“Like it or not, you’ll probably be using Windows Vista before you know it,” Brier Dudley reports for The Seattle Times.
MacDailyNews Take: Don’t bet on it, Brier.
Dudley continues, “Vista is being marketed as a ‘breakthrough computing experience.’ That may be pushing it, especially since some of the more radical innovations were cut when the project bogged down two years ago, but it will rapidly change the way many people use a PC. Vista looks and feels great. In fact, it’s dazzling. Its 3-D icons, transparent ‘glass’ effect and improved buttons and layout feel crisp, modern and sharp — as if you’re using a high-definition PC. Mac users will note that OS X has had a similar feel for years; still, Vista feels new and different.”
MacDailyNews Take: Breakthrough? Come on, let’s get real here: “breaking point,” “breakdown,” or “breakup” all work much better. Poorly executed fakes often look and feel “new and different.”
Dudley continues, “Vista also finally gives Windows a built-in search bar, like OS X, that makes it as easy to search for computer files as it is to search the Web. At the very least, it’s a refreshing change from that XP screen you’ve been staring at for five years now.”
MacDailyNews Take: Gee, that oughta get the midnight lines forming. See also Mac OS X Tiger’s Spotlight system-wide search, released over a year-and-a-half ago.
Dudley continues, “This is Microsoft’s first new operating system since the company realized in 2002 that it had to make security and reliability its top priority. Vista includes an improved firewall, a browser that runs in a “protected mode,” built-in malware protection and changes that will reduce the damage an attack can cause to a system. Out of the box, the system is configured to run more safely, although you’ll still want to have additional virus protection.”
MacDailyNews Take: What about security? Bill Foundstone says that, “Windows XP can provide the strongest network security available.” Now why is that? Well, there are many things that we added to the system — Internet firewall, so that when you install a product you get instant protection from attackers trying to get into your system. We added a bunch of other capabilities to the system for security, but we also worked with the industry, the anti-virus vendors, the consultants to ensure that their products, together with Windows XP, created a holistic experience. We also came up with a new advanced technology that let us scan all the source code in the system to look for potential security issues, and we removed them before we shipped. We also put Windows XP on the Internet and we didn’t have a single compromise, and we left it on there for a very, very long time. – Jim Allchin, Windows Vista chief honcho in charge of bloat, slippage, and spaghetti code, at Windows XP launch, October 25, 2001
Dudley continues, “Microsoft… includes several great applications bundled with Vista that make the system more useful out of the box. They include an improved e-mail program that replaces Outlook Express, and a slick calendar that you can synchronize with other users. Also included are Photo Gallery, for managing and editing digital photos, and Movie Maker for working with digital video.”
MacDailyNews Take: You mean like how Apple’s Mac OS X includes Mail, iCal, iPhoto, and iMovie HD, but nowhere as good since they’re half-baked, first generation, bad Microsoft copies of Apple products? Where are Microsoft’s “answers” to iDVD, GarageBand, and iWeb? Guess Windows sufferers will have to wait another 5+ years for those knock-offs.
Dudley continues, “Standard home and business versions of Vista will cost the same as XP. But given all the concern about security and stolen information, consumers and businesses will want Vista Ultimate, a pricey premium version with the new BitLocker Drive Encryption security feature. Businesses, in particular, will want BitLocker because it locks down files if a computer is stolen. Unfortunately it’s only available to big corporations, governments and people who buy Ultimate, which costs $399.”
MacDailyNews Take: In related article form:$399 for Windows Vista Ultimate?! (Hint: Get a Mac) – August 29, 2006
Dudley continues, “That’s just part of the cost. Many will have to buy a faster PC or upgrade their current machine to run Vista smoothly. At a minimum, you’ll need a system with a recent processor, 1 gigabyte of system memory and 128 megabytes of graphics memory. The word from insiders, including Dell’s chief executive, is that you’ll really need at least 2 gigabytes of RAM. The price of Windows XP desktops has fallen to around $300. It’s going to be a shock when you have to pay two or three times that much for a decent Vista machine.”
MacDailyNews Take: Only Apple Macs can run both Mac OS X and Windows. Stop wasting your money. It’s time to Get a Mac.
Dudley continues, “Vista works in tandem with new chip sets to create powerful new system locks. The locks will prevent illegal copying of Vista itself. But they can also be used by Microsoft, movie studios and record companies to restrict how people use digital media files on Vista PCs. Combined with Microsoft’s sophisticated copy-protection software, the locks enable new subscription services — so you can rent a movie by downloading a copy that will expire after three days, for instance. But expect the system to add even more restrictions to digital content in the future, particularly high-definition video content.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Rob M” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: It’s come to the point now that a person must be ignorant or just plain stupid to buy any PC other than an Apple Mac.
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Yeah, I’ll stick with my Mac too thanks. If I do happen to need to run a Windows app (which is all of about 2% of the time these days), I’ve got Parallels Desktop running Windows 2000 for that.
whoa, MDN.
Stop sugar-coating, will ya’?
let the bitchin frenzy begin
“Vista works in tandem with new chip sets to create powerful new system locks.” Really? What chip sets? The ones that still use BIOS?
Erg. I’m waiting to get my copy of Vista off the piratebay. Then I’d think about polluting my iMac with the burden of Windows.
One issue that no PC user wants to accept, it is that “Windows Firewall” it is not a friend if you are in a corporate network because as an administrator, you need to see all the computers in your network and windows firewall does not allow you to do that, so you can not deploy software, patches, update antivirus, etc.
“and a slick calendar that you can synchronize with other users”
From what I understand, Apple uses a industry standard for iCal calendar events.
I assume M$ created their own proprietary standard for Calendar events?
Anyone know?
It is more likely like those bozos in Mexico’s Democratic party (PRD) they are just playing stupid risking all the peace in Mexico just because their candidate did not won the elections. Windows users knows that PC era is over, but they still want to support the losser.
I’d say that most people who use Windows use it out of ignorance. I used to be one of them (in mid 90’s) because I knew almost nothing about Macs. Now, I tell people about Macs all the time and they have never had any experience with them. Usually, they tell me that I caught them too late because they just spent money getting their PC’s fixed and hard drives wiped clean. It’s sad, but most people know nothing about Macs.
I do think, however, that we may be on the edge of the tipping point. It looks like Macs may be gaining traction and becoming the new standard for people wanting a computer. Let’s hope see. I HATE MICROSOFT AND PC’S!!!
THEY SUCK!
Ah, now I feel better.
MacDailyNews, as usual, you are preaching to the choir.
Give any normal human being Vista for a week and Tiger for a week, and then we’ll see whether Vista has done a good job of ripping OS X….
email Mr.Dudley.
Mr. Dudley continues, “Vista is being marketed as a ‘breakthrough computing experience”
Breakthrough? Come on, let’s get real here: “breaking point,” “breakdown,” or “breakup” all work much better. Poorly executed fakes often look and feel “new and different.”
Mr. Dudley continues, “Vista also finally gives Windows a built-in search bar, like OS X, that makes it as easy to search for computer files as it is to search the Web. At the very least, it’s a refreshing change from that XP screen you’ve been staring at for five years now.”
Gee, that oughta get the midnight lines forming. See also Mac OS X Tiger’s Spotlight system-wide search, released over a year-and-a-half ago.
Mr. Dudley continues, “Microsoft… includes several great applications bundled with Vista that make the system more useful out of the box. They include an improved e-mail program that replaces Outlook Express, and a slick calendar that you can synchronize with other users. Also included are Photo Gallery, for managing and editing digital photos, and Movie Maker for working with digital video.”
You mean like how Apple’s Mac OS X includes Mail, iCal, iPhoto, and iMovie HD, but nowhere as good since they’re half-baked, first generation, bad Microsoft copies of Apple products? Where are Microsoft’s “answers” to iDVD, GarageBand, and iWeb? Guess Windows sufferers will have to wait another 5+ years for those knock-offs.
Mr. Dudley “It’s going to be a shock when you have to pay two or three times that much for a decent Vista machine.”
Only Apple Macs can run both Mac OS X, Linux and Windows. Stop wasting your money. It’s time to Get a Mac.
I’ve used the RTM(final-version) of Vista and I have to say that I’m not impressed at all.
I can and have made my windows XP look exactly like Vista. I even have the sidebar and transparencies (which I couldn’t get on the real vista because my pc wasn’t strong enough :S)
Vista doesn’t even feel save…one of the first things I did after I installing vista was installing an anti-virus.
Conclusion: Vista just sucks!!!…it’s only interesting for people that don’t know how to change XP’s look.
Vista Ultimate and Mac OS 10.4 are similar in that all the bells and whistles are included in them. However, Vista Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Business and Enterprise versions of Vista have features removed from them to justify their lower costs. I don’t understand why Microsoft does this. If Apple can include everything at $130, then who would be crazy enough to buy the equivalent for $400?
Also, Mac OS 10.4 has no serialization or activation involved. Apple allows you to buy one disk and install on as many Macs as you have (although you shouldn’t do this – ULA violation). The lack of a serial number is a huge bonus IMHO. I hate having to call in and ask to have the software I just paid for activated (cough-Quark-cough). And if you tinker, like I do, re-installing multiple times becomes a nightmare if you are using Vista.
MDN’s take is quite snarky today, but the fact remains that the smart thing to do is avoid Vista and get a Mac.
“Don’t bet on it, Brier.”
Actually I’d bet on it. PC’s lifespan is rather short and people replace their PCs all the time. When Vista is released, you can bet all PCs come preinstalled with it. No matter what crap MS produces, when PCs come preinstalled with it, it will gain a significant marketshare. That’s the nature of the beast.
Duh. Reporter for the SEATTLE TIMES. Needs to sell newspapers in SEATTLE, and kiss the arses of the folks in REDMOND… so that he gets invited to balmer’s backyard bbq’s (imagine the quantity of meat involved)… and bill’s save the world benefit galas… and preserve his wife’s and sister’s and kid’s and neighbor’s employment options. Duh. Like an Atlanta news outlet telling you to drink Coke, or a Detroit one to buy GM, or a New York one to vote Democrat.
This weekend I got Vista from my MSDN, and Office 2007 too.
My PC system and data are on seperate drives, which means reformatting the system isn’t too hard (years of painful experience has taught me to do this).
So I installed Vista Ultimate x64, and worked on my Mac whilst it was happening. It was actually quite smooth without any issues.
So I get it up and running and think … what a pile of crap. Okay they’ve moved everything around, to (sometimes) logical places; but it took me an age to find low level settings. However, bring up things like Virtual Keyboard and it looks just the same as it did in Win 3.1 with the same font from 16-bit era.
So, I had Vista forgetting about USB keyboard when it went into screensaver; couldn’t get drivers for my new Asus mobo components, or my scanner (still hardly any x64 support).
Hilariously there are still two Internet Explorers in the x64 version, 32-bit and 64-bit browser. WinVista x64 defaults everything to 32-bit Internet Explorer, and tonnes of stuff doesn’t work with 64-bit version, so what exactly is the point of it? 64-bit integration is frankly rubbish, still has seperate install directories for x86 and x64 application too.
Oh and Office 2007 is 32-bit only anyway, so why bother with 64-bit edition at all?
But what really is the worst compared to the Mac is the ‘security’. Change a setting and you have to hit ‘OK’ twice, I renamed ‘My Documents’ to ‘Documents’ on my D: drive and I had to click ‘OK’ four times. Yep, four times. Same as with deleting a couple of folders like ‘My Shapes’ (I ran Vision once), that required four clicks of ‘OK’.
Even more annoying than the soul destroying Lotus Notes, I didn’t think it possible.
After half a day I booted a WinXP install disc and reformatted the drive and put XP back on … and did some real work on my Mac whilst this was all going on.
MacDailyNews Take: “It’s come to the point now that a person must be ignorant or just plain stupid to buy any PC other than an Apple Mac.”
That crossed the line of the good manners. So what if someones looks at cost (and here I’m not entering the territory of which platform is better, cooler or whatever. These maybe valid points) as the only factor to make a decision purchase. What if some people just want a computer to do their stuff. That makes them stupid or ignorant?
MacDailyNews Take: “Only Apple Macs can run both Mac OS X and Windows. Stop wasting your money. It’s time to Get a Mac”
So what, do you think ALL people want to run both operating systems? How is that?
Well sometimes i can understant that Window users call us the Mac users arrogant, stuck up and whatnot. And yes, now there will be a lot of people telling me to “get a PC” (i guess a Windows one, because Macs are PCs, curiously they won’t tell anything to MacDaily News when they said “buy any PC other than an Apple Mac”, which imply that Macs are, and indeed they are, PCs). Do not waste your time, i not planning to switch to Windows.
Seems some people think this some kind of war. This is getting tiring and boring. Superiority complex i guess (is there a need to feel superior, or why Mac users cannot just enjoy the privileges of using a Mac). Oh well….
Jack – “MacDailyNews, as usual, you are preaching to the choir.”
But Brier Dudley is writing for The Seattle Times. Which choir is he required to preach to ?
Dell will still sell the $300 PCs with Vista Starter on it and the users will still wonder why it is so slow and wont play their games or videos properly. Nothing will change here.
Meanwhile MacIntel users will buy OEM copies of Windows XP Home just to launch some Windows games and run the odd app in Parallels. Vista will add NOTHING for these users except a greater cost and a tougher licence.
Anyway, who needs Vista when Leopard is around the corner?
There’s no such thing as a special “high definition” PC, Brier. All PCs since the late ’90s have been outputting HD resolution to their monitors.
Ignorant, Stupid, or fscking dirt poor. I have owned Macs all my life until about 6 months ago when I had to sell my eMac to pay for rent. I would have sold my custom-built PC, except that I would have only gotten a fraction of the money from that. So now, until I can scrape up enough money to have at least what I have in my current system (250GB HD, 1GB RAM and a DVD/CD Superdrive), I won’t be getting a Mac.
MDN, I love your site, but you guys need to stop being so ignorant about people’s financial situations. When the lowest priced Mac is a poorly spec’d Mac mini that costs $600 and doesn’t even come with a DVD burner, most people are going to still go with the $400 PC that comes with a 160GB HD, 512MB RAM and a DVD burner, regardless of how much they know Windows sucks. In honestly, if Apple would make a typical Mac tower, or at least a mini-tower, that uses industry standard desktop parts, all of which are available with more features/size for a lower price, and perhaps stick a normal P4 proc in there, there would be a much larger number of people buying Macs, and you HAVE to know that.
8 takes?
Is this news or a debate?
Yaaaawwwn. Are we going to have to read this kind of “take” every day for the next 2 months until Vista is launched? It’s rather boring, even if it is largely correct.
no longer my eMac,
If you can’t pay your rent, you have more important things to worry about than burning DVDs.
You don’t need any computer right now, you need to get a real job first.
MDN MW: “working” – HOW do they do that?
MDN: “Apple’s Mac OS X includes Mail, iCal, iPhoto, and iMovie HD … iDVD, GarageBand, and iWeb”
For the record, Apple’s Mac OS X includes only Mail and iCal. The others are part of iLife, which comes free with the purchase of a new Mac, but NOT with the purchase of the operating system. It’s got a $79 pricetag last time I checked.
microsoft’s versions of iPhoto and iMovie might be cruder (although their movie maker is coming along) but they’re free.