Microsoft’s new wunderkind has made its long-awaited appearance. Bill Gates unveiled his company’s new Vista operating system in a three-hour performance worthy of Apple’s Steve Jobs. Five years and millions of dollars worth of development have finally come to fruition. The question is: how will it be received by an audience already made skeptical by a mixed bag of early reviews…?
Needless to say, the techno geeks, bloggers and business press are all over this story. For a bird’s-eye view of the new operating system, and a balanced review, I checked out senior editor Peter Lewis’s article in Fortune Magazine. He actually tested the software for a couple of months, so I think he probably has some legit, first-hand observations of merit for the rest of us.
In a nutshell, this is what I’ve gleaned about the superiority of Vista over the Windows XP operating system:
Positives:
* Upgraded security features
* More reliable
* Better user interface
* Better network support
* More compatibility with older programs
* Improved search or navigation abilities
* Nifty new features: a desktop that enables users to see animated images, live icons instead of static ones, and improved versions of Windows Media Player and Windows Movie Maker, as well as new applications like Windows Photo Gallery and Windows DVD Maker.
Negatives:
* User needs a Vista-compatible PC and many PCs don’t have the “horsepower” to run this software.
* For the user with Vista-compatible PC, the Vista upgrade is apparently “vexing.”
* There are several versions of Vista software; only the more expensive versions have all the bells and whistles that Microsoft is touting. Cost: $100-$269+ depending on the version purchased.
* The best way to upgrade, apparently, provided your PC is up to it, is to start from Square 1: backing up your hard drive, wiping it clean and installing the new Vista is no simple task.
* Cost: major operating systems upgrades are fraught with high costs, delays and hassles for IT managers who may have hundreds, even thousands of PC users within companies. Few companies will take this on all at once. Most will probably upgrade as they replace aging PCs since it’s much more cost effective.
* Like any new operating system, Microsoft will have to debug it and fix the problems that will inevitably crop up. This could take a few months; making it likely many of us will wait this out for a few months. Why rush now and buy until the trouble-shooting and problem-solving phase is over?
Another potential negative: the very name Vista may present a problem for Microsoft. Vista is a Redmond, Washington-based business software and services company founded in 1999 by John Wall. Mr. Wall indicated to the press that he was not too pleased by Microsoft’s choice of name for its new operating system. And there are many other, influential naysayers about Vista, when it comes to performance issues.
Still, with a 90% share of the software market, billions of PC users around the world will no doubt be transitioning from Windows XP to Vista, probably as they purchase new PCs to replace aging ones. It’s just a matter of time.
It will also be interesting to see whether the new Vista will make any inroads in developing countries, where Linux has been the solid choice among consumers. While cheaper, Linux is purportedly more difficult to use. Will Microsoft pick up any of the market share in these parts of the world? It’s difficult to say.
Of more interest from my perspective:
* How will Microsoft respond to its challenges to perfect its new Vista operating system?
* What is on the horizon for Microsoft; how does the company plan to address the ever-quickening pace of tech development around the world with new products in future?
* What kind of company will Microsoft be when Bill Gates steps down as CEO in June 2008 to be replaced by Ray Ozzie, current Microsoft Chief Technology Officer? Even though Gates plans on staying on in some kind of part-time, advisory capacity; will Microsoft become more daring in its new product development, or ever-more cautious?
* With the pace being set by other tech companies, can Microsoft continue to afford to be slow or cautious?
Stay tuned. . .
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I think you might have missed the biggest negative of all:
It’s made by MicroSoft.
Hi Spike,
Microsoft has its detractors but the company also has legions of fans, as is the case with every other high profile brand that commands a tremendous percentage of market share. Thanks for weighing in.
Ted,
The best advice on this one is “wait and see”. Once the inevitable problems that crop up are resolved by Microsoft, then I can see business people lining up to upgrade. Especially as they purchase new PCs.
Why is software constantly demanding higher system performance, and why are affordable systems not entirely up to the task?
This is question that keeps haunting me. From my perspective Bill Gates also has quite a lot of power over hardware companies, making it a perfect strategy to get hardware sales up. Many would call my vision a conspiracy theory, but somehow I keep believing in it. I have yet come to see a billion dollar company doing something for the good of the people. Its always about money, and marketing strategies.
I know almost for a fact that the computer technology that we get to see is not even one tenth of what is already achievable. Seeing all those people upgrading their systems with a couple hundred of megehertz or maybe a gigahertz just to run Vista is ridiculous.
When is this torture going to stop? Why did Intel prohibit the use of nitrogen to cool processors? They can easily create 10-20Ghz processors and overclock to 30-40Ghz with nitrogen based cooling systems. Why are we still struggeling with 3-4Ghz jokes? All these reasons keep me from participating in Mr. Gates his operating system upgrades.
I know you guys will bombard me with negative or angry arguments, but I don’t expect less. This has just gone to far for me to keep my mouth shut anymore.
Danny,
Thanks for weighing in. You’ve expressed the same kind of frustration many, many people feel about computer hardware and software.
When it comes to planned obsolescence, technology-related products lead the way. The pressure to deliver better, faster, more secure systems, more memory as well as expanded entertainment capabilities, for business and personal use, all combine to drive this industry at break-neck speed.
I hear your frustration, and as a business owner who faces periodic upgrades, I understand where you’re coming from, Danny. This is the price a modern society pays to remain technologically advanced.
I invite as many points of view on this issue. Please feel free to join this conversation.