RSSWindows Vista Launches to Consumers
By Nate Mook | Published January 30, 2007, 4:00 PM
Monday night marked the public launch of Windows Vista, and both Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer were on hand in New York City to officiate the festivities. A number of stores held "midnight madness" events, but did consumers bite?
Not yet. Unlike the launches of Sony's PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii, those interested in being the first to install Vista were few and far between. A handful of stores around the country reported late-night lines, but most customers said they showed up for the other discounts being offered alongside Vista. Low temperatures on the East coast likely didn't help either.
Still, the success of Windows Vista is almost a foregone conclusion at this point, and Gates himself said Microsoft didn't expect a mad rush by consumers. Retail outlets believe sales will ramp up slowly, especially as consumers begin to upgrade their PCs. Most computer manufacturers have fully transitioned to Vista at this point.
In addition, using Windows whether for work or play has practically become a necessity these days, which means the operating system doesn't hold the same intrigue it did back in 1995 or 1998. Instead, Microsoft focused on Vista's more useful features and mundane when showing off the upgrade: new parental controls, enhanced security, and better search functionality.
But that doesn't mean Microsoft gave up on fanfare for the Vista launch Monday. The company rented out a theater at 1515 Broadway in Times Square and tapped Angels and Airwaves to provide the musical entertainment. Although the crowd of journalists, beta testers and other invitees largely ignored former Blink 182 front-man Tom DeLonge's new band, the vibe was positive (an open bar surely didn't hurt).
Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer touted different advantages of Vista, covering the consumer-oriented features and offerings from the company's many hardware partners. Executives from Dell, Intel, AMD, Toshiba and HP were invited on stage to receive special Windows Vista plaques signed by the Microsoft co-founders.
"Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 will transform the way people work and play,” said Gates. “Personal computers have become a key part of the daily lives of almost a billion people worldwide. Millions of consumers had a hand in helping us design, test and create the most exciting versions of Windows and Office we’ve ever released. Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 squarely address the needs and aspirations of people around the globe."
What was notably missing from the Vista Launch, however, was any discussion of the software available for the operating system from partners. While the Windows XP launch in 2001 largely centered around third party software, Microsoft only talked up Vista's built-in capabilities. The company once again mentioned the New York Times Reader it developed with the paper as if it were the only application that actually takes advantage of Vista's new capabilities.
While Vista was the center of attention Monday, Microsoft did make a number of references to Office 2007, which also went on sale today. Corporate Vice President Mike Sievert demonstrated the new Ribbon capabilities in Word, although most attendees were already quite familiar with the suite. Billboards around New York City rotated between images of Vista and Office 2007, noting, "The Wow Starts Now."
Perhaps most importantly Monday, Bill Gates thanked the over 5 million beta testers who helped the company make sure Windows Vista was up to snuff. He said that with the help of testers, Microsoft accomplished 60 years worth of performance testing. A number of those testers and MVPs were on hand at the event to receive the verbal pat on the back.
Windows Vista is available now in 70 countries and 19 languages, with 99 languages expected by the end of 2007. Microsoft says 1.5 million devices are on the market that currently work with Vista, and 2,500 of those are Vista Certified. But availability only means so much, and the rate of consumer adoption and enthusiasm for Vista remans to be seen.
Now that Windows Vista and Office 2007 are finally out, are you saying "Wow"?
Oh man I love that photo gallery!! Those pics of Gates + Ballmer are hilarious! Developers-Developers-Developers-Developers!!!!! :-D
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|Their's nothing new compared to XP, well perhaps the billions of attempts to prevent you running Warez/unsold DVD's.
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|HAHAHAHA. Are you serious? Nothing new? OK. whatever. Don't believe Point Zero! Obviously PZ doesn't have it or is expecting something only Alien's have on Planet Mars.
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|based on the previous comments I will wait until next year for the bug reports and compatibility issues to be resolved. I have a 4 year old computer some hardware upgrades and may need to replace the system so as far as the cost of only $86, add a couple of digits i figure an upgrade will cost me a month's salary
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|I had the price wrong. It's 99.95 for the full version, which is awesome. $86 if you're upgrading from Basic to Premium.
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|For virtualization purposes, I'll keep my XP-SP2 running under Ubuntu. Just setup a dual boot with XP using Ubuntu Live Install.
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|I just bought Windows Vista Home Basic and it's AWESOME! Has everything I needed from them :) Their new products and my other products from other companies work excellent together. $99.95 for a fresh new Windows ain't bad at all. The Windows performs better than it did when I beta tested. If you are thinking of upgrading to Windows Vista don't hesitate. If you are feeling funny about it, wait for SP1(Service Pack1). People always try to knock Microsoft on things. I read so many bad reviews on this OS and when I tried it I found each of those posters reviews pointless. I'm doing just fine with Windows Home Basic.
Great Job, Microsoft :)
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|People aren't going to rush in to buy it because everyone knows how greedy Microsoft is to begin with. Windows Vista is way over-priced. I agree with DiamondT. I was a beta tester myself.
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|I think it would have been better to offer the beta testers more than a pat on the back.
A copy of the software they helped to build.
Would that be too much to offer?
I don't think so.
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|Helped build?
Did you write any of the billions of lines of code?
No?
Huh...
Sorry.
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|People always want things for free. PC_Tool makes an very good point. I don't see why people can't spend $86 dollars like me and get Vista Home Basic that'll last 5 years or any of the other versions for their price. Pirates have taken from Microsoft for years, you guys are lucky to get it for these prices. If Microsoft wanted to do the right thing, they should have started the Operating System prices at $1000 or more. Some people are just unappreciative. I for one bought my version of Vista.
Hat off to Microsoft for a job well done!
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|How often did you send error reports back to Microsoft? How many lines of code did you re-write? How many conversations did you have with Microsoft about changes that need to be made???
Helped Build?
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|Funny - I'm pretty sure Beta testers all got a copy in Nov. Both testers I know did - check your mailbox. From what I saw Vista looked nice but I'll wait until I get another PC - nothing I couldn't live w/o for now.
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|"I think it would have been better to offer the beta testers more than a pat on the back.
A copy of the software they helped to build.
Would that be too much to offer?
I don't think so."
It's exactly what Microsoft has done. they offered Vista if they have submitted at least ONE bug. So ..No comment on this comment
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|Yanike,
Try AUD$750 for Ultimate here, or $595 for upgrade.
Home basic AUD385, or $199 for upgrade. I'm fortunate in that my MS Partnership subscription is annually less than the full Ultimate price. And, I get much more bang for my buck.
Furthermore, compared to my nLite version of XP Pro, Vista is in a word, junk.
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|Vista was cool for about a week. I really liked it. I hate it now. Those security popup's are just to much and it really has a bad feel to it.
Its pretty but irritating to use.
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|Just disable the UAC and popup's are gone...
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|Well...
That's totally missing the point.
UAC *will* be unbearably annoying to a few folks. There are people that *constantly* try new software, upgrade this, fiddle with that, etc...
Those users are screwed. That pretty much means that damn near every one of us will be disabling UAC...or staggering or fiddling.
The good thing here, is that we are, by far, *not* the majority. We're not the average user, we mess around with our systems constantly. Mom and Pop, however, do no such thing.
I've left it enabled. It's still a niggling frustration, and likely will be for the forseeable future, but I've learned to stagger my messing around.
I limit my upgrades, installs, etc to weekends. This makes it so that during the week, I have no UAC issues at all.
*shrug*
I suppose what this boils down to, in a rambling sort of way, is that UAC will not only take some getting used to, but enthusiasts and such may have to learn to operate just a bit differently. It's not necessarily a bad thing. We can still do all our mucking about, we just schedule it instead of doing it randomly and adjust. Well, that, or we die from stress induced heart-attacks.
Hey...change ain't all bad...
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|I agree... The average user should leave it as is. The UAC is really a great tool for keeping out spyware and what nots. I don't even know how many computers I have had to reload for people over the years because they installed some free screen saver or a free game. I tell them and tell them, don't install all that free stuff and keep your kids off cheat code websites! They never listen...
On the other side, UAC may not do any good at all. As soon as malware/spyware tries to run, the user is just going to allow it not knowing what they allowed... You and I both know that's what's going to happen. I have seen it on many XP computers with either Norton or McAfee installed, these programs will ask the user if they want to allow something to run and they just click OK. And next week they bring it to me saying "Somethings wrong with my computer, I don't get it, I have McAfee"
Me on the other hand... LOL, well I like to try new software and tweaks all the time and that UAC is just in the way. But I'm sure you like me know what we are doing to a point when installing things and what to look for and don't just click AGREE, AGREE, AGREE when installing things. I can say that I have not had a virus or spy ware on my computers in several years (I learned the hard way about 5 years ago).
My computer isn't called CRASH for nothing! The more I crash it, the more I learn. But I can say as far as Vista, I have only crashed it 2 times in 2 weeks (Blue screen and all). My first 2 weeks with XP, I think I had reloaded it 4 times by now... LOL
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|Mine's called Emmitt.
No, I will not explain that any further.
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|LOL
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|The banner graphic on BN home page is prettier to look at than the product itself. :)
Ok: Wow... (yawn) MS is finally trying to catch up to OSX. Even Allchin said so.
http://blog.seattlepi.nw...oft/archives/110354.asp
http://www.computerworld...05926&intsrc=hm_lis
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|I guess that's why (yawn) OSX is sooooo popular capturing a whole 15% of the (yawn) market.
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|It has 15% of the market? URL?
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|Last I heard, it was still less than 5%. Still little more than a statistical non-entity.
http://marketshare.hitsl...com/report.aspx?qprid=5
Stats through Jan '07.
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|My mistake, I obviously got my (wrong) statistical information from a pro-Macincrap source.
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|I have been running Vista Business and Office 2007 for about two weeks now and love both of them. Now there was an issue with hardware (a 3 year old ATI TV tuner card that ATI does not even support anymore), but after I got that working (just changed the compatibility to XP SP2) everything is running great, smooth...
Plays my games better then XP did, a look and layout that I enjoy, boots much faster then XP did all on the same box.
All my software I used on XP runs fine on Vista. I have had far less problems with this upgrade as I did from 89 to XP.
And remember, just like fingerprints, no two PC's are alike. So there will be many, many crashes and bugs out there. There always will be, no matter what...
GREAT JOB MS!
Now all of you "I'll never upgrade"'s out there, let me say YEAH RIGHT! It's a Windows world and we are all Windows boys and girls. You'll have no real choice in the comming years...
And if your not running Windows, I would bet there is some windows software running on your MAC or Linux box that you just can't live without...
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|http://images.betanews.com/albums/147/832.jpg
umm... WOW!
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|Only for pirates are changes easy. Burglars also are not affected by increases in the cost of living. I spent a lot of money in a legal copy of Windows 98 SE, MSO 97 and many other pieces of software which I always bought legally. I do not have any intention to spend money to replace something of my own that works perfectly well since 1999, even without any "support" or paid protection at all. In prevision of a blocus of hardware supply promoted by MS and hardware providers I have bought spare parts to replace every device in my computer. I mind my own business. That's all.
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|i think we will all be affected by http://images.betanews.com/albums/147/832.jpg
directly or indirectly
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|Of course.
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|Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
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|Most people won't upgrade. At this point, with xp still a very solid operating system theres no need to fall for this hype. I downloaded the upgrade software to see if my pc was vista ready- just for the sake of it- and it said no. I said to myself,i have a 3 ghz proc. with 512 megs of ram, and my pc doesnt qualify. That alone is a good reason to just wait till you buy a new pc in the future. Plus i have read how allot of programs are having probs with vista and theres a serious lack of driver support. Than theres price. Why would i spend hundreds of dollars on a upgrade when i paid only 600 bucks for the pc in the first place. And to some of the previous comments. Microsoft very rarely has there ideas copied. They are the ones copying everyone else or just plain buying other companies tech. straight out. They are just a money machine. Not the thought provoking idealist that most people are brainwashed into thinking.
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|Hi Sven, if you can make the financial commitment, you should consider upgrading to 1GB of RAM. XP runs horribly for me on 512MB of RAM and I'm a user who enjoys running Adobe Photoshop and several applications side by side.
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|I just upgraded.. Vista KICKS ASS! I dont care how much what you think of Microsoft - I dont care if you think this is simply XP SP3 - Vista is just amazing.
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|Microsoft did make one very serious mistake with Vista. If you buy the upgrade version of Vista, it's not possible to use the 64-bit DVD at all. If you try to upgrade from within your current OS (most likely 32-bit Windows) like Microsoft now requires you get a message stating you have to boot directly from the 64-bit DVD. If you boot directly from the 64-bit DVD, after you enter your product key you get a message stating you have to start the installation from within your previous OS (32-bit WinXP in this example). Why is Microsoft even including a 64-bit DVD in the upgrade versions of Vista?
I wish Microsoft would have notified consumers that simply having the installation media from your previous OS is no longer sufficient to confirm your upgrade eligiblity.
BUYER BEWARE!
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|I have a dual core AMD 64.. I have used the beta 64 bit... the only difference is the 64 bit version has less driver support. There is ZERO difference in performance at this point.. If you REALLY think your going to get some sort of boost from the 64 bit version your smoking crack. Its just not there.
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|I personally noticed that the 64bit version of vista (RTM) ran alot smoother, and it was esspecially noticable on single-core proccessors like most people still have. Course I'm not talking about benchmark scores which probably don't differ much, but as a hole on a fresh install there seemed to be alot less hickups and slight pauses as it tried to multitask through the hudge amount of processes microsoft has running after a default install, even as I did simple tasks such as navigating through windows explorer...
Course its probably do to all the system files they had to rewrite and they could probably get the 32 bit version to run just as well but then why update to 64?
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|People, its just as common to see Apple "copying" from MS as well, cough shadow copy win 03 cough, cough time machine cough..
If someone used Vista for a month and then still said it sucks then I would say fine thats your opinion. But the people who take one look at all the bash articles and screenshots an say its s***. Thats just plain ignorant.
After having used Vista through the whole beta cycle I wont ever touch XP again unless I was forced at gun point.
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|Okay, I used Vista for a month and it sucked. XP is solid and works great. Thanks.
Now, Office 2007, there's an upgrade worth having.
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|2 Great programs Microsoft did a great job on these.
For those of you saying you won't switch...yea right!
Try it before you bash it.
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|Tried Vista, hated it.
Moving on.
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|XP isnt moving on...its moving backwards.
Just FYI.
Latz, SB
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|"Try it before you bash it."
Same can be said about crack-cocaine.
Not bashing it though, it has some good qualities.
Just can't get all excited about it so early in the game. Only time will tell at this point, it has just been released to the masses for many it will work great but many will have issues.
Personally, if i do switch, it will be post SP1. I just don't get the whole "mad rush at midnight" syndrome :/
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|hmm an operating system that has been rewritten to render spyware, malware and all existeing viruses useless ... yea i think imma upgrade :D ... its common sense
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|not switching from xp pro.....period.
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|See you in 8 years time.
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|Microsoft has time and again copied from apple. it's kind of sad. If apple would of just used the same formula microsoft did, that is license your os and let everyone else make and sell the computers, then we all would be using apple's os and not microsoft. But greed and control will kill you.
Microsoft's formula is quite different. Let everyone else innovate. Then see what is successful, then assimilate and copy. yes you will get sued, but when you make about as much as the rest of the software industry combined, you can just pay everyone off, as they have done and your all set. They then die when they go bankrupt and thats it.
Microsoft can't exactly teach business ethics but they can teach a class on how to kill competition and how to make a lot of money.
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|Or if they made a ruddy cheap enough Mac that wasn't the crappy Mac Mini.
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|Yeah, like you've looked. An iMac (includes LCD monitor) starts at $999. As for the "crappy" Mac Mini, I have one. It runs great and crashes less than my much more powerful Windows machine.
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|If it ran great, wouldnt it just NOT crash...
And how does the software you have installed on the mini compare to the Windows machine ( it SHOULD be called a PC )?
$999...I think Dell and HP are giving away computers almost nowadays...but i guess in comparison to say...servers...macs ARE cheap :), and they look it too :).
Latz, SB
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|Thanks for reminding me, the Mac Mini has never crashed. Wow, maybe I should buy another one. ;o)
As for the software installed on the machine, sure it's comparable. It runs Photoshop CS2, Microsoft Office, and even renders movies. No problem.
Finally, I'd buy a dozen Macs before I'd purchase one Dell. They simply don't make anything worth having. Maybe Michael Dell can solve that problem, but for now I wouldn't touch one.
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|Ok this is getting ridicules what did Microsoft copy in Vista?
Sidebar – I think not, Sidebar was actually in WinXP Beta, if anything Apple copied Microsoft
Instant Search – Apple beat Microsoft to the Market, by it was announced by Microsoft way before apple introduced it
iPhoto- check Microsoft Digital Image it was around years before, only difference now Microsoft includes a light ware version installed
WinXp featured a firewall and ICS, - not sure on the version but Apple didn’t introduce a firewall until 10.2 and ICS till 10.3
iTunes- Please
UAC – yes, but has been in unix variant since I can remember
Eye Candy – WinXP was considered eye candy when first released
Did I miss anything
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|"yawn" is right!
Here's what everyone is saying (not just the experts) A direct quote from CBS:
Interviewing David Pogue, CBS presents a consensus that Microsoft's Vista -- shipping today to consumers -- borrows too heavily from Mac OS X. "It kinda like hits you between the eyes," says Pogue. "I don't mean to imply that Vista is nothing but copies from Apple, but there are some certain similarities that are unmistakable."
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|what are those similarities, because as far as ive seen the only similarity is that it is easier to use like mac osx has always been- but unless you are a complete retard (granted most people are) with computers, that doesnt matter a whole lot. Take a look at it, ive had it for a week and it IS wow, especially if you have a good computer that can run aero
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|that isnt really a bad thing. everysingle company in the world learns and addopts competitors improvements. microsoft sure isnt the only one that integrates others ideas into their own products. and a combo of windows and mac OS X sounds badass. not that windows is the best stuff out there ever made. but im happy to see it improve. even in small ways. like it or not its a windows controlled world.
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|Yea, but the drones at CBS wear girls underwear (it's true), so I could see them being MAC fanboys to begin with. To CBS, I'm sure Microsoft is evil and Apple and Steve Jobs are right up there with Mother Teresa.
Then again, if "everyone" is saying that, well I guess it must really be true. Never underestimate the knowledge of "everyone".
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|"To CBS, I'm sure Microsoft is evil and Apple and Steve Jobs are right up there with Mother Teresa."
CBS doesn't exactly like Mother Teresa.
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|Right... and just like all Desktop OS(s) borrow from each other, all computers have keyboards, mice, speakers, monitors, motherboards... unless you're eccentric and use a projector and a gamepad instead of a mouse.
One thing I like about Vista over OSX (and I'm suprised to say this) - is that I honestly hate the UI for MacOSX. The stupid dock, the apple menu, and how all applications use the top area of the screen as their menu bar when focused. While I know that if I had used Apple computers for years upon years, I'd think the same way about the 'stupid' Windows interface.
I wouldn't quote people's vague statements wherein pronouns are used rather than specifics.
Defined 'certain similtarities'
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|*Yawn*...
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|I have been using Vista Business since December and it runs fine. Yes it copies Apple, but in today's world there rarely is any innovation. Someone copies someone else eventually. Vista runs all my OpenGL, Direct X games, plays my music and hasn't crashed once. I also use an Apple and use Linux, so I am not partial to any OS. Performance Rating of 5.4 also helps. Good Job Microsoft, even though you are still a big bully.....
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|Good to sleep troll...wait for another time to ...well...troll.
Latz, SB
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|