The Dark Side of Windows Vista RC1

By Randolph
in The Fast Ring (Insider Previews)

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Grand Master

Randolph

Posted
Posted
In a recent showcase, I highlighted five things I really like about Windows Vista. That's a cute list, and certainly, I could easily come up with another 5, or 10, or 20. And you know, maybe I'll do just that. But first, I'd like to discuss a number of problems I have with Windows Vista. This, to be honest, is a long list. That doesn't mean that Windows Vista is a waste of time, or a product to be reviled. As a friend once noted, "it's good enough to criticize." Well, maybe. It certainly deserves to be criticized.

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_rc1_worst.asp

:no:

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https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/493003-the-dark-side-of-windows-vista-rc1/
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Grand Master

oldaccount1

Posted
Posted

Very good read, and I have to say that to me personally the user interface is what makes or breaks the OS when it comes to everyday use, so far Vista has taken a step back from Windows XP in that perspective.

It's growing on me. And I've only played with an old pre-beta-2 build back in the day. It looks great from the screens.

Experienced

macro

Posted
Posted

It's growing on me. And I've only played with an old pre-beta-2 build back in the day. It looks great from the screens.

Did you read that though? The button placement, removal of buttons and menus and even inconsistency for menus across the system, even Windows XP didn't have that. They don't know what direction they are trying to bring the UI in, so it's all over the place. Look at ribbons on Office as well. I haven't used Vista for more than half an hour so I don't know first hand how bad it is myself, but the nice thing about Windows is that at least you can customize it for yourself in some ways. The glass looks clean and nice in some parts, the UI is just not there though :\

Veteran

Boeing 787

Posted
Posted

Most people will find Vista useless as an upgrade to Windows XP. It eats more memory and requires a decent video card to get Aero to work. It's sort of the deluxe version of Windows XP with a hefty price tag.

Most of the so called features are already being done by third party software. A few things are pretty good though like the image based install.

Grand Master

Tech_Dude_5000

Posted
Posted
And take User Account Control (UAC), please. No seriously, please take it. And kill it. And stomp on its dead body. And then hang it on a flag pole as a warning to others.

:huh: :laugh:

I love when Paul makes his childish terms...

may be Paul should read this:

https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=492324

;)

Veteran

reactionary007

Posted
Posted

Most people will find Vista useless as an upgrade to Windows XP. It eats more memory and requires a decent video card to get Aero to work. It's sort of the deluxe version of Windows XP with a hefty price tag.

unfortunately you'll have to upgrade to it at some point no matter what. i like xp better - but eventually they'll start releasing updates that only run on Vista... maybe IE 9 or WMP 13

try installing windows 2000 today and see how much great stuff you can't even install on it.... wish i could run xp for another 5 years!

Grand Master

Tech_Dude_5000

Posted
Posted

unfortunately you'll have to upgrade to it at some point no matter what. i like xp better - but eventually they'll start releasing updates that only run on Vista... maybe IE 9 or WMP 13

try installing windows 2000 today and see how much great stuff you can't even install on it.... wish i could run xp for another 5 years!

Why not? there are people that still use 98? :|

Just upgrade to XP SP3 when it comes out. It should come out around the same time Vista SP1 comes out and should feature WinFS IE7, Media player 11 and a few other apps...

may be even SP4. witch may feature all the updates in Vista SP2. but by that time, we will be preparing for vienna and XP extended surport will die a year later ;)

Veteran

Boeing 787

Posted
Posted

Did you read that though? The button placement, removal of buttons and menus and even inconsistency for menus across the system, even Windows XP didn't have that. They don't know what direction they are trying to bring the UI in, so it's all over the place. Look at ribbons on Office as well. I haven't used Vista for more than half an hour so I don't know first hand how bad it is myself, but the nice thing about Windows is that at least you can customize it for yourself in some ways. The glass looks clean and nice in some parts, the UI is just not there though :\

Office 2007 is rather beautiful to bad Vista isn't design as well and as thoroughly. Hell all I wanted Vista to bring where better dialog boxes and things that only could be done at the OS level. I have firefox as my browser and it is feature loaded. I have Directory Opus as my File Manager and it is feature loaded. The only thing that annoys me are the really poorly designed dialog boxes like open and save, browse for a folder and perhaps the worst is the icon dialog box.

Grand Master

Tech_Dude_5000

Posted
Posted

Both, they are both incredibly annoying and not the smoothest way to secure it don't you agree?

yep. The tip improved it a bit. you can X out or click ok or cancel and get back to your work more faster. and you can even go tasks while the UAC is up, but it still acts like pop ups in a web browser..

Experienced

macro

Posted
Posted

yep. The tip improved it a bit. you can X out or click ok or cancel and get back to your work more faster. and you can even go tasks while the UAC is up, but it still acts like pop ups in a web browser..

Well you know I hope they just implement lots of Paul's suggestions before it's final. I'm not in the position where I have to use it anyways so I don't care that much but it's just common sense stuff I think.

Mentor

franzon

Posted
Posted (edited)

ROFL at people that want to turn off UAC

this is one of the main things that make linux and OSX more secure than windows by default(not running as admin)

Paul Thurrott is ignorant, I don't like his thoughts.

UAC is the best Vista feature, I love the UAC. UAC is not annoying. UAC allows you to run as Standard user with the possibility to make the administrative tasks when you want. UAC also protects you from trojans want to start administrative tasks without your knowledge and so UAC will prompt you and save your life!

If you think UAC annoying you, this means:

. you're doing a lot of unnecessary administrative tasks

. you're using a lot of incompatibility programs

. you don't understand the UAC and runas capabilities in Vista i.e. you're simple ignorant like Paul Thurrott

Paul Thurrott is wondering why the beta2 was bad and why Microsoft didn't release immediately a good build like the RC1, and so Paul is ignorant because he doesn't understand what a beta program means!

Edited by franzon
Grand Master

Dashel

Posted
Posted

Good article. Especially about UAC and photo importing.

Want to know what will make it secure? A functional user mode that n00bs can be put in. I don't have security 'issues' with my PC. I never have going back to the venerable 95B so please, stop blipping my screen every 15 minutes.

Grand Master

HawkMan

Posted
Posted

I don't entirely agree with what he wants, like gettign rid of UAC, what he wants is to get back to XP where any program can do anything, and you run in admin mode. that's just not good.

sure UAC canbe annoying, it is. BUT IT IS NECESSARY! This is the reason why microsoft delayed behidn so many others in adding in security like this, but we are now in a time where some user comforts need to be sacrificed for security.

And the back buttons, while they are a bit weird, I actually understand the rationale behidn putting them up there.

and keyboard shortcuts... All the computer users I know of that are advanced enough to use them have mice with back and forward buttons and use these instead. :p

Grand Master

Rudy

Posted
Posted

the sidebar is nothing compared to what it used to be in the longhorn beta. back when you could include the whole taskbar in the sidebar therefore moving the whole notification area to the side but that's not possible anymore :(

that was the main feature i was looking forward to

Experienced

psyko_x

Posted
Posted

Paul Thurrott is ignorant, I don't like his thoughts.

UAC is the best Vista feature, I love the UAC. UAC is not annoying. UAC allows you to run as Standard user with the possibility to make the administrative tasks when you want. UAC also protects you from trojans want to start administrative tasks without your knowledge and so UAC will prompt you and save your life!

If you think UAC annoying you, this means:

. you're doing a lot of unnecessary administrative tasks

. you're using a lot of incompatibility programs

. you don't understand the UAC and runas capabilities in Vista i.e. you're simple ignorant like Paul Thurrott

UAC is fine but it's not perfect. There are times when it really does get in the way. I can't stand having that notification window pop and and seeing my screen go dark when I'm simply deleting a picture from my non-windows partition. It's my file and if I want to delete it don't harass me with "are you reeeally sure you want to delete your picture??"

As for the other issues in the article, I guess they are valid. I personally don't feel nearly as strong about them as he does but whatever.

Mentor

franzon

Posted
Posted (edited)

UAC is fine but it's not perfect. There are times when it really does get in the way. I can't stand having that notification window pop and and seeing my screen go dark when I'm simply deleting a picture from my non-windows partition. It's my file and if I want to delete it don't harass me with "are you reeeally sure you want to delete your picture??"

Do you spend your life to delete files every day and at every hour? No, so you have just only to click on the UAC prompt in order to allow the action, and this doesn't happen often because you don't delete files at every hour of the day! So I don't think this is annoying.

And do you understand what happens when a program try to delete these files without your knowledge if you hadn't the UAC? You'll lose the files and you'll cry just like when you're using windows xp as administrator

Edited by franzon
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