What is Up with Windows Vista?

Last year I, Average J. Consumer, bought a new computer. I got it from Dell which I felt kind of unsure about but the price was right. The computer came with a certified, licensed copy of Windows Vista home basic. For anyone who hasn't used this operating system and doesn't have any experience with it, let me just say this little bit to help you understand it a little better so you know what to expect if you get it. It's a horrible operating system.
When I was growing up, a computer was basically an expensive door stop. You could pay hundreds for one of these monsters and all it did was run a word processor program and a couple of crappy games. And if the screen showed any color besides green or black you'd call your friends right over. "Hey guys, look! Purple!" Then one day Bill Gates was the savior of computers, Windows 95 was mass marketed and essentially revolutionized computers for average consumers. You mean I can work on two documents at once and listen to music at the same time?

It was great watching the fast evolution of the computer, Microsoft had us sitting in our blissful computer utopia's. Mac? Back then, I was relatively sure that the apple computer company was out of business and would never be heard from again. Windows 98 came along, then Windows 2000, Windows millennium edition and Windows XP in 2001. We didn't see another operating system from Microsoft until 2007. They essentially had six years to develop a new, outstanding, revolutionary operating system. Instead, they gave us Vista. During those six years, the Apple computer company made an amazing comeback and proved to be a worthy foe for Microsoft, which naturally, you would think, would motivate Microsoft to blow John Q. Public away and instead, we got Vista. Don't get me wrong, it looks outstanding, if all I did was look at it, I would be happy. But I don't just look at it! I want XP back! With all that time, is this really the best you can do? Vista is so bad that Dell went back to XP after only a few short months, the consumer was complaining about this nightmare. I'm still totally baffled as to how Microsoft, the founding father of the information revolution managed this colossal blunder.

On a scale of one to ten on computer knowledge, a one being the person that thinks the CD-Rom is a drink holder and a ten is the guy hacking into the pentagon, I'd put myself about an seven and a half. I'm not incredible with computers but I'm definitely better then most. So be assured that I am not just talking out of my butt. I'm not one of those idiots that complains about a car company when I am having problems with my transmission because I drove down the autobahn at 120 MPH, the whole time in third gear. Some computer guys once told me that my machine was the one with all the problems, bad hardware, not Vista. Oh really? So Google Earth just disappears of my computer because of the hardware? I re-install it and it disappears again like a sock in the dryer because of the hardware? You're right; it's definitely the mother board. It's no mystery why you guys do the type of work that you do, you're excellent at it.

My computer will often "take a dump," that's what I call it because it does a memory dump and just restarts. There's no common factor when it takes a dump, it seems to be completely unexpected and random, yes, I save often. When it comes back it tells me that it is having a problem with programs in a huge list. Vista encountered a problem with Google desktop, Vista encountered a problem with iTunes, Vista had a problem with McAfee. Man, all these hardware problems, what is a guy to do? I'm half expecting it to tell me that Windows Vista had a problem with Windows Vista. It doesn't like any other program, including itself, so for all I know it might commit suicide. I'm half expecting to turn it on and have it say, Vista had to shut down, permanently, you are majorly effed. And in the event that this happens, I fully expect Dell and Microsoft to be completely unhelpful and leave me high and dry.

What ever happened to companies standing by their products? As I've recently learned, if you want to down grade to a more reliable operating system like windows XP, Microsoft is making it difficult. Bestbuy.com has Windows XP pro listed at $299.99. I was also told by the sales people that drivers for Windows XP are disappearing, Microsoft is exterminating them, trying to commit driver genocide so that PC users will eventually have to go with Vista, or... something else. Yep, our old friend Apple made a comeback with outrageous prices and clever commercials. Yes, I understand that the Mac is better, but who can afford one you skinny little smug bastard? Leave the nerd alone. The truth is, I am extremely close to switching to Mac, the biggest thing slowing me down is the thought of having to learn an entirely new operating system again. I'm so good with windows even if it does suck. In the mean time I'm hoping that Steve Jobs wises up and realizes that all consumers aren't loaded. Someone has to take out the trash in this world, sir, we can't all afford to pay 300 bucks for a handheld device that just plays music. And in the mean time I hope that Bill Gates' fancy automated house turns on him by going completely haywire. And when he turns to the company that automated his house, I hope they leave him high and dry with his mechanical mess, it'd serve him right.

If you have Windows XP, keep it, cherish it, as long as you can. If you're thinking about ugrading to Vista, don't. And don't let those a-holes at the computer store tell you all those problems with Vista are a myth. I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. They are supposed to say that because they are paid to say that. And if you do buy a copy of Vista for your computer, don't be surprised if you take it home and in side is a big huge turd. I would feel better about paying all that money for a turd then this crappy software, and besides, it's pretty much the same thing.