Windows
Vista: worth waiting a little longer for
by Alan Zisman (c)
2007 First published in
Columbia
Journal September 2007
Software
supergiant Microsoft wants you... on January 30th they released new
versions of both Windows Vista replacing Windows XP (and earlier
versions) and Office 2007 replacing earlier versions of the widely-used
office suite.
Buy-in can be expensive; while a variety of
versions of both Vista and Office 2007 are on the market, top of the
line Office Professional 2007 lists for CDN$759, while Vista
Ultimate is listed at CDN$499. Lower upgrade pricing is available for
users moving up from older Windows or Office versions, and some users
may find the so-called Home and Student version of Office 2007 offers
good value for $199 (and no real checks that you have a student or are
using it at home... wink, wink). (Large businesses, of course, will pay
much less if they bulk-order licenses).
No matter which version
you get, be aware of Product Activation- a technology Microsoft is
using the ensure that you can't buy a single copy of the software and
install it on multiple computers. Your Windows license limits you to
using it on one computer; most versions of Office allow you to install
it onto two computers- typically one at home and the other at work, or
a laptop and a desktop, as long as both copies aren't in use at the
same time. (The Home and Student license allows up to three
installations). While legal, these multiple Office installations may
involve making a toll-free phone call, and explaining your situation in
order to get a 50-digit (!) key to type into the computer. Failure to
activate your copy will cause it to shut down within a short time.
I've
been working with both of these products since last summer, installing
and using both pre-release and final versions. Each represents
thousands of hours of work by a veritable army of programmers along
with input from usability studies and thousands of beta testers. Each
sports a number of features that are improvements over previous
versions. But each should carry a warning sticker reading something
like: “Are you really sure you're ready for this?” We'll look at
Windows Vista now and Office 2007 next issue.
While Windows XP
Home and Professional version is used by untold millions of users,
despite umpteen patches it has some fundamental security weaknesses. It
lacks built-in support for the latest Internet standards and new
hardware (for instance, Windows XP can't even play a DVD without
the purchase of additional software). And new computer hardware is
simply capable of looking much better than XP, which was designed for
the hardware of 5 years ago.
Vista packs a lot more into the
package- Microsoft is including a slew of new applications for managing
photos, playing and creating DVDs, and more. Special effects using
transparency and 3D make Vista a very pleasant and attractive on-screen
working environment. Security is improved: Windows Firewall is
(finally) adequate, and anti-spyware (but not anti-virus) is built-in.
But
this assumes you've got adequate computer horsepower. The computer you
bought just a couple of years ago that's running XP just fine may cough
and sputter if you install Vista. A clean Vista installation requires
over 10 GB of hard drive space, for instance- before you add any
applications or data. Plan on having at least 1 GB of memory on your
computer. And the video hardware in many recent (and even current)
computer models may only run Vista with those eye-catching special
effects turned off. Check
www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/upgradeadvisor/ to test whether
your computer is 'Vista ready'.
And despite all the usability
testing, Microsoft has, in my opinion, messed up one key area of making
Vista more secure. A feature known as User Account Control requires
user to approve potentially dangerous actions; this is designed to help
prevent viruses or spyware from automatically installing themselves
without the user's knowledge, as they too often can on XP. The Mac and
Linux have something similar, asking for passwords before most programs
can install.
UAC doesn't ask for passwords however, making it
more easy for malware to get around it. But its requests for
authorization pop up in all sorts of other – mostly benign- situations
like renaming or deleting a desktop icon. As a result, UAC will annoy
users without dramatically increasing security.
A decade or so
ago, eager customers lined up at midnight to be the first to get
Windows 95. I'd be surprised if anyone lines up to get a copy of Vista.
It will probably come pre-installed on the next computer you buy; You
probably should wait until then.