Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 88
 It's still a piece of crap! May 4, 2008
Skip Morgan (Phoenix, AZ USA)
17 out of 24 found this review helpful
It's obvious the Microsoft folks are here pumping (or pimping) this junk. I've always been a Windows advocate, but I will think twice before buying another computer with a new MS operating system. Most PC makers offer no or few choices when selling their computers. I think the long term result will be: 1. consumers waiting much longer to upgrade their systems, or 2. consumers converting to Apple.
I've spent double the cost of my new laptop on software and peripherals just so it can run on Vista, and still have issues. Microsoft should be ashamed of deploying this system, and PC makers should be ashamed of not offering XP as a choice.
If you believe the reviews here that tout the advantages of Vista you'll regret it. Do yourself a favor and Google "Vista problems" before buying.
Terrible Product ! ! - See the Non-Upgrade Version For Real Reviews April 13, 2008
Minagpa (Everywhere, Earth)
16 out of 28 found this review helpful
I am an advanced/expert Windows user, computing since the days of DOS. It is simply a fact that this Vista OS is absolutely terrible. Look into actual reviews, not those posted by Microsoft employees. You will regret purchasing Vista I assure you. Read the reviews under the full product, not the upgrade which has very, very few reviews posted. If you have not yet bought a new computer, I suggest you buy a MAC. I, unfortunately, recently bought another IBM computer, and esp. with the Vista OS (which I am replacing with XP) am regreting it daily.
 Stick With XP And Be Happy June 4, 2008
MysticTraveler (New York, USA)
11 out of 14 found this review helpful
As a computer technician and software developer for over ten years, I suggest that everyone with Windows XP stay with XP, at least until Microsoft comes out with something more worthwhile to upgrade to.
Overall, Vista does come with a bunch of new and useful features, including a prettier interface. But all of these can be easily duplicated with free or cheap software. Many of these alternatives are as good or superior to the features they duplicate in Vista. Check out download.com, amazon.com & elsewhere for free or cheap software for XP that duplicates whatever features you want in Vista, such as antispyware or file/drive encryption.
Vista also has big hardware requirements. It essentially has double the memory requirements of XP (2 GB RAM should be your minimum for decent performance, try 4 GB for best performance).
Also, keep in mind that no version of Vista comes with antivirus software. It's essential to have antivirus software that is compatible with Vista. So pick up your favorite AV program if you're out of luck with your existing program. My favorite is ESET NOD32 Antivirus: very easy to use, lightweight and one of the most effective antivirus programs according to multiple independent lab tests. I also recommend either PC Tools Spyware Doctor or Webroot Spy Sweeper over Windows Defender for extra protection... Windows Defender (which comes with Vista), while moderately effective against adware, is next to useless against spyware & rootkits.
With Vista, you are also asking for headaches if you care about your computer working with your older hardware, such as printers, digital cameras, and so forth. I have seen some devices, even ones certified to work with Vista, not actually work with Vista. Many do work, but be forewarned and check with your existing device manufacturers for Vista support before purchasing this Vista upgrade. You may also run into issues with drivers for existing hardware, such as your sound or video hardware. Check with your computer manufacturer (e.g. Dell) to find out if they offer Vista drivers for your particular computer model. Software as well can be an issue, as some software (especially uncommon programs) may not work well or at all in Vista.
The bottom line: Upgrading from XP to Vista offers nothing you can't duplicate on XP for little to no cost, in exchange for $100+ and the potential for great headaches with existing software & hardware. Instead, find some free or cheap software that duplicates the features you want. If you must have Vista, good luck! Consider a new computer (with at least 2 GB RAM), which will save you from at least some of the aforementioned hassle (at least you'll know the computer itself will work, though perhaps not with existing old software or hardware), and rely on your older computer for anything that just won't work with Vista.
 I Have to Say, I'm Okay with Vista April 5, 2008
Jack Priest (Reno, Nevada)
10 out of 15 found this review helpful
I finally upgraded to Vista and it was a long time coming. I must admit for the longest time I felt envious of people who were operating on a system newer than mine, but I also felt secretly satisfied that XP was more secure and faster. No eye candy though. However, as both a Mac and a PC user, I had all the eye candy one would want with Leopard and it doesn't slow anything down.
What I don't understand is why Vista has to come in so many editions:
Windows Vista Home Basic
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Vista Business
Windows Vista Ultimate
Plus all the upgrade versions. Why not just one version that does it all, you know, the way they do it in the Mac world.
Okay, all that aside, I have two PCs, both desktops, one at work (which is actually mine, not my employers) and one at home. At work I installed Home Premium and at home I installed Vista Ultimate. I didn't time the installation in either place as I was doing other stuff during the process, but neither install took more than an hour.
I did not do clean installs in either case, instead opting for the upgrade option, just to see if it worked. Besides, I have lots of back up hard drives so I wasn't worried and it appears I didn't need to, because both installs went swimmingly. I understand others have not been so lucky, but I was.
After choosing my local time, currency, keyboard layout, user name, icon, wallpaper and password Vista decided my computers were good to go and they were.
Right off the bat I have to say, I like the Aero interface. Is it better than Leopard's, not really, but it's not worse either, just different. I've got four gigs of ram in both computers and though maybe Vista might have been a tad slower doing some photoshop work than XP, it wasn't all that noticeable. Some things may have been a bit slower opening, but not enough to make me miss XP. All in all, I have to say I'm okay with Vista.
Jack Priest, author of Ragged Man, Gecko & Night Witch
A waste of money April 14, 2008
Roman Cecilia
8 out of 15 found this review helpful
Impossible to install in my computer although the system is more that ready to handle this awful product from Microsoft. After installed, the computer kept crashing over and over, every time I upgraded a driver or install an application.
It was so frustrating that I decided to go back to Windows XP. No problems with the computer with Windows XP Professional. This was a waste of money on an OS that looks to be incomplete. This Upgrade was a nightmare.
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