Vista DownGrade

[Nflight]

http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/21/microsoft-giving-vista-business-ultimate-users-downgrade-to/

http://www.news.com/The-XP-alternative-for-Vista-PCs/2100-1016_3-6209481.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news

[Bender10]

Nice.

Corportate America is stuck on MS products, But tells Bill, "Vista is too screwed up for us!!!"

[NeoGen]

Microsoft's tendency to launch unfinished products in the market is becoming worse every year...
Their games must be about the only thing that doesn't need service packs... (yet)

[AMDave]

Isn't that because the games are written by someone else - some other company they bought? (just a jibe, but a legitimate one)

Per another thread in which Vaughan mentioned waiting for Vista SP1, I anticipate either Microsoft significantly altering some of the OS-user interaction or kissing some business goodbye. It is well known that for major corporations Microsoft does dedicate a high level of support to assist in changing the workings of their OSs to suit the customer. However, for those in the SME market that facility is not available. I see this as potentially a big issue for them.

In reference to the articles, in retrospect, it has been quite surprising how fast the OEM providers moved their offerings onto Vista and also how fast Microsoft is pushing to withdraw XP from the OEM market. Further research might prove me wrong, but my recollection is that this time round has been much faster than the Win2K to XP transition. We still haven't seen the Vista SP1 pack yet. It's like they are getting desperate!

As a further note, I recall mentioning in the past that the various Vista offerings were a very brave grouping of facilities by the Microsoft marketing department. There is definitely a measurable level of risk in their packaging.

As a Win2KPro user there are aspects of Vista Home that I like, but there is the glaring absence of items that I just can't do without. They are there in Business, but then some of the Home features are not. So that drives me to Ultimate (if I was to stick with windows) and that simply prices me out of the market.

The thing I like about the linux and Unix offerings is that I get a base pack and then I can add utilities and features and distro supported apps as I want and need. This "packaging" of windows is just difficult enough to either make you do without something significant or push you to the absolute limit (or beyond) your budget. To be sure, it is crafty and edgy in a marketing perspective, but from a commercial perspective I think, very risky.

From a personal point of view it is exactly what I have come to expect from them along with further confirmation that as an end-user and non-Business owner of the OS my opinion and "user experience" is worth squat.

I am still wondering how many of the OEM Vista sales have been wiped and reloaded with XP, Win2K or Linux etc. I'm sure that Microsoft know the answer to this because they can compare the OEM Vista Sales numbers against the repeat connections of the machine IDs against their updates service. I'll tip that it might be making some of their middle management a tad uncomfortable.

But SP1 will fix all that, won't it? If we ever see it!
Having arguments about what's a bug and what's a feature are we???
(ok so another jibe, but again a legitimate one)

It also troubles me that whilst Vista supports 64-bit and AMD and Intel now mainly manufacture 64-bit cpus, the rest of the Windows software industry is lagging so far behind. And NO THERE IS NO EXCUSE in my hugely worthwhile opinion. The OS providers (Microsoft and linux and Unix variants) have all been supporting 64-bit for many years including Windows 2000 and XP, but a quick search reveals that there are drivers and applications out there that are still 16-bit!!!

It is possible there is a software crunch coming similar to the 16-to-32 bit transition. It is way overdue.

There is definitely a market-wide opportunity now for software providers to get their applications out there in 64-bit issue and get them widely accepted before the "old faithfuls" finally wake up to the fact that Moore's Law isn't dead yet and we, for some inexplicable reason, expect some bang for our buck.

I am sure that the feeling I have now, someone else must have had back when we went to 32 bit. It's just that now Linux is waaaaaay better than it was at that time. I agree with a number of articles that explain what Linux's drawbacks are on the desktop at present and why. But I do believe that if Microsoft mis-handle the transition to Vista and push this agressive approach it will encourage an increase in commercial funding into Linux so the vendors can hedge their risk margins. It is what several of the OEM providers are doing and I anticipate we will start to see more of it very soon. It's sensible. It is also very very welcome.


Long post, but I want to know if anyone else has a similar or contrary opinion
My observations are limited by my own experience but I know there are people who are getting Vista to work well for them.
I just haven't met any of them yet who couldn't do just as well or better with XP.
Do you think there may be a push to get linux printer drivers up and going as the GPU providers are now doing?
Do you think Vista is a dead set winner?
Please respond.

PS - Thanks for the post Nflight.
That's a great find and really does scratch an itch.

[BlackAdder]

Well said AMDAVE.....I bought the Vista Business upgrade this spring and only kept it in for about a month...back to XP Pro for me. I loved the interface but almost everything else sucked.it will take a major change in it before I will reinstall it again, I think Microsoft really shot themselves in the foot this time.

[NeoGen]

Isn't that because the games are written by someone else - some other company they bought? (just a jibe, but a legitimate one)
Oops... that didn't cross my mind at the time I posted :icon_mrgreen:
But it's right... searching google for microsoft game studios I came up with a site that has their resumed history. In 6 years they built their games studios with the takeover of at least 4 game developing companies.
http://www.mobygames.com/company/microsoft-game-studios/history



21.11.2000:

Microsoft ships "Mechwarrior 4", developed by an (acquired) in-house FASA Interactive team.05.12.2000:

The company acquires Digital Anvil (http://www.mobygames.com/search/quick?company=Digital+Anvil) and folds it into its internal Microsoft Game Studios system....
...

24.09.2002:

Microsoft buys the game developer Rare....
...

06.04.2006:

The company acquires developer Lionhead Studios Ltd. (http://www.mobygames.com/search/quick?company=Lionhead+Studios+Ltd%2e)




Do you think there may be a push to get linux printer drivers up and going as the GPU providers are now doing?
Do you think Vista is a dead set winner?
Please respond.

PS - Thanks for the post Nflight.
That's a great find and really does scratch an itch.
printer drivers... I'd say eventually, but only when big companies start acquiring linux desktop systems in large quantities and want to be able to use their printers with them. The few linux users (compared to windows that is...) just can't make enough pressure on the printers manufacturers.
Vista... a winner? Eventually too... Microsoft can only win their customers in two ways, 1) making good software, and 2) forcing us by all means to use crappy software, by cutting support to any other alternative.... Since option 1 is not doable for them, I guess Vista will eventually be forced into every company and home... I'd say in a year from now, no matter how many problems Vista still have, we will see rare few people still holding on to XP. (I'm hoping to be one of them :icon_mrgreen:)

[PcManiac]

Isn't that because the games are written by someone else - some other company they bought? (just a jibe, but a legitimate one)

Per another thread in which Vaughan mentioned waiting for Vista SP1, I anticipate either Microsoft significantly altering some of the OS-user interaction or kissing some business goodbye. It is well known that for major corporations Microsoft does dedicate a high level of support to assist in changing the workings of their OSs to suit the customer. However, for those in the SME market that facility is not available. I see this as potentially a big issue for them.

In reference to the articles, in retrospect, it has been quite surprising how fast the OEM providers moved their offerings onto Vista and also how fast Microsoft is pushing to withdraw XP from the OEM market. Further research might prove me wrong, but my recollection is that this time round has been much faster than the Win2K to XP transition. We still haven't seen the Vista SP1 pack yet. It's like they are getting desperate!

Hey check this out in reference to SP1:
This is from my computers running Malariacontrol.net.

Microsoft Windows Vista
, Service Pack 1, v.267, (06.00.6001.00)

Microsoft Windows Vista
, Service Pack 1, v.250, (06.00.6001.00)

I am not exactly sure when it is going to be released yet... I's still in Beta.

[AMDave]

Ah yes, your post on 09-06-2007, 09:19 PM.
I'd love to drill you with questions on that but I'll spare you.

It has been almost 3 months now and no public notification, as you point out.
It has to answer the bugs and negative feedback appropriately.
It has to got out before Jan so they still have time.

Thanks for the reminder. It helps to define the timescale.

[vaughan]

Vista Home Premium sucks. I switched off that annoying bug where it asked my permission all the time.

I want to buy a Dell laptop for my son and noticed that they used to offer the choice of XP or Vista. So now when I go to place the order the XP option has gone and the price has risen more than AUS $200 since last week. I'll wait and see if the price falls again this Friday. Seems as if Dell's pricing is as volatile and cyclical as petrol prices here.

[NeoGen]

Vista Home Premium sucks. I switched off that annoying bug where it asked my permission all the time.
They unfortunately don't call it a bug, but rather a feature...:icon_rolleyes: :icon_lol:

But indeed, it's annoying as hell... that and the fact that some applications only work well when executed with "Run as Administrator", even though I already belong to the administrators group.

[Nflight]

More News:
http://www.dailytech.com/Microsoft+Provides+XP+Downgrade+for+Unhappy+Vista+ Users/article9027.htm

Sometimes the comments are more enjoyable reading then the actual report...

[vaughan]

I like this post from SavagePotato on how to disable UAC:

" Here is how much skill it takes.

Click on start.

Click on user portrait.

Click on conspicuously titled link "turn user account control off"

Click continue and reboot when prompted.

I can see how that gets alot of people up in arms, it's pretty advanced."