Thurrott: ‘You don’t need Windows Vista’

20 years ago

“Obviously, I spend a lot of time working with beta software. If you’re envious of that for some reason, consider this little slice of “grass is always greener” logic: Sometimes I wish my PCs just worked. Sometimes I wish I just used my computers as the tools that they are, and didn’t have to spend so much time installing, reinstalling, and fixing problems. From my side of the fence, your lawn is looking pretty darned good too,” Paul Thurrott reports for Paul Thurrott’s SuperSite for Windows.

Thurrott reports, “What I’m getting at is that the Next Big Thing isn’t always a given. Sure, Windows Vista is cool, sort of, and it’s got some neat new functionality. But what would you say if I told you that the vast majority of new end user features in Windows Vista were already available to you–most of them for free, no less–in Windows XP? And that by skipping Windows Vista, at least for the time being, you’d be left with a PC that was faster, more compatible with the software and hardware you own, and just about as capable as an otherwise identical PC running Windows Vista?”

“Well, that’s exactly what I’m telling you. No, you can’t get the Windows Aero user experience without Vista, though I suspect the wizards over at Stardock will get pretty close. But do you really need Aero, along with its annoying incompatibilities, many of which result in sudden and jarring jumps into the Windows Basic interface? And no, most of Windows Vista’s security features aren’t available to XP users either, but you know what? You might not need them either, especially if your system is adequately defended with a hardware firewall and a good security software suite,” Thurrott reports.

Thurrott reports, :”I’m talking about pure end user goodness here. Applications that are supposed to make people want Windows Vista. Things like the Windows Sidebar, Windows Calendar, Windows Photo Gallery, and Windows Media Player 11. These and other Vista-specific applications are really neat, but you can get identical or nearly identical applications on Windows XP too. And by doing so, you can eek some more time out of your XP investment, save up for a future Vista PC, or just avoid all the headaches that go along with upgrading to a new Windows version. Sure, you’ve waited 5 years for Windows Vista, but so what? Will another 6 months or a year be a problem? Really?”

Thurrott reports, “If you’d like to stick with Windows XP for a while longer, here’s some good news. You don’t need Windows Vista.”

Full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “sketchtrain” for the heads up.]

MacDailyNews Take: If you really want “pure end user goodness,” Get a Mac. For our Windows-only visitors via Google News and elsewhere: Are you really going to spend that kind of money ($399 for Windows Vista Ultimate) on an operating system that is trying so desperately to be Apple’s Mac OS X? Most likely, you’re going to need a new computer to run Vista anyway. Why not use that money toward a new Mac instead? Install your current copy of Windows XP on it via Apple’s free Boot Camp or Parallels US$79.99 Desktop for Mac. From what we see, you won’t be missing out on much by ignoring Windows Vista (some call it “Windows XP SP3”) and you’ll be gaining so much more with Apple’s virus-free Mac OS X and iLife applications running on elegant and inexpensive Intel-powered Apple hardware.

Now is the perfect time to consider trying something new (and you can still run your Windows applications, too)! At some point in your life, you’ve probably told someone, “You don’t know what you’re missing,” right? Well, we’re saying that to you today. Get a Mac! You deserve it. And the Mac community will be here to support your new adventure every step of the way. Why do we care what you use? Do it and you’ll find yourself telling people to “Get a Mac,” too. Switching from Windows PC to Mac really is a revelation.

Find out more about Mac OS X Tiger here: http://www.apple.com/macosx/tiger/
And Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard (coming spring 2007) here: http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/

Apple’s Intel-powered MacBook starts at just $1099. And, Apple’s Intel-powered iMac starts at only $999.. Apple’s Mac mini starts at just $599 (For $200 more than a box of Vista Ultimate, you get a Mac, Mac OS X, iLife, and so much more)!