SMJ Solutions

Reasons to Avoid Windows Vista

October 27th, 2006

Windows Vista will be released soon, but I will not be an early adopter of this new operating system. I thought I would share my top five reasons for not upgrading:

5. Stupid licensing terms and anti-piracy protections
The new licensing terms for Vista only allow you to reinstall the OS once. I’m not a pirate — I have no problem paying for software I use, but I’d rather not have to purchase it multiple times if the OS itself breaks down. If a reinstall is needed (which unfortunately has been frequently necessary on my Windows machines), I would need to purchase a new copy of Vista. Plus, what happens if I decide to upgrade my CD drive to a DVD burner? What if my hard drive crashes and I need to replace it? Why can’t I reinstall the copy of Vista I already own? Also, some have pointed out potential problems with WGA, an anti-piracy application that will occasionally report back to Microsoft on the status of my copy of Vista, and can disable most functionality of the OS if it is suspected to be a pirated version. No, thanks.

4. Exorbitantly high cost
Pricing for Vista is out and it is expensive — the Ultimate edition comes in at $399. Ouch. Of course the other flavors and versions are less expensive, but with less functionality. Plus, remember this cost is only for the OS; and most users need other software to be productive. Shelling out so much cash for just the operating system requires considering alternatives to additional expensive software.

3. Nefarious malware
Windows has been and will continue to be the main target for malware. Spyware, adware and lots of other garbage can will turn your computer into a spam-messenger or bot awaiting nefarious commands of some remote hacker kid. I doubt a new OS will be totally hardened against it, despite Microsoft’s claims to the contrary.

2. Perpetual security issues
Even with a greater focus on security, critical patches and serious flaws are being found every month. Admittedly, Microsoft has made great strides to make their operating systems more secure, but it’s just not there yet. But, as stated above, Microsoft OSs are the biggest target out there. Exploits found in the OS is one way to get malware onto the system, the other way is user-error — usually by installing infected programs.

Also, all of Vista’s security features are new — which means they can’t be totally secure. Microsoft is rewriting all of the networking program stack, which is sure to be the focus of future critical patches. Only history can measure security. Look at how XP matured — it’s relatively solid now, but it took it to SP2 to get it even close to where it should have been. I doubt Vista will be much different.

1. Better alternatives
Microsoft should be carefully monitoring two competing operating systems: Mac OS X and Ubuntu Linux. Although neither is perfect, Mac OS X and Ubuntu Linux are shaping up to be tough competition for Vista.

OS X is notoriously easy to use and just works. Apple’s stock continues to rise because once people learn OS X, they won’t go back to Windows. The iLife suite provides functionality for all of the fun stuff computers can do and Apple’s hardware is sleek and sexy. My next computer will be from Apple, largely because of OS X and iLife.

Ubuntu continues to get better; it’s a great alternative operating system. Sure it’s another flavor of a million flavors of linux, but I like where it’s heading. First of all, you can’t beat the price — Ubuntu is totally free. And it comes bundled with tons of great open-source software. Once it’s installed, you have a whole bunch of great applications and the ability to easily download and install thousands more. I have been using Ubuntu for quite some time now on an older computer, and it’s great. I certainly won’t be replacing it with Vista.

Entry Filed under: Security, Software

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