I've still never used a vista machine. MSFT should probably take a cue from apple and make more-or-less meaningless updates to the OS and call it a new version. Charge 50 bucks for an upgrade, but do them every year like clockwork. You have <i>de facto</i> subscription software at that point.
Usually every upgrade of Windows makes sense. Windows 3.1 to Windows 95 to Windows 98 were logical but then Windows ME didn't make any sense as it didn't improve much upon 98. Windows XP made sense as it was a real improvement but the move from Windows XP to Vista didn't gain any real benefits to the end user and since you are only as good as your last product, MS is getting a great deal of blowback.<p>Windows Vista to "Windows 7" may make sense if Microsoft is rewriting the core to handle legacy apps differently then installing 2 gigabytes of unneeded files. If they scrap out the high level stuff that manages DRM, scrape off the extra crud they added, they will be fine again and Vista will be in the past.
I am convert now; using ubuntu linux full time on laptop & desktop both.(I just posted the same here <a href="http://ketankhairnar.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">http://ketankhairnar.blogspot.com</a> )<p>Actually linux still has to go long way and programmers have to contribute more not only by improving the desktop experience(which distros like fedora/debian are doing); but also by showcasing alternative approaches like ubuntu/fedora and its usability to other people who are lost into windows world.<p>I know this shift is happening faster than ever before. I may not do significant contrubution on development part but surely would make people around me aware of alternative (which in turn would make lot of people happy about hardware/cost and performance )