Vista Wins on Looks. As for Lacks...

The New York Times ^ | December 14, 2006 | David Pogue

[Echo Talon]

Vista is already out...

[Echo Talon]

Do not use any new Windows version until at least Service Pack 1. Anything before that and you're a post-beta tester.

why? its not like Apple, you get the updates for FREE!

[antiRepublicrat]

why? its not like Apple, you get the updates for FREE!

You get Apple's updates for free, too. You just have to pay for major upgrades, as with Windows. But unlike Microsoft, Apple is capable of producing upgrades to its most recent OS in less than five years.

[Echo Talon]

WinXP out for over 5 years and ALL the updates for it have been free.... How many times have you paid for OSX?

[antiRepublicrat]

Vista is already out..

To business users, who apparently are none too eager partially because of the reasons I cited. BTW, about the HP free Vista thing, Apple also gives free upgrades to those who bought systems close to a new OS X release.

[antiRepublicrat]

WinXP out for over 5 years and ALL the updates for it have been free

And the updates mainly fixed major functional and security problems with XP. Except for upgrades to Windows Media Player and IE (both of which have superior free alternatives), I have no more functionality in XP now than was promised when XP shipped, unless you consider fixing security holes a feature. My system also doesn't seem to run as fast as it used to, while an OS X upgrade generally runs noticeably faster on the same hardware.

[Echo Talon]

.net framework, directX, movie maker WinXP has changed a lot since it was first released, I slipstreamed my cd and have been doing so, works better that way.

[Echo Talon]

plus I have had the SAME WinXP on 3 different computers(I have gone through 3 computer upgrades in WinXP's lifetime) I love the new technology, plus i like to mess around with it. ;)

[antiRepublicrat]

(I have gone through 3 computer upgrades in WinXP's lifetime)

That should show you how insanely long Microsoft took to get Vista out the door. In contrast, it took Apple about two years to produce Rhapsody (containing much of the technology that is in OS X, released as OS X Server), and two years more to ship OS X as we know it from that. And during this time they still managed to get both OS 8 and OS 9 out the door.

As some recent stories have shown, Microsoft has serious development problems. And you managed to spin a positive out of that?

[antiRepublicrat]

.net framework, directX, movie maker

.NET, update to a component, same as downloading the latest JVM. DirectX, update. Movie Maker, don't make me laugh. Give me new, useful features! Make my computer run faster!

[Echo Talon]

In contrast, it took Apple about two years to produce Rhapsody (containing much of the technology that is in OS X, released as OS X Server), and two years more to ship OS X as we know it from that. And during this time they still managed to get both OS 8 and OS 9 out the door.

so those Apples rot rather quickly huh?

[speekinout]

When has Apple encouraged users to buy updates to the OS? I've been using Macs for 7 years, and I've never once been encouraged to buy an update for my current machine (yes, I've gotten free patches).

I used pc's from the mid-80's until I got rid of the last about 3 years ago, so I know what upgrades are.

[ShadowAce]

[antiRepublicrat]

so those Apples rot rather quickly huh?

Windows shipments to consumers: Windows 1.0 1985, 2.0 1987, 3.0 1990, 3.1 1992, then 95, 98, 98SE (1999), XP in 2001 (I'll be nice and not even count ME). I see an average of two and a quarter years between paid upgrades. On the NT side I see an average of 1.7 years up to 2003 Server (with the wait for 2000 being the longest at about 3 1/2 years). Microsoft's earlier averages seem to be around those of Apple, especially concerning early versions of an OS.

Vista will be over five years at a time when Microsoft didn't even have commit resources towards improving its 9x line anymore. Something is going very wrong in Redmond.

[miliantnutcase]

I think I'll only upgrade to Vista if I get a DX-10 video card in the next year or two. Otherwise they'll have to drag me kicking and screaming.

[avg_freeper]

I'd like to know if they're still going to release powershell/monad.

All the graphic doohickeys don't do much for me. But a good shell with a powerful commandline interface and I no longer have a need for UNIX at work.

[Central Scrutiniser]

I am going to buy a new laptop just for the free Vista upgrade, which will go to my home PC, mostly for gaming and utilizing the dual core 64 bit processor.

[Echo Talon]

Something is going very wrong in Redmond.

I'm using the latest and greatest as we speak... lets just say Redmond is fine.

[Echo Talon]

I think I'll only upgrade to Vista if I get a DX-10 video card in the next year or two. Otherwise they'll have to drag me kicking and screaming.

I'm using "real" Windows Vista right now, lets just say it's WAY! better than the beta and release candidate versions... I can't tell you how i acquired it or I'd have to kill ya. ;)

[Central Scrutiniser]

I'm going to Asia in Feb., by then pirated versions will be out. Will be worth the $5 for it.