Microsoft Vista voted tech world's top "Fiasco"

[Darrah]

From www.sciam.com:

It's official, Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system gets the prize for being the most overhyped, underperforming information and communication technology (ICT) project. Windows Vista garnered 5,222 of 6,043 votes (86 percent) entered via the Web to snag top honors in the first-ever Fiasco Awards announced in Barcelona, Spain, today, beating out other contenders, including Google's Lively virtual world, the One Laptop per Child computer (developed by the Nicholas Negroponte-chaired One Laptop Per Child Association, Inc.) and Second Life. Second prize went to SAGA, the oft-malfunctioning administration and academic management system developed by Spain's Catalan Education Department for public school teachers in Catalonia. Vista was announced in July 2005 and hit the market in January 2007 after a mega PR blitz by Microsoft, which promised it would be a slick, secure successor to the company's popular Windows XP operating system. Vista came with an eye-catching graphical user interface, and Microsoft positioned the operating system's Windows Media Center software as a tool that would make the PC the new hub of home entertainment systems. What Microsoft made less clear was that many customers couldn't run Vista without upgrading their PCs. What's more, the Fiasco Awards Web site points out, the new operating system was complicated to navigate and had compatibility problems with many programs and hardware drivers, leading many people to just stick with Windows XP. Vista was such a dismal failure that many PC makers even recommended that consumers steer clear of it. The company's recent introduction of Windows 7—Vista's successor after only two years—indicates that even Microsoft views Vista with disappointment, according to the awards organizers. The lesson, they said: more testing should be done to check reliability and performance before rolling out major product-marketing campaigns. The purpose of the Fiasco awards is to "promote critical spirit and a positive attitude towards failure, which is a necessary stage in the road to success," say the award's organizers, who are identified on the Web site only as a "group of people linked to the ICT (information and communication technology) sector." The site notes that Thomas Edison made more than 1,000 attempts before inventing the light bulb, "so he learned how not to do it in more than 1,000 different ways." Other finalists: Second Life (the virtual world's Web software must be downloaded on one's PC, which excludes people who don't own their own computers), One Laptop per Child (a plan hatched by the developed world to bring computers to the developing world at $100 a pop, only they it ended up costing nearly twice that), and Google Lively (a virtual world that relied more on the company's brand than on any interesting features to compete with Second Life; it was put out of its misery at the end of 2008, after just five months of operation).

[Snowman]

So far I have avoided having Windows Vista on any of my machines. I am hoping to hold out replacing any of them until Windows 7 is released. *crosses fingers*

[Darrah]

I might have to buy Vista this week if I can't salvage my XP after its demise last week. But we can update the Vista when 7 comes out through their regular updates right?

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by Darrah I might have to buy Vista this week if I can't salvage my XP after its demise last week. But we can update the Vista when 7 comes out through their regular updates right?

You will most likely be able to upgrade at an additional cost (usually $100). This assumes the necessary drivers you need will be available.

[Darrah]

WHAT? What are you talking about? I think throughout the years when they say to upgrade IE which came with XP, which I didn't use IE but used Firefox, that it was just a regular upgrade with the updates. Will the Vista I get still run and function if I don't?

[Mark069]

Originally Posted by Snowman You will most likely be able to upgrade at an additional cost (usually $100). This assumes the necessary drivers you need will be available.

I will NEVER upgrade a Windows operating system. I'll either stay with what I have or purchase the full OS for the next version.

Inevitably, you will have to reinstall the OS at some point. With the full OS on DVD it is easy while with the upgrade disk you first have to reinstall the old OS and then reinstall the upgrade (and fix all the drivers, etc.). Not worth the effort if you ask me....

[Darrah]

The computers I have usually last 3-4 years. If I get a Vista this week, and they update to 7 in months, would the one I get this week still be fine in a 3-4 year span? I know nothing about computers and I'm not that tech savy.

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by Darrah WHAT? What are you talking about? I think throughout the years when they say to upgrade IE which came with XP, which I didn't use IE but used Firefox, that it was just a regular upgrade with the updates. Will the Vista I get still run and function if I don't?

The upgrade to IE was free because Microsoft gives away it's web browser software for free.

Yes, Vista will still run and be supported by Microsoft and third party vendors (of hardware and software) for a number of years. I believe Microsoft's "sunset policy" for operating systems is about five years. Third party vendors may support it for a shorter period, especially if few people continue to run it once Windows 7 is released.

Originally Posted by Darrah The computers I have usually last 3-4 years. If I get a Vista this week, and they update to 7 in months, would the one I get this week still be fine in a 3-4 year span? I know nothing about computers and I'm not that tech savy.

There usually is a window of time when a software vendor will give you a free upgrade to the new version, if you purchased the previous version close to the launch date. As far as I know, they are not offering free upgrades to Windows 7 yet, if buy something this week with Vista on it. You can get a free upgrade if you purchase a Vista machine after July 1st, 2009. You can read about Microsoft's upgrade plan here. Since everyone pretty much agrees Vista is junk, I think it would be worth it for you to upgrade to version 7 when it is released even if you have to spend $100 to do so. It does not appear that you have the luxury of being able to wait since your old machine died.

[Snowman]

More details on the Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade Plan from Engadget:

*** According to the the document, titled "The Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade Program Rev. 2.1," Vista machines purchased from participating vendors after July 1st will be eligible for an upgrade to the new OS, whenever it comes out -- in a similar manner to the XP - Vista switchover. The idea here is to forestall a sales slump in the lead up to the new OS release. Upgrades will be tier-for-tier, with Vista Home Premium users getting to switch up to Windows 7 Home Premium when the time is right, Vista Business to Windows 7 Professional, and Vista Ultimate users getting an upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate. Additionally, 32-bit to 64-bit upgrades will not be allowed -- but folks using the 32-bit version will get to perform a clean install of the 64-bit version, if that's what their heart desires. Lastly, a system that has a valid Vista license but is running XP under the downgrade scheme will be allowed to perform a fresh install of Windows 7. ...

Someone at Microsoft needs to review the KISS Principle ^w!