Windows Why should I upgrade to Vista

Hi Guys
Here is my question: what will Vista bring me that XP doesn't have? I don't have stability problems with XP and I'm not interested in answers like "it looks great" or "it's sweet" or "it works great for me". What I want to know is there any real reason to upgrade... I don't play any DX10 games and don't plan to for a while yet. My primary comp (a laptop) is used 90% for normal work related stuff like office, photoshop, illustrator, browsing and that sort.

Thanks

 

well it has built in spyware. and microsoft is getting a patient on adware too so maybe that will get patched in the next service pack....

Can you hear the sarcasim?

 

ohh cool so it comes with E.T. features?

 

I just dont see a need for it. I can still use the internet on xp, I can still game on xp, I can still watch movies and look at pictures, I can write any reports if I need to.
sure vista has dx10, but all the reviews I have seen clearly show that your fps will drop when you use it and you only notice the difference in image quality if you go looking for it.
Maye games will improve in the future, in fact im sure they will, so maybe in a year or two I will make the switch, to linux.
thats just my 2cents though, i'm sure there is someone who will convince you of the benifits of vista.

 

Vista has proper memory management capabilities, reducing run times of frequent programs.

 

If you're gonna get it, get it from here- http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/124781/rb/0 . Can be used for a fresh install using the well-known hack and doesn't require proof of educational status. Personally I bought it for my lappy and persuaded Dad to for the family pc and we haven't looked back. The bundled software's actually worth having (media center and photo gallery for example), the sidebar actually turns out to be quite useful and the general small changes they've made make life a lot simpler (new search tools, better driver downloading etc). If you really want an excuse, go to their website and have a look at the new features. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/default.mspx

<A88>

 

The only reason we see a drop in fps with DX10 benches is because they are not true DX10. They are patched with DX10 features that aren't properly implemented. Not only are games going to require DX10, but new programs will use it as well, like Nero for example.
At this point, however, there is really no need to upgrade unless you want to. In a year or so you may find a 'need' to upgrade when programs start dropping support for older versions of the software.

 

considering how my last pc was more than fast enough to run my frequent programs, and my new pc is even faster, the memory managment of vista (which i have read about) isn't enough to really capture my attention.

 

1. Faster - That's right, it IS faster, games may not be up to full speed yet but features like ReadyBoost/Boot (they are the same service, but fulfill different roles) and Aero glass will speed up computing quite a bit. The caching features available are top notch.

2. More stable - You may not have any problems with XP stability (and neither did I) but Vista is far more stable, with better kernel locking and some driver separation from the kernel. Also, Vista has some excellent logging capabilities.

3. Security - Apart from Windows Defender being built in (which can be turned off and I do) the firewall is also far better, memory is protected better and UAC is pretty darn good. Also, slightly connected with the firewall topic is the improved networking.

4. Instant Search - Absolutely fantastic, very fast and very flexible.

5. Improved default apps - Some great additions have been made recently, Windows Mail is actually pretty good (despite being very close to Outlook). The built in calendar is great, and useful. Depending on the SKU you get, Media Center and Photo Gallery are also included. Nice little programs there. Old things like minesweeper and notepad have a new lick of paint to them. Also, I may as well mention the Games Explorer, while not a major feature, once you use it you won't want to go back.

6. Other shell enhancements - While some people hate various changes, I for one love the fact that metadata is included right in Explorer. Breadcrumbs are also great.

7. Power and mobility - Things like tablet PC input software is now included in all SKUs so no more separate versions. Power management is better (sleep is an example of this).

8. SP1 - The first service pack (and therefore OS) of Vista to upgrade the kernel to server-level reliability and speed (literally).

I can't be bothered to search for more improvements (it really depends on you for what you think is an improvement).

 

1. how much faster? I can go out and buy a new video card and make my system faster. which is worth more for performance vs cost.
2. I wont argue that its more stable but winxp does not crash on me. so how do you improve on that?
3. security, my isp gives me free software that works exceptionally well. and there are also free antivirus programs that also work exceptinally well. so no point to spend money for that.
4. instant search. I keep a clean organized hard drive so I never search.
5. I dont use/need the windows apps. mail? i have gmail, calander, hardly an app and I have one on my wall provided by my employer, on in the kitchen thanks to my girlfriend, and a date on my watch. media center and photo gallery, winxp is more than sufficient for my needs and adding some paint to minesweeper is not worth the cost of buying a new operation system.
6. dont have any comments on this one because I haven't looked at it yet.
7. sleep mode? if I want my pc to use less power, I turn it off when i am not using it.
8. SP1 isn't out yet.

oh and i'm not posting my comments opposed to yours to start some kind of flame war. I'm just showing another way to look at this so that the op can see both side of the argument.
peace

edit: and I have to wonder since the primary computer you are going to put this on is a laptop, what does it have for specs?

 

Doesn't seem like Vista would do that much for you then.

 

The real problem with Vista is that all the real important changes are under the hood, which the average user won't see or notice, the Desktop which the user will notice has much smaller changes more what I would call a tidy up. To add to the list of improvements thread time slicing is much improved and thread/application separation and therefore protection is a lot better in Vista.

The bottom line in my view is if you have to ask why you need it you probably don't need to move over to Vista yet, very much like a mobo BIOS upgrade, if it ain't broke don't attempt to fix it.

 

Im gonna keep using XP till 2012

 

the real problem is that all the good changes are under the hood where you cant see them and all the annoying fixed-things-that-aren't-broken changes are in the UI and in plain sight
e.g. wtf did they do to explorer!?! Windows Explorer (the file manager not the process smart arses ) was near perfect in 2k/XP, Windows Explorer in Vista is a horrible horrible butchery of a file manager and is probably my #1 complaint with vista
as the part of windows i probably use the most (3-4+ explorer windows open at any one time usually) this is a major gripe for me

im going to switch to vista when i get a dx10 card, im not going to like it

 

the world is gonna end then anyway so you should be good to go

 

breadcrumb bar and start menu search. oh, and lower framerates. it's not worth the upgrade

 

I actually had no problem with explorer way back in the days of windows 95. then I went straight to winme and I didn't really like it but I got used to it. and now in winxp its changed again and I still dont like it. I just need to be able to view my hard drive quickly. I dont need a little pic to open up in the side window so that I can see a preview. like I said before, I keep my harddrive exceptinally clean and organized. If I click on a picture its because I am going to open it.
I didn't know that they had changed it in Vista but now that I know they have, one more reason to not make the switch until I have no choice.

 

I am also keep using XP......

 

If you don't switch to Vista how will microsoft know when you're picking your nose? Im off to linux as fast as my mouse will take me.

Moriquendi

 

Here's a good reason to upgrade, Microsoft will decommission support for XP from Jan. 2008... fear the security problems that will arise thereafter, go get Vista

Like many others, you make a good point in justifying the upgrade to Vista. Not many people find that it is worthwhile spending hundreds of pounds/dollars/yen/etc... on an upgrade. Vista isn't just an improvement visually but the underlying code that makes it more secure, stable and user-friendly is what makes it a huge improvement to XP. The only way to decide is to try it.

One thing that Vista does offer is the ability to run it for 30 days without activation so I tend to view this as a trial (some people might offer a different opinion) so if you have a friend who you can borrow a Vista CD for a few hours, then you might want to give it a try to justify whether it is worth the investment. Some people have mentioned Linux, sure, it is a good alternative that does offer more than Vista but throw in talks of stability, compatibility, support and user-friendliness and we could have an infinitely long heated debate in here, which I'll avoid