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Vista - So how's it going?

I've been using Vista now since Beta 2. So how's my experience been since installing the RTM version? Well, for the most part good. I think's it's fair to say that I don't like getting back on my XP laptop. Once you become used to the Vista UI, Start Menu changes, and general user experience, XP seems dated.

One of the things that I really love is the "Previous Versions" feature. I've used it on more than a couple of occasions when I've accidentally permanently deleted some files and folders. Just right-click the parent folder, choose "Properties", and then "Previous Versions". Restore one of the shadow copies and Bob's yer Uncle. Awesome stuff. I just wish they included this in the Home version. It's a must have.

As I mentioned before, the UAC thing for me is no big deal. I think the added safety net is well worth the occasional prompt for permission.

What don't I like? The one thing that really stands out to me is the slow file operations. Sometimes, and I'm not sure exactly why, when you attempt to copy a bunch of files or delete a bunch of files, it sits there forever calculating the time it will take to do so. Really ridiculous waste of my time.

I've also encountered some problems with my CD/DVD writer locking up when attempting to burn some files. The worst part is that my drive just sits there whirring away forever. Try to click "Cancel" and my entire Vista box becomes unresponsive. I can't even get to Task Manager to kill Explorer.exe. Have to to a hard reset of the PC. Unacceptable. Sure, it may be a driver issue with the drive, but I have no way of knowing what the problem's root cause really is.

All-in-all, a pretty good user experience. That said, there are certain times when quirks pop up and I really question whether this is fully baked. I'm looking forward to SP1.

What would I recommend to my family and friends? First and foremost, if you've got an existing PC, and especially a notebook PC, stick with XP. If you're purchasing a new PC or notebook PC, go for Vista.

Tags Vista Vista RTM

posted by John Walker @ 4/14/2007 1:23:00 AM

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Vista - So how's it going?

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