The truth about Windows Vista? It's vaporware

I was actually quite surprised when I saw the Bill Gates keynote how much of a rip off it was towards OSX. Features such as the search function (spotlight), the moving windows (exposé), the glass look, and switching between windows - looks like they copied and pasted OSX's source code. While Apple is trying to be innovative it looks like Microsoft is doing just the opposite. I think we can predict the future of both companies from the result of this year.

I have to say I agree with this article. And their "features" are really badly designed too.

Take their "expose" thing for example. The whole point of expose is to be able to see ALL of your windows at once. Not just their titlebars.
It's important to see the entire window because when we're working on our computer with multiple windows, we tend to keep a visual memory of every window (at least I do) so that when I alt-tab quickly, I don't have to read the contents of the window, I just know that's the window I want.

Microsoft always seems to wait for the industry to dictate what's hot and popular, and then implement it themselves.

Next came sidebar, the idea that Microsoft stole from Apple's Dashboard, which stole it from Konfabulator.

...which are just Desktop Accessories .. why is the "Apple stole Konfabulator" myth perpetuated?

Well, I think Apple did "borrow" the widget idea from Konfabulator. But what was amazing was the video that's floating on the net that has a Microsoft Product Manager voice over to a demo run on a Mac. It was point by point Mac features. (sorry I don't have a link I'm new to Newsvine) Microsoft is in a bad place to make real advances to it's operating system. They need to make a whole new one that won't be probably wouldn't be compatible with the previous ones. Millions will be left out and if businesses have to put up with the expense of that, they may jump ship. Microsoft waited to long and allowed Apple and other OS's to get toe holds. I have to say I like Windows XP (I use at work) but there is an IT guy to fix everything for me. And without one at home I prefer to use a Mac.

I'm confused as to what makes Vista vaporware.

What a brillant, complete, and well thought out article. And the introduction added so much perspective too.

More like copycatware, yes. Vaporware is supposed to be software that is announced but never shipped. In that sense Vista sorta qualifies (so far). It was originally announced to be released in 2003. Then they said 2004. Then they said 2005. Now they say 2006 (late). Probably 2007.

All that just to copy OS X. Which will be changed by then.

OSes offering the same/similar functionality should be expected, no matter who thought it up first. I find it hard to understand how MS offering things built in is any different.

But what was amazing was the video that's floating on the net that has a Microsoft Product Manager voice over to a demo run on a Mac. It was point by point Mac features. (sorry I don't have a link I'm new to Newsvine)

There's one here, and I think there's more.

It amazes me still how much fun people have bashing Microsoft, even when it's senseless. Vista is hardly vaporware, it will be released. That right there set me on the wrong foot with the article from the beginning.

What does it matter if 3rd party applications did it first? You're telling me no other company has taken ideas and made them part of a more robust/better application? Maybe I should write a stirring expose on how Apple is bad because its companies profit margin comes from an idea borrowed from Saehan, who came out with the portable mp3 player long before them.

Minor improvements in software aren't a very good reason to charge for an update? Sounds cute coming from an Apple enthusiast.

The truth about Windows Vista? Regardless of how or what it is, it will outsell OSX.

But what was amazing was the video that's floating on the net that has a Microsoft Product Manager voice over to a demo run on a Mac. It was point by point Mac features. (sorry I don't have a link I'm new to Newsvine)

Don't trust that video too much. If you see the original keynote, they announced a couple more features that were not included in the video. The author of the video just put in what he wanted to show you.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a die-hard apple fan, but that video is just some guy spoon-feeding you his opinions.

Of course Vista will outsell OS X. It's from Microsoft and they enforce what gets sold on PCs. They could come out with Virussoft, the version of Windows that erases your hard disk every 17 days, and it would outsell anything on the market. That hardly means it's good stuff.

Every version of Windows ever made was marketed as the one that fixes the security and bug issues. And every version turns out to be buggy and security-holed. Vista will be no different. But it will have the wonderful feature of DRM built in -- your PC will no longer belong to you! Whee! And it will still sell big...

I think Vista deserves a chance to prove itself considering it's still in beta and not nearly as smoothed out as it will be by the time of final release. And I don't think it's new features are a rip-off of OS X. I think the interface looks nothing like it and the changes are just obvious, incremental changes that would have happened with or without OS X. It's worth noting OS 10.0, the first version of OS X, a lot of people thought wasn't very polished at the time and considered it more like a beta with 10.1 being the final release. MS just has to work out the kinks, and it's not a total ripoff of OS X, that's just what the Apple fanboys want us to believe.

Everyone steals from everyone. Even masters like Picasso steals from Cezanne ...etc.

osx did steal its ideas from many other open source operating systems - M$ isnt the only company to steal ideas, they just did it more obviously.

besides that this type of thing has been going on for years in the computer industry - you cant deny it, once a good thing comes along everyone jumps to emulate it.

I don't care about the cosmetic changes at all. What most interests me about Vista is hardware support out of the box, speed and reliability. I didn't see any of that being touted at CES. I'm starting to doubt that I'll be an early Vista adopter. I think I'll wait for the reviews before I buy.

If were talking about this video, it is VERY tongue in cheek and only compares some of 10.4s features with vista, Apple will have (at least) 10.5 out by the time Vista is available.

I'm sure it'll sell more than Microsoft Bob when it eventually comes out---even though you'll need to buy a top end pro-machine to run it.

Of course Vista will outsell OS X. It's from Microsoft and they enforce what gets sold on PCs.

The years when companies were required to put Microsoft software on their machines is long since over. That argument is no longer valid. Windows is installed because it is the standard, not because of obligation.

Indeed.

Apple stole their User Interface concepts from Xerox Parc.