(courtesy Carl/VFUG) This guy is asking for flames. First of all...it IS somewhat layered on top of the former OSes I thought, because it'd have taken EVEN LONGER to create it from scratch.
-------- Original Message -------- *Giving up Windows because of Vista? - Topic Powered by eve community*: http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/48409524/m/893002456831/p/1 Alright, hi. This is my first post, and generally the first time here at the Ars forums (though I've been visiting Ars frequently for years now), but seeing this and many other Vista related discussions, I felt a strong urge to comment. Seems to me that a lot of people are having bad opinions on windows Vista, but based upon an incomplete view or lack of understanding. Here are some of my thoughts on the matter: 1. Windows Vista contains a brand new kernel. This ain't your daddy's NT->2000->XP evolutionary layered project. Writing a brand new kernel from scratch takes some balls and Microsoft had to do it at some point or another, to take advantage of all the wonderful developments in Hardware and Software technologies. So, basically, just designing all this from scratch, writing, testing it and packaging it to their MASSIVE market base is a tremendous task, not to be taken lightly. 2. Windows OS's operate in free ecology hardware market, where just about any imaginable setup is possible and needs to be supported. This causes a very real problem for them, as they HAVE TO rely on driver teams of other companies to supply good quality drivers for windows Vista. While on their part, they need to supply proper API's and specs for all interested, they cannot directly control driver quality and adoption rate. From what I've encountered, a great many of the problems are related to Vista/Driver interaction, with large companies like nVidia and Creative, still working (8 monthes post RTM!) to get full functionality with their hardware. ATI seems to be the exception on this, and Intel's drivers were always ready when needed with top quality. The comparison to Mac OS X is unfair as it's not even the same playing field. When Microsoft gives a full hardware/software platform designed by them - that comparison can be made. An argument can be made here in the favor of ubuntu, though functionality is still lacking there and (for me) general usability is still horrendous - but linux and Mac OS is not the post's agenda. 3. Backwards compatibility is a bitch of weight to carry around. Working with Vista and talking with people who use it, I can see this was done exceptionally well. OF COURSE you can't provide full backwards compatibility and OF COURSE some things won't work - but the fact that most things work flawlessly or with minor tweaking on the very first release of vista is, in my eyes, a miracle. I was expecting less, and received a pleasant surprise. On the point of backwards compatibility on other OS's, it's for all purposes light years away from Windows functionality and support for these matters. 4. Windows Vista's hardware requirements, while not mind-bogglingly high, are fairly demanding, especially in the Memory department. While it can be argued, and arguments can be made both ways, that it may not be the best implementation - it is still a design implementation to plan for systems with ABUNDANT memory. The SuperFetch technologies in Vista need to spread out to be useful, but oh boy are they great. With 1 GB being the minimum, Vista only starts to shine at 2GB+. At that "sweet spot", you can really see responsiveness and fluidity that is unmatched. After several weeks use, once the SuperFetch engine builds a complete profile, it really feels as if everything just starts up immediately. I have never encountered similar performance in any other OS to date. To me, that alone is worth the admission price. To anyone else, 2GB+ RAM will become the de-facto standard of next year, so it's just a matter of time and a correct design decision in my eyes. If you want to run an OS which is light on RAM, there are plenty of alternatives. 5. Vista is currently in the RTM phase of it's lifecycle, which is hard enough for any OS, let alone a brand new kernel. I don't know how many of you remember how shitty Mac OS X first release was, and full functionality was long way off before complaining about performance. And this is a company that had the luxury to be able to control all hardware support off the bat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X). Five versions after, and OS X is complete in features, stability and functionality and takes a nice 6% market. At the very least give MS the benefit of the doubt before casting the final verdict, and do consider that their undertakings in this matter are far greater by virtue of being the largest. Vista is in no ways perfect, but it's a great OS which shows tremendous potential and incredible foresight. Microsoft, despite many stumbles along the way, manage to ship off a fully functional product (for most people, anyway) as an RTM, while still supporting all past technologies. In my eyes that's a feat. On a more personal note, my experiences with Vista have been great so far and i wouldn't even consider going back to XP. I'm a heavy user, surfer, gamer and media consumer. I also do some hobby video editing and sound editing, and have encountered zero problems with Vista. Not to say that there weren't any skips and glitches, but hardly more than XP and on average far less. With an eye to the horizon, i'd say that the foundations laid by vista are not yet fully utilized and we won't see the full potential of this OS before a year or two flows by. Beyond Vista, there's just guesswork as to what might happen. I'd say that we're nearing the age of full Network Computing. As soon as the bandwidth and latencies can support it, a new model will have to be built and it's anyones guess who will have the bleeding edge there, but it's a whole new game. If you stayed this far, thank you, and do consider what i've said. All replies are of course welcome, so fire away. Cheers. -- Michael J. Babcock, MCP MB Software Solutions, LLC http://mbsoftwaresolutions.com http://fabmate.com "Work smarter, not harder, with MBSS custom software solutions!" No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.6/938 - Release Date: 8/5/2007 4:16 PM --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/mixed text/plain (text body -- kept) text/plain (text body -- kept) --- _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: ProFox@leafe.com Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[EMAIL PROTECTED] ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
