Blue|Fusion
Rated XXX
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 Posted: Sat, 11 Nov 2006 21:01:33 Post Subject: 10 Reasons Why I'm Not Buying Windows Vista |
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(just thought I'd throw this up here for some of you MS diehards to flame me for :) )
10 Reasons Why I'm Not Buying Windows Vista (In No Particular Order)
1) End User License Agreement (EULA)
Of course, there's a license included with proprietary software. I don't have a problem with the fact that there is a license, but with some of the terms of the license. I recently read an article at The Register about several relatively disturbing clauses that should make PC enthusiast like myself absolutely irate.
Clause 15 of the Vista EULA - REASSIGN TO ANOTHER DEVICE - reads as follows:
| Quote: | a. Software Other than Windows Anytime Upgrade. The first user of the software may reassign the license to another device one time. If you reassign the license, that other device becomes the "licensed device."
b. Windows Anytime Upgrade Software. The first user of the software may reassign the license to another device one time, but only if the license terms of the software you upgraded from allows reassignment. |
What does this mean to you? Well, if you are the type of person who likes to build your own computer, you can only reassign your Vista license from your old computer to your new one once. What's worse? Try just upgrading your motherboard more than once. If you like to stay on the competitive edge with gaming, you'll be paying as much for Windows licenses as you do for hardware upgrades over the same time.
2) Too Many Versions To Choose From
Windows Vista is going to be released with no less than seven different editions, whereas there are currently three Windows XP variants (not including the differential 32-bit vs. 64-bit platforms). Windows Vista Business, Small Business, Enterprise, Home Premium, Home Basic, Ultimate, Starter.
So I want a little bit of the Home Premium features, but I also want just parts of the Business edition...what do I do?! Well, you can buy the Windows Vista Ultimate edition which includes the best of both worlds. But wait! Do you have $399 to shell out for each license? You probably do, but is it really worth it? I don't know what your needs are, but I know that $400 is much better spent on new hardware and not on an Operating System.
3) Cost
As I touched on in the last reason, the cost of each Vista license is going to cost you a pretty penny. A full copy of Vista Home Basic will cost you $299. For that price, you can buy a new Intel Core 2 Duo processor. The prices just go up from there.
4) Aero, Searching, and Sidebar Gadgets, etc. are Old News
So Vista has this neat looking Aero graphical user interface (GUI). That's great, but whoop-dee-doo. The transparent windows and menus are old news. I have transparent windows, menus, and then some on my Linux desktop (using the KDE GUI). What's better? It doesn't require powerful hardware. In fact, I run the same transparency effects on a Pentium II 350MHz computer with 128MB RAM and an integrated video controller. Vista's installer probably won't even run on that.
When it comes to the file searching and organization, what's so special about this in Vista? Nothing. Years ago when Microsoft began releasing the information on Vista (then “Longhorn”), they were bragging about their WinFS file system that was to be used for better file indexing and fast searches. Well, WinFS was pulled from the Vista features and NTFS is going to be, once again, the default file system. Little performance improvements were made. The only noticeable addition is the ability to create symbolic links (a.k.a. symlinks), something *NIX file systems had for years.
So what about the sidebar gadgets? Again, they're nothing to brag about. Linux GUIs and Mac OS X had them for years.
5) Hardware Requirements
I'm sure you've all heard the phrases “Windows Vista Capable,” “Essential Vista,” and “Vista Ready” from hardware manufacturers and OEM computer suppliers such as Dell. If you bought a cheaper system this time last year from an OEM like Dell, chances are, you're SOL when it comes to upgrading to Vista. You are probably running with an Integrated Graphics Controller which will not cut if for Vista. That $400 you spent...not “Vista Capable.”
Why is this so? Well, Vista requires a vast amount of processing power, memory, and graphics card technology – and that's just to run Aero, the graphical user interface of Vista that makes it look all pretty! Think of what resources are left for your games, Photoshop, and your video editing software.
6) Security
It may be a newer version of Windows, but it's still Windows. If you've ever used a computer, you know that Windows is extremely vulnerable to exploits, virii, trojans, spyware, adware, and more. To make yourself feel more secure, you probably install an anti-virus program, an anti-spyware/adware program, and a firewall. Even so, you always have that voice in the back of your head saying such things like “Be careful, there's hackers afoot.”, “That site may have spyware!”, or “Is it safe to download this program?”. Vista will be no different.
Vista did add some new security features into Vista, such as some new Internet Explorer 7 options and some better userland security applications such as the Windows Malicious Program Remover (which is also on updated Windows XP machines) and the Microsoft One Care for anti-virus, anti-spyware, and a few other things. But another gotcha from the wonderful people at Microsoft! The Microsoft One Care program will cost you extra, just as other anti-virus applications, such as Norton do. I still fail to see all the built-in security they're all hyped up about.
7) Shorter Laptop Battery Lifetime
For those of you with laptops, you'll be seeing a decrease in battery charge life instead of an increase. This has to relate with the increase in resource usage (mainly graphics) that Vista will require. The graphics card in your laptop will be in -D mode which increases the GPU and memory clock rates as well as their respective voltages – In layman's terms, the hardware hogs more power to make Vista's Aero work.
8) Closed Source
Well, most proprietary software is closed source, so what can you do? Not use proprietary software. Why does this matter to me? Well, there's a few reasons. Open Source allows community-based programming. Anyone can get Open Source code, modify it, customize it, fix something, add new features, and improve it. This allows more efficient, cleaner, and more stable code. Because of this community-based effort, Open Source allows the development and addition of new improvements, features, and bug fixes to be done at a much faster rate. This is why *NIX and BSD-based Mac OS X operating systems are actually ahead of Microsoft in terms of stability, performance, features, and technologies.
9) Useless Features
Some of the features I pointed out previously, although entertaining, are pretty much completely useless for both home and office users. Sure, they may be nice to have, but there is no feasible way that all of those added features combined can be worth $200 or more. I don't need to share photos that badly. I don't ever use the search feature, let alone have a need for it to be right on my desktop. I don't have a need for a 3-D desktop. And even if I did, I already have one – AND IT'S 100% FREE OF CHARGE!
10) Digital Rights Management (DRM)
I don't support illegal file sharing, but I do strongly oppose Microsoft limiting what programs I can and cannot install or what files I open. I like to maintain control over my own computer, not the other way around.
Furthermore than just trying to limit propriety, Microsoft-Authorized software only, Vista's DRM software degrades the quality of High Definition DVDs unless you have a television or monitor with this special DRM technology embedded into it. Again, this means buying more to get something that Microsoft should have no control over.
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I won't lie. My views on Microsoft are biased. But keep this in mind. I have used Windows since version 3.11 back in the Pentium Classic day and until a few years ago, thought it was unbeatable. Of course, after a few days of experimenting with Linux on an old computer and two years of switching between Linux and Windows as my Operating System of choice, I settled down with Linux.
I am not presenting you with my reasons against Vista to convert you to Linux. I don't care what OS you use. I just revel in the fact that I am no longer a victim of the Microsoft monopoly and hope everyone realized they actually have a choice other than what is pre-installed on your next Dell computer. |
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