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You are here: Home  REVIEWS Microsoft Windows Vista SUCKS for Your Home or Office and WHY
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Microsoft Windows Vista SUCKS for Your Home or Office and WHY |
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Friday, 23 March 2007 |
Windows Vista is the latest operating system released by the ever dominating giant Microsoft. This newest addition to the Microsoft Windows family was supposed easier, more entertaining, more secure, better networking features, and more efficient for businesses according to Microsoft's Vista webpage.
Obviously, I'm writing this article because I don't agree with any of Microsoft's claims. Read more for the breakdown...
Here are my discoveries upon working with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium and the Microsoft Windows Vista Business versions.
The Truths:
Easier - Since when was Microsoft Windows Vista EASIER on anybody? The new interface takes some time for users to get use to. Everybody is currently nagged by the User Access Control. Doesn't Microsoft understand that people are going to do what they were going to do anyway? Unless you can convince somebody that what they're doing is harmful to the computer, the UAC means nothing! Microsoft also decided to use all new icons. Yes, they're very cute and friendly but goddarnit! I can't tell between some of them most of the time. Lets talk about drivers, if Vista doesn't even have drivers for even the most mainstream printers, how is that going to be easier on everybody?! Where's the ease in Vista if I have to go digging online for 3rd party drivers and work-around tricks to get my older devices and peripherals to work?!
More Entertaining - Just how exactly is Microsoft Windows Vista supposed to be more entertaining than Windows XP? First off, there are plenty of free programs and applications for managing pictures, music, and games that are much better suited and designed to fit the needs of organizing digital media. ITUNES, would be a good example of a program. What about Google Picasa? How about Scansoft's Paperport for business individuals? OEM computer companies like HP, Compaq, and Sony have all included their own media management software for years! I spend an hour with every new computer deleting annoying pre-installed photo managers every single time.
Since we've gotten the subject of digital media out of the way, let's move onto video games. Microsoft Windows Vista also does not play many of games for whatever reason, blame it on Nvidia or Ati if you want, I'm going to point my finger at Microsoft. My games run slower and less enjoyably on Microsoft Windows Vista, IF it runs at all. I can only come to the conclusion that Microsoft Windows Vista is not entertaining.
Instant Search - there is so much bullshit in this feature. This thing promotes more dis-organized file management and computer illiteracy than anything. Now users can find their files without ever knowing they were located. It's features like these that encourage less and less computer education. People should rely on common sense and good-housekeeping to find their files, not a program that slows down their computer constantly to keep a tab on all their files!
Windows Flip 3D - I can't believe how many people are willing to buy Windows Vista just for this feature? Wow, what the hell do we need this for? It's nice but it slows down the computer and demands resources and CPU power that today's and yesterday's computers just can't afford! How about a fancier and more intuitive taskbar? How about automatically double-layering the taskbar to allow more minimized windows leaving the titles un-squashed and still readable?
Safer - WHOA! HUGE LOAD OF BULL! Microsoft is NOT a security vendor. They are however currently trying to dominate the market by locking out the Vista operating system against other security software giants like McAfee and Norton. Windows Vista at alone still worse off against virus and spyware threats than a computer with Windows 98 and an updated Norton Antivirus software installed. At BEST, Windows Vista with updated 3rd party anti-virus software installed, is STILL NO BETTER than a computer with Windows XP and the same anti-virus software installed. What is my point? That on an even comparison level, Windows Vista is no more secure than Windows XP. It's newer firewall and anti-spam, blah blah is not any better than Windows XP's. The UAC feature can be easily duplicated in Windows XP by taking away administrator rights from the user! The only way Windows Vista could be safer for anybody is if it actually educated the user about modern threats such as viruses, spyware, and phishing instead of locking people out of everything and incorrectly identifying useful software as a "threat".
What I hate about Microsoft Windows Vista:
1) Speed (or the lack of): Oh my god, this thing is so goddarn slow! Even after I uninstalled all the crap software that comes pre-loaded from the manufacturer, it still wasn't fast enough. I think it's totally irresponsible of computer manufacturers to be selling computers loaded with Microsoft Windows Vista when it's not fast enough to handle the new operating system. I even did speak tweaks and still the system was slow. I turned off the minor special effects and still it was slow. I went into the power settings and found that Microsoft Windows Vista was often pre-loaded with the power saving settins. You have to set it to use maximum power all the time especially if it's a desktop. We didn't buy a friggen top of the line computer to save energy!
2) The annoying User Access Control feature: Wow, this UAC feature is totally annoying. The UAC is not needed for the expert computer user and for the beginner, it serves no purpose except to annoy us with an extra step from doing what we intended in the first place. The only way the UAC could ever be useful if it could actually scan and notify the user of exactly what is being installed or accessed at the very moment. For example, the UAC would be useful if it could actually go "STOP! - You're installing a program commonly known as spyware!" or "This program is safe, you need it view certain websites."
3) The Start Menu: wow, this friggen thing is terrible! Microsoft Windows Vista tries to save your desktop space by not making the windows open up in a big branch as you browse through the start menu. So instead, the window simply opens inside itself as you browse through the folders in the start menu. This is terribly annoying as you have to scroll up and down through your Start Menu instead of just moving your mouse around. Another drawback about the new Start Menu is that it is now a tad harder to assist a beginning computer user over the phone. You tell them to go here, here, and there, and click this and that. Of course they get lost, you ask them "what folder are you looking at?" and they say "the Start Menu" ARGH!!!!! The new Start Menu sucks and waste my time! Darn it, Microsoft...why are you trying to save me space? It's not like I'm going to be looking at my Desktop while I'm browsing to open up a program!
4) DRM - Digital Rights Management - Microsoft is going to try to enforce rights against playing media files that are supposedly not owned or do not have sufficient playability permission rights by the user. What a total turnoff. This feature was aimed to keep away digital media pirating but instead it's just going to piss off the PAYING users and legitimate owners of songs and videos. The real media pirates on the other hand, will simply find a work-around for the copyrighted material sooner or later. MICROSOFT, STOP TRYING TO RESTRICT PEOPLE! You're only turning off the masses of ignorant Windows users from your operating system, and delaying the inevitable cracks on your operating systems by those intent on pirating and using copyrighted material.
5) Microsoft Windows Vista is EXPENSIVE: Yes, $200 for the Ultimate version if you're getting a good deal and buying it OEM. The retail price is $250 if you want the nice fancy box in stores. But I'm not talking about JUST the cost of the operating system itself. Many businesses must take into account of the lost time and employee productivity when considering Vista's learning curve and system changes. IT guys will have to be hired to setup the computer for networking and figure out work-arounds and install update patches to make things work if it's even possible at all. I also left out the costs of half your programs not working and your all-in-one printers not being able to scan. Assuming your tech is competent and reasonably priced at $50/hr, installing Microsoft Windows Vista will costs you around a minimum of $500 per computer AND you won't have full functionality.
6) Microsoft Windows XP is BETTER: This is a testament to Microsoft's inability to improve. At the minimum, Windows Vista should have been made better than Windows XP. Unfortunately, it was not. Windows XP runs faster, better, more functionably, and more stable than Windows Vista using LESSER hardware!
My final words on Vista: Millions of people have tried to resist Windows Vista. People have been returning computers in record numbers lately to avoid learning the dreaded operating system. It's too slow and clunky, and its features get in the way as opposed to really making things easier. Despite all this, I think it's only a matter of time before Microsoft takes over with this new OS and we are forced to buy it to be able to run newer software and hardware devices and peripherals. Until then, stick to Microsoft Windows XP, it's faster and works better if not BEST.
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