Proud Vista User
Much rot is writ about how horrible Windows Vista is, and how people want to switch back. I mean, there is nothing more certain to induce horror and legendary flame wars than stating the words, "I like Vista." But guess what. I like Vista.
There's a lot of misconceptions out there about Vista, and I wanted to take a moment to talk about my experiences with it. Most of the complaints revolve around software that doesn't work with it. I think the most ridiculous claim I heard was that videos in Windows Media Center don't look good. The problem is, the person who made this complaint purchased a new computer with Vista already installed. Now why is this a silly complaint? Because Vista controls your computer, and Media Center controls you videos. It's called an operating system because it controls the normal operations of your computer, not every single file on it. When there is a compatibility issue (more on that in a minute), you should be writing the company that makes the software, rather than complaining that the operating system doesn't cover it. Now, I understand that Windows Media Center is made by the same company. But that doesn't mean it's anything more than a program, and if you like a different one better, use it. And as far as that goes, I've heard a few complaints that nothing runs on Vista. I think that's absurd. I have only found one program I normally use that wasn't listed as compatible. It probably would have worked anyway, but being a free FTP program, I figured that I could probably find a different free FTP program that was compatible, so I did that instead.
There is another major complaint I hear. People don't seem to like various features. They complain about the sidebar, or they don't care for a window popping up every single time they install a program. The features are there to provide you with a richer experience when using your computer. But if you don't like them, turn them off. That's right. It's your computer, so make it truly yours! I personally didn't care for the sidebar, so I turned it off. I don't mind the window asking me for permission to continue installing a program, so I left it on. If it bothers you, go to your control panel, and in the search area, enter "User Control Access". Turn it off right there. But what seems silly to me is that people are paying big bucks to get earlier versions of Windows, when they can simply turn off the feature they don't like.
Finally, I've heard that the Start menu is confusing. This one truly baffles me. See, I like to really use (some would say abuse) my computer. I routinely have many windows open at the same time, and I install all sorts of programs. So many that despite how it's supposed to work, XP could never handle the list. Eventually, I would add so many programs that it wouldn't show them all. It filled the entire screen and continued off the side of the screen. But because XP scrolls down and opens up branches of each program, it takes up very little room, and there's no chance of putting too many files. This is the first Windows operating system that actually works for as many files as I have, without becoming overloaded or clumsy looking.
There is one thing I have not heard a complaint about. Everyone seems to like the look. In fact, in most of the complaints, they actually praise the look and design. And I know, you're thinking that if you can't run anything, the appearance doesn't matter. As I wrote above, I have not had a software issue with Vista. But what about hardware? Sure. I had a hardware issue when I first bought the computer. But I immediately knew that it wasn't because of Vista. It was because I needed more RAM. When you have 10+ windows open, you're asking a lot from your computer, and it needs more memory to handle it. Once I gave it that, it did perfectly. So, without any software or hardware issues, I'm not sure what operational problems I'm supposed to be having. Sorry to disappoint, but I haven't had any of them.
Lest you believe that I simply don't know any better, I've been on computers throughout my entire life. I distinctly remember Windows 3.0, and I've had every single one of the Windows operating systems since then. Some were good, others weren't. But Vista is my favorite so far, and I don't understand all the hate that's out there. Most of the problems that people are having would exist no matter what operating system they used, because it's not an operating system issue.
My husband got his laptop about 2 months before Vista was released. I got mine a few months after, and it was pre-installed. Both of our desktops are on XP, and my husband is jealous that he doesn't have a computer with Vista. When it came time to buy my son his first computer earlier this month, we both considered it essential that it have a Windows XP operating system.
There's a lot of misconceptions out there about Vista, and I wanted to take a moment to talk about my experiences with it. Most of the complaints revolve around software that doesn't work with it. I think the most ridiculous claim I heard was that videos in Windows Media Center don't look good. The problem is, the person who made this complaint purchased a new computer with Vista already installed. Now why is this a silly complaint? Because Vista controls your computer, and Media Center controls you videos. It's called an operating system because it controls the normal operations of your computer, not every single file on it. When there is a compatibility issue (more on that in a minute), you should be writing the company that makes the software, rather than complaining that the operating system doesn't cover it. Now, I understand that Windows Media Center is made by the same company. But that doesn't mean it's anything more than a program, and if you like a different one better, use it. And as far as that goes, I've heard a few complaints that nothing runs on Vista. I think that's absurd. I have only found one program I normally use that wasn't listed as compatible. It probably would have worked anyway, but being a free FTP program, I figured that I could probably find a different free FTP program that was compatible, so I did that instead.
There is another major complaint I hear. People don't seem to like various features. They complain about the sidebar, or they don't care for a window popping up every single time they install a program. The features are there to provide you with a richer experience when using your computer. But if you don't like them, turn them off. That's right. It's your computer, so make it truly yours! I personally didn't care for the sidebar, so I turned it off. I don't mind the window asking me for permission to continue installing a program, so I left it on. If it bothers you, go to your control panel, and in the search area, enter "User Control Access". Turn it off right there. But what seems silly to me is that people are paying big bucks to get earlier versions of Windows, when they can simply turn off the feature they don't like.
Finally, I've heard that the Start menu is confusing. This one truly baffles me. See, I like to really use (some would say abuse) my computer. I routinely have many windows open at the same time, and I install all sorts of programs. So many that despite how it's supposed to work, XP could never handle the list. Eventually, I would add so many programs that it wouldn't show them all. It filled the entire screen and continued off the side of the screen. But because XP scrolls down and opens up branches of each program, it takes up very little room, and there's no chance of putting too many files. This is the first Windows operating system that actually works for as many files as I have, without becoming overloaded or clumsy looking.
There is one thing I have not heard a complaint about. Everyone seems to like the look. In fact, in most of the complaints, they actually praise the look and design. And I know, you're thinking that if you can't run anything, the appearance doesn't matter. As I wrote above, I have not had a software issue with Vista. But what about hardware? Sure. I had a hardware issue when I first bought the computer. But I immediately knew that it wasn't because of Vista. It was because I needed more RAM. When you have 10+ windows open, you're asking a lot from your computer, and it needs more memory to handle it. Once I gave it that, it did perfectly. So, without any software or hardware issues, I'm not sure what operational problems I'm supposed to be having. Sorry to disappoint, but I haven't had any of them.
Lest you believe that I simply don't know any better, I've been on computers throughout my entire life. I distinctly remember Windows 3.0, and I've had every single one of the Windows operating systems since then. Some were good, others weren't. But Vista is my favorite so far, and I don't understand all the hate that's out there. Most of the problems that people are having would exist no matter what operating system they used, because it's not an operating system issue.
My husband got his laptop about 2 months before Vista was released. I got mine a few months after, and it was pre-installed. Both of our desktops are on XP, and my husband is jealous that he doesn't have a computer with Vista. When it came time to buy my son his first computer earlier this month, we both considered it essential that it have a Windows XP operating system.
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