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Does it seem strange to anyone that with the new and greatly improved Windows OS, Vista, which¬† hasn’t even officially launched yet, people are already writing tips on how you can tweak it to “whip it into shape.”¬† Shouldn’t that have been Microsoft’s job prior to launch!

Ten tweaks for Windows Vista:
Chris Pirillo of Lockergnome fame has written up ten practical ways you can whip Windows Vista into shape

Are users expectations of Windows so low that it seems perfectly normal with a brand new and “greatly improved” version you’d need a vast number of tips to make it work effectively?¬† Just what the hell did Microsoft spend the last five years doing?

Update: 1/21/07 -¬† Let me clarify – In the post above I’m not referring to tips or tweaks that are simple configuration changes to fit the individual user.¬† I’m referring to tweaks that seem to be disabling some of the much hyped Microsoft Vista security.¬† If the security of Vista is inconvenient or unusable by the average user then that’s a failing of Microsoft’s design.¬† What good are security features turned off?¬† Sounds like a CYA so Microsoft can say they did their part and it’s the users fault.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, vista

2 Comments

  1. I’m no MS fanboi, but this is a ridiculous post. It appears by your tagline that you’re an Apple user. Are you suggesting that other OS’s, like Apple’s, aren’t configurable for different users preferences? A quick Google for the terms “tweak OSX” provides over 1 million pages that suggest this isn’t the case…

  2. Hi Joe,

    I’m an OS X user but I’m certainly not approaching this from a perspective that OS X is perfect. It’s far from perfect and I‚Äôm in no way comparing it to Vista.

    Let’s look at this strictly based on the facts about Vista. Many of the tweaks that are being posted for Vista are tips on how to turn off much of the cumbersome security features in order to make it more user friendly or more responsive. These are the same features that Microsoft has been hyping makes Vista the most secure Windows ever. So tell me, what good are security features if they are so inconvenient that no one wants to use them?

    Also, it’s not like Microsoft hasn’t had the time and resources to build an excellent version of Windows. After five years they still only got it to market after cutting out most of the really innovative features they had originally announced.

    Then there’s the user reaction that‚Äôs still to be gauged. Many impartial reviewers of Vista state that it’s not revolutionary but only a revision of XP, with a much pettier face and a few new moves. So should I be excited about Vista or should I be asking…THIS TOOK FIVE YEARS?

    I guess you think it’s better to just be grateful for the little tidbits that Microsoft throws us.