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Is Microsoft’s New Windows Vista Ready for You? by
Greg Perry This week marks a major event in Microsoft history: the release of Microsoft Windows Vista. The next version of Windows is here. The one you’ve heard about for a year or more. Much to Microsoft’s shareholder’s dismay, as well as manufacturers of all Windows-based computers, Microsoft failed to get the operating system out the door in time for the 2006 Christmas selling season. This was a major problem for all involved. Delay or Not, Here It Comes Are you jumping for joy yet? Microsoft hopes you’ve already reserved a copy for every computer in your home as well as for every person in your family, extended family, and neighborhood block. The naysayers were happy about the delay. Microsoft got its come-uppance by its failure. Not getting Vista out in time for Christmas truly was a problem. Having said that, Microsoft could have released it in time for the Christmas buying frenzy. If Vista had been released early, the version that would have arrived on your new PC would work fairly well – except for its serious flaws.
Due to the bugs, Microsoft bit the bullet and delayed shipment. Financially, they would be far better off today if they had shipped in time for Christmas sales. They would be financially better in the short run that is. Users would be frustrated beyond belief at the problems that still plagued the Vista release right before the current and final version 1.0. Users wouldn’t trust Microsoft ever again (many don’t now) so Microsoft played it safe and took the financial hit. In addition, that hit was shared by manufacturers of any PC you may have bought in December for the holiday. You benefited though. You get better software (less buggy) this week than you would have gotten in December. Also, you saved some money on that computer if you bought one because those manufacturers had to take an extra price cut to give you an incentive to buy then and not wait for this week’s PCs that Vista comes pre-installed on. My View of Vista If you want my perspective on Vista, I can tell you without hesitation. I like Vista. I love the disk-imaging backup program available as well as the greatly-improved entertainment software that enables you to manage pictures, music, and video with far more power and ease than before. Vista is far more secure than Windows XP. Yes, Vista will have security issues and so will any operating system. Vista goes a long way to ensure far greater security and it’s much more difficult for a rogue program to bring down your entire computer and operating system. (At the time of this writing, it appears impossible and let’s hope it stays that way.) Vista is computer-hungry but if you purchased a medium-to-high powered computer over the past 2 years your hardware should be adequate. Some people will need to upgrade their graphics card to get the 3D-like Aero graphical interface that Microsoft hypes above all other Vista features. (Aero is nice to look at but not a must-have feature in the least.) You Can Pay Hundreds Or Have Free Software I suspect that many who read LewRockwell.com love Apple's MAC OS X or the open source concept that Linux provides for PC users. I think those are great too! The open source software's price is just right too; why pay hundreds for Windows and Office when you can have Linux and OpenOffice.org for a smile? Well, for one thing not everyone can easily adopt and use Linux and OpenOffice.org in spite of how much better those programs get each year. Computers are, in 2007, still difficult for many to use. When you toss in a strange mix of operating system and almost-Office-like suite of programs, it adds just enough extra confusion to keep frustration levels too high for those users. In addition, the majority of the world does use Windows and Office, both Microsoft’s flagship products, and – yes – both with problems and high costs. When using software, it’s like the videos you watch and the music you listen to. You want to have the format that most others have. Interaction would be made difficult if we all ran different flavors of software. Look how long it took Apple and PCs to begin getting fairly-accurate compatibility modes where one can run the software of the other (without real problems). Apple users had a better system but they paid far more for the software and hardware than PC users all those years. With ability comes cost and all the while the PC world just kept inching outward while users who comprise Apple’s core (I had to say that) remained a small part of the user pie. Many Flavors of Vista and Many Cost Levels to Choose From So how much is Vista? It depends on which Vista you want. There are several. Amazon has them all. In the following list I’ll provide the cost assuming you’re upgrading from Windows XP. Keep in mind that Microsoft has approved a multi-user deal and you can upgrade your purchase with an additional license for another computer in your home or office for a discounted price that runs about 2/3rds the cost of the first upgrade.
When you get any version of Vista you technically get all of them. All are available on the same DVD and only the packaging changes. When you register Vista and enter your package’s activation code the code determines which version becomes active on your computer. The good news is if you upgrade and get an activation number for a more advanced version you don’t need to download anything or get a new installation disc. You’ll enter your new registration code in your current Vista version and Vista upgrades itself to the new level, Get Vista, Then We’ll Talk Over the next few weeks I’ll send Lew an article or two with tips that will help you get up and running on Vista much quicker than you may otherwise do. Also I’ll let you know how you can leverage the new Microsoft Office 2007. I’ve been using both for about a year and I know the features you want to learn right now and the ones you don’t need to touch because they are hype and little else.
January 30, 2007 Greg Perry [send him mail] is the pistol-packing author of more than 75 books. What he does best is teach others how to maximize their eBay income. That's because he smashes his eBay competitors by implementing time-proven Direct Marketing techniques that others completely ignore. If you've ever considered eBay, you'll make far more money when you read his newest book, eXtreme eBay – How to Quickly Apply the Most Powerful Direct Marketing Techniques in the World to Every Item You Sell on eBay. Copyright © 2007 LewRockwell.com |
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want you to have the stuff without the fluff. I’ll shoot as straight
with you as I do with the .45 currently at my side.