Thus launches a new era for microsoft's BIG BROTHER PROJECT .

If you want to avoid big brother than you should actually be happy to get Vista since it is the most secure OS that has ever been created. No one can spy on you with it, and Microsoft isn't the least bit interested in what you do. If you want a computer full of spyware go buy a macintrash or something and let the real computer users stick with a real OS like Vista. You better hurry though because Apple will be out of business soon. Vista will make sure of that.

lmao...

Nice. I was wondering how long it would take ya to fake my name.

Thanks, I was feeling a bit left out.

Like the Xbox360, Vista is an overpriced turd..

Like the Xbox360, Expect a new version of Vista next year, with new features, and a new price tag...

Well at least you have a well thought out argument.

/sarcasm

And like the 360, expect a "revision" about 9-12 months that fixes many of the product's 1.0 shortcomings.

Early adopters always suffer for the rest of us. Thanks guys!

You're confused, it is the PS3 that is the overpriced piece of crap. That is why no one wants one. As for Vista sounds like someone is just jealous because their mommy won't buy it for them.

imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

I'm blushing. Really.

you can't polish a turd and Vista looks like a very expensive turd polishing exercise. I some how cant help but feel the Microsoft hierarchy earning $1 million an hour have forgotten just how much $400 is to Mr & Mrs Realperson. The sad thing is in the end, like it or not we will all end up using it.

Just an FYI: $400 is the suggested. It's selling for *much* less than that.

Hilarious (or sad, depending on your view): So much fanfare, worldwide "launch events", Daily Show appearance, etc. Not a single mention on ABC GMA or Today show this morning. Nothing on the radio, nor the newspaper (except for a small article on page 12).

Let's see, the Apple iPhone announcement wasn't even a "launch" and it was discussed heavily for days on TV, radio, and the net. Microsoft is failing horribly at marketing.

"Microsoft is failing horribly at marketing."

Can't argue about that.

If you want to learn marketing, learn it from Steve Jobs. He can sell you any garbage, and at a premium too.

Unfortunately only 15% of Crapple garbage has managed to capture the O/S market. So much for great marketing.

The iphone publicity spree only proves how vapid and shallow the media is.

Summer's about the right time.
I haven't upgraded my computer in awhile, and I guess I could buy a cheap dell or something with Vista preinstalled.

unless you have a play box I wouldn't upgrade(clean install) to vista yet. The ecosystem that is growing around this os needs some more time to mature. I would call this period the "sea trails" (didn't use a car analogy).

The sad thing is the lack of any real innovation in Vista. It's a poor attempt to drain existing customers' money for a product that took five years to reach a laughably poor knockoff of OS X. They won't get my $400 nor will I get Microsoft's daily hacks, viruses, trojans, bombs, and other baggage. Yeeeehaaaa!

Yeah. The Commodore 64 doesn't suffer from viruses either. Why? Because like OSX, no one uses it.

Why would anyone be stupid enough to spend $400 when Vista, while it's pretty good, will KILL his 12month+ PC (performance degradation)? The GREAT MASSES will wait for a new PC which will come with Vista Basic (if they spent upto $500 for the PC) or Home Premium (if over said amount) and judging by this eye opening intel from the horse's mouth , they'd have spent $50 on that SPLENDID OS. Now, if they're borderline (current PC is only a few months old) naturally they'd opt for the OEM version of Home Premium which will cost them $110. Ultimate is identical to Home Premium for 99% of home users... Office users ain't paying retail prices either, we all know. And then, Ultimate OEM (identical to retail except you get no official MS support) is $190, not $400, just for argument's sake.

As for the knockoff remarks - damn about time MS incorporated some great features from their IMMENSELY SNOBBISH AND OVERCHARGING competitor. Why do you think people bought "IBM-clones" in 1985-2007 instead of the technologically superior Macs? That's right, cuz it aint worth paying 150% more (for overall computing experienc) to gain just 20% benefits. At this point in the game, even if I had PLENTY of cash to throw out the window, I'd still go with some quad-core Vista Ultimate based solution with MASSIVE 3rd party software overload, instead of the Mac crap - just so I could remain 100% compatible with MY (less fortunate) PEERS (Messenger, Office, HD Photo, Games, etc...) and of course so I could have much more choice for hardware and software FOR MYSELF. In other words, overall, PCs are better than Macs.

That argument has been debunked so many times it is hilarious that fanboys still try to use it. Do you really think that the hackers out there would not LOVE to be the first to put out a real virus for OS X? It has nothing to do with the number of users, it's just that they can't do it. Meanwhile it's launch day and Vista already has a bunch of security patches on Windows Update.

Quick, everyone upgrade!

You can be test-bunnies for me. I won't be adopting until game support is 100%, and it's clear there's no serious bugs with the system. Even then, I'll need some convincing. What are the advantages over XP, exactly? When are we expecting DX10 games to hit the market?

I think a ton of people were more excited about WinXP than are with Vista now. I, for one, will wait a few months before buying a PC that'll have it preinstalled (naturally). If I had a younger than 12month old PC, I'd go for Vista just to put my hardware to good use.

Well I'll be upgrading tomorrow to Ultimate, and I just picked up a 1 Gig U3 thumb drive to get a little bit more of a boost.

I've already had a pretty good look at it. The darnest thing is I bought Window Blinds and 90 % of the graphical interfaces you can download are pretty much the same things, and the gadgets are 99% the same. But what I am really looking for is the extras that I don't already have with XP Pro.

Ps... Office 2007 and out of this world! If you've not had a chance to try it out you should take the time. You won't need an image editor once you mess around with Word a bit... pretty nice features such as dragging Excel Data into word and it creating some awsum graphs on the fly.

Here's a cheap place to get OEM copies:
http://ftcshop.stores.yahoo.net/

Hopefully a legit place to buy! $111 for Home Premium ain't half bad...

188 bux for 32bit Vista Ultimate on that website. Who was talking about $400???

Microsoft Windows Vista will be the Biggest Software Release Failure in The History of The Computer Technolgy World.

You'll have to pardon my disbelief, but Nostradamus you are not.

"Microsoft Windows Vista will be the Biggest Software Release Failure in The History of The Computer Technolgy World."
--------------------------------------------
Empty words without anything to back up what you are saying. I've been testing Vista since the beginning of testing and not one glitch for me. I repeat, not one. Slickest operating system I've seen.

You have 360 in your name. Go buy an xbox and attempt to have a life. I'm getting vista ... OEM is my best friend lol.

Must be an Apple fan.

Hehehehehehehe you gotta admit that as a wannabe hacker ("defcon") your balls are shivering at the thought that all PCs bought in the next few years will be bulletproof to 95% of phishing and other botnet-style attacks. Ain't it sucky-sucky to some hackboys...

The only thing "Wow" about Vista is the price.
I bought a new Dell PC with 19" flat panel for $399 and that included shipping.
That's less than the price of Vista Ultimate which costs $400.
Something is out-of-whack.

Why does everyone compare pricing to Vista Ultimate?

That's like saying, I'd buy a Toyota, but with the cost of the Land Rover at over $40,000, what's the point.

Amazing how you can completely ignore that that is the "Ferrari" or "Mercedes" version and that the Honda edition is much less expensive.

Look at me...using car analogies.

That sucks.

So? I saw on salescircular.com that some $300 PCs come with Vista Basic. You got a crappy machine, you get a crappy OS. C'est la vie!

"Look at me...using car analogies."

lol selfpwnd

"We guarantee you'll enjoy your Windows Vista experience or we'll reinstall your original operating system and refund your purchase"

now how the hell can they afford to do that. doubt theyll live up to it.

Apparently because they'll also INSTALL Vista for you for a "moderate" fee of $100, and only after THEY (techies) are pretty sure the PC will handle Vista just fine, and that the customer expectations are REALISTIC since they saw Vista demo live. So statistically they are throwing a good bet. They don't pay the employee who images the machine and installs Vista even 20% of what they'll charge the end user. And of course they get a nice cut from the sale of Vista...

Microsoft really dropped the ball when marketing Vista. I haven't heard anything about it anywhere. It's all rather subdued.

Also, "Wow?" Silly. They should have poked fun at the fact that they were so late delivering the OS. "Finally" is more like it.

The "Wow" starts now... Woah.
Can't wait to hear what lame-ass rock song is going to help launch this thing.

Can Gates do better than Jobs' "Beatlemania"?

Why not go even more retro? "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover", sung by Al Jolson anyone?

Tiny Tim, "Tiptoe through the Tulips"

it's all wrong, WoW started a while ago. it even has an expansion pack.

bubble hearth ftw.

It's amazing (or maybe not) how many "average user types" I've talked to this past week, and even today, that have no clue of this event. While the geek squad is aware, many average folk are totally unaware there's a new Windows coming out. I'd bet if you ask around (outside the IT/developer world), you'd find the same. Microsoft may be planning a media blitz, but so far, nothing has had much of an impact.

If you ask most average joe, they don't even know what's on their computers.

The point is, they don't care, as long as it works and able to do their work with it.

But my point was aimed at how much $$$$ MS spent on promoting it. It hasn't had a quarter of the effect of a typical Bud Light commercial.

You're a genius!

I can see it now, middle of a football game, break to a commercial:

Camera pans across a couch full of "Bud Girls" with a guy sitting in the middle holding a laptop.

Camera spins to the laptops screen where the scene is being recorded via the laptop's built-in webcam.

ANNOUNCER: Record your favorite memories now, easier than ever before, with Windows Vista.

Damn things would sell like hotcakes.

You've got my vote! But... due to predictable prudent-type backlash, I say the commercial should come from Newegg! They'll just get 50,000 free copies of Vista (to sell for consumers), effectively making the commercial paid by MS...

yawn, I have been running a legal version of Vista Ultimate RTM for a couple of months now, nothing really exciting...

I am slightly interested to see if any Ultimate Extras are released later today, as if not, there will be MANY disappointed Vista Ultimate owners...

Should be entertaining. Most of the stores around here are holding launch parties starting at 10PM. It's going to be like New Years around here, which is absolutely ridiculous.

It's an operating system, people, get over it.

I dunno, it's rarer than a blue moon.

http://www.obliquity.com/astro/bluemoon.html

Plus, anything to throw a party.

The big difference between NYE and a Windows launch is the day after. A hangover will be gone, but you're still stuck with Windows. ;)

Maybe someone will have a pie for them. >:)

ive had vista OEM for £138.43 delivered and installed since last friday! its gr8!

no gliches..v smmoooth!

http://www.google.com/search?q=138+pounds+in+usd

hahahahaha what?? u paid $270 for which version??

Yeah. Apple fan boys and democrats have allot in common.

Ultimate edition..american muppet

God, I'm so terribly insulted being called "American" something. Would that be because I work MUCH LESS HARDER than you guys across the pond and not only MAKE MORE MONEY but each dollar earned has MUCH MORE BUYING POWER? hehehehehe

But hey, I'll let you throw some nasty words at me if it makes your day more pleasant. Deep inside, you wish you and your entire family were "American muppets"... Now don't even start to argue this stupid point before checking immigration stats from/to UK-US.

Ciao
P.S. You GOT RAPED. You should have asked your cousin from NYC to get you the $190 identical product and saved a bundle, or you should have just picked up the phone and told the merchant "forget about shipping it - I have the ISO already - I just need the product key off the box, thanks". Then again, you guys seem to enjoy paying hefty taxes which benefit you oh so much.