Windows Vista is more secure compared to Windows XP and the interface does look nice. :)

“Windows, like Linux, runs on just about anything”

Are you kidding?
Vista won’t run on anything, and getting Linux to run on random hardware is “a crap shoot” as you colonials would say.

OSX may be limited to Apple hardware, but at least you know exactly where you stand - go to one website, and it will give you a definitive answer on whether you can upgrade to the latest version or not - try that with Windows or Linux !!

As a tech, I will continue to learn how to fix vista. But as far as my personal computers, XP is going to be with me for quite some time. I also like Ubuntu as a second operating system. Vista may be boot option, but it will be a option. As far as Win7, Time will tell on that as I don’t like to make a judgment without testing.

Vista is fine. It chews up some serious resources but if you have those then it is a fairly nice OS. That may not hold true if you use brand new or obscure hardware but should be fine for most people. Most of the improvements were ‘under the hood’ and the rest were mostly eye-candy.

Unless Windows 7 vastly improves the driver compatability issue with Vista, I and my clients will jump ship to Ubuntuu, or some other Linux as soon as Microsoft stops creating Security Releases for Windows XP Pro, or we can no longer buy Windows XP Embedded. We have determined as a group tha the cost of creating compatability with the Peripherals, and the hardware requirements of Vista are so great that we simply can not afford the nearly 2K per system per shop that would be required to update the peripherals, and PC system. ESPECIALLY IN THESE VERY VERY DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES !!!!

I don’t understand all the whining & complaining about Vista. I’ve used it on my home machine for the last year and while there are definitely some performance issues (mostly in file copy operations), I find it perfectly usable 99% of the time. I use XP at work, all day, every day, so I get a good juxtaposition of the two OSes, and if Vista was as bad as the whiners say, it would be completely obvious. The extra applets & features in Vista go a long way toward putting up with any shortcomings.

Stop your freakin’ cryin’, keep up-to-date with patches, and get on board because it’s fun once you do!

I find it truly staggering that any decent analyst can take VISTA seriously as an operating system. All O/S fail somewhere , somehow , sometime eventually. In XP it was a relatively simple matter of using the CD/DVD supplied with your system to do an in place Repair/Restore. Mostly a damaged system could be recovered , data salvaged and users back up operating. Whilst this may not have been the preferred method it was efficient and practical and in many instances a lifesaver. This option has been taken out of VISTA - a disgraceful omission as I believe system recovery/repair is the FIRST thing you want to see in a decent O/S. VISTA requires higher hardware costs , newer software versions , new learning skills for no obvious performance gain and a significantly slower PC. If Windows 7 is going to be modeled on VISTA the market will see no compelling reason to adopt it either so I think XP is going to be the favoured OS for a long time yet by many people who would prefer to abandon technology altogether rather than go through the pains of new significant costs and new learning curves for no great benefits or improvements. Microsoft and VISTA lovers can spin this any way they want , they can spend billions to try and con people - the fact remains the love affair with the PC is gone and unless Microsoft start to give the community a simpler , faster and cheaper OS much more like a better version of XP they are on death row.

Ken

Let’s see now, Image and stock prices that’s the corporate mantra these days isn’t it….Questionable products, can’t find good American workers, how long before Microsoft is the next Enron?

Mike (CalcResult Mike): First off, great website - I found myself bookmarking it immediately.

Now I hear you with regard to getting a clear understanding as to which hardware will actually run with Linux. And believe me when I say that Linux purists HATE me with a passion because despite being a full time user myself, I will not make excuses for any Linux shortcomings. My time is valuable, so I do not spend a lot of time explaining things away.

That said, I have found that it is getting easier and easier to find hardware that works. As a general rule, building your own desktop means things will be fine with very, very few exceptions.

Buying pre-installed notebooks /completely solves/ any integrated compatibility issues - and the support is WAY better with people who actually care about keeping my notebook running. But for those who want to install Linux on products that bear the “Made For Windows” Sticker, the remaining challenges are as follows: wireless, sound and video. Each of these is important, two of them is show stopping.

When people find themselves frustrated about not being able to get Linux working on a notebook, I ask them if they have had success installing Windows on a PPC Mac? Again, look at the sticker on the machine. ;)

Great feedback, as with everyone else who posted here.

To those considering Linux:
Tonight I will be explaining in no-BS detail how Linux wireless can be overcome, how it is indeed being overcome and where you can take a Windows notebook with Ubuntu installed, spend less than $30 bucks and have wireless working release after release with no tinkering whatsoever - tune it, even if just to prove me wrong. :)

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/matthartley

and

http://www.youtube.com/ctsdownloads

Email Linux questions for future shows:
matt.hartley@gmail.com

Steven said: “Unless Windows 7 vastly improves the driver compatibility issue with Vista, I and my clients will jump ship to Ubuntu”

And I will be waiting with tutorials, help and support. ;)