PC Magazine Editor Throws in the Towel on Vista

[paularoid]

http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/145553821/article.pl

PC Magazine Editor Throws in the Towel on Vista

MacNN caught this incredible defection and loss of faith by a former Vista booster, PC Magazine editor-in-chief Jim Louderback, as he steps down from his position. "I've been a big proponent of the new OS over the past few months, even going so far as loading it onto most of my computers and spending hours tweaking and optimizing it. So why, nine months after launch, am I so frustrated? The litany of what doesn't work and what still frustrates me stretches on endlessly. The upshot is that even after nine months, Vista just ain't cutting it. I definitely gave Microsoft too much of a free pass on this operating system: I expected it to get the kinks worked out more quickly. Boy, was I fooled! If Microsoft can't get Vista working, I might just do the unthinkable: I might move to Linux."

[Dee]

This makes me even happier that I didn’t fall for all the hype!

[Amy in Vermont]

Interesting!

I am using Vista Ultimate on my home laptop and actually quite liking it! I don't find it that different under the hood than XP. It seems quite stable, and once you learn where stuff is and turn off UAC, its really quite fine.

[paularoid]

Interesting!

I am using Vista Ultimate on my home laptop and actually quite liking it! I don't find it that different under the hood than XP. It seems quite stable, and once you learn where stuff is and turn off UAC, its really quite fine.
Whereas a good friend of mine who finally toasted their old Gateway running XP decided to replace it with a brand new HP complete with Vista. It was returned the next day because she couldn't use it at all. She got one from TigerDirect with XP and is now happy as could be. XP will let her actually -do- things without throwing a lot of blocks in her way and making her jump through a lot of hoops to get things done. Admittedly she is NOT "technically inclined" so to speak.

[Amy in Vermont]

I can totally understand that. I am fortunate in that if I hate it, or can't do what I need to do, I can either grab another computer or back up my docs and reimage as needed.

We are NOT distributing Vista to our users yet. Probably won't for at least another year. There are things that do not work correctly in our network environment, and our users do not do change very well.

Some students are using it, and I imagine more will come in this fall with it. This gives us a chance to get some free of charge real world testing and experience at dealing with it in all its varieties.

We are also anticipating an influx of iPhones which will be interesting!

[paularoid]

For the most part what I've seen as the root of peoples objections is essentially DRM (digital rights management) issues. They want to make a backup of their CD or DVD and it won't let them unless they jump through a lot of hoops. This gal wasn't having problems in that way but that's been the majority of complaints that -I- have seen. This gal is a gamer, specifically WOW (World Of Warcraft) <shakes head> and she just couldn't get things to operate under Vista.

*note to all
I will work on a system unless it's got an interactive computer game installed. If it's got anything like that on it then all bets are off and I make NO promises as to the success of my work on it.

I told this gal from the very beginning that her games and the playing of them were going to give her nothing but problems and that has proven to be true. Unfortunately many people (including this gal) get addicted to them because it's easier to deal with the world of fantasy than the "real" world.

[RedjackRyan]

I recently spent some time with a buddy that works for Microsoft. Eventually the conversation rolled around to Vista, so i asked him what he was running on his home computer. After hemming and hawing for a while, he admitted he had rolled back to XP. that was all i needed to know about Vista.

[paularoid]

I recently spent some time with a buddy that works for Microsoft. Eventually the conversation rolled around to Vista, so i asked him what he was running on his home computer. After hemming and hawing for a while, he admitted he had rolled back to XP. that was all i needed to know about Vista.
Well.... if he works for Micro$oft then I imagine he's expected to actually get something done, and that would require the use of . . . . . :rolleyes:

:p

[suzanne]

Recently I upgraded my computer. I did not upgrade to Vista because my friendly computer guru said it had many gliches and he did not recommend it. My daughter bought a new computer with Vista and is having one problem after another and had no privious concerns with Windows XP. My problem with Vista is that when my friends send me an attachment using Vista & it won't open. It says," I need to purchase Works." I e-mail back asking them to resend with adiffernnt format and of course they don't. My question is, would Works be a good and necessary investment? Can they send in different format?:confused: :confused:

[paularoid]

Recently I upgraded my computer. I did not upgrade to Vista because my friendly computer guru said it had many gliches and he did not recommend it. My daughter bought a new computer with Vista and is having one problem after another and had no privious concerns with Windows XP. My problem with Vista is that when my friends send me an attachment using Vista & it won't open. It says," I need to purchase Works." I e-mail back asking them to resend with adiffernnt format and of course they don't. My question is, would Works be a good and necessary investment? Can they send in different format?:confused: :confused:
Don't you just absolutely HATE that? Everyone -assumes- that since THEY have something on THEIR computer, then EVERYONE must have it. I get that all the time with M$Word documents, Powerpoint presentations, Adobe Photoshop graphics, etc. etc. etc. Micro$oft Works is a nice suite of utilities but one should ask if they really -need- it. It's got a database program, a spreadsheet program, a word processor, and who knows what all else. It often comes as an add-in and that's why people have and use it. For the -average- home user it's (for the most part) just fluff and they don't really need it. If somebody sends you a document created in M$Works and they refuse to learn how to use or save/send it in just plain text, then -try- to open it in WordPad. Often WordPad (which is a standard item in Windoze) will read that stuff. If that doesn't work then the decision is yours as to whether investing in a full-blown suite of programs like Micro$oft Works is really worth it or not. Your choice.

If nothing else,... send this link to them or send them TO this link. They might get the idea.

http://en.nothingisreal.com/wiki/Please_don%27t_send_me_Microsoft_Word_documents




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