Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Latest News
    • PC Hardware

    Latest Vista Beta Is Just a Pretty Face

    Written by

    David Coursey
    Published December 23, 2005
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      New Vista Beta? Bah, Humbug!

      The problem is not with your eyes. That is, if youve looked at our 37 slides depicting the latest and best version of Windows Vista and arent too terribly impressed, its not your eyes that are fooling you. Youre looking at whats there and reacting quite reasonably.

      After seeing our slideshow, I found myself thinking, “Is that all there is?”

      No, but its pretty close.

      The December beta build were looking at is not feature-complete, something Microsoft hopes to achieve in the next week or so. We wont get to see that version, however, until sometime in January or even February. However, unless Microsoft has some trick up its sleeve, I am not expecting the feature-complete version to be all that different from what we have today.

      So, while the current beta 5270 may not be all there is to Vista, there may not be too terribly much more.

      As it stands, I am a tad non-plused that Vista isnt more exciting. Sure, the graphical look-and-feel is much improved, and the search capabilities are interesting. But, Windows users have gotten used to mediocre graphics and arent clamoring for something beta. If they had been, Apple would have sold many more Macs. As for desktop search, its more a feature for the future than today.

      While Vista is certainly pretty—I was going to say “undeniably pretty” but thought better of it—Im wondering if the UI hasnt been simplified to the point of being dumbed down. Maybe the whole thing is too Macintosh-like.

      Vista may well achieve user interface parity with Mac OS X, but that alone isnt enough to get users too excited. Vista needs to be more than just pretty, and Microsoft has yet to make a compelling case for what Vista is going to do for average users. As best I can tell, the major selling features are security, which for most people isnt really a selling feature at all, and improved access to information.

      /zimages/2/28571.gifClick here to read more about security in Windows Vista.

      I am hoping that achieving feature completeness will mean some compelling new feature has found its way into the Vista mix. What that might be, I am not sure.

      On the security front, much of the work has been done under the covers. If Microsoft really wants to make a statement that Vista is a secure operating system it should do something dramatic, like boot Norton and the others out of the market. How? By providing a complete set of anti-malware applications and all the updates for free.

      The newest beta introduces the name “Windows Defender” as a part of Vista. The name seems a tad overreaching for what is essentially a rebranding of the anti-spyware beta. Adding free antivirus would help Defender better live up to its name. Giving away complete malware protection is the right thing for Microsoft to do for all its operating systems, not just Vista.

      As for the Vista timeline, the more widely distributed Beta 2 is beginning to look like a May or even a June phenomenon. That could push a final release into October or even November.

      Somehow, OEMs will have Vista installed on next years holiday hardware releases. And customers will be happy to find it, even if they arent willing to stand in line, Xbox 360 fashion, to get the first Vista machines.

      Corporate customers will take a wait-and-see attitude toward Vista, letting someone else find out whether the new OS really does solve security problems before investing themselves.

      My fear is that Vista may just up the ante, making the criminals work harder but perhaps not reducing the overall threat to users and their computers. I hope I am wrong on that, but it seems quite plausible.

      Perhaps my “Bah, Humbug” attitude toward the new Vista beta is just a case of pre-holiday moodiness. However, actually installing the beta and playing with it didnt change my overall impression that Vista doesnt do enough for the average user. Maybe running Vista and Office 12 beta together will make the total experience more compelling than Vista alone.

      Or maybe the holidays will pass, nothing will actually change, but the New Year will show me Vista in a new light.

      Contributing editor David Coursey has spent two decades writing about hardware, software and communications for business customers. He can be reached at [email protected].

      /zimages/2/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for Microsoft and Windows news, views and analysis.

      David Coursey
      David Coursey
      One of technology's most recognized bylines, David Coursey is Special Correspondent for eWeek.com, where he writes a daily Blog (blog.ziffdavis.com/coursey) and twice-weekly column. He is also Editor/Publisher of the Technology Insights newsletter and President of DCC, Inc., a professional services and consulting firm.Former Executive Editor of ZDNet AnchorDesk, Coursey has also been Executive Producer of a number of industry conferences, including DEMO, Showcase, and Digital Living Room. Coursey's columns have been quoted by both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and he has appeared on ABC News Nightline, CNN, CBS News, and other broadcasts as an expert on computing and the Internet. He has also written for InfoWorld, USA Today, PC World, Computerworld, and a number of other publications. His Web site is www.coursey.com.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.