“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.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Microsoft’s Windows Vista’s ‘eye & ear candy’ fails to impress some XP users who are now eyeing Mac – November 15, 2006
Vista decision: I’m forced to buy a new PC anyway, so why not get a Mac that can run both OSes? – November 09, 2006
Apple Macs can run more software than Windows PCs – October 30, 2006
Best of both worlds: only Apple Mac can run both Mac OS X and Windows – October 30, 2006
Dude, you got a Dell? What are you, stupid? Only Apple Macs run both Mac OS X and Windows! – April 05, 2006
Intel-based Macs running both Mac OS X and Windows will be good for Apple – June 10, 2005
Why buy a Dell when Apple’s Intel-based computers will run both Mac OS X and Windows? – June 08, 2005
Embrace and Extinguish in action: TechIQ’s ‘The VAR Guy’ dumps Windows, switches to Mac OS X – September 25, 2006
Apple Boot Camp’s ‘Windows Insecurity Blanket’ helps buyers decide to switch to Macs – May 19, 2006
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Pirillo: Microsoft’s Windows Vista will double Apple’s market share – October 13, 2006
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Analyst: Microsoft’s new activation scheme will give users another reason not to upgrade to Vista – October 05, 2006
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Pirillo: Windows Vista RC1 disappointing, schizophrenic, disordered, inconsistent, and sad – September 07, 2006
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re: choir
It is likely that new Mac users, or potential switchers, are looking at this board for perhaps their 1rst time, hence not exactly a member of the choir yet.
Choice people: Purchase Vista Ultimate at $399.99, or
Purchase a whole Mac Mini for $599.00 which includes a Core Duo computer WITH Mac OS X.
(Hint Apple: find a way to design a computer-be it a Mac Mini or otherwise- and price it at $399, market that as better than Vista Ultimate for the same price, you may turn a few new heads. IMHO.
“Even more annoying than the soul destroying Lotus Notes, I didn’t think it possible”
Soul destroying software. Is that a new classification for malware? Can I get Anti Soul Destroying Software (ASD) to scan for it on my computer?
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I thought Vista had Windows DVD Maker too…
But yes, “Monaco” (GarageBand “killer”) seems to be missing in action, to say nothing of an iWeb “killer”
“Are we going to have to read this kind of “take” every day for the next 2 months until Vista is launched?”
Well, I can’t speak for you but someone propped my eyelids open with toothpicks, duck-taped my head to the monitor, and put a VBScript on my computer that forces the browser to MacDailyNews.com every 15 seconds.
You read it here first, but Microsoft will post significant Windows revenue sales from mac users over the next year.
Significant not in volume of purchasers, but in the high margin retail boxed sales that many PC users avoid by simply purchasing new computers.
The revenue will show up on the Wall Street radar, though many analysts may not realize that the source are mac purchases. The effect will be similar to iTunes sales and record label profits, though not as drastic.
I hope there is a way for Apple to leverage this “duality” effect in any negotiations with Microsoft.
Mr. Blatant,
It’s really amazing how many people on this forum and in many other places make getting a new job, going to college and anything else that would improve their life sound like such a simple thing, when for most people it really isn’t. My inability to pay a month’s rent and thus having to sell my most valuable computer, was a temporary thing, but largely derived, not from a general lack of income, but due to many other bills including unexpected medical expenses. My job doesn’t pay a whole hell of a lot, but considering I have no college degree, pays a decent wage. But thanks to bills and such, it does not allow me to save up and deal with a single, sudden large expense like 3 times what I am used to paying for rent. Think about what you say, and realize that more situations than you realize are more complicated than just “get a new job”.
Beside the fact that me owning a computer, however low end it may be, allows me to occasionally make a bit of extra money on the side of my normal job.
close to Vista launch M*soft executives will wonder what it will feel like when their head rolls.
“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.”
TRUSTED COMPUTING AHHHHH!!!
Trusted Computing – a system designed by the computer industry that users are forced to trust and have no control over who or what to trust.
Internet annoymonity is gone. EFI can run programs and contact the internet BEFORE a operating system even loads.
Yes children, Intel Mac’s have EFI.
“Like it or not, you’ll probably be using Windows Vista before you know it,”
Guess again genius! I ditched Windows almost 8 years ago. I will NEVER go back to it. EVER. Windows sucks to high heaven.
Vista can lick me.
Some Intel Macs have TPM (trusted program module) and some don’t
More here:http://www.osxbook.com/book/bonus/chapter10/tpm/
I feel like I just read a fist fight.
Looking forward to using Vista myself.
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No shame in being smarter and more versed than the average Mac user. You know the type – the ones that are close-minded to MS products.
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… this message typed on a MBP.
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– no longer my eMac
Mate, i hear you.
This might be a surprise to some, but not everyone has loads of dosh hanging around in their bank accounts.
Some of us, honest and decent folk, work hard day in n’ day out, – and not for the best pay cheque, “C’est la vie” (Such is life) – and when unexpected bills roll in, that screw up our budgets and plans, we get by, but we are still honest and decent folk.
There seems to be <u>some</u> people on this site, who think that everyone should be rolling in dosh. I am not pointing this post to anyone in particular today, but to others i have read on MDN over the years.
We should be more understanding and forgiving of other peoples circumstances that we have <u>NO</u> Knowledge of.
– As for Vista, well i reckon that the lyrics “Down This Street Before” by The Rejects, sums it up pretty good.
“I’ve been down this street and I’ve seen your face before
Looked through every window and knocked on every door
But I can’t find where you’ve gone…(to shit)
I can’t see your point, why you’re torturing me;
Why can’t you realize what you’re doing to me?
(with the parenthesis bit added by me)
– Also, sorry about the “Froggy” bit of lingo above, don’t fret over it though.
Sky Lark, you rock 😀
And by the way, I like the “Froggy” bit o’ lingo… never heard it before, and I might just take it up 😀
Actually, what do you mean by “Froggy” bit of lingo? Are you referring to “C’est la vie”, or to the word “dosh”?
So much money yet so mediocre.