Why all Vista users should upgrade to Windows XP
Now that Microsoft has announced the availability of the RC version of Service Pack 3 for our old friend, XP, I'm delighted to tell you all that not only is this upgrade substantial and extremely helpful. Believe it or not, this upgrade creates the best Windows experience I have ever used.
Now, as you may be aware, Vista is, well, crap. Sure, SP1 is on the way early next year and the hope is still there that Microsoft may be able to turn it around, but let's face it -- the chances of Vista becoming a wanted OS are dwindling by the minute.
Let's see what has gone down with Vista over the past year: Dell, HP and Acer have all asked Microsoft to extend XPs availability for an additional six months due to the concerns of customers; many businesses have been slow to adopt the new OS because of poor performance and compatibility issues; complaints have soured the release claiming Microsoft's new OS is slower, less capable and downright awful; and last but certainly not least, it's as if Microsoft can't stand Vista considering the level of detail it's releasing on its follow-up, Windows 7.
And yet, during this time, Windows XP has still been in use by millions of people around the world that have no desire to buy a new machine that's capable of handling Vista and running it daily. And while some people claim the same was true when XP was made available and people just need to come around, let us not forget that Vista has been available for almost a year and people are still upset about the way things are going.
But luckily for us, there's a savior in the works that will not only help us get out from under the sinking ship that is Vista, but will actually improve our experience using Windows. No, it's not SP1. The real upgrade to Vista is XP SP3.
In case you haven't tried it out just yet, the best way I can describe SP3 is that it's Vista without the crap. Amazingly, Microsoft has said that SP3 features about 1,073 fixes and adds some nifty features from Vista to make the experience far better.
Although XP was faster than Vista before, SP3 ups the ante. Believe it or not, witnessed speeds on XP have easily eclipsed Vista and the latter feels dreadfully slow after using SP3 for a while. Even better, SP3 doesn't offer the kind of annoyances that have become commonplace with Vista -- you know, device incompatibility, annoyances with pop-ups asking for permission, and downright poor performance.
Perhaps most important, SP3 delivers on security. SP3 adds support for FIPS 140-1 Level 1 cryptography as a DLL at the kernel level. Because of this, developers can now access the Kernel Mode Cryptographic Module and improve the security of their drivers with the help of cryptographic algorithms.
On top of that, SP3 fixes Windows' wonky black hole router detection system and allows it to reconfigure the Transmission Control Protocol to keep connections alive without losing any performance.
Sure, this may not seem like big improvements and most of the fixes included in SP3 can already be found on Vista, but isn't that the issue here? Now that XP is more secure and already supports any and all devices you're currently using without costing you hundreds of dollars to implement, couldn't it be said that XP is simply the better choice?
In the end, Vista is nothing more than a beta release of an operating system that should not have been allowed into the wild. Does it have its virtues? Of course it does. But with the release of SP3 (the final build will be available in 2008), which improves upon SP2 and includes most of those Vista virtues, why should you run to the store, upgrade your computer and buy a new operating system?
I just don't see the point.
Honestly, I must congratulate Microsoft on a job well done. Sure, it has lost its focus, gutted its new operating system just to get it out the door, buckled under the pressure of computer manufacturers who hate its new OS and created a ludicrous version scheme that does nothing but confuse people, but it has done something right: it has created a stellar upgrade to Windows Vista.
Save your money -- install SP3 and forget about Vista.
Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
Another thing, it seems that when MS goes something like Apple, they get tarred and feathered, but when Apple cuts support for old hardware and makes a fancy new OS that is "slower but prettier" they revolutionized the industry.
Vista's got its kinks but it's definitely progressive, and once you learn the features you like and don't like you can get it configured to run very smoothly. And I'm sure the reason M$ is still supporting and upgrading XP is because of the gigantic amount of business machines that are running 1gig or RAM or less on XP - it's a better business move for M$ to ease these folks into the future by supporting the past than by forcing them to choose between Vista or nothing.
But the bottom line is if you're upgrading your PC to something with 2gigs RAM, I say get Vista because it's a new wave of functionality and configurability. But if you hate change because it's different, by all means stick it out with XP.
I've used Mac's too and they're nice as well, but I like to tinker by nature and MS products allow me to so more easily (Actually Linux would be the best, but I haven't jumped in just yet). The world is not black and white people - if you like MS, you can also like Apple. They do different things for different people.
I have three computers. My primary desktop at work. My laptop. And my primary desktop at home. I had requested my IT group to install Vista on my work desktop. After using it for five months, I requested them to upgrade that machine to Windows XP. I am very glad that I did so. I will install Windows XP SP3 on this computer as soon as it's available, based on your recommendation.
My Lenovo laptop runs Ubuntu, and my home desktop is a Mac Pro running Leopard. I am very satisfied with both Ubuntu and Leopard. I expect to continue to use both of these OS's (and their upgrades) for a long time.
It was only Vista that was not usable for me. After my upgrade to XP, it too has become fully usable once again. I want to thank Microsoft for making the XP upgrade available, and especially for the upcoming SP3.
Keep up the good work, Don. You have one of the best blogs on the CNET site (if not the Internet.) You are ready for the big-time. Have you considered writing for a bigger site?
this news is pure FUD
this news is pure FUD
this news is pure FUD
this news is pure FUD
I also love how people claim XP to be such a great OS, when for years when it was the only Windows OS, it was criticized just as much as Vista is now. People just need to complain about something in order to feel good about themselves.
SP3 will effectively eliminate any reasons buyers might have dissuaded themselves with (security?) not to continue to demand XP in their new computer purchases (I've been deploying lots of new Dell Vostros with factory installs of XP Pro at some great price points, btw).
Here's a blog article request I'll throw in: How about a manufacturer-by-manufacturer breakdown of how to complete a new machine Windows Vista downgrade to XP and rate who's got the simplest process? I'd use THAT as a buying guide!
SP3 will effectively eliminate any reasons buyers might have dissuaded themselves with (security?) not to continue to demand XP in their new computer purchases (I've been deploying lots of new Dell Vostros with factory installs of XP Pro at some great price points, btw).
Here's a blog article request I'll throw in: How about a manufacturer-by-manufacturer breakdown of how to complete a new machine Windows Vista downgrade to XP and rate who's got the simplest process? I'd use THAT as a buying guide!
http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13554_1-9770230-33.html
http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13554_1-9784657-33.html
Michael Horowitz
- by acesomeone December 25, 2007 3:07 AM PST
- Let me get this thing straight for a second. According to Don, users ought to buy a computer, pay for Vista and afterwards buy an additional license for Windows XP (which is severely outdated)? Don't see why this would be an upgrade. If you hate Microsoft so much for emptying your pockets, then why would you buy ANOTHER license from them, I wonder.
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- by b8375629 December 25, 2007 7:55 PM PST
- You can still buy new computers with XP on them. Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc... all offer it as an option on certain machines and will continue to do so until the middle of 2008.
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Showing 1 of 2 pages (46 Comments)It's very simple to me: it's a free world. If you don't like something, express your disliking in a -constructive- way and step away from the product. For it's merely that, a product. If it doesn't live up to your expectations, then there are many other software products out there to go to.
But they won't live up to all of your expectations.. either. It's a compromise one has to make. Don't bash something just for sake of bashing.
Merry Christmas!
So NO, you don't have to buy a machine with Vista on it, and then spend additional money buying XP, although a lot of people have done so.