Why I still like Windows Vista more than Windows 7

By martin88
in Microsoft (Windows)

 Share

Recommended Posts

Apprentice

martin88

Posted
Posted

Everyone knows Vista is the OS that everyone loves to hate. When it was launched computers were too slow and crappy for it, but I like it better than Windows 7, and 8 on modern hardware. Here's why:

1. Windows Movie Maker and Windows Mail are integrated and they're better than the Live versions, available for Win 7.
2. Windows Vista lets me use a small bmp as a desktop wallpaper, while Win 7 blurs it.
3. Two extra games for Vista Ultimate (Win 7 Ultimate has no such extras).
4. I prefer Vista's default theme and wallpaper to the Win 7 ones.
5. Vista with SP1 and SP2 is just as fast on my PC as Windows 7.

The only drawbacks of Vista I can think of are:
1. No native DVD writer
2. Cannot switch between wallpapers automatically
3. Unlike Win XP and 7, I have to click "Ok" after safely removing hardware.

 

Apart from those Win 7 and Vista are pretty much very similar, so I don't see the need to upgrade. And I like Windows 8 for tablets and the Windows Phone 8 OS is nice, but I don't like it on a laptop or a PC.
I don't care about Jump lists, Aero Peek, Libraries and the bigger taskbar. And Aero Shake and Aero Snap are annoying imo. I also find the HomeGroup annoying and useless and I don't like its icon that always appears in Windows 7 Explorer.

I hope that when I buy my new laptop with Win 8 I'll be able to dowgrade to Vista. Am I the 0only one that's sticking with Vista? :)

Grand Master

NEVER85

Posted
Posted

Be prepared for an onslaught of hate.

 

I liked Vista from day 1, but personally I see no reason to use it these days. It's in its Extended lifecycle (meaning it won't get any new features), and I find 7 and 8 to be better, but unlike many around here, I always liked Vista.

  • Elliot B., Miles Gray Buckton, cleverclogs and 2 others
  • Like 5
Grand Master

spaceelf

Posted
Posted

Be prepared for an onslaught of hate.

 

I liked Vista from day 1, but personally I see no reason to use it these days. It's in its Extended lifecycle (meaning it won't get any new features), and I find 7 and 8 to be better, but unlike many around here, I always liked Vista.

I would think most people don't care about personal preference that much, even if we might find the reasons a bit lacking.

Veteran

Darrian

Posted
Posted

I migrated from XP x64 to Vista and I, too, loved it.  I got Vista for free from a Microsoft promotion and I was actually grateful for it.  I was already running the beta at the time, so I knew there were no issues with it (aside from having to disable UAC because it was more of a pain in the ass than a useful tool at that point in its development) and I was appalled by the bad reputation it quickly received.  Yes, there were some driver issues for some people, but most of those were ironed out pretty quickly when developers finally realized that yes, they did have to get off their ass and write new drivers, or else people would quit buying their hardware.  It's unfortunate that most developers were lazy during the beta; it wasn't Microsoft's fault.  I didn't see Windows 7 as anything more than a service pack for Vista and was outraged that I'd have to pay so much for something that was more of an update than an upgrade.  But I did upgrade, because in comparison to 7, Vista isn't as good.  I saved money by getting a technet subscription, and was able to update several computers for a reasonable price.  When 8 came out it was pretty obvious that it wasn't much of an improvement over 7, either, but it was an improvement, so I paid my $15 to upgrade (only my primary computer this time).  I look forward to 8.1.  I don't expect 9 to be much of a leap from 8.x, either, but I do expect it'll be an improvement in some way and I will find the cheapest upgrade option available and take it.  Vista was great, in its time.  Good riddance to the XP that it replaced.  However, Vista is dead now and should stay in its coffin.  I suppose some people just don't have the means to upgrade, but I really can't understand why anybody would still be using Vista when 7 is available.  It's 8 years old now, and it shows.

Apprentice

ZeroSeven

Posted
Posted

I too always liked Vista and never had any serious issues with it. To be honest I think a lot of the Vista hate stems largely from media hyperbole and word of mouth from people who had heard it wasnt very good and thus decided to preach that as fact. Microsoft made some very clear (and huge) mistakes with Vista's launch which irreparably damaged its reputation, but the OS itself from a technical standpoint was actually quite good and paved the way for a much leaner and cleaner OS. For those interested in the technical stuff, I suggest reading the Windows Internals 5th Edition book which details at length the changes made under the hood to Vista and thus all subsequent versions of Windows.

Apprentice

martin88

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I really can't understand why anybody would still be using Vista when 7 is available.  It's 8 years old now, and it shows.

I paid for it (got the Win 7 upgrade dvd but reverted back to Vista) and it just looks better imo. I know I can use third-party themes that make 7 look like Vista, but last time I did that I had to reinstall because the desktop couldn't load.

Grand Master

Nick H. Supervisor

Posted
  • Supervisor
Posted

At the end of the day you can use whichever OS you would prefer to use. Most of the points you make are to do with the aesthetics which I can appreciate is an individual choice.

Why anyone would want to use a .BMP file for a wallpaper is beyond me though. It's such a hideous format in my mind. :laugh:

EDIT: Looks like Vista's EOL is scheduled for 2017. After that I would strongly recommend changing your OS.

Grand Master

+InsaneNutter MVC

Posted
  • MVC
Posted

I'm not sure if your trolling or not? however your reasons seem some of the most petty ever to me... however each to there own.

 

I'll list the reasons Windows 7 was my main OS since the RC1 build, until January this year.

 

  • Aero Snap, I could not manage without it. It feels strange using a PC / Mac without it, its ever so useful, especially when you have a nice big screen.
  • Much improved Windows Media Center gets used every day by our family
  • Sticky notes application is something i use every day too, it's so much better than the notepad widget in Vista.
  • Pinning applications to the taskbar is something else i find incredibly useful.
  • Windows XP mode has been a great asset for us at work, we could upgrade to Windows 7, then still run legacy applications perfectly integrated in to Windows 7.
  • Much improved start-up time compared to Vista
  • Improved SSD support (Trim)

For the record i personally liked Vista and used it since it was in beta, however even since the early Windows 7 betas my opinion has always been Windows 7 is everything Vista wanted to be with lots of polish.

Grand Master

MikeChipshop Member

Posted
  • Member
Posted

 

For the record i personally liked Vista and used it since it was in beta, however even since the early Windows 7 betas my opinion has always been Windows 7 is everything Vista wanted to be with lots of polish.

 

Vista was important in paving the way for 7. Without Vista there would have been no 7.

  • Ian W and neo158
  • Like 2
Grand Master

Nick H. Supervisor

Posted
  • Supervisor
Posted

Win 7 is so smart, it says my old mechanical mouse is optical... go figure! :D

If I had to take a guess, I would assume that's because by the time of Windows 7's release they didn't think anyone would still be using a mechanical mouse. But hey, if it works it works, right?
Veteran

REM2000

Posted
Posted

I used vista in beta and when it was released and it was a terrible OS. It was only with SP1 where the bugs in the system were fully ironed out. Windows 7 is everything Vista was supposed to be. 

 

There were problems with USB, problems with media and network access, problems with sleep and resuming. This wasn't a case of computers not being powerful i tried it on a lot of different pc's and the results were the same, it was a buggy release, nvidia and intel didn't help with their drivers, microsoft didn't help with the vista certification allowing rubbish computers to come preinstalled with it. 

 

There were a lot of bugs and problems with Vista, like i said SP1 solved most of them, but that wasn't to say it was a good release. 

 

Windows 7 and 8 on the other hand have been excellent releases and have built upon the tech introduced in Vista. 

Veteran

GotBored

Posted
Posted

I considered moving to Mac after I got Vista, even tried a few linux distro's before reverting back to XP until limited driver support required me to upgrade back to Vista again.

Vista was slow and heavy, UI was ugly and it was the first big shift from the basic Windows *feel*.

 

I doubt word-of-mouth was the reason why Vista was disliked so much because every PC user would've went through Vista themselves and actually used it.

Grand Master

JustGeorge

Posted
Posted

My main peeve with Vista was that it took a century to shut down.

Don't forget the endless HDD churning that took place if you installed or uninstalled a program. I watched that happen on a lot of machines, even with 4GB of RAM. The only thing I liked about Vista was the taskbar/Window theme.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Posts

    • One of Logitech's best productivity mice is now available for just $79.99

      By TarasBuria · Posted

      One of Logitech's best productivity mice is now available for just $79.99 by Taras Buria The MX Master 3S, formerly Logitech's flagship productivity mouse, is now available at an all-time low price during Prime Day sale. Thanks to the latest discount, you can have this mouse for as little as $79.99. This large-sized mouse has many things to like. From its ergonomic shape to the iconic MagScroll wheel, the MX Master 3S is a great productivity-focused accessory. It has an 8K DPI sensor that tracks on various surfaces, including glass. Its main MagScroll has two modes: ratched and infinite, with the latter capable of scrolling up to 1,000 lines in just a second. Additionally, there is a secondary wheel for horizontal scrolling. The MX Master 3S has plenty of buttons, which can be remapped to gestures, keyboard shortcuts, or other actions in the Options+ app on Windows and macOS. You can connect the mouse to up to three devices (via Bluetooth or the Bolt connector) and switch between them with a dedicated button. You also get a USB Type-A to Type-C cable to recharge the built-in battery, which lasts up to 70 days on a full charge, and a quick one-minute charge gets you three hours of use. Logitech MX Master 3S - $79.99 | 20% off for Prime Members Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • AI is indeed eliminating jobs, and Oracle just proved it

      By leonsk29 · Posted

      Exactly, this is just the beginning. I hope that by that time, our inept politicians devise something like a Universal Basic Income, because unemployment and poverty rates will skyrocket otherwise. And believe me, robots that perform physical work aren't a matter of IF, but WHEN. No career is truly safe from AI/robots, it's just a matter of time.
    • Politically funny images of the World

      By +primortal · Posted

    • Subtitle Edit 5.0.0

      By Copernic · Posted

      Subtitle Edit 5.0.0 by Razvan Serea Subtitle Edit is a powerful, free, and user-friendly subtitle editing tool designed for creating, editing, and converting subtitles for videos. It supports a wide range of subtitle formats, including SRT, ****, and SUB, allowing users to easily modify and adjust subtitles for accurate timing and formatting. With its intuitive interface, Subtitle Edit provides a variety of features such as waveform audio display, spell-check, subtitle synchronization, and real-time video preview, making it an ideal choice for both beginners and professionals. The software also includes powerful tools for batch processing, translating subtitles, and converting between different subtitle formats. Subtitle Edit features: Create/adjust/sync/translate subtitle lines Convert between SubRib, MicroDVD, Advanced Sub Station Alpha, Sub Station Alpha, D-Cinema, SAMI, youtube sbv, and many more (300+ different formats!) Cool audio visualizer control - can display wave form and/or spectrogram Video player uses mpv, DirectShow, or VLC media player Visually sync/adjust a subtitle (start/end position and speed) Audio to text (speech recognition) via Whisper or Vosk/Kaldi Auto Translation via Google translate Rip subtitles from a (decrypted) dvd Import and OCR VobSub sub/idx binary subtitles Import and OCR Blu-ray .sup files - bd sup reading is based on Java code from BDSup2Sub Can open subtitles embedded inside Matroska files Can open subtitles (text, closed captions, VobSub) embedded inside mp4/mv4 files Can open/OCR XSub subtitles embedded inside divx/avi files Can open/OCR DVB and teletext subtitles embedded inside .ts/.m2ts (Transport Stream) files Can open/OCR Blu-ray subtitles embedded inside .m2ts (Transport Stream) files Merge/split subtitles Adjust display time Fix common errors wizard....and more. Subtitle Edit 5.0.0 changelog: Subtitle Edit 5 is a major new release and a big step for the project. For the first time, Subtitle Edit runs natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux from a single, modern, cross-platform codebase. The builds are self-contained, so no separate .NET installation is required, and on macOS and Linux the needed media components (mpv/ffmpeg) are bundled in. Please read before upgrading: Subtitle Edit 5 is a new application, not just an update of Subtitle Edit 4. It has been rebuilt from the ground up to be cross-platform, so: It is not 100% the same app. The look, layout, and some workflows have changed. Some things are in different places, and a few behave differently than in SE4. Not every SE4 feature exists in SE5 yet. SE5 covers all the core editing, conversion, sync, video playback, OCR, and online services, but some of the more specialized SE4 tools are not available yet. Features will continue to be added. If you rely on a specific SE4 feature that is missing, please keep SE4 installed alongside SE5. The easiest way to run both side by side is to use the Portable versions of SE4 and SE5, which keep their settings separate and do not interfere with each other. Which version should I use? Subtitle Edit 5: recommended for most users on Windows 10 (22H2) or newer, macOS 12+, and Linux. Subtitle Edit 4: please continue to use SE4 if you are on an older Windows version (Windows 7/8), or on older / slower computers where SE5 may not run well. SE4 remains available and is the right choice in those cases. To run SE4 and SE5 at the same time, use the Portable versions - you can try SE5 while keeping SE4 as a fallback. Download: Subtitle Edit 5.0.0 | ARM64 | ~60.0 MB (Open Source) Download: Subtitle Edit Portable | 103.0 MB View: Subtitle Edit Homepage | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • Google Pixel 11 series: Here's what to expect

      By Hamid Ganji · Posted

      Google Pixel 11 series: Here's what to expect by Hamid Ganji Google Pixel 10 series In recent years, Google has successfully turned its Pixel devices into worthy contenders in the smartphone market. The search giant is now preparing to launch the Pixel 11 series in just a few months, and many Pixel fans are likely wondering what Google has in store for them this year. The next lineup of Google smartphones includes four devices: the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. This year, we don’t expect Google to bring revolutionary upgrades to its handsets, and the Pixel 11 series is likely to receive modest hardware improvements alongside a slew of AI-powered features. Here are the rumored specifications of the Google Pixel 11 series ahead of its official debut: When will the new Pixel phones be unveiled? The last two generations of Google Pixel phones (Pixel 9 series and Pixel 10 series) were launched in August, unlike the previous three generations that debuted in October. With that in mind, we expect Google to unveil the Pixel 11 series sometime in August 2026. The exact launch date has yet to be confirmed. Google Pixel 11 CAD renders - Image via AndroidHeadlines How much will the Pixel 11 series cost? Predicting the final price of upcoming smartphones has become increasingly difficult. As you may know, RAM and memory prices are rising sharply, leading to significant increases in the cost of consumer electronics. Recently, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that price increases for some future Apple products are unavoidable, suggesting that the iPhone 18 series could become more expensive. Google has remained tight-lipped about any potential price increases for the Pixel 11 series. If the company manages to maintain last year’s pricing structure, here’s what the lineup could cost: Pixel 11: $799 Pixel 11 Pro: $999 Pixel 11 Pro XL: $1,199 Pixel 11 Pro Fold: $1,799 Given current market conditions, it may be difficult for Google to avoid raising prices unless it adopts cost-saving measures, such as equipping the base model with 8GB of RAM. Google Pixel 11 series anticipated specs: We expect the Google Pixel 11 series to debut with a new Tensor G6 processor as well as an upgraded camera system. The overall design, however, is expected to remain largely unchanged across the lineup. Specifications Pixel 11 Pixel 11 Pro Pixel 11 Pro XL Pixel 11 Pro Fold Display 6.3-inch LTPO AMOLED / 120Hz refresh rate / up to 3100 nits of brightness 6.3-inch Super Actua LTPO OLED, 120Hz refresh rate, up to 3600 nits of brightness 6.8-inch Super Actua LTPO OLED, 120Hz refresh rate, up to 3600 nits of brightness 8-inch inner screen and 6.4-inch outer display, 120Hz refresh rate, up to 3600 nits of brightness RAM & Processor Tensor G6 / 8-12GB of RAM Tensor G6 / 12-16GB of RAM Tensor G6 / 12-16GB of RAM Tensor G6 / 16GB of RAM Storage options 128GB or 256GB 256GB, 512GB, 1TB 256GB, 512GB, 1TB 256GB, 512GB, 1TB Camera 50MP main sensor, 13MP ultra-wide, 10.8MP 5x telephoto, 10.5MP front camera 50MP main camera, 48MP ultra-wide, 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, 42MP selfie camera 50MP main camera, 48MP ultra-wide, 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, 42MP selfie camera 50MP main camera, 10.5MP ultra-wide camera, 10.8MP telephoto camera, 10MP front camera, 10MP inner camera Battery 4,840 mAh 4,707 mAh 5,000 mAh 4,658 mAh Software Android 17 Android 17 Android 17 Android 17 The Pixel 11 series won’t be a major departure from its predecessor, with Google instead focusing on subtle improvements and AI additions such as Gemini Intelligence. However, a patent filed by Google suggests the company is working on a removable battery for its smartphones, and we could see this feature make its way to the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Given that nearly all smartphones today lack removable batteries, such a feature would be a welcome addition to future Pixel devices. That said, it may not arrive with this year’s lineup after all, and the final decision is yet to be made by Google. The Pixel 11 series could also face an uphill battle in the market. In the Android segment, Samsung is performing well with the Galaxy S26 series, while the Galaxy Z Fold 8 lineup is also expected to launch next month. On the other hand, Apple is preparing to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in September alongside its first foldable iPhone.

  • Recent Achievements

    • One Month Later
      timbobit earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      nates earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Almohandis earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Rookie
      dorf went up a rank
      Rookie
    • First Post
      mike_rumble earned a badge
      First Post

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      477
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      171
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      105
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      88
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      70
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!