When The Windows Blows: A Post-Apocalyptic Commentary On Vista – Part 3
This Island Apple
I remember Betamax. It was superior to VHS in many ways. As it turned out, that really didn’t matter in the format war. VHS was backed by the most companies, was a little cheaper and was “good enough” for most of us. The fact that it was the best didn’t make Betamax the right format to back and the same is so true of the Mac.
Everything interesting always happens on the PC, because everyone interesting is almost always using one. The PC market is so overwhelming that innovators and developers will always focus their attentions there. Of course, the truth is that there is now no compelling reason to choose one format over another. Except for.. well.. it’s Windows isn’t it?
You know it will work with whatever you’ve got and anything you get will work with it. Of course it doesn’t always work out that way, but it works enough to be a general truism. This amazing claim can be made by no other OS. No amount of Steve-Noting, Vista-Bashing or clips of Ballmer on YouTube making an ass of himself will change any of this. I almost wish we did live in a Mac world, but we do not. Sorry Steve.
Lucky Number Seven?
Remember, as you may be frowning at or agreeing with my thoughts here, that all of this debate is pointless. It really doesn’t matter what bad press Vista gets, whatever the Apple Walkman Company pulls out of its arse, because come hell or high water, sooner or later you (and everyone else) will be using it at some point in the future. If you have a Mac, you’ll use it at work, but for most of us, sure as death and taxes, your PC will get old and break, you will replace it and guess what; it will be replaced with Vista.
I suppose what I’m trying to say here is that although Vista is inevitable, it needn’t be viewed as some dark cloud coming to dominate us all. Indeed, Vista (on realistic hardware) should be embraced, because it’s better than XP in every way, and offers proven and valuable enhancements over it too. Of course it’s not perfect, but hopefully as it evolves and is adopted as only Windows can be, I think it will be apparent that while not perfect, Vista is very, very good.
As I write this now, PDC 08 is disseminating it’s aftershocks around the internet, with promise of Windows 7 being everything Vista promised in the first place. Well, still no WIN-FS, but UAC seems a bit more tolerable. The latest alpha build of Windows 7 is available on various file-sharing networks, if you dare!
Vista was so long in the making, it had to be a let-down. With the reputation they have, Microsoft have to do two things. First, they release software which is new and everyone finds fault with. Second, they release a “new” or “patched” version which everyone ends up using. This happened with 98 Second Edition (even beyond Win 2000 for most people) and the “new OS disguised as a Service Pack” that was XP SP2. I suppose then, that Windows 7 is where most people will actually get the benefits of what us geeks have been enjoying for a couple of years now.
I suppose my point in all of this, is that in spite of what has been said in the Tech and popular press, Vista is the most successful version of Windows ever. That doesn’t mean it’s any good, it just means it’s Windows. The good news is Windows happens to be the best home operating system there is.
Also, if you happened to miss the first two parts in this series, be sure to read When The Windows Blows – Part 1 and When The Windows Blows – Part 2.
Review by the Average Windows Nerd
Related Pages:
- When The Windows Blows: A Post-Apocalyptic Commentary On Vista – Part 2
- When The Windows Blows: A Post-Apocalyptic Commentary On Vista – Part 1
- Using Windows 7 RC? There’s Still Time For Vista!
- Technology Of The Noughties: The Modern Operating System (Windows & Mac OS X)
- Microsoft Releases Windows 7 Downgrade Plans
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Comments: 7
10:48 am 9th November, 2008
Really good contrast to Betamax / VHS. You’re right in that Vista is far from the best OS out there, but yet it has sold brilliantly despite the bad wrap in the media. Of course a lot of these sales are thanks to it being pre-loaded on most new PCs, but still that’s where Microsoft’s monopolised genius has kicked in.
Comments: 108
11:01 am 9th November, 2008
I’m sorry I didn’t make this clear in the review, so I’ll say it here. Vista is better than OSX. In practically every way. If you’re using a Mac, you’re using second best. It really is that simple.
Comments: 7
9:29 pm 12th November, 2008
There was a time when the Mac versus Windows raged across the web like wild fire, but I think those days are gone. Thankfully. My theory is, those people have grown up and their needs define their choice of computer. Plus, it’s a 3-way fight, what with Linux entering the fray.
Comments: 108
4:37 pm 15th November, 2008
That’s not an unreasonable comment and there is a somewhat childish “my Dad’s better than your Dad” attitude about my remarks here, which I regret, but I don’t apologise for. Like Richard Dawkins, I get frustrated when people don’t see truth which is as plain as the nose on their face. In almost every pragmatic scenario, Mac users are placed at a disadvantage because of the non-standard system they have chosen to adopt. This isn’t an opinion, it’s empirical fact, based on the Windows world we all live in.
I don’t mean to labour this point excessively, but in the context of a Windows Vista article, it is of paramount importance, especially given the bullshit and lies Apple have gotten away with, to advise and guide people to the best OS there is. That Means Vista.
Comments: 10
9:22 am 16th November, 2008
So, you guys are all PC’s. Well take a look at the adds for the new way to purchase rail tickets.
Yep it’s you Windows people on;y this time disguised as sheep !
The Humans in the ad are most likely Apple users, you know, people who have time to think for themselves because they are not spending all of their spare time dealing with “blue screens of death” or out buying cable ties.
I love the term ” This Island Apple”, It reminds me of a speech made by the late great Sir winston Churchill during WW2, only he was not talking about defending our great country from the dreaded virus threat, something that the sheep do . I bet all of you folk who are PC’s can’t wait for W7. and it’s good to hear that Microsoft plan to get it working by SP2. Thats progress Mmmm
Comments: 108
7:15 pm 17th November, 2008
I haven’t heard the classics in a while. You forgot about the viruses though. Oh no wait, you didn’t forget those. Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s hear it for the Mac guy!! (be nice, they need all the support they can get)
Comments: 108
7:09 pm 29th November, 2008
I don’t mean to be pre-emptive here, but the word “crash-proof” has come in to conversation about the latest build of W7, because of the way Windows services use the latest version of Shadow-Copy. Also, something about “data assurance from Microsoft” if you are a corporation and use MOS in Server 2008 R2 exclusively.
It’s early days at the moment and I haven’t actually got a copy of W7 yet, but I get the impression that if Apple aren’t shitting themselves, the should be.
Oh, by the way, Anti-Virus will soon be free to every Windows user. Thanks Microsoft!