I finally did it. I finally went ahead and installed Windows Vista on my home machine as my primary OS. With the release of RC1, I thought It would be a good idea to go ahead and take the plunge and see what it had to offer as a main OS instead of a dual boot thing that I never booted into.
I am impressed with the visual aspects of Vista; I am not impressed with the operation of Vista. After searching the net and several trial and error runs, I finally have it to where I can operate the OS without 500 prompts to allow something. It’s not a good thing when you have to respond to 3 prompts to delete and icon from the desktop. 3 prompts! All I want to do is delete an freaking icon!
One of the most frustrating things I have encountered is trying to locate where functions that I normally like to use are now located in the new GUI. I use the move to and copy to quite a bit, and these two functions are not available to me in the default GUI settings. The normal file menus are also not visible in the standard GUI. Instead Microsoft presents you with a new, and in my opinion, convoluted explorer navigation system that lists the favorites over the normal file tree on the left. It took me a few times before I discovered that I could list the normal file tree over there by grabbing the slider bar and sliding it over the favorites view. Now I am able to browse my directory tree and drag and drop files if needed without an excess of menu navigation and button pushing.
The forcing the use of certain applications is a major pain. Windows defender, Security Center, UAC, IE’s phishing filter. All of these I can do without. I am a power user and know how to protect my system without Microsoft’s help. I do not get spyware on my machine as I know how to manage cookies and how to not download crap. I don’t get virus’s on my system from the same manor. In Vista, however, Microsoft has decided to make it extremely difficult to disable the above items, in a since forcing the majority of users into using those applications whether or not they want them. Windows defender continued to block the system tray icons for my etrust antivirus software. I would receive a popup asking my permission to run them. Then stating that I should allow the blocked programs within the Windows Defender application itself. Well, upon researching this, there were NO BLOCKED application there to enable!!! Therefore I was forced into allow the system tray icons every time the system booted. If I disabled Windows Defender, the Security Center would then become annoying by telling me that my system was vulnerable and I should enable the Windows Defender application. If I disable the security center, then I would get another notification stating that my system was not secure because I was not using the Security Center! User Access Control. Wow, let me see, where do I start? It sucks. It’s not nearly as nice as Linux. As stated above, 3 prompts to delete an icon is way overboard. Why would UAC even care if an icon was deleted? Does not the Recycle bin prompt give you enough notice that you are deleting something? Asking me for access to choose properties on My Computer, to open the services.msc, to open computer management, to open device manager, to install a game or any other application for that matter, and, I am sure not the last, for autorun to initialize on a CD I inserted into the CD drive! How many times do I have to tell it that I want to do something?!?!?!?! It reminded me of the game Mother may I. I have since totally removed the Security Center, permanently stopped Windows Defender, turned off IE’s phishing filter, and permanently stopped the UAC. I now have control of my OS again, and am able to do the things I need without constant bombardment from Microsoft.
OK, will all that said, I still have it installed, and for the most part pleased with the stability. I find slowness from time to time when opening certain applications, but can still live with the operating system. I can delete an icon and not be read the riot act. I can install a game and also have CD’s autorun when they are inserted. So for now, time will tell.
TMS
beating the keyboard
