Vista: The train wreck that keeps on delivering

Ah, where do I start?

• Don't wait for Vista SP1, pleads Microsoft (The Invistagator) - In which Microsoft begs the rest of the world to accept Vista and not make a liar out of Microsoft. Remember, uptake of Vista is double that of XP in the same period of time after release. And if you're still not convinced, "Microsoft has launched a "fact rich" program to help customers understand why they should "proceed with confidence" in rolling out Vista across all their PCs."


• From the ‘I’m glad I’m not a Vista salesperson’ files (Mary Jo Foley) - In which one of Microsoft's better supporters (really!) lists three really ugly facts about Vista (remember the 'Get The Facts' campaigns?). Biggest problem is everybody is waiting for Vista SP1 before even considering moving over. Guess what the top two questions licensees have been asking about Vista? Essentially, how to legally downgrade from Vista back to Windows XP.


• Google-Microsoft dust-up focuses on Vista search (Computerworld) - Vista has built-in search that ties conveniently into Microsoft's search engine. Unfortunately for Google, it's so invasively hard-wired you can't turn it off, at least not very easily. If you try to install Google's search tools then they both wind up running at the same time and slow Vista down even further. Slow software from Microsoft? Really?
  
  Anyway, Google filed a lawsuit claiming the way Vista's search "features" were implemented violated the 2002 antitrust settlement. Or does it? The Computerworld article goes on to quote one Michael Pietroforte and his blog entry that documents three ways to turn off Vista search. To kill it completely you have to bring up services and essentially disable the service. I know how to do this, but how about the average Joe or Jane? No, I didn't think so.


• Microsoft search surrender was all spin (The Inquirer) -Then, dramatically, Microsoft relents. Or does it? The crafty old Vole made some minor changes and convinced the DoJ and 17 other states attorneys general that Microsoft Did The Right Thing. Unfortunately for Google it wasn't enough. As author Nick Farrell so succinctly puts it:
  

  It seems that complaints that the DoJ is a pussy when it comes to dealing with Microsoft on anti-trust issues since Bush took power are largely correct. Google will have to look to the EU whose anti-trust activities against Vole these days are a bit more aggressive.

  I wish Google luck.


• Vista: They took five years for this? (ITWire) - In which an Australian IT curmudgeon asks the eternal question we've all asked in one form or another since January of this year. One of his better comments:
  

  I was thus prepared for low-key peformance with lots of eye candy. I was disappointed. At the end of the testing, when I gratefully used a CD of the latest Ubuntu release (and I don't have a very high opinion of that as regular readers of this column would know) to wipe Vista off my drive, I realised that even those expectations had been too much.

I'm counting my pennies (and the days) until I can get a Mac.