Source: http://www.itwire.com/content/view/20509/1103/
By Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 08 September 2008
By Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 08 September 2008
Windows Vista is in the news again, thanks to the incomprehensible start to the new campaign featuring Gates and Seinfeld, but also because of the growing threat to Windows Vista posed by different flavours of Linux, XP and Mac OS X. But none of those things stop Vista from being Microsoft’s best OS yet.
iTWire colleague David M Williams has written an article entitled “5 reasons to upgrade from Windows Vista to Linux”.
David says that “Windows Vista has been out for almost two years now but it still suffers from stability and compatibility issues, let alone an insatiable desire for beefier hardware. You don't have to live with it; here are five reasons why Linux makes a better choice for your computer.”
But I’d change this to: Windows Vista has been out for almost two years now, has received an excellent first service pack, and has left its initial stability and compatibility issues in the dust, running very well even on older hardware, with my own now-older system as a great example.
Yes, you’ll need 2GB of RAM for performance, but RAM has never been cheaper and if you’re running Vista, don’t run it with anything less.
His five reasons for upgrading to Linux are:
1. You can update every single piece of software on your computer with a single action.
2. It’s the safest operating system ever.
3. Your PC can look after itself
4. Run an entire computer for free, without breaking the law
5. Take all your settings with you wherever you go
Well, let’s go through all those reasons, put them in their place, and come up with 5 more to stick with Vista and forget about Linux.
Let me start by saying that I truly believe Windows Vista is not only Microsoft’s best consumer operating system, it’s the best operating system on planet Earth right now. Over the years I’ve used CP/M, BASIC, DOS, GEM, Amiga OS, Windows from version 1 through to Vista, various Mac OS versions, Ubuntu Linux and others besides.
While I’ll happily concede that Ubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04 is the best version of Linux I’ve ever used, and the most compatible ever, it still lacks the shine and polish of Windows Vista, lacks the much richer hardware support of Vista and has far fewer programs available for it.
Let’s start with David’s first point – that you can update everything in Ubuntu with a single click. Ok, I’m happy to grant that, it’s a feature I wish Vista would enable, but you can keep Vista and Microsoft products automatically updated, and many other programs will automatically notify you that an update is available.
If they don’t, you’ll need to check the programs you use for updates manually. This isn’t as convenient as a one-click solution, but it’s hardly a reason to ditch Vista for Linux!
There are also all kinds of programs you could never update on Linux because they only run on Windows. Given that Windows has the widest software support, until developers start writing more software for Mac OS X and Linux, Windows remains the software winner. However, you do need to update those programs yourself.
David then says the second reason is because Linux is “the safest operating system ever.”
Well, I’m sure Mac OS X advocates would like to argue about that. However, given that the real security flaw in most computers is actually the user, often being fooled by a “social engineering” trick to open up malware, Linux and Mac OS X will always be just as vulnerable to these kinds of tricks as Windows users.
In addition, a fact of life for Windows users is the need for an Internet security suite of some kind.
Windows users can easily craft their own free security suites, from AVG or Avast Free editions, the ZoneAlarm Free firewall and free anti-malware software (such as Spybot Search and Destroy, and AdAware), or they can buy an Internet security suite that protects them automatically.
The best example of a modern Internet security suite is Norton Internet Security Suite 2009, due to be released sometime in September. It claims to deliver (and in my own personal tests, delivers on the promise of) “zero impact performance” – ensuring that your Internet security suite doesn’t get in the way.
Yes, Windows should have been written better to avoid the need for Internet security suites in the first place, but we live in a world where crime is rife. Do you have locks on your doors, your car, and passwords for all your online accounts – even your computer itself? Of course you do.
Windows is the OS market leader, so it’s natural that the “bad guys” are trying to break in. Keeping yourself protected is a simple matter of education and the right protective software.
There are also other security packages for Windows that complement and augment whatever Internet security suite you're using which just aren't available on other systems, such as TrustDefender and ZoneAlarm Forcefield.
Reason number 3 to switch to Linux is because “Your PC can look after itself”. Well, your Windows Vista PC can look after itself, too! Defragmentation of the hard drive is set up to run automatically on Vista, and you can run it yourself at any time.
Sure, Linux and the Mac OS are supposed to have hard disks that require no defragmentation, but it’s a process that can certainly be run automatically on Vista PCs. Vista also automatically updates itself with the latest security updates and all Internet security suites update themselves automatically, too.
You can even set your computer up to make automatic backups to an external hard drive, or an online storage space, with backups something that Linux and Mac OS X users need to perform as well (whether manually or automatically).
Yes, you might need the help of a knowledgeable computer friend or a commercial computer help-desk service to set this up, but chances are if you need that assistance to begin with, you’ll need help moving to Linux in the first place!
Reason number 4 in support of Linux is that you can “Run an entire computer for free, without breaking the law”.
Well, whichever operating system you decide to use, you’ll still need to buy the computer itself, and that certainly isn’t free – unless you’re getting a second-hand “hand-me-down” from someone else.
But these days, Windows Vista pre-loaded onto a commercially purchased computer is only a small part of the overall cost. Yes, it does cost extra, which means it does cost something, but you’re certainly not paying the price of a retail version of Windows.
Once you get past that particular hurdle, a world of free and open source software awaits you on Vista if you want it.
Besides the cost of Windows itself on your hardware of choice, everything else can be free if you so desire, while running within an operating system – Vista – that has far more software and hardware compatibility than any other.
Reason number 5 is that you can “take all your settings with you wherever you go”. Hey, I can do this too – it’s called using a laptop! But Windows users can easily load their most important files to any number of secure online storage solutions, so their files are available anywhere.
As for taking your settings with you, there are USB flash drives and hard drives with software called U3, Ceedo, Mojo and others which can give you a customised portable Windows interface/experience that you can use when plugged into other computers, while having your files at hand.
In addition, the wide range of online services from Google and others lets you access your email and office documents from any computer.
Yes, those services are a reason why you don’t need Windows, but given that Windows Vista has, in my opinion, the nicest operating system experience (sorry Mac OS X and Linux users), I’m personally much happier accessing those online services through a Vista interface, and the reality is that most people out there are, too.
Some of these reasons may interplay with things I’ve said before, but for me, they are all important reasons why I’m sticking with Vista.
Reason number 6 is superior hardware and device driver support. Linux’s problems with Wi-Fi, monitors and other hardware types are legion. Sure, many can be fixed by fiddling around, and Linux support is certainly growing, but Vista has made hardware support and the discovery of drivers easier than ever.
I’ve been very impressed by Vista’s ability to just find a driver from its own online store of drivers – no operating system does it better, quite frankly.
Yes, there will be older pieces of hardware that will never have Vista drivers written, but at least you can use any number of virtualisation programs, including Virtual PC 2007, VMware, Citrix, VirtualBox, Parallels for Windows and likely others to install a copy of XP if you really, really need old hardware support.
You could continue using your old computer if it’s still working. Or you could buy a new scanner, printer or whatever it is you need that no longer works.
Sure, that costs money, but virtually all new hardware from the past two years has had Vista drivers written for it, and thousands of older pieces of hardware have had Vista drivers written in the interim.
I know there will be specific examples of older hardware that has no Vista driver, and will never have a Vista driver, but I can’t think of any new hardware sold on the mass market that doesn’t come with a Vista driver. And, despite the age of inflation we’re going through now, hardware has still never been cheaper or more advanced.
Reason number 7 is the widest choice of software. From a myriad of third party applications, to all the major games, browsers, browser plug-ins, utilities, graphic design programs, voice recognition, media players, Internet security, office suites, virtualisation packages, programming languages and much more besides, Windows has the widest software library – it’s something that simply cannot be denied.
Reason number 8 is support. Yes, you’ll find someone to help you no matter what operating system you use. But there are more Windows support options available, be it from knowledgeable friends to computer stores to onsite computer help-desk services.
And just as there are thriving communities of online support for Linux and Mac OS X online, there are thriving communities of support for Windows, too.
I’ve found help many times just by typing in an issue into Google and seeing what comes up, which usually is the solution to whatever problem it is I’m experiencing, be it for Vista, XP, Linux or Mac OS X. Seeing as Windows is the market leader, you’ll find online support for Vista to be as good, if not better, than for any other OS.
Reason number 9 is the familiarity and evolution of the Windows desktop experience. Vista is unquestionably the best version of Windows ever, especially after the improvements in SP1 that reduced the number of UAC prompts you received performing different system tasks.
Of course, UAC prompts can be turned off altogether if you don’t like them, but Vista’s desktop experience is the most polished, and for years-long Windows users, by far the most familiar.
I’ve used Mac OS X for years, but I still find Windows so much more familiar. I guess that’s a personal choice, but Vista has a much better interface than XP, and I prefer it to Ubuntu, other Linux versions and Mac OS X.
Vista greatly improves the “Start Menu”, has an improved “Windows Explorer”, has smarter wizards, more options to tweak the interface itself, built-in search that works quickly, great improvements in the graphics used to represent the system and all its icons, the best “tablet PC” experience, a better “Media Center” than was available in XP, a better network and Wi-Fi management system and more.
Overall, Vista is the best looking and working version of Windows yet, with an OS like Ubuntu still having a long way to go to catch up.
Mac OS X, on the other hand, is also highly polished and certainly gives Vista a run for its money, but it comes down to personal preferences, and when faced with Ubuntu, XP, Mac OS X or Vista, my personal choice is the Vista desktop experience.
The 10th reason to choose Windows Vista is because of Microsoft. Yes, it’s the company many love to hate, but Microsoft see all the competitive threats out there, and continues to change, improve and evolve. My visit last week to the Australian Microsoft Tech Ed 2008 in Sydney certainly demonstrated that - to me, at least.
IE 8 beta 2 is arguably the best browser available, even despite the introduction of Google Chrome, the success of Firefox 3, the availability of Safari and the Opera alternative. That said, I have all five browsers installed on my system, and I actually like to use them all. It's something no other OS can claim!
SP1 fixed many issues from the original Vista. Microsoft has released an improved Desktop Search version 4 that improved on the one built into Vista. And improvements to Vista keep on coming frm Microsoft.
Microsoft is also taking all the advances in Vista and Windows Server 2008, and is building them into Windows 7. It will be the first version of Windows that will use the same drivers as the previous version – or at least, that’s the promise Microsoft is currently making.
Microsoft says this is because Vista made a lot of changes to the underlying hardware driver subsystem, and as such, there is no need to change them for Windows 7. We’re yet to see if this really pans out, but for now, this is one Microsoft promise I’m believing.
Just as Symantec had to rewrite Norton Internet Security in the upcoming 2009 version to completely outclass its previous versions and promise “zero impact performance”, so is Microsoft realising that the initial Vista experience left much to be desired, and it has worked hard to improve it ever since.
Vista today with SP1 is Microsoft’s best consumer operating system yet, and despite some initial hardware driver issues with the original Vista, I felt the same way about that OS too.
Vista has come a very long way since its initial launch, and despite promises from Microsoft that the “next version” will be better, Windows 7 is so far shaping up to take what is a great OS today, Vista, and make it even better.
Until then, I’m definitely enjoying the “vista”, while keeping an eye on what Apple are doing with Mac OS X and the steady improvements that Ubuntu is making.
I’m happy to acknowledge that if Vista suddenly dropped off the face of the earth, I could get all my work done in Linux or Mac OS X.
But seeing as I have a choice, I’m more than happy to choose and recommend Vista today, while keeping all my options open for the future that is yet to come, although as of this point, that future looks like Windows 7.
Even if I did decide to get a Mac, an idea I’ve toyed with over the years, there’s no way I run one without having Vista available to dual-boot from and run virtually as desired.
And Ubuntu? It still needs major work for me to ditch Windows for the Linux experience, and until that happens, which looks like it will still take quite some time, Vista is the OS for me – followed by Windows 7!
iTWire colleague David M Williams has written an article entitled “5 reasons to upgrade from Windows Vista to Linux”.
David says that “Windows Vista has been out for almost two years now but it still suffers from stability and compatibility issues, let alone an insatiable desire for beefier hardware. You don't have to live with it; here are five reasons why Linux makes a better choice for your computer.”
But I’d change this to: Windows Vista has been out for almost two years now, has received an excellent first service pack, and has left its initial stability and compatibility issues in the dust, running very well even on older hardware, with my own now-older system as a great example.
Yes, you’ll need 2GB of RAM for performance, but RAM has never been cheaper and if you’re running Vista, don’t run it with anything less.
His five reasons for upgrading to Linux are:
1. You can update every single piece of software on your computer with a single action.
2. It’s the safest operating system ever.
3. Your PC can look after itself
4. Run an entire computer for free, without breaking the law
5. Take all your settings with you wherever you go
Well, let’s go through all those reasons, put them in their place, and come up with 5 more to stick with Vista and forget about Linux.
Let me start by saying that I truly believe Windows Vista is not only Microsoft’s best consumer operating system, it’s the best operating system on planet Earth right now. Over the years I’ve used CP/M, BASIC, DOS, GEM, Amiga OS, Windows from version 1 through to Vista, various Mac OS versions, Ubuntu Linux and others besides.
While I’ll happily concede that Ubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04 is the best version of Linux I’ve ever used, and the most compatible ever, it still lacks the shine and polish of Windows Vista, lacks the much richer hardware support of Vista and has far fewer programs available for it.
Let’s start with David’s first point – that you can update everything in Ubuntu with a single click. Ok, I’m happy to grant that, it’s a feature I wish Vista would enable, but you can keep Vista and Microsoft products automatically updated, and many other programs will automatically notify you that an update is available.
If they don’t, you’ll need to check the programs you use for updates manually. This isn’t as convenient as a one-click solution, but it’s hardly a reason to ditch Vista for Linux!
There are also all kinds of programs you could never update on Linux because they only run on Windows. Given that Windows has the widest software support, until developers start writing more software for Mac OS X and Linux, Windows remains the software winner. However, you do need to update those programs yourself.
David then says the second reason is because Linux is “the safest operating system ever.”
Well, I’m sure Mac OS X advocates would like to argue about that. However, given that the real security flaw in most computers is actually the user, often being fooled by a “social engineering” trick to open up malware, Linux and Mac OS X will always be just as vulnerable to these kinds of tricks as Windows users.
In addition, a fact of life for Windows users is the need for an Internet security suite of some kind.
Windows users can easily craft their own free security suites, from AVG or Avast Free editions, the ZoneAlarm Free firewall and free anti-malware software (such as Spybot Search and Destroy, and AdAware), or they can buy an Internet security suite that protects them automatically.
The best example of a modern Internet security suite is Norton Internet Security Suite 2009, due to be released sometime in September. It claims to deliver (and in my own personal tests, delivers on the promise of) “zero impact performance” – ensuring that your Internet security suite doesn’t get in the way.
Yes, Windows should have been written better to avoid the need for Internet security suites in the first place, but we live in a world where crime is rife. Do you have locks on your doors, your car, and passwords for all your online accounts – even your computer itself? Of course you do.
Windows is the OS market leader, so it’s natural that the “bad guys” are trying to break in. Keeping yourself protected is a simple matter of education and the right protective software.
There are also other security packages for Windows that complement and augment whatever Internet security suite you're using which just aren't available on other systems, such as TrustDefender and ZoneAlarm Forcefield.
Reason number 3 to switch to Linux is because “Your PC can look after itself”. Well, your Windows Vista PC can look after itself, too! Defragmentation of the hard drive is set up to run automatically on Vista, and you can run it yourself at any time.
Sure, Linux and the Mac OS are supposed to have hard disks that require no defragmentation, but it’s a process that can certainly be run automatically on Vista PCs. Vista also automatically updates itself with the latest security updates and all Internet security suites update themselves automatically, too.
You can even set your computer up to make automatic backups to an external hard drive, or an online storage space, with backups something that Linux and Mac OS X users need to perform as well (whether manually or automatically).
Yes, you might need the help of a knowledgeable computer friend or a commercial computer help-desk service to set this up, but chances are if you need that assistance to begin with, you’ll need help moving to Linux in the first place!
Reason number 4 in support of Linux is that you can “Run an entire computer for free, without breaking the law”.
Well, whichever operating system you decide to use, you’ll still need to buy the computer itself, and that certainly isn’t free – unless you’re getting a second-hand “hand-me-down” from someone else.
But these days, Windows Vista pre-loaded onto a commercially purchased computer is only a small part of the overall cost. Yes, it does cost extra, which means it does cost something, but you’re certainly not paying the price of a retail version of Windows.
Once you get past that particular hurdle, a world of free and open source software awaits you on Vista if you want it.
Besides the cost of Windows itself on your hardware of choice, everything else can be free if you so desire, while running within an operating system – Vista – that has far more software and hardware compatibility than any other.
Reason number 5 is that you can “take all your settings with you wherever you go”. Hey, I can do this too – it’s called using a laptop! But Windows users can easily load their most important files to any number of secure online storage solutions, so their files are available anywhere.
As for taking your settings with you, there are USB flash drives and hard drives with software called U3, Ceedo, Mojo and others which can give you a customised portable Windows interface/experience that you can use when plugged into other computers, while having your files at hand.
In addition, the wide range of online services from Google and others lets you access your email and office documents from any computer.
Yes, those services are a reason why you don’t need Windows, but given that Windows Vista has, in my opinion, the nicest operating system experience (sorry Mac OS X and Linux users), I’m personally much happier accessing those online services through a Vista interface, and the reality is that most people out there are, too.
Some of these reasons may interplay with things I’ve said before, but for me, they are all important reasons why I’m sticking with Vista.
Reason number 6 is superior hardware and device driver support. Linux’s problems with Wi-Fi, monitors and other hardware types are legion. Sure, many can be fixed by fiddling around, and Linux support is certainly growing, but Vista has made hardware support and the discovery of drivers easier than ever.
I’ve been very impressed by Vista’s ability to just find a driver from its own online store of drivers – no operating system does it better, quite frankly.
Yes, there will be older pieces of hardware that will never have Vista drivers written, but at least you can use any number of virtualisation programs, including Virtual PC 2007, VMware, Citrix, VirtualBox, Parallels for Windows and likely others to install a copy of XP if you really, really need old hardware support.
You could continue using your old computer if it’s still working. Or you could buy a new scanner, printer or whatever it is you need that no longer works.
Sure, that costs money, but virtually all new hardware from the past two years has had Vista drivers written for it, and thousands of older pieces of hardware have had Vista drivers written in the interim.
I know there will be specific examples of older hardware that has no Vista driver, and will never have a Vista driver, but I can’t think of any new hardware sold on the mass market that doesn’t come with a Vista driver. And, despite the age of inflation we’re going through now, hardware has still never been cheaper or more advanced.
Reason number 7 is the widest choice of software. From a myriad of third party applications, to all the major games, browsers, browser plug-ins, utilities, graphic design programs, voice recognition, media players, Internet security, office suites, virtualisation packages, programming languages and much more besides, Windows has the widest software library – it’s something that simply cannot be denied.
Reason number 8 is support. Yes, you’ll find someone to help you no matter what operating system you use. But there are more Windows support options available, be it from knowledgeable friends to computer stores to onsite computer help-desk services.
And just as there are thriving communities of online support for Linux and Mac OS X online, there are thriving communities of support for Windows, too.
I’ve found help many times just by typing in an issue into Google and seeing what comes up, which usually is the solution to whatever problem it is I’m experiencing, be it for Vista, XP, Linux or Mac OS X. Seeing as Windows is the market leader, you’ll find online support for Vista to be as good, if not better, than for any other OS.
Reason number 9 is the familiarity and evolution of the Windows desktop experience. Vista is unquestionably the best version of Windows ever, especially after the improvements in SP1 that reduced the number of UAC prompts you received performing different system tasks.
Of course, UAC prompts can be turned off altogether if you don’t like them, but Vista’s desktop experience is the most polished, and for years-long Windows users, by far the most familiar.
I’ve used Mac OS X for years, but I still find Windows so much more familiar. I guess that’s a personal choice, but Vista has a much better interface than XP, and I prefer it to Ubuntu, other Linux versions and Mac OS X.
Vista greatly improves the “Start Menu”, has an improved “Windows Explorer”, has smarter wizards, more options to tweak the interface itself, built-in search that works quickly, great improvements in the graphics used to represent the system and all its icons, the best “tablet PC” experience, a better “Media Center” than was available in XP, a better network and Wi-Fi management system and more.
Overall, Vista is the best looking and working version of Windows yet, with an OS like Ubuntu still having a long way to go to catch up.
Mac OS X, on the other hand, is also highly polished and certainly gives Vista a run for its money, but it comes down to personal preferences, and when faced with Ubuntu, XP, Mac OS X or Vista, my personal choice is the Vista desktop experience.
The 10th reason to choose Windows Vista is because of Microsoft. Yes, it’s the company many love to hate, but Microsoft see all the competitive threats out there, and continues to change, improve and evolve. My visit last week to the Australian Microsoft Tech Ed 2008 in Sydney certainly demonstrated that - to me, at least.
IE 8 beta 2 is arguably the best browser available, even despite the introduction of Google Chrome, the success of Firefox 3, the availability of Safari and the Opera alternative. That said, I have all five browsers installed on my system, and I actually like to use them all. It's something no other OS can claim!
SP1 fixed many issues from the original Vista. Microsoft has released an improved Desktop Search version 4 that improved on the one built into Vista. And improvements to Vista keep on coming frm Microsoft.
Microsoft is also taking all the advances in Vista and Windows Server 2008, and is building them into Windows 7. It will be the first version of Windows that will use the same drivers as the previous version – or at least, that’s the promise Microsoft is currently making.
Microsoft says this is because Vista made a lot of changes to the underlying hardware driver subsystem, and as such, there is no need to change them for Windows 7. We’re yet to see if this really pans out, but for now, this is one Microsoft promise I’m believing.
Just as Symantec had to rewrite Norton Internet Security in the upcoming 2009 version to completely outclass its previous versions and promise “zero impact performance”, so is Microsoft realising that the initial Vista experience left much to be desired, and it has worked hard to improve it ever since.
Vista today with SP1 is Microsoft’s best consumer operating system yet, and despite some initial hardware driver issues with the original Vista, I felt the same way about that OS too.
Vista has come a very long way since its initial launch, and despite promises from Microsoft that the “next version” will be better, Windows 7 is so far shaping up to take what is a great OS today, Vista, and make it even better.
Until then, I’m definitely enjoying the “vista”, while keeping an eye on what Apple are doing with Mac OS X and the steady improvements that Ubuntu is making.
I’m happy to acknowledge that if Vista suddenly dropped off the face of the earth, I could get all my work done in Linux or Mac OS X.
But seeing as I have a choice, I’m more than happy to choose and recommend Vista today, while keeping all my options open for the future that is yet to come, although as of this point, that future looks like Windows 7.
Even if I did decide to get a Mac, an idea I’ve toyed with over the years, there’s no way I run one without having Vista available to dual-boot from and run virtually as desired.
And Ubuntu? It still needs major work for me to ditch Windows for the Linux experience, and until that happens, which looks like it will still take quite some time, Vista is the OS for me – followed by Windows 7!
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