Getting the
Vista Vibe
Contents
Ed Word
Please send feedback and lemon
curd to [email protected].JUNE 2006 MA XIMUMPC 5
O
ver the last two months, I’ve spent at least a
hundred hours using the latest beta of Windows
Vista. The bad news is, Vista’s left me more than a
little underwhelmed.
When I preview a beta operating system (as
in the Vista article on page 24), I try to reserve
judgment on the OS as a whole. It’s not fair to judge
a beta operating system based on in-development
performance, beta drivers, and a build that’s gimped
by debugging code. Instead, I detail the new features
you’ll see and prep you for your fi rst experience with
the new OS. Along the way, however, I’ll make note
of any problems I experience with the beta, things to
check when I offi cially review the fi nal code.
Normally, the most exciting time during an
operating system’s development is the month leading
up to the fi rst feature-complete build—the Release
Candidate. You see, when the fl edgling OS goes
“RC,” its list of new features is theoretically set in
stone. Before that deadline, there’s a mad dash to
shoehorn in the last new features before it’s too late,
and the development team shifts to bug-hunt mode.
The builds leading up to that fi rst RC are exciting
for testers, too. It’s the fi rst time we see the features
that get us psyched about the new OS. Unfortunately,
with Vista, I don’t see enough must-have features.
Also, many of Vista’s advances are availableelsewhere. Firefox offers most of the functionality of
IE7 , Windows Gadgets offer little more than Yahoo’s
Widgets, and the integrated search functionality is
only slightly better than desktop search engines you
can download from Google or Microsoft for XP. The
new Aero Glass interface is neat, but it’s not exciting
enough to compel consumers to upgrade. Vista
just seems like an incremental upgrade, and not the
revolution we hoped for.
Usually by the time the fl edgling OS reaches this
phase, it’s begun to pull together into a cohesive,
usable whole. Vista hasn’t reached that point yet.
Thankfully, Microsoft has noticed the same
problems, and has made the tough decision to
delay the OS. Instead of further neutering Vista to
ship in time for the critical holiday sales season,
the development team will take a few extra
months to polish Vista, delaying the launch from
November til January.
I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more delays,
but I’m OK with that. I’m not happy with the current
state of XP, but I’ve waited fi ve long years for Vista. I’d
rather wait a few months more than be stuck with a
half-assed OS come January.Dual-Core
Survival Guide
Make any app dual-core
friendly with our dualie-
tweaking guide.Features
MA XIMUMPC 6 / 06
Is your rig ready for Vista? Our in-depth
preview sheds light on Vista’s features, then
we show you how it runs on 15 test PCs.Is your rig ready for Vista? Our in-depth
24 Vista
46
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