The different levels of products is confusing---Home, Home Premium, Ultimate, Business, and Enterprise. Why not just one or two OS? Who wants to buy a Home crippled version when Ultimate is perceived to be much better but expensive. Let's not even talk about the licensing. They're scaring the honest consumers not the pirates who will undoubtedly find a way around their protection schemes. Does anyone think different?

I have Vista because I'm a .NET developer and I have to test against Vista. I will not upgrade to Vista on my personal computers. I honestly don't see six billion of research in Vista.

$20 Window Blinds + XP > Vista any version

MS is shooting themselves in the foot. I'm seriously considering making the switch to OS X for my next computer. I think it's hasta la vista for me.

*Exactly ... That was an easier way to express it..LOL

I'm certain that nobody will notice or care. It's all about choice...have fun.

if you have XP I just don't see why you'd shell out for Vista. MS can't blame piracy they been tooting the trumpet since release about how dificult it is to keep a pirated copy activated and running

Vista Ultimate oem in Oz is around $330, give or take.

Sell it for somewhere between $50 and $100 a pop and kiss 99 percent of the pirates goodbye and watch your sales skyrocket.

Sell it for $300 to $400 a pop and watch the pirating go into overtime.

What software developing companies like MS don't understand (or, more accurately, choose not to, due to stock holder stupidity) is that people that use pirated software don't simply say "Oh, I guess if I can't get a pirated version of Vista, i'll shell out $300 for a real copy of it". Instead they wait until the OS is pirated -- and Vista will be, too, just like any other protection scheme. So all that a tighter leash on security does is annoy valid users, cause your costs to go up, and overall, possibly, jack up your prices and drop your sales. I'm not saying MS should just ship the software with no lock on it but just having a license key should be enough. Why don't they just look back in history? Even without these elaborate schemes, MS itself has made billions of dollars along with many other software companies! People still went and bought Windows 95 even when it was easily possible to get a copy from your friend.

It's a moral issue more than anything else. If you are immoral enough to cheat with an honor system, you will be immoral enough to cheat with any system that's out there. In fact, MS just keeps creating bigger challenges for those people out there who have nothing better to do with their free time but crack the latest protection scheme of the biggest software company in the world. Someone's bound to take the challenge and succeed. After that it's back to square one for MS.

I'm sure MS is already spending millions on developing the next "uncrackable protection scheme". I hear it involves an RFID and GPS-enabled USB dongle that contacts an RFID chip that you have to implant under your skin. Then every time you log in, the dongle reports to Redmond the exact location of the PC and its user that's accessing their operating system.

Hmmm, well, I know for a fact that pirated copies of Vista are out there available for download. Whether or not they work remains to be seen by those who download it.

I won't consider buying Vista at this early stage, and I wouldn't even think of downloading a pirated copy. My reasons are simple; even though my computer will handle the ultimate copy of Vista without a hitch, many of my computers prime software components like firewall program, and other useful things like managing media will not work. I used the "Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor", and it said that there was no support for them. Therefore I will have to wait for the software manufacturer to redesign their code.

When XP first came out there were so many holes and patches that needed to be downloaded, or applied for hardware drivers etc. I stayed well away for quite some time before getting XP.

New operating systems are designed for one reason, to slow down your current computer so you must buy a new one. It is a marketing strategy that has been around since the beginning of personal computers. Software designers don't force us to buy their products, or new upgrades, but like a normal consumer, we must do what is necessary to feel good about ourselves.

If you are a smart consumer, you will wait for the bugs to be ironed out of a new product before buying it. Unless you are the entrepreneural type who has already assessed your risks, and MUST have it early on, no matter what the cost.

Consider the features that Vista has to offer, what really gives it the Luster other than prettier built in graphic features we all have been using with windowblinds? And Dreamscene...It may be nice, but I remember manipulating 2 different programs to achieve an animated movie wallpaper on a win95 machine back in 1997. It used about 30 percent of the processor back then on a 200Mhz chip.

How many people are so astounded by the security features of Vista that they really need it now? Probably not many. Not to mention, many companies don't consider buying new OS software for general business use right away either. Many large corporations today still use Windows 2000 on very old computers because they still do their job.

Microsoft has nothing really new to offer in Vista that is really going to wow the average user into buying it, so no surprise that sales are down. People are indeed happy to use their XP machines for some time to come. It is smart dollar sense. If the new car sales industry worked in the way microsoft thinks we should act, then everyone would buy a new car based on the fact that it has a new Navigation system, rear facing camera, and alarm system, every 5 years.

Now *That is Sci-fi... Could be a problem when you use many different computers per day..Hmmm?




Hmmmm, Perhaps a slight case of paranoia? I actually think Vista runs smoother on my 3 year old PC, Smoother than XP...But im sure it's an isolated occurance, you must be correct.

I paid $117 for Vista Home Premium (OEM) and it runs just fine.

The display driver model, icon presentation, and multimedia functions are well worth the price - IMHO.

In speaking with some knowledgeable people, I understand that the DX10 functions will really open some doors for the 'entertainment' value in Vista.

Of course, the Mac offers much in the way of 'entertainment' value, as well as professional graphic design.

As for pirates; they will always be around due to the need for balance in the universe and all.

A few months back I did just that. I have a P4 2.8 GHZ IBM PC. I had 256 mb's of ram that I upgraded to 1gb. I bought a RadeonX 1600 Pro graphics card because it was the highest end card I could get for my price range and an AGP connection. Then I sat back and waited for Vista to be released while I saved up again. I picked up an OEM copy of Vista Ultimate for around $200 and I couldn't be happier with it.



You hit the nail on the head. It's fun being the only kid on the block with the latest OS from M$. It's also pretty to look at. lol

 arrr, us pirates be gettin' blamed fur all sorts'a stuff arrr.... It not be out fault Vista don't come wit free rum arrr

Vista be runnin' fine 'ere on t'owd Black Pig an' ne'er a Revenue man in sight.
So eat, drink an' be merry yer scurvy lot, arrr...

If that's the case I'll probably score it at around 300.....[people like me] [silly twits]...

probably pity for the surgically attached hat and ear-phones

That us be orright....that thar Bill oughta drop e's prices so's scurvy landlubbers don' need ta go 'round nickin' it n' callin' 'emselves pirates. They bain't be pirates, no sir....nuffin' as honourable as that. Nope, they juss be common thieves wot 'as no right tarrin' emsrlves wiv our brush..



Got mine for $305 (with discount)....but a shortage of Vista OEM's in OZ has seen some retailers hiking up prices.