Windows Vista Reviews
It has been a while since Windows Vista been finalized as RTM final build and released to Technet and MSDN subscribers with valid product key, and and now available commercially in retail channel. A lot of people has installed Windows Vista and use the new operating system in day-to-day operation. And a lot of reviews and opinions and even suggestions on whether you should upgrade and migrate to Windows Vista or not, together with what to look out for should you decided to do so. So is Windows Vista sucks? Or is it a must have? Or is IE7 sucks? And it’s value for money?
New York Times thinks that Vista wins on looks, its more intelligent navigation and more powerful file-manipulation tools provide you with greater efficiency from Day 1. And while the more secure plumbing doesn’t guarantee a virus-free future, it will certainly make life more difficult for the sociopaths of the Internet. However, moving to Vista means hunting for updated drivers for your printer, audio card and so on, not to mention troubleshooting incompatible programs. It also means some relearning, thanks to features that Microsoft has moved, removed or rejiggered. But, it doesn’t matter what you (or tech reviewers) think of Windows Vista; sooner or later, it’s what most people will have on their PCs. In that light, it’s fortunate that Vista is better looking, better designed and better insulated against the annoyances of the Internet. At the very least, it’s well equipped to pull the world’s PCs along for the next five years — or whenever the next version of Windows drops down the chimney.
ComputerAct!ve gives Windows Vista overall rating of 4 out of 5 and concludes that it’s far from revolutionary, Windows Vista is more like a better implemented version of Windows XP. The enhanced security is a key selling point, but upgraders could have a hefty bill on their hands.
USA Today says that as always, Microsoft is pouring on the hype. Beneath the superlatives, though, there are real improvements. Windows XP, the current operating system, is reliable and full-featured, but it has its problems. Vista improves many of those things, such as Vista’s Easy Transfer, Windows Connect Now, Desktop Search, centralized backup and restore center, and Windows DVD Maker.
CNet Asia has a first look on Windows Vista RTM release and concludes that “overall, we find this Windows Vista RTM build very stable and feature-rich, and we look forward to reviewing the final release on January 30. Given the way the installation process checks for program updates, Microsoft has the opportunity to roll out the operating system with a few known bugs. So long as Microsoft is able to fix these bugs by its self-imposed general availability date, we think Vista could be a worthy upgrade for most PC users.”
PC Advisor conducts a definitive review on Windows Vista and concludes that the user experience and the revitalised appearance are significant advances, and most people will immediately take to the new OS. But is it good enough to justify an immediate upgrade? You can probably afford to wait until your current PC is on its last legs before buying a new PC. But if you want to keep up with the bleeding edge of technology, and make the most of the innovative applications that will make the most out of Vista’s advances, the temptation to upgrade sooner rather than later will be hard to resist.
Wall Street Journal says that Windows Vista is the best version of Windows that Microsoft has produced. However, while navigation has been improved, Vista isn’t a breakthrough in ease of use. Overall, it works pretty much the same way as Windows XP. Windows hasn’t been given nearly as radical an overhaul as Microsoft just applied to its other big product, Office. Gradually, all Windows computers will be Vista computers, and that’s a good thing, if only for security reasons. But you may want to keep your older Windows XP box around awhile longer, until you can afford new hardware that can handle Vista.
Technology Review calls Windows Vista uninspiring with comment that “many of Vista’s “new” features seemed terribly familiar to me–as they will to any user of Apple’s OS X Tiger operating system. My efforts to get Media Center working highlighted two big problems with Vista. First, it’s a memory hog. Second, users choosing to install the 64-bit version of Vista on computers they already own will have a hard time finding drivers. Playing with OS X Tiger in order to make accurate comparisons for this review, I had a personal epiphany: Windows is complicated. Macs are simple.”
PC Magazine gives Windows Vista editor’s rating of 3.5 stars out of possible 5, and concludes that Vista is good—in some respects very good—but not spectacular. Call it a nice-to-have product rather than a must-have. If you’re buying a new consumer PC this spring, it probably makes sense to get Vista. If you’ve already got a PC running Windows XP smoothly, it’s harder to see a reason to upgrade right away. You can wait until you replace your machine, or at least a few months, until Vista’s kinks are worked out. For business customers, it makes sense to start evaluating Vista now, particularly since improved deployment, management, and security could lead to significant cost reductions in the long term. But you’ll want to be confident about compatibility and support before you make the transition en masse.
HamptonRoads reviews Windows Vista and concludes that early all of the major, visible new features in Vista are already available in Apple’s operating system, called Mac OS X, which came out in 2001 and received its last major upgrade in 2005. And Apple is about to leap ahead again with a new version of OS X, called Leopard, due this spring. There are some big downsides to this new version of Windows. To get the full benefits of Vista, especially the new look and user interface, which is called Aero, you will need a hefty new computer, or a hefty one that you purchased fairly recently. Gradually, all Windows computers will be Vista computers, and that’s a good thing, if only for security reasons. But you may want to keep your older Windows XP box around awhile longer, until you can afford new hardware that can handle Vista.
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Entries (RSS)
December 20th, 2006 16:23
[...] By default, Windows Vista allows interested users to evaluate the operating system with trial or demonstration (demo) period of up to 30 days. However, it’s possible to extend the time left to activate Windows Vista even after 30 days grace period has timeout or expired, by using -rearm switch for slmgr or slmrg.vbs command and script (software licensing manager). In normal installation, users are allowed to extend and delay the activation grace timing or use the Windows Vista without activation (in trial or evaluation mode) for up to the 30 days for maximum of 3 times (3 months or 120 days). With Vista ReArm Unlimited Patch, you can extend the 30 days no activation period for unlimited times. [...]
December 20th, 2006 18:07
[...] Hackers are going all out to crack Windows Vista activation procedure which is enhanced by Software Protection Platform (SPP). Until now, Microsoft has an upper hand, with no permanent or foolproof ways to crack or bypass Windows Vista activation request emerged. Instead, various workarounds and tricks to bypass, skip, delay, disable or spoof Vista activation has been suggestion, to various degree of success, such as extend evaluation period, rearm method, install Vista in future year, ‘frankenbuild’ Vista by replacing RTM build WPA files with RC build files, activate against spoofed KMS server, or run and activate Vista with own local KMS server and etc. Now, there is new crack method that able to permanently stop the countdown timer of time left to activate Windows Vista, effectively running Vista OS in full functionality evaluation mode forever. [...]
December 21st, 2006 16:59
[...] If you’re using Microsoft Office 2007, you will notice that it has a nice and handy feature called previews. The previewers which supported by the preview handlers allow users to view or display the contents of documents, emails, messages, attachments, workbooks, videos, audios, presentations and other supported files on screen, without having to open it. For example, in Outlook 2007, users can view the contents of a email message without the need to open it, they can need to select the message in mail folder’s list view and outlook will render the email and display the message in preview pane. The new previews feature also allows users to even view message attachments in the same preview pane, without having to double-click an attachment to open it in the appropriate viewer. Windows Vista also offers and supports similar preview pane that is accessible from any folder in the shell window. The preview handlers for Windows Vista, Outlook 2007 and Office 2007 are about the same, and the handlers can support Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets, font files, video and audio files, and a variety of other file types that are commonly sent as attachments such as images and photos. [...]
December 22nd, 2006 22:23
[...] Amit Agarwal from Digital Inspiration wrote an article on “How to Get Windows Vista for Free”. The article is plain lie and doesn’t inspired at all. And worst, in my humble opinion, the article is just a trick to draw Internet traffic in his blog. The 5 methods that he listed in “How to Get Windows Vista for Free” as below, is either not workable, obsoleted, expired, unachievable, or factually wrong. Here’s why. The first method mentioned is asking you to buy a new Vista Capable PC from branded hardware vendor such as Dell and HP now, and upgrade to Windows Vista for free with Express Upgrade coupon. This is factually incorrect. Firstly, you need money to pay when buy a computer. Even is this is discounted, almost all hardware vendors, including Dell, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Acer, Asus, LG, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony and etc, will require you to pay at least shipping and handling charge when order for the Vista upgrade DVD. [...]
December 26th, 2006 13:53
[...] VMware has released beta version of VMware Workstation 6 (currently beta build 36983) which include support for using Windows Vista 32-bit and 64-bit (x86 and x64) as host operating system and guest operating system. Other than Windows Vista, VMware WS also provides experimental support 32-bit and 64-bit Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.5 (formerly known as 4.0 Update 5) and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.0 (Beta) as host and guest operating systems, 32-bit and 64-bit SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 SP4 as host and guest operating systems, and 32-bit and 64-bit Solaris 10 Update 3 as guest operating system. VMware Workstation 6 Beta includes the following features: [...]
December 26th, 2006 23:46
[...] Windows Vista provides retail or OEM end users two methods of activating Windows Vista, and that’s activation by Internet which requires working Internet connection and activation by phone, if you don’t have access to Internet. Although Windows Vista is only going to be on sale after end of January 2007, however, if you’re daring enough, you can now use phone activation method to activate the RTM or final version of Windows Vista (build 6000.16386.061101-2205) installed on your computer. This is also a way to crack or hack Windows Vista activation for those who don’t have Internet connectivity. Step 1 [...]
January 8th, 2007 21:43
[...] Although Windows Vista is only scheduled for retail release on January 30th, 2007, there are already a lot of reviews for Windows Vista, or you can have a feel on Windows Vista by test driving Windows Vista Business for evaluation, where you can play around the Windows Vista desktop via a virtual console, just like you remote control a Vista machine. With sleek and stunning graphic user interface and lots of new features and improvements, Windows Vista has strives a more secure, more usable, more user friendly and more attractive operating system. It’s no wonder the Windows Vista system requirements, especially premium version will make your jaw dropped. If you’re still unsure of whether to upgrade to Windows Vista, or still blur about what’s so unique about features and functions in Windows Vista that not available somewhere else, an article on vista-hq.com lists out the top 10 new features in Windows Vista that you cannot find in other operating system such as Windows XP. [...]
January 10th, 2007 01:36
[...] Windows Vista is a great leap in improvement on visual effects and graphic user interface (GUI) design. With or without Windows Aero Glass feature, Windows Vista provides stunning, streamlined, sleek, clean, aesthetically pleasure, easy-on-eye, pretty, attractive, wonderful and high resolution graphics to the system users that will cause you “Wow”. In this concept Microsoft launches another portal named Show us your “Wow” at showusyourwow.msn.com that allows your to showcase or show off your “Wow” moments via videos or photos, and take part or participate or play in “WOW” contents to win trip to famous vista in the world or Windows Vista Ultimate computer. [...]
February 3rd, 2007 01:26
[...] the price of Windows Vista is expensive, and it has too many editions, making choice difficult. The reviews of Windows Vista got the mixed feedback, making the choice harder, as there are couple of issues and problems on [...]
February 3rd, 2007 01:57
[...] whether want to purchase or upgrade to Windows Vista on their computers after reading various Windows Vista reviews and various reasons for and against upgrading to Windows Vista, you can use Windows Vista Upgrade [...]
February 3rd, 2007 10:21
[...] Ultimate, you can purchase additional Home Premium licenses at discounted price. Also visit more general reviews of Vista. Microsoft even prepares special portal for the ultimate Windows. bit-tech concludes with overall [...]
March 23rd, 2008 13:01
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