Bet you didn’t expect me to write that!
Microsoft Vista is, of course, the worst consumer-oriented version of Microsoft Windows since Windows Me. UAC is the most annoying part of Windows, which regularly asks if you want to do things, like drag and drop, instead of simply doing the things you wanted.
However, they do have their place…
Earlier this summer, my wife and I bought a laptop for my mother in law. Given the prevailance of computer viruses in China, and the fact I am several thousands of miles away, I wanted to make sure that no damage befell her computer. So I turned on UAC, made it as secure as I could (not as secure as I wanted, UAC is nothing like unix permissions), and hoped for the best.
So the other day we get a phone call
So-and-so wonders what the password is.
Why?
Because so-and-so wants to install a pinyin program
There already is a pinyin program on the computer. That’s what we use with messenger
Oh, ok. Thanks!
Because of Vista UAC, my mother-in-law was saved from installing and executing an unknown application.
Thanks Vista!
Ohmigosh! No, didn’t see that coming.
I think you’ll definitely like Windows 7 (Vista’s predecessor). I’ve been using it for about a week (General Availability of Win7 is Oct 22) and it’s great. Aero has been significantly optimized. UAC (for non-grandmas) can be tweaked down to be on, but only alert you when other programs (not regular user actions) trigger UAC. Overall, much faster, like the speed of XP but the look-n-feel of Vista.
LOL!
Every time I was saying anything good about Vista when setting up her computer, it was immediately followed by “I can’t believe I said that.”
Win7 is very nice. I have been using the Release Candidate for months. Can’t wait to pick up the full version!
Oops, meant to say “Vista’s successor”, not “Vista’s predecessor.” My excuse: it’s late on the east coast and I need to go to bed.
Vista was revolutionary, while Win7 is evolutionary. Then again, we needed this evolutionary step, given some of Vista’s problems (performance being my peeve). I still think Microsoft’s direction was solid w/ Vista, even if their execution was a bit off.
Garrett G.,
I agree that Vista was a much bigger step than Win7.
For Microsoft, this was the problem. They really don’t “do” revolutionary change. That is fine — they are great at making a product, and hammering out revisions every 2-3 years to give it the best price/quality on the market.
When MS tries to do a great leap forward, whether with Vista or with the first Word for Windows, they have major problems.
I disagree with you on one point: Microsoft does occasionally take “revolutionary” steps. Some examples:
* win95 – 32-bit, very different UI (over win3.1), more obviously supplanting DOS (previously, most machines booted to DOS, wherein users would type in “win” to enter win3.1)
* winNT – the “secure version” of windows for business that would eventually be merged into the consumer version of windows (granted, different SKUs for different purposes, but same code base); previously, MS maintained completely different code bases for their two major non-server operating system lines
* .net platform – competing with the java runtime environment, MS produces cross-language and cross-platform development platform
* security – as of 2003, security in windows & MS apps becomes major priority
* sql server 2005 – huge changes going from sql server 2000 to 2005, including CRL stored procedures (i.e., .net stored procedures), and totally re-written reporting and analysis services and data transformation services
(OK, that last one falls more in the domain of geekdom)
Those are just a few “revolutionary” examples, relative to context.
Garrett,
Thanks for the comment!
I’ll disagree with your list.
1. Win95 was a shell for DOS.
2. Windows NT emerged from the MS OS/2 project. Indeed, the intended name for the “first” version of NT, Windows NT 3.1, was going to be NT OS/2 3.0.
3. C#/.NET is a mimic of Java, though this should not take away from its importance. Like with Windows (v. Apple II), Windows 95 (v. Mac), IE (v. Netscape), Microsoft demonstrated that if it has a fixed target it can rapily approach it.
4. Security is not a revolutionary step, but rather a managerial emphasis on changing the quantity v. quality ratio of self-manufactured code.
5. Don’t know enough about SQL 2005 to comment
A couple thoughts. First, I disagree with you (of course!). Second, in my previous post, I said “CRL” stored procedures instead of “CLR.” Oops.
Anyway, whether Microsoft does something “revolutionary” or merely “evolutionary” (or perhaps some mixture of the two) is up for debate and highly subjective. Perhaps we can both wholeheartedly agree on that point.
Oh, and before I forget, I have a tip for you if you’re interested. UAC can be configured (in both vista & win7) to only “elevate” when the executable in question is digitally signed. That option is in group policy (gpedit.msc) with all the other UAC options (email me for more specifics). The advantage is more apparent when setting up vista/win7 for someone else and to avoid elevating executables that aren’t signed (or that have been tampered with!). (Note that gpedit.msc is only available on “business”/”professional” and above versions of vista/win7.)
I am one of the few who has never had a major problem w/ Vista. Yes, it’s a resource hog (although my latest Beast can hand all that and more, with over 9G Ram and i7-920 CPU); and, that damnable UAC, although there again there was the “getting used to it factor” + actually a decent appreciation for the added layers of transparency and protection.
Having said all that though, MS is a lot like HP printer software: whatever they do, they think they must absolutely, 100% own your machine. They do this under the guise of “being more helpful” but that seems to me to be another way of saying, “We think most of you are dumbasses, unlike those of us who actually know computers and programming.”
Garret G,
Interesting about sign-specific elevation.
I was looking for a way to elevate every executable except those I specified, something like a unix 000/777 notation. When setting up a computer for a non-tech user in a virus-infected environment, I want my white-list!
Curtis,
Have you tried Windows 7 yet? The RC will expire soon, a bit after the release, but it’s nice. The RC-related instability is less than I experienced under Vista, and the UI is better than either Vista or XP (or Mac).
[...] good things about PowerPoint, OpenDocument, Sony, or Bill Gates, or diss Google or Vista (multiple times!), it is because I believe those things (or have been brainwashed), and they do not reflect company [...]