Michael Desmond has posted a list of reasons why you should invest in Microsoft's upcoming Windows Vista operating system. As expected, most of the reasons are already present or better in the current version of Apple's operating system. Other things like "peer-to-peer collaboration" are doomed similar to the remote help feature in Windows XP that is never used. Vista features a new, standalone program to update itself instead of utilizing the Windows Update within Internet Explorer. For some reason, this reminds me of the "Software Update" app in OS X.
However, I am more interested in the five reasons why to wait on Vista as Mr. Desmond lists. Things include the exorbitant cost of Windows Vista, the lack of an antivirus, system requirements and the steep learning curve. I would like to talk about that last one for a bit, having personally played with several of the Vista betas. Vista ushers in a very radical view of a futuristic operating system. Things like virtual folders and the relocation of everything in the start menu will boggle new users. Explorer is a new beast and will take most users a while to become familiar with. I am not sure if Vista will be shipping with Avalon, a component of Vista that said to bring 3D browsing to the desktop. Regardless, your computer will require a hefty video card to keep up with every aspect of Vista. Even things that appear 2D are rendered in 3D by your video card. Chances are that if you are running a computer with an integrated graphics processor, something like "Intel Extreme Graphics", your computer won't enjoy running Vista one bit.
Watch that hourglass: Vista is a power hog. Unless you have a top-end PC with high-end graphics hardware, for instance, you won't see one of the coolest parts of the new OS--the Aero Glass interface. Microsoft did the smart thing by offering Aero Basic and Windows Classic looks as well, which will let older and slower PCs run Vista. It just won't look as pretty.
