Microsoft Vista - Where we stand.

I have been getting a lot of questions lately about Microsoft’s new operating system Vista, I would like to address some of the issues and let you know where I stand.

Of all the articles out there on Microsoft Vista, this sums it up the best. For a good overview of the controversy the first couple, (non-geek) paragraphs of this article from Forbes are worth the read. The first few and the last will cover everything you need to know.

Forbes - Why Vista DRM is bad for you.

My official position on Vista is that as a business we don’t need it. The only improvements are visual and they come at a cost. The horsepower that we give up on a Vista system is better suited to running our apps as fast as possible on XP. We will always have access to XP and XP compatible systems for the next few years. As we replace outdated systems for more powerful systems designed to handle Vista (but still running XP,) we will see productivity and performance increases. Sadly though, even incorporating one Vista system into our network will create tech support, training and compatibility nightmares.

Microsoft has announced the successor to Vista (called Vienna for now,) will be out in late 2008/ early 2009. None of our software vendors will require Vista level software for years if ever. Every vendor that I have talked to has made it a point to tell us they don’t support their software on it. The best bet for now is to sit Vista out and see what lessons Microsoft has learned when the next version comes out.

For a home user interested in Internet, email, games and personal office work Vista will be fine. Vista will still support remote access to company systems through Gotomypc or Logmein. In fact the best way to think of Vista is that it was designed to be a home entertainment center, but not a production platform. If you are considering buying a computer for someone that will largely work independently or just use email and the internet, don’t be afraid to look at Macs as well.