Vista - The pros and cons

Aside to what you may have heard in the media what are the real reasons to using Vista and what are the pitfalls. We've been supporting Vista (and indeed using it ourselves) for around two years and we feel we can provide a more balanced guide without all the hype and rhetoric:

Business Pros

• Mobile Users - There's no two ways about it; Vista comes with a whole heap of improvements for laptop users. An improved synchronisation centre, built in ActiveSync and a whole host of security features make this the best OS yet for users on the road. Just make sure your laptop hardware is up to the task!
• Security - Microsoft listened to the public and built Vista from the ground up to be more secure and more resistant to hackers and viruses. In many ways this has been Vistas Achilles heel (see business cons - security) but there's no doubt that Vista has been designed to be more secure than XP. Whether the additional security measures implemented in Vista will really make a long term difference is yet to be seen but at least Microsoft are making the right noises.
• Features - Vista is full of feature enhancements and additional applications that can improve productivity if used correctly. If you give the time to learn how Vista works then you can reap dividends later on down the line.
• Integration with 2008  - Perhaps the greatest benefits of using Vista arise if you are also using Server 2008 as your main server. When coupled with a 2008 domain controller and Exchange 2007 Vista really comes alive with additional security features and enhanced management tools.

Business Cons

• Incompatibility  - Despite Vista being on the shelf for over two years it is still plagued by problems with compatibility. Although it's easy to blame Microsoft for this the blame does not lie solely at their door. Software and hardware manufacturers have had years to upgrade their products and many have simply chosen not to do so. Older programs and obsolete hardware pose the greatest problems and these will need to be tested before rolling out Vista if they are critical to your business.
• Speed - On the same specification hardware, Vista is significantly slower than XP. With computer speeds increasing all the time this is becoming less of an issue but make sure the hardware you are buying is up to the task (see Vista migration tips).
• Training - Whilst XP and Vista are similar enough for the majority of users to migrate fairly easily there is, like any software, a learning curve. A well configured infrastructure can mitigate the majority of problems but less confident users may struggle with the new interface. It's worth factoring some training in the budget for any Vista rollout and expect some slack time as people adjust to the new layout.
• Security- There's a flip side to the security benefits highlighted in the business pros section and that is where many people have really lost their temper with Vista. Features like UAC (User Account Control) were designed to improve security but in doing so they have made Vista less usable and more irritating to the average user. Many people end up turning UAC off completely which negates some of the security benefits of migrating to Vista in the first place.

Windows 7 is the next generation O/S from Microsoft and will be the successor to Vista when it is finally released in either late 2009 or early 2010.

The IT community (including ourselves) have been testing Windows 7 for several months and initial feedback is very positive. First impressions suggest that Windows 7 is in many ways what Vista should have been all along which does beg the question why was Vista released when it was. 

Rather than starting from scratch Microsoft has listened to feedback and built upon Vista's strengths. Windows 7 looks and feels much like its predecessor but operates in a much more efficient and streamlines manner which means that whilst it looks more like an upgrade to Vista it feels more like an upgrade to XP. Performance is improved, security is enhanced and many of the accessibility and user acceptable problems plaguing Vista have been resolved.

It does seem that Microsoft lost their way slightly with Vista and maybe Windows 7 is the operating system to bring them back on track? Only time will tell so watch this space!

For more info - Click Here to go to Microsoft's Windows 7 site.

Final Word

So What is our recommendation? Stick with XP, upgrade to Vista or Wait for Windows 7?

If your are running an XP infrastructure and are happy with the setup we see no reason to blanket upgrade at present.

If you're getting new PCs then Vista is not something to be afraid of and a good IT company will help you steer through any potential pitfalls.

If you are looking to homogenise your network and want to blanket upgrade then we feel it might be prudent to wait a while longer to see what Windows 7 offers.

For more info please e-mail us