don't know about you but I think that's pretty damn amazing.

Re:I haven't upgraded everything to XP yet

[mkoko]

Appearantly you've never had the misfortune of owning a Windows ME install. Lucky...

Re:Desktoplinux.com thinks Mepis is better than bo

[Anonymous Coward]

What can I say? They learned from the best - Microsoft.

Vista's Hidden Charms

[Bellum Aeternus]

One often over looked "benefit" of Vista is that it's Control Panel is completely redesigned and made much more confusing. So confusing in fact that my mother (after having upgraded and I don't know why) is unable to break her PC anymore by messing with the Control Panel. Under XP she knew where things were and would adjust them. Now she can't find anything, so I get fewer calls.

On the flip side of the coin, the poor guys in my IT department are also lost as to where the hell the controls they need have gone in the new Control Panel.

Re:When was Vista launched?

[CellBlock]

In 12 months, most PS3s will still be in the boxes, so yes.

Yeah...

[Anonymous Coward]

But how do you simulate UAC?

Program Clippy to pop up every two minutes?

"I see you're trying to badmouth Microsoft. Would you like to:
A) Read the MS Agent EULA which strictly forbids this.
B) Report yourself to Microsoft.
C) ..."

Re:I don't know about you guys?

[SeaFox]

So what was MS working on all those years?

DRM, and a new EULA.

Re:Vista Accomplished Its One And Only Needed Task

[larry bagina]

, I'll eat my own pussy.

Hirez pix pls!