I just got a 30 day demo of Vista, I thought i'd give it a go seeing as everyone'll probably have to use it sooner or later. Here's my views on it so far based on Vista Ultimate.

1. You can't choose which programs you want to install when you install the system. You just get them all.
They just stay on your harddrive and you have to remove their shortcuts from multiple places. If you decide to 'remove' them in Control Panel, they're still stored on the harddrive for reinstallation. Currently my Windows install is about 14 gigabytes and apart from Firefox and Messenger, which I installed seperately, there's nothing I'd actually use. Even if you use Vlite, toy only shave about 2 gig off.

2. It takes a lot of memory.
It's no wonder the memory requirements for most programs double for Vista over XP. At the moment I'm only running one instance of Firefox, yet i'm using over 500mb in memory from countless other programs in memory, which are totally unknown to me. This is compared to 150 in XP.

3. Games run really badly.
Perhaps it's the memory issue (but i've got 2 gig of ram) but my games run like rubbish in Vista, regardless of patching. Could it be because the OS itself makes a strain on the graphics card?

4. It treats you with kid gloves whether you like it or not.
It hides pretty much all the system files and hides filename extensions. System options are hidden under layers of 'user friendly' icons and options. I'll get used to it eventually but there should have been an option for 'advanced users' compared to people who have never used a PC before.

5. Sound quality is severely compromised. If I play music, any thing that moves the screen in any serious way, or remotely taxes the computer makes the music garble. Many people have this problem and it's got nothing to do with the drivers and nobody knows how to fix it.

6. User Account Control. "This wants to do that! That wants to do this! Do you really want to open this? This could be dangerous! I'll freeze the screen and make it grey while you decide. Are you sure you want to do this? Do you want to open this file? This program you clicked on wants to open, should I let it? You want to install a program, are you sure? Yes, no, yes, no, yes, no? " ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
If you turn it off through a series of hidden options it just keeps asking you if you want to turn it on again and makes a series of system alerts.

7. Many programs don't work any more or behave strangely and crash.

8. "We've already installed 3 gigabytes of drivers on your harddrive. You WILL use our drivers. You want to use yours? It's older than ours, you don't want to use that. Our drivers make the device run incorrectly? You've installed your own drivers? I'm sorry, we'd rather you have ours, look, I'll uninstall yours and put ours back on, how about that?"

9. Windows Security Center. It's like your Dad. It cares about you and only wants what's best for you, but it has to do everything in the most over-bearing and over the top way possible in a way that makes you want to rebel. But you can't rebel, because as long as you're in it's house, you have to play by its rules.
Windows Defender. THOU SHALT NOT USE ANY PROGRAM BUT ME.

10. Windows Sync Center. "Hello! Oh, me? I just let myself in. I see you've got an mp3 player! Let me pop up everytime it's plugged in and stuff the music you've been playing on it, and clash with whatever better program you're trying to use with it."


Things I don't care about

1. Pressing Windows + Tab to scroll through programs in 3D. It's that thing that everyone shows, don't think i've used it more than once.

What I do like

1. How fast you can search

2. Nice icons and folders that always show what's in them in a stylish way.

3. The taskbar being transparent.

4. Previewing programs from the taskbar, the preview moving if you're using video or something animated.

5. It feels good being up to date.

So, due to being really slow, incompatible and loving the ram like a fat boy loves cake, I can't use it for work and it has to go.

If you have a new PC with a new hi tech motherboard, core duo or quad and fast ram, does it handle them better because it's 5 years newer? I have no idea but it doesn't affect me.