Customer Reviews
Reinstallation and formatting disaster 
2008-10-07
I've been refomatting and installing OS for over 26 years and this is by far the worst, messed up version I've ever worked with. For example, CHDSK (Check disk) told me that there isn't enough disk space to rewrite a file when I have over 200g of free space. I have been working on this for over 30 hours and have had to reboot and/or reformat and resintall over a dozen times and I'm still sitting here waiting, and have been waiting for over three hours, and it still hasn't shown me the "choose a language" screen.
As far as Media Center, which didn't work the first time it was intalled and I never could get it to work right, it's OK. I just haven't seen anything worth dealing with the instability of this.
Next time I buy a computer I will either go with an Apple or try to get one with XP.
Now I'm going to go investigate using Linux.
After SP1 you should not be afraid of Vista...as much. 
2008-09-26
Microsoft continues to shield attacks about Vista, though many are based on heresay and preconceived notions of the MSFT culture. If you sit down and give Vista a try, and if you get a new PC anywhere anymore you probably don't have a choice, you might not have any complaints.
First of all, a lot of the early reports of bugs in the program have been addressed and fixed in SP1, so users should not rely on what their friends have told them about Vista...as the ONLY source of information.
Secondly, my thoughts are based on my experience in Windows. I will admit that I am an avid PC user and tend to be a little more friendly to MSFT than some other people because I am very comfortable in the Windows environment. But with that said, Vista showcases Microsoft's worst innovative technique. With each release of Windows or Office, Microsoft has been trying to make the user experience easier. They say, "We know what you are doing so we will go ahead and do it for you." And often times they are wrong. They are taking some of the organization away and making things hard to find and displaying what some algorithm assumes you were looking for. And I wish Microsoft would stop doing this.
I prefer Windows to MacOS. I like that things follow a simple organizational pattern and everything can be neatly put away in Windows. But don't worry, it's still there, you just have to wade through some new Vista flare to get there.
And that is my biggest gripe with Vista. Rather than keeping the ease of use that Windows XP has and just beefing up other areas, the company seems to have opted instead for making Vista a mutated product. I wish they would eliminate some of the confusion and just call it Microsoft Vista and remove Windows from the product name.
I'll adjust to it like anything else and before long Vista will be the new standard.
Vista is great to me... 
2008-09-15
Well, I have to say I really like Vista, but before I say anything else, I need to say this. If you want Vista, get a new computer. Don't use an old computer and expect Vista to work well with it. If you have to use it, get Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor to see what you need for your computer.
Well, with that said, Vista works well for me. I love the new graphic user interface, because of the Aero effect when it makes the borders transparent. I like the fact that it asks me whether I want to install something, because sometimes I need to rethink whether I should install a program. I mainly had the problem of installing things I did not need to install and as result it ended up slowing my computer down in the long run.
Well anyway, I use a laptop, so I really like the networking feature. It makes it more simple to find and connect to a wireless network. I also like the power plan feature for those times when I don't have my laptop plugged in. I can just pick a power plan that is appropriate for the time that I'll be unplugged to the wall. If I don't want to use too much power, I can set it to the lowest power plan setting. If I want to use the normal amount of power as if I was plugged in I can set it to that, too.
So Windows Vista is great to me. It's just getting us ready for Windows 7. However, if you're a gamer, you may want to look at the game requirements for Vista, because you will more than likely need more processing speed and RAM.
better now, but maybe not "all better" 
2008-09-10
I obtained a review copy of this much-maligned OS from Microsoft and then was afraid to install it. Too many nasty stories about glitches, bugs, slow running speeds on old favorite programs, and the like. Gave it to my son, who is a fanatical gamer. He installed it on one of his PCs and as far as I know, it has run without a hitch.
Word in the media these days (OK, David Pogue in NY Times) is that a lot of the problems have been fixed. The biggest issue right after the rollout was that Microsoft had not informed peripherals manufacturers (people who make printers, scanners, cameras, whatever) about the need for extensive upgrades of their drivers. So a lot of stuff just wouldn't run on Vista. And Microsoft did not respond nearly fast enough to suit customers, especially heavy-duty institutional and corporate clients.
My laptop died last week, so I'm in the market for a new one. Asked my stepdaughter -- who is a network administrator at a major research university -- about a replacement. She recommended a Mac, primarily so that I wouldn't have to accept Vista as an OS on my new machine. Bad times there are not forgotten, look away, look away. Et cetera. It will take some time for corporate users to trust Microsoft again. (And, as she pointed out, why not just wait for the next major OS upgrade, instead of putting up with a Windows ME for our time?)
I see no compelling reason to upgrade 2008-09-02
As I noted in the title for this review I am unable to think of a reason why someone would "upgrade" from WinXP to Vista Home Premium. I'm not sure I'd even call it an upgrade in the sense that there is no truly new and useful functionality in this edition. This is in stark contrast to Vista Ultimate which DOES have many new features that make it a worthwhile upgrade.
However, this review isn't about Vista Ultimate--it is about Home Premium. I would like to warn people that trying to do an upgrade install from XP to any version of Vista is, in my experience, almost guaranteed to fail. I have even tried doing a brand new clean install of XP and then run the Vista advisor and finally install Vista as an upgrade. I have not been able to get it to work. So if you buy this I think it is wise to plan to do a "clean" install (this means you lose all your programs and settings so you'd need a thorough backup of your data).
In summary, I'm hard pressed to come up with a reason why someone running a stable WinXP system would want Vista Home Premium. Having said that I do think it is a competent operating system and IF it is on a Vista Certified system then I think it is fine. Nothing in my experience with Vista would cause me to want to "downgrade" from a stable Vista install to XP.
PLEASE NOTE: The most important thing I may be able to say here is that Remote Desktop is crippled in this version of Vista. You can remote OUT to other computers but you cannot remote IN to a PC running Vista Home Premium. To get Remote Desktop that is fully functional you have to get the Business or Ultimate edition.
First month with Vista. The more things change, the more they stay the same. 2008-09-02
This is the preferred edition of Windows for home desktop and mobile PCs. Windows Vista Home Premium delivers the productivity and entertainment that you need from your PC at home or on the go. It includes Windows Media Center, which helps you more easily enjoy your digital photos, TV, movies, and music. Plus, you'll have the peace of mind of knowing that your PC has a whole new level of security and reliability. Whether you're balancing your checkbook, studying for school on your mobile PC, watching a downloaded or recorded movie, or sharing your favorite photos with friends on a custom DVD, the experience is much better on a PC running Windows Vista Home Premium.
Windows DVD Maker - Burn your photo slide shows & home movies to a professional-looking video DVD and watch them on a DVD player or PC Windows Movie Maker - Capture, edit, and publish your digital home movies in standard or high-definition format Instant Search & Windows Internet Explorer 7 - Quickly find what you need Elegant Windows Aero desktop experience with glass-like menu bars, Windows Flip 3D, & Live Thumbnails Automatic backup of your files, such as your valuable digital photos, music, movies, documents Built-in parental controls
System Requirements 800 MHz processor & 512 MB of system memory 20 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space Super VGA graphics support
Worthless as a HTPC OS 2008-08-28
Installed about a year ago without any problem on Vista certified hardware. It was running ok with one annoying problem - it was constantly loosing the video settings every time I reboot. Then these wave of security patch start to roll in. I only use the PC for watching blu-ray movies and after installing 100+ security patches, the system is so slow that I cannot finish 90 minutes movies without rebooting the operating system. Microsoft eventually did fix the video resetting problem (one of those 100+ patch fixed it), but OS is pretty much useless for doing what it is design to do.
Now I have to make a decision to add additional memory to satisfy this memory starving OS (I am currently running with 2 GB) or wipe it clean and install Windows XP.
Never got it loaded... 2008-08-22
I'm still awaiting on help for this, but decided to review anyhow.
When I received Leopard for my Macbook, I loaded it myself, no problems. Just followed the instructions.
When I received Windows vista for my Dell, I checked to make sure I had the correct amount of memory and capabilities, and it froze up. Several times. I even got the blue screen of death. So I called support, but was on hold too long, and having five children, I simply wasn't able to wait.
So, I went back to my XP. Everything is working fine, no Vista, though.
Still Way Short of the Mark 2008-08-05
I tried installing this on a somewhat older laptop (but which should have met the criteria for Vista). The result was less than stellar. It took me three tries before it fully finished the install, taking almost three hours.
But the fun really started when it finished the install, as all of a sudden it decided that it wouldn't recognize the hardware for my mother-board based ethernet or my video configuration (it defaulted to the generic video driver). Searching for the appropriate ethernet files on another computer (as I obviously couldn't access the net with the laptop) was an exercise in frustration. When I did finally find what I thought were the right driver files, I placed them on a ramstick and tried to transfer them to the laptop - nope, Vista didn't recognize the ramstick as a viable drive.
Having now invested almost a full day trying to get this to work, I finally gave up and re-installed my XP operating system. Until Microsoft gets a lot more support for legacy hardware and comes complete with at least default drivers that can give at least minimal functionality with such hardware, I recommend that this OS be avoided.
---Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)
Vista . . . improvement, but more needed 
2008-07-27
Vista seems like a Microsoft version of a Mac OS except it is slow and irritating in all the areas it falls so far short by comparison. Granted though, it has to secure a computer against a whole lot more viruses, etc than a Mac OS is expected to do. Given a level playing field in that respect, it is hard to say which would truly be better. This software certainly won't dissuade me from my loyalty to Macs but I really do appreciate the efforts Microsoft is making in terms of improved graphics, search functions, etc. And my one year old son certainly prefers the Windows Media Player visualizer over the one on iTunes. Apparently, it's better than any of his videos!
