Windows Vista- a Report Card Vic Laurie http://tips.vlaurie.com

Vista Comes of Age Released for home use Jan. 30, 2007 Service Pack 1 now out Service Pack 2 on the way Windows XP no longer generally available System builders, “netbooks”, downgrades Hardware drivers now more or less available (but not for older equipment) New PCs pretty much Vista capable

Released for home use Jan. 30, 2007

Service Pack 1 now out

Service Pack 2 on the way

Windows XP no longer generally available

System builders, “netbooks”, downgrades

Hardware drivers now more or less available (but not for older equipment)

New PCs pretty much Vista capable

Vista’s Reception General consensus has been lukewarm at best People expected more after 5 years of development PC World chose it as the biggest tech disappointment of 2007 SP1 not seen as a big enough change

General consensus has been lukewarm at best

People expected more after 5 years of development

PC World chose it as the biggest tech disappointment of 2007

SP1 not seen as a big enough change

Is Vista Bad? Vista is not a bad system but it is definitely disappointing Microsoft made many promises that were not kept and it over-hyped Vista Vista was late but was still released too soon The system is too complicated and slow The hardware requirements are very heavy Drivers weren’t ready Security measures heavy-handed No compelling new feature, except possibly security It costs too much

Vista is not a bad system but it is definitely disappointing

Microsoft made many promises that were not kept and it over-hyped Vista

Vista was late but was still released too soon

The system is too complicated and slow

The hardware requirements are very heavy

Drivers weren’t ready

Security measures heavy-handed

No compelling new feature, except possibly security

It costs too much

Study of Vista Resource Usage “ Aside from the obvious fact that they run slower than they did under Windows XP (in many cases, by 40 percent or more), there are some fascinating changes going on under the hood. If you compare the typical workload of a Windows-based system, breaking it down by per-process thread count and CPU utilization, you see that a Windows Vista PC is using roughly 21 percent more CPU cycles per thread than a comparably configured Windows XP PC. This is in addition to the fact that Vista is spinning almost twice as many execution threads …” http://weblog.infoworld.com/sentinel/archives/2008/05/are_you_ready_f.html

“ Aside from the obvious fact that they run slower than they did under Windows XP (in many cases, by 40 percent or more), there are some fascinating changes going on under the hood. If you compare the typical workload of a Windows-based system, breaking it down by per-process thread count and CPU utilization, you see that a Windows Vista PC is using roughly 21 percent more CPU cycles per thread than a comparably configured Windows XP PC. This is in addition to the fact that Vista is spinning almost twice as many execution threads …”

http://weblog.infoworld.com/sentinel/archives/2008/05/are_you_ready_f.html

Recommended System Requirements

Vista Annoyances User Account Control (UAC)

User Account Control (UAC)

More Annoyances Many operations are slower File copying really slow- better in SP1

Many operations are slower

File copying really slow- better in SP1

More Annoyances Boots are slow Hard drive churns a lot Operations in background such as indexing, defragging, Windows Defender Menus gone from Windows Explorer Other things rearranged IE7 security can be heavy-handed Some older software doesn’t work

Boots are slow

Hard drive churns a lot

Operations in background such as indexing, defragging, Windows Defender

Menus gone from Windows Explorer

Other things rearranged

IE7 security can be heavy-handed

Some older software doesn’t work

On Vista but Also Available for XP Internet Explorer 7 Windows Defender Windows Media Player 11 .NET 3.0 Framework Sidebar- equivalent in a number of free programs Desktop search

Internet Explorer 7

Windows Defender

Windows Media Player 11

.NET 3.0 Framework

Sidebar- equivalent in a number of free programs

Desktop search

Anything Good About Vista? Better security A lot of increased defenses underneath Internet Explorer runs with restricted system access Parental controls Fancy graphics- a matter of taste Many new tools for system administrators (but of little interest for home users) Wireless networking easier (maybe) Searching and file management easier (possibly) Better backup (but not in home edition)

Better security

A lot of increased defenses underneath

Internet Explorer runs with restricted system access

Parental controls

Fancy graphics- a matter of taste

Many new tools for system administrators (but of little interest for home users)

Wireless networking easier (maybe)

Searching and file management easier (possibly)

Better backup (but not in home edition)

Why the Lukewarm Reception? Too many broken promises Released before it was really ready Drivers weren’t ready Requires too many resources Nothing really compelling For many, XP is good enough If released today, Vista would probably get better reception

Too many broken promises

Released before it was really ready

Drivers weren’t ready

Requires too many resources

Nothing really compelling

For many, XP is good enough

If released today, Vista would probably get better reception

FWIW, My Advice Don’t rush to upgrade an existing Windows XP system If more performance is needed, add RAM Add some of the new features that work on both systems Wait to buy a new PC until Windows 7 If you need a new PC now, present models work fine with Vista Consider a Mac if you do not use a lot of specialized software or hardware

Don’t rush to upgrade an existing Windows XP system

If more performance is needed, add RAM

Add some of the new features that work on both systems

Wait to buy a new PC until Windows 7

If you need a new PC now, present models work fine with Vista

Consider a Mac if you do not use a lot of specialized software or hardware

What’s Ahead Service pack 2 for Vista Sometime in early 2009? Roll up patches since SP1 Burn Blu-ray natively Windows 7 Mid 2009? Pre-beta just released to developers

Service pack 2 for Vista

Sometime in early 2009?

Roll up patches since SP1

Burn Blu-ray natively

Windows 7

Mid 2009?

Pre-beta just released to developers

What is Windows 7? Based on pre-beta release, will be built on Vista, a kind of grand Service Pack One new feature is multi-touch May be a lighter OS- some features removed Windows Mail, Windows Photo Gallery and Windows Movie Maker removed Faster than Vista Somewhat different interface

Based on pre-beta release, will be built on Vista, a kind of grand Service Pack

One new feature is multi-touch

May be a lighter OS- some features removed

Windows Mail, Windows Photo Gallery and Windows Movie Maker removed

Faster than Vista

Somewhat different interface

THE END