Is Windows Vista Really As Bad As They Say?

Few software products have endured as much disparagement as Microsoft Windows Vista, with the possible exception of Windows Me. How well-deserved that animosity is is the subject of another post. While I am far from a Microsoft apologist, I have to emphasize as strongly as I can that there is nothing inherently 'wrong' with Windows Vista. Most of Vista's ignominious reputation was the result of one or more of the following factors, none of which likely apply to you:

1. You upgraded your Windows XP or Windows 2000 machine yourself. Such a procedure is fraught with peril, and can challenge even the most experienced IT professional. However, if you purchased your computer with Vista pre-installed by your computer's manufacturer, you should trust that the manufacturer has installed and configured Vista properly, and will run reliably. It usually does.
   
2. Your have Windows Vista Home Basic installed on your computer. Vista Basic was forced into the market by Microsoft, and was initially installed on machines which did not have the capacity to run Vista smoothly. This is not an inherent problem with Vista, and can usually be remedied by installing additional memory in your computer - an easy and inexpensive fix.
3. You are running the original release of Windows Vista. Microsoft has subsequently issued two service packs for all editions of Windows Vista: SP1 and SP2. Each fixes a number of security vulnerabilities and stability problems, and is available as a free download for all licensed Vista installations. If you haven't upgraded your Vista machine to at least the Service Pack 1 level, I strongly urge you to do it or have it done for you - today.
4. You are attempting to run legacy (i.e., old) software that has not been updated by the vendor to work under Windows Vista. If the vendor hasn't abandoned this software, it is very likely you can purchase or download an update for Windows Vista. If not, you may have to look into using a different program that performs the same function.
   

There is truly no need to avoid the purchase of a computer that came pre-installed with Windows Vista.