It has been several week now and the initial buzz about Microsoft Vista has all but diminished to a respectable hum. Many of the upgrade-itis users who adopted Vista quickly, had issues galore! From bugs to wholesale destruction of their data, Vista has proven to be much more than a simple version upgrade. Matter of fact, Vista was a wholesale shift in Microsoft strategy on the desktop.
One issue I have had with Microsoft in the past, is how they institute feature creep. For each version they add ever more complex tricks and features, which doesn't really enhance the duties of an Operating system. Many are nice to have, but an Operating system is supposed to allow you to run your applications on a computer. Thats about it. But todays OS upgrades have to promise the kitchen sink, and eye candy to boot. The OS has become an application in, and of itself. It is no wonder so many bugs inhabited the final released Vista product. and make no mistake, they were under pressure to get it out the door. They have been touting its enhanced abilities for 2 years now. It was time to produce something tangible.
Microsoft's shift is in the way they handle your data. It is no secret that Windows, since XP, has been ever more tied to the Internet. But an Internet OS is not necessarily a good thing. Especially when you have under the hood a decade old NT kernel architecture that is susceptible to worms, trojans and viruses if proper code is not placed in exactly the right areas. Yeah, they made some adjustments, but is it enough. Internet Explorer alone is one of the worst offenders at how it handles intrusions from unknown systems trying to hack and connect into your computer.
Now all Operating systems are fair game when connected to the Internet, but it just seems Windows, any flavor, is a honey pot waiting for Pooh Bear.
Pricing... Is it me or is Vista really expensive? Considering many of us may have several computers, why not just site license one copy to consumers? How about the different versions to add to the confusion. Why? I just feel like when I buy the cheaper version I am getting something crippled. I don't like that.
Since moving to the Mac OS X over a year or more ago, I have had the pleasure of no such problems. OS X had a few bugs too now, but nothing in comparison to Windows. The upgrade process is easy too, very simple, no tiers or special requirements. Just, if you need an upgrade, it lets you get it. Simple, not tied to a browser, and not difficult to use. That is par the course for Apple's champion OS X.
So my question. Did you do it? Did you upgrade to Vista? None of my close friends have even been talking about it. This is really a non event in my tech circle. Matter of fact, some friends I have been out of contact with for a while have followed suit, and gone Mac.
Apple has a HUGE opportunity right now, to take the thunder from Microsoft and deliver a top of the line upgrade to OS X, one that will knock our socks off. All of the add ons to OS X are applications, not tightly intertwined libraries or bundled applications. I could remove iTunes if I wanted to. Or get rid of Safari if I cared to. On Windows, I am stuck with Internet Explorer, wether I use it or not.
Microsoft will have to modernize their Operating System next time, to break it down into smaller chunks so that upgrades are easier, and the cost is lower. if they don't Apple could run away being the leading technology and software company of the next decade. They seem on track, while many of Microsoft's ventures start up to fanfare, and get cancelled or hobbled, months later. The Mac OS X is simply made up of applications, not mirrors and wires.
Microsoft OneCare is a prime example, they ask you to subscribe to virus support, when the app itself is not debugged and deletes data along with the viruses. Alot of data! How can we expect the OS to function as it should.
Now may be the best time to Go Mac, especially since it runs Windows and Mac OS X. Buy the hardware for the aesthetics, and get the functionality and flexibility of both platforms! Now thats an upgrade!
