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Microsoft Windows Vista

Vista is Microsoft's sixth generation Operating System and features more focus on bundled functionality, more streamlined networking, and improved security. Compared to the previous standard - Windows XP - Vista contains a more integrated and consistent technology base which Microsoft hopes will reduce the number of software and hardware compatibility issues. On the security side, every module has been made secure to reduce and prevent malicious software from ruining the computer, however the downside is the Vista "User Access Control" panel which has been made the butt of many jokes for being too annoying.

Where to Buy

Microsoft Windows Vista 1
MSRP $199 - $380
Release date January, 2007
Brand Microsoft
love it
want it
have it
tag it
Pros & Cons29
Reviews33
Details
Buy It12
Competitors7
Comments4
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Pros & Cons

ProSCORE
29 reviews
38
negative
mixed
positive
10 positive
1 mixed
18 negative

[i] How is the ProSCORE calculated?

show me!

Pros:
Do you agree?
•
Simple instalation from scratch (GUI really helps installation)
+7agreedisagree

•
Much better compatibility with 64-bit hardware
+6agreedisagree

•
Much fewer security vulnerabilities than XP
+4agreedisagree

•
Works on almost any recent hardware from any manufaturer
+4agreedisagree

•
Uses better computer specifications more efficently then previous versions
+3agreedisagree

•
desktop widgets such as calendar, clock etc
+2agreedisagree

•
Better core foundation for developers
+1agreedisagree

•
Improved auto-complete on "Run" menu
+1agreedisagree

•
Most popular OS for user as well as developers alike
+1agreedisagree

•
Very nice, and easy to use interface
+1agreedisagree

•
Does not cause the computer to cost 1400 bucks....
-1agreedisagree

•
More streamlined program installation and management
-2agreedisagree

Cons:
Do you agree?
•
Performance can be much better
+16agreedisagree

•
Default installation comes with many bloated eye-candy settings enabled that slow your computer down
+15agreedisagree

•
User Access Control is a huge pain
+9agreedisagree

•
Still has hardware compatibility issues
+8agreedisagree

•
Restrictive digital media functions
+8agreedisagree

•
Drivers for older hardware hard to find
+7agreedisagree

•
Overpriced
+6agreedisagree

•
Poor backward compatibility
+5agreedisagree

•
Hardware requirements are still too steep
+2agreedisagree

•
Security functions are invasive and require constant user interaction.
+2agreedisagree

•
Confusing versioning system
+1agreedisagree

•
File System is extremely slow
+1agreedisagree

•
Heavily software laden machines cause Vista Home to become very slow.
-1agreedisagree

•
Crawls on many "Vista Ready" computers
-3agreedisagree

•
Does not support many standard media formats
-4agreedisagree

•
Power management (sleep, etc) poorly implemented
-5agreedisagree

•
Gaudy user interface
-6agreedisagree


33 people added to this review by submitting or voting on pros and cons. Add your say!
See individual votes »

Details

Versions

Vista comes in 6 flavors, that differ in bundled features and are targeted towards different markets.

Windows Vista Starter -  much like Windows XP Starter Edition, this edition sells only in "emerging markets" such as Mexico, Brazil, India, Pakistan, Thailand, China, Indonesia and the Philippines — mainly to offer a legal alternative to using unauthorized copies. Microsoft does not make it available in the United States, Canada, Europe, Israel, Australia or New Zealand (although users can install a three day trial-version from the 32-bit DVD).

Windows Vista Home Basic - Similar to Windows XP Home Edition, Home Basic targets budget-conscious users not requiring advanced media support for home use.

Windows Vista Home Premium - Containing all features from Home Basic, this edition also supports additional features aimed for the home market-segment, such as support for HDTV and DVD-authoring.casino slot games

Windows Vista Business - Comparable to Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, Windows Vista Business Edition targets the business-market. It includes all the features of Home Basic with the exception of Parental Controls and the Windows Vista Standard theme.

Windows Vista Enterprise - This edition targets the enterprise segment of the market: it comprises a superset of the Vista Business edition. Additional features include support for Multilingual User Interface (MUI) packages, BitLocker Drive Encryption, and UNIX application-support.

Windows Vista Ultimate - combines all the features of the Home Premium and Enterprise editions, plus the "Ultimate Extras" and stronger encryption. "Mainstream Support" for Ultimate ends on April 10, 2012, while Microsoft flags "Extended Support" as "Not Applicable".

Common Vista Features

Aero - this is the new fancy graphical style that uses the 3D processing power of the computer for additional effects and animations.

Shell - replaces Windows Explorer to be more streamlined and easier to navigate.

Instant Search - improved search examines information inside of files, and returns results as soon as typing starts.

Sidebar - an area for Desktop Gadgets which are mini-applications that usually focus on performing one specific task.

Mail - built-in mail program that replaces Outlook

Games Explorer - a dedicated and unified area where all your games can be accessed and launched.

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This report was started July 2, 2008 at 10:10 am by Omar
with the last edit occurring October 26, 2009 at 2:32 pm by Fila
This page has been viewed 1364 times, with 502 edits by 41 contributors.
See the full report history »

Buy It

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium | Older version - pre-SP1

• Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium FULL VERSION [DVD] [OLD VERSION]

• Windows Vista Home Premium

UPC: 882224172981

EAN: 882224172981

MPN: 66I-00002

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium | SP1

• Windows Vista Home Premium with SP1 Upgrade

UPC: 882224661324

EAN: 882224661263

MPN: 66I-02388

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium | SP1

• Windows Vista Home Premium with SP1 32-bit for System Builders - 1 pack

• SALESLINK CORPORATION 1PK WIN VISTA HM PREM-SP1 32BIT EN DVD

UPC: 882224644778

EAN: 882224644778

MPN: 66I-02059

Competitors

Microsoft Windows Vista is ranked 8th among it's competitors.  See the top picks in Operating Systems »
Microsoft Windows 7

Microsoft Windows 7

MSRP  --    Released  October, 2009
Pros
  • Improved memory management takes up less RAM than Vista
  • Revamped taskbar that can combine running programs and hide labels - 3 options how it is done
  • Allows you to turn off fundamental Windows features such as Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer
Cons
  • This is what Vista should have been, and we will get to pay for an 'upgrade'
  • Seriously overpriced
  • Abilioty to virtualise applications in XP environment available only on Professional and Ultimate edition
ProSCORE
46 reviews
80
Vote! (3 votes)
vote Microsoft Windows Vista 0% vs. vote Microsoft Windows 7 100%
Mac OS X Snow Leopard

Mac OS X Snow Leopard

MSRP  $29.00    Released  September, 2009
Pros
  • affordable to upgrade to compared to previous version of OSX
  • Finally a release that tidies up the plumbing rather then just adding features and bloat
  • OpenCL support for general purpose computation using graphics hardware - takes strain off of the CPU for computation more easily performed by the GPU
Cons
  • no longer supported on older PPC-based Apple hardware
  • Making a fresh install over pre-X.5 systems from the 29.00 upgrade violates the ULA.
  • only usable on proprietary Apple hardware
ProSCORE
7 reviews
73
Vote! (2 votes)
vote Microsoft Windows Vista 0% vs. vote Mac OS X Snow Leopard 100%
Ubuntu

Ubuntu

MSRP  $0.00    Released  October, 2008
Pros
  • Regular releases every 6 months
  • Its FREE !
  • 'One-Click' Software install and Removal
Cons
  • Often ignored by hardware vendors when writing drivers.
  • I have problem with openVPN client, it just need a little workaround which is not that easy for regular user
  • Connecting through webdav with MS Windows is more stable than through Ubuntu, eventhough I did it through ubuntu, but not that easy for regular user
ProSCORE
30 reviews
91
Vote! (6 votes)
vote Microsoft Windows Vista 33% vs. vote Ubuntu 67%
Apple Mac OS X

Apple Mac OS X

MSRP  $129.00    Released  March, 2001
Pros
  • Good looking
  • Easy to use
  • Stable. Yes, it can crash, but in my experience, it crashes far less often than any version of Windows.
Cons
  • only works on Apple hardware
  • Not as many applications/games available compared to Microsoft Windows
  • Cannot be virtualized
ProSCORE
16 reviews
76
Vote! (6 votes)
vote Microsoft Windows Vista 33% vs. vote Apple Mac OS X 67%
Mac OS X Tiger

Mac OS X Tiger

MSRP  $129.00    Released  April, 2005
Pros
  • Supports Classic environment (Mac OS 9 programs) on PowerPC Macs
  • Much more stable than Microsoft operating systems
  • Fully-functional Unix Terminal gives great power to advanced users
  • Virtually virus and malware free
Cons
  • OpenGL GUI encapsulates all programs, so game performance is poor
ProSCORE
4 reviews
93
Vote! (3 votes)
vote Microsoft Windows Vista 33% vs. vote Mac OS X Tiger 67%
Debian GNU/Linux

Debian GNU/Linux

MSRP  $0.00    Released  August, 1993
Pros
  • Rock solid, even unstable/sid
  • Linux OS that has spawned more successful offspring than any other Linux OS
  • Apt/Dpkg are solid package management options
  • Fantastic appserver platform
  • PHP, OpenJDK, GCC, LLVM and more get solid testing support/SQA support
ProSCORE
1 review
100
Vote! (4 votes)
vote Microsoft Windows Vista 50% vs. vote Debian GNU/Linux 50%
Microsoft Windows XP

Microsoft Windows XP

MSRP  --    Released  --
Pros
  • Good driver support - lots of drivers even for oblique and legacy hardware
  • backwards compatible; very good gaming platform
  • Stable
Cons
  • Programs aren't isolated from one another, so one can take down the whole OS
  • File system Fragments
  • Poor security out of the box
ProSCORE
34 reviews
55
Vote! (9 votes)
vote Microsoft Windows Vista 56% vs. vote Microsoft Windows XP 44%

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Comments

1.  avatar vsaxena911 said:

PURE TRASH! XP 4 LIFE! My 756 MB ram XP runs better than most brand-new 4 GB ram VISTAs! It's absurd!


Dec 10, 2008 5:28am
2.  avatar Omar said:

More customizable than OSX
Dec 30, 2008 5:40pm
3.  avatar fractalhorizon said:

Gaudy user interface
Dec 30, 2008 5:40pm
4.  avatar scotty442 said:

No where near as good as OS X
Dec 30, 2008 5:40pm
Some HTML is allowed. Your comments remain editable after you post..

Reviews

Sort by: Most helpful  •  Newest  •  Most positive

Erik

avatar
December 30, 2008
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
14
negative
mixed
positive
1 pro
6 cons
don't have itdon't have it
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • Improved auto-complete on "Run" menu

Cons

  • Performance can be much better
  • Default installation comes with many bloated eye-candy settings enabled that slow your computer down
  • Still has hardware compatibility issues
  • Overpriced
  • Hardware requirements are still too steep
  • Confusing versioning system

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Omar

avatar
July 2, 2008
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
33
negative
mixed
positive
3 pros
6 cons
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • Much fewer security vulnerabilities than XP
  • Better core foundation for developers
  • More streamlined program installation and management

Cons

  • Performance can be much better
  • User Access Control is a huge pain
  • Still has hardware compatibility issues
  • Restrictive digital media functions
  • Hardware requirements are still too steep
  • Confusing versioning system

Comments

"More customizable than OSX"
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

fractalhorizon

avatar
July 1, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
17
negative
mixed
positive
3 pros
15 cons
have ithave it
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • Much better compatibility with 64-bit hardware
  • Much fewer security vulnerabilities than XP
  • Works on almost any recent hardware from any manufaturer

Cons

  • Performance can be much better
  • Default installation comes with many bloated eye-candy settings enabled that slow your computer down
  • User Access Control is a huge pain
  • Still has hardware compatibility issues
  • Restrictive digital media functions
  • Drivers for older hardware hard to find
  • Overpriced
  • Poor backward compatibility
  • Hardware requirements are still too steep
  • Security functions are invasive and require constant user interaction.
  • Confusing versioning system
  • Heavily software laden machines cause Vista Home to become very slow.
  • Crawls on many "Vista Ready" computers
  • Does not support many standard media formats
  • Gaudy user interface

Comments

"Gaudy user interface"

Competitors

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Dan (Shrek)

avatar
June 12, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
24
negative
mixed
positive
4 pros
13 cons
have ithave it

Pros

  • Simple instalation from scratch (GUI really helps installation)
  • Uses better computer specifications more efficently then previous versions
  • Most popular OS for user as well as developers alike
  • Does not cause the computer to cost 1400 bucks....

Cons

  • Performance can be much better
  • Default installation comes with many bloated eye-candy settings enabled that slow your computer down
  • User Access Control is a huge pain
  • Still has hardware compatibility issues
  • Restrictive digital media functions
  • Drivers for older hardware hard to find
  • Overpriced
  • Poor backward compatibility
  • Hardware requirements are still too steep
  • Security functions are invasive and require constant user interaction.
  • Confusing versioning system
  • Heavily software laden machines cause Vista Home to become very slow.
  • Crawls on many "Vista Ready" computers

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

rickzmond

avatar
July 13, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
14
negative
mixed
positive
2 pros
12 cons

Pros

  • Simple instalation from scratch (GUI really helps installation)
  • desktop widgets such as calendar, clock etc

Cons

  • Performance can be much better
  • Default installation comes with many bloated eye-candy settings enabled that slow your computer down
  • User Access Control is a huge pain
  • Still has hardware compatibility issues
  • Restrictive digital media functions
  • Drivers for older hardware hard to find
  • Overpriced
  • Poor backward compatibility
  • Hardware requirements are still too steep
  • Security functions are invasive and require constant user interaction.
  • Confusing versioning system
  • File System is extremely slow

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

phenix1819

avatar
June 6, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
86
negative
mixed
positive
12 pros
2 cons
love itlove it
have ithave it

Pros

  • Simple instalation from scratch (GUI really helps installation)
  • Much better compatibility with 64-bit hardware
  • Much fewer security vulnerabilities than XP
  • Works on almost any recent hardware from any manufaturer
  • Uses better computer specifications more efficently then previous versions
  • desktop widgets such as calendar, clock etc
  • Better core foundation for developers
  • Improved auto-complete on "Run" menu
  • Most popular OS for user as well as developers alike
  • Very nice, and easy to use interface
  • Does not cause the computer to cost 1400 bucks....
  • More streamlined program installation and management

Cons

  • User Access Control is a huge pain
  • Security functions are invasive and require constant user interaction.

Competitors

phenix1819 prefers Microsoft Windows Vista over Mac OS X Tiger, Apple Mac OS X, Ubuntu, Debian GNU/Linux, Microsoft Windows XP
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Yuriy Luzanov

avatar
August 22, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
0
negative
mixed
positive
0 pros
12 cons

Pros

Did not agree with any pros

Cons

  • Performance can be much better
  • Default installation comes with many bloated eye-candy settings enabled that slow your computer down
  • User Access Control is a huge pain
  • Still has hardware compatibility issues
  • Restrictive digital media functions
  • Drivers for older hardware hard to find
  • Overpriced
  • Poor backward compatibility
  • Hardware requirements are still too steep
  • File System is extremely slow
  • Crawls on many "Vista Ready" computers
  • Does not support many standard media formats

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Master2k27

avatar
June 30, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
100
negative
mixed
positive
12 pros
0 cons

Pros

  • Simple instalation from scratch (GUI really helps installation)
  • Much better compatibility with 64-bit hardware
  • Much fewer security vulnerabilities than XP
  • Works on almost any recent hardware from any manufaturer
  • Uses better computer specifications more efficently then previous versions
  • desktop widgets such as calendar, clock etc
  • Better core foundation for developers
  • Improved auto-complete on "Run" menu
  • Most popular OS for user as well as developers alike
  • Very nice, and easy to use interface
  • Does not cause the computer to cost 1400 bucks....
  • More streamlined program installation and management

Cons

Did not agree with any cons

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

bugalaman

avatar
July 12, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
100
negative
mixed
positive
11 pros
0 cons

Pros

  • Simple instalation from scratch (GUI really helps installation)
  • Much better compatibility with 64-bit hardware
  • Much fewer security vulnerabilities than XP
  • Works on almost any recent hardware from any manufaturer
  • Uses better computer specifications more efficently then previous versions
  • desktop widgets such as calendar, clock etc
  • Better core foundation for developers
  • Improved auto-complete on "Run" menu
  • Most popular OS for user as well as developers alike
  • Very nice, and easy to use interface
  • More streamlined program installation and management

Cons

Did not agree with any cons

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Darkstriker

avatar
March 9, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
0
negative
mixed
positive
0 pros
10 cons
have ithave it
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

Did not agree with any pros

Cons

  • Performance can be much better
  • Default installation comes with many bloated eye-candy settings enabled that slow your computer down
  • User Access Control is a huge pain
  • Still has hardware compatibility issues
  • Restrictive digital media functions
  • Drivers for older hardware hard to find
  • Poor backward compatibility
  • Hardware requirements are still too steep
  • Security functions are invasive and require constant user interaction.
  • Confusing versioning system

Competitors

Darkstriker prefers Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows XP over Microsoft Windows Vista
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No
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