Why Windows Vista?
By the time Vista hits the shelves early in 2007 it will be almost six years since Microsoft’s last major desktop operating system release. There’s no doubt this new operating system has plenty to recommend it over its predecessor, Windows XP, but given Vista’s long incubation period, it’s hard not to feel somewhat disappointed in the result.
Originally, Vista was to be a truly spectacular break from its past with a radical new file system, called WinFS, leading the pack among a number of revolutionary technologies. As the Vista development schedule slipped and slipped again, Microsoft ripped out WinFS, a Web development system known as Indigo and a graphics presentation system called Avalon, leaving a far less ambitious product. The beta phase of development saw other enticing but less significant enhancements, such as Virtual Folders, given the kibosh as well.
Despite this, Vista is still a major leap forward – at least as significant a jump as that from Windows 95 to Windows XP. It’s more secure, more reliable, more good looking and far smarter than XP. That’ll make it hard to resist if you have any trace of technolust running through your veins. It’s also different enough from XP that you’ll need to devote a significant amount of time to learning its ins and outs, and that may give some people pause when deciding whether to upgrade.