is windows vista any good e.g. better than XP?

Answer 1

I haven't got it yet, as with all software wait 6 months until all the bugs have been sorted out
I heard (this may not be true but it probably is) Vista has many back door entrances so Windows Corp can access your computer to see what programs you have installed, and if you install an illegal copied version of windows software you computer will send a message to Windows Corp.
Windows went to the U.S. Supreme Court, to see if they could bring in a law which would, if you install a illegal copy of their software they could automatically close your computer down (i don't know the result of that application, but shows how much power Windows Corporation have).
All the best
Dekker

Answer 2

Visually I would agree that Vista is quite a lot better than Windows XP. However as with any new piece of software, there are a few minor problems. Internet Explorer (on my computer) will work for around half an hour, and then the tabbed browsers will stop working and right click will completely stop working.

The system runs pretty well on a computer with regard to speed and usability. It has very useful help screens, clear and concise graphics etc. The way Vista looks, for me is very good, it looks modern and everything is very organised. Its quite a bit different from Windows XP for example the start bar is different and the control panel can look a little confusing. But if you do have problems, you can always change the visual style of vista to one similar to Windows XP if it’s a problem.

If you are considering getting a copy of vista, maybe you should wait a little while until they have ironed out all of the minor incompatibility issues. It really depends on how confident you are with vista. I am on the whole very impressed with it, however not the price tag!

If you go onto Yahoo image search and type in ‘vista screen shots’ you will see a large selection of screenshots people have taken so you can at least see what vista looks like with out having to fork out for it.

Answer 3

That's the million dollar question. Since Vista is so new, it's difficult to say. I had a beta version of Vista Ultimate on my computer not too long ago. The graphic interface is different, and I like it, but the security features, as parodied in the Apple commercial, can be a pain. As many people are doing, including myself, are waiting to make the jump to Vista, since XP is no major threat to our sanity. We'll see what the first wave of the M$ product brings, maybe wait for the first SP (Service Pack).

In short, no. i dont think it's BETTER than XP, just different/flashier.

Answer 4

It depends on what you consider to be better. Security-wise it's a mixed bag but generally considered better than XP. However if you aren't stupid at computers and follow proper security protocols than it really is no better.

You could argue it looks better...but that again is an opinion.

DirectX 10...my belief is that it will be released for Windows XP (or at least run on it).

Updates may be your only source of "betterness" in Vista than XP. Vista will be continued to be updated after XP's update life stops. So in that case it is better.

Answer 5

1. No new features or speed boost - No kidding, it’s true! Windows Vista won’t run Microsoft Word any faster, won’t make your presentations look any better, and if my own experience is any indication then Vista is not going to make managing your PC any easier either. If Microsoft sticks to their new anti-piracy plan then corporations will be having to setup whole new license management systems to deal with Vista. To make matters even worse this *new* version of Windows is really just the Windows Server 2003 kernel in colorful clothing with some snazzy new mini-applications. Microsoft provided these programs in the “Ultimate” version of Vista as a weak attempt to compete with Apple’s iLife software suite. Additionally, my own informal tests on my Macbook Pro seem to indicate that Vista upgrades will likely run existing applications slower than XP for many folks forcing the purchase of new hardware just to “keep up”. Bottom line; Vista does not add any substantial new features for new or existing Windows users and may even be a significant reduction in speed for some users who dare to upgrade from XP on today’s hardware.

2. The new interface just gets in the way - Go ahead, try it out at your local computer store (demos should be available soon). One of the first things you are going to notice is the new interface which is a major case for the bifocal lens thanks to the excessive use of transparency. Unnecessary eye candy is everywhere, and seems to not add or enhance any features that might make users more productive. No well thought out GUI tricks like OSX’s expose here, just pure bling that quickly becomes annoying on all but the fastest PCs. The bottom line; Windows Vista does not bring anything new to the table other than more gizmo-style features that only serve to get in your way when you are trying to actually get some work done.

3. Security will still be a major problem - Since Microsoft decided not to build Windows Vista on the longhorn kernel (which was rumored to be a complete rewrite, or close to it) they ended up leaving many of the known problem areas of Windows XP (and other previous versions) still in place. In an attempt to address this problem of legacy code support they have tacked on a layer which is supposed to protect the system from malware and viruses. This layer is visible to the user in the form of dialog boxes that pop up every time you require “administrator” or direct access to system resources, something that seems far too common on the Windows platform. What does this mean for most users? More dialog boxes for users to mindlessly click “Ok” to without even bothering to read the message. Bottom line; constantly annoying pop-ups intending to improve security will actually result in even greater problems as users begin to blindly click “Ok” even more than they already do now.

4. The alternatives are so much better - I know what you are thinking, here comes the Linux or Mac OSX vs. Windows argument. Well you’re wrong! Right now the best alternative to Windows Vista is its predecessor Windows XP. The reality is that you can do everything promised by Windows Vista in Windows XP today with less hassle and in most cases faster than you could in Windows Vista on the same hardware. If you already use Linux or Mac OSX then Vista is not going to impress you anyway so don’t even bother taking a look

Answer 6

Probably much better.

It has DirectX 10 which is exclusive to Vista for much better gaming experience. DirextX 10 isn't available for XP.

So I will be forced to get Vista for new games.. but as advised.. worth waiting a while for them to work out bugs.. service packages ect.

Answer 7

try this: www.windowsxlive.net. Its a shell that is programmed to make your computer run like Vista. IVe got it and it changes all the system sounds, log on screens everything. It looks brilliant, plus it was free. Just make sure you read all the instructions on how to install,

Answer 8

Well actually I think they just caught up with Apples OSX but Apple has ha d the 3D stagered effect for several years. Or do you mean is it a step up like 95 to 98 or 98 to 2000 or to ME or to XP No..........................

Answer 9

nope coz its still full of holes and they have already made an update pack 1 and are now having to make a pack 2 coz the first one didnt fix everything bottom line it will never be perfect

Answer 10

Its claimed to be and probably is. But I would wait and see till they fix all the bugs. Give it six months to a year for them to sort out the bugs before jumping in.