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Windows Vista is the Windows ME of 2008. There are many new, fun, and professional features it brings to the table that XP could only dream of. Visually if you have a computer capable of handling its massive requirements of memory, Vista is gorgeous and feels slick to use. However, Vista is nothing more then a test run of a future goal of Microsoft. You see, Microsoft has a track record of pumping out operating systems for the public to use, break, complain, and essentially test for the mega company. What does this mean for you, the consumer?

Basically, Microsoft uses you as a test pilot and a means of not only free, but profitable employment. By purchasing Vista you are employing yourself as a Microsoft tester. The difference is you are paying Microsoft, they're not paying you. Windows ME, a disaster of an operating system that failed not on what it was attempting to offer but on its shortcomings in how it offered its features led to the creation of Windows XP just thirteen months after the release of ME.

Computer techs nationwide have drawn many comparisons between Vista and ME, both trying to offer new visual elements as well as new indexing elements on how searches and the data on your system are handled. However, the problem is that these elements of improvement are not always polished at release. Programmers, developers, and especially active server page testers who use their PC as an off line means to do so were quickly frustrated by the quarrels of Vista's "improved" security features. Activating all of the IIS options on Vista compared to XP was nothing short of a nightmare at release.

Unfortunately the inconveniences did not stop at the "techie" level, they trickled down to the general computer user as well. Vista is not a broke operating system, it is an OS that needs a little TLC and after spending about two hours on my new HP laptop, who Microsoft partnered with to solely offer the Vista operating system, and it's version of Vista Ultimate, the cream-of-the-crop, I was able to get it up and running somewhat functionally. The problem is that the general computer user is not going to know where to start in making the changes to the OS that I had to, and if they attempt to follow online tutorials they often times will end up loss and bricking their computer all together.

Even on the "gamer" level of PC owners, Vista doesn't quite match up to the well polished conveniences of XP. The overwhelming amount of system resources the operating system requires to function causes gamers to invest hundreds of dollars more in parts not just to support the games they are running, but to support them on top of the Vista operating system. The sole perk to Vista (in the beginning) was its support of DirectX10; however, Microsoft has since taken measures to make this available to XP owners as well. Eliminating the only perk to being a Vista gamer.

Moral of the story? Leave Vista on the shelves for the techies to test and break and for Microsoft to improve and re-release under a new name. Currently we are in the thirteenth month after the release of Vista, and while there is no new operating system on the shelves with the amount of negative reviews Vista has got on all levels we are bound to see solid patches bundled in a re-release of the operating system or an entirely new operating system all together. Let the real testers do the testing and save your money for a more polished product, in the mean time pick up a polished copy of XP accompanied by the recently released Service Pack 3, an enjoy an operating system that does what you need it to do work.

Learn more about this author, John Tyler.
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