Microsoft’s main message in its communications with press and bloggers this week is that they should take another look at Vista. The Softies acknowledge now that the product got off to a rough start, in terms of missing drivers, application compatibility and overall performance and reliability. But as a result of numerous Vista updates pushed out over Windows Update, as well as changes that ISVs and hardware makers have made to their products, Vista is now running a lot more smoothly and reliably than it did a year ago, Nash said.“A lot of the first imressions that enterprise users were having with Vista were at home,” Nash said. Initially, those experiences may not have been as solid as Microsoft and its users were hoping. “But now that experience is changing,” Nash said.

As has been the case with Vista for a while now, Microsoft misses the point here.  The real issue isn’t that Vista had problems out of the gate; every OS has problems out of the gate.  The issue with Vista is that to this day I can find no earthly reason to upgrade my companies’ PCs to it.

The advantages between it and XP Service Pack 2 are minimal at best and in many ways (such as with the new UI) it makes more sense to stay with XP.  I really don’t need fancy looking windows on my corporate computers particularly when they take up tons of processing power.   As far as security is concerned the reality is that I’m doing just fine.  The combination of XP SP2, a decent firewall and virus/malware protection has served me quite well.  It has been over 3 years since my last real security problem (though now that I’ve said that I’m sure I can expect one shortly) 

Microsoft needs to accept that Vista is a disaster and just move on.  Even putting aside my corporate needs as an IT manager Vista is the first Microsoft OS since ’95 that I didn’t rush to upgrade to (I was an OS/2 guy back then).  I just have no interest and I’m not the only one.  So Microsoft, if you have any sense, cut your losses here.  Split the upcoming Windows 7 into two releases and implement half the features by the end of 2008 rather than 2010.  Give yourself a fighting chance. 

Because honestly, I’m the head of a Windows IT shop that programs using .Net and I for the first time am considering a Mac for my next notebook.  That’s very bad for you (especially since the thing holding me back is the fact that I won’t have Visual Studio, a concern most of your users don’t share).