May 9, 2008
|Commentary| Security is never passive and today's threats require more than just antivirus software to defend your system. Windows Vista promised to be the most secure operating system to date, yet new vulnerabilities are continuously being reported. If Vista isn't really proving to be that much more secure, is it worth it? After over a year of use (both pre and post beta), the prognosis doesn't look good.
You know there's something wrong when the packaging requires a knowledge base article describing how to open it. And even more so when - at a time that the rest of the world is increasingly concerned about our environmental footprint - that packaging is a hard plastic shell. Despite the setbacks, Microsoft is very proud of the ill-conceived container, even bragging that, "The packaging has been completely revised and, we hope, foreshadows the great experience that awaits you once you open it."
Minus the word great, and the statement rings eerily true. After Googling for directions on opening the cumbersome container (or using a hacksaw as one intrepid early adopter did), you're left with the rather anti-climatic contents: the install disk(s) and a mini-manual. But get past that minor disappointment and get Windows Vista installed, and you're well on your way to a truly retro experience.
Back are the Windows 95 BSODs! And who among us was not enamored with unexpected blue screens of death? Thanks to Vista, now you too can once again enjoy the crushing dismay of spontaneous reboots!
And speaking of reboots, how much we all missed our slow bootups. How dare Windows XP SP2 perform well enough to deprive us of the experience of a long leisurely breakfast while waiting for our operating system to boot? Well, no more. Vista brings breakfast back in style! And for the really lucky, the bootup may coincide with the BSOD, thus giving us ample time to relax and digest our morning meal.
But wait, there's more! Like an after-hours infomercial, if you purchase Windows Vista now you also get endless hours of fun searching for those old familiar folders, menus, and options that - let's face it - previous versions of Windows just made it too easy to find. After all, no one really wants an intuitive interface do they? Order now and you'll also get the added bonus of finally getting to use up all that extra performance promised by your latest hardware upgrade. Vista will truly suck the life force right out of it, making every extra penny spent on that hardware not just a luxury but an absolute necessity.
So go ahead, screw the environment. Take a hacksaw and open that Vista box. Go all the way - install it. Now fully immerse yourself in the experience of watching your Intel dual core processor drain to that of a first generation Pentium. Truly, performance issues haven't been this much fun since Windows ME. Now revel in the BSOD, embrace the slow bootup. Viva Windows 95! Feel the burn as you search for something as simple as a menu in Windows Explorer or click relentlessly on non-functioning shortcuts.
Windows Vista, Microsoft's long range view of the future, has arrived.
The clock really is ticking. In two months, Windows XP is slated to be pulled off the market and the only option for Windows users will be Vista. Please vote to Save Windows XP!
