A year after Vista's launch, it's time for a poll

[kinnth]

That's like saying to BMW "Don't sell 318i's, 320's, 330's and M3's. Just give everyone M3's at 318 prices and let them detune the engine and put skinny tyres on to make it like a cheaper product."

Software is slightly different from cars, as once its written it doesnt matter how much you charge for it. My point was this, microsoft, unlinke Mac have produced many different products that are all basically Vista ultimate with various bits taken off. Now if you have a brand spanking new pc wouldnt you want it to run the best software? Mac OSX has all features included and is £80 on amazon. Now I was wrong about ultimate OEM as I didnt realise there was such a difference in price from 320 - 107 ?! Now that just seems like rip off merchandising to me.

Anyhoo I just feel why not have a single Vista version, drop the ultimate and be done with it.

[306maxi]

Software is slightly different from cars, as once its written it doesnt matter how much you charge for it. My point was this, microsoft, unlinke Mac have produced many different products that are all basically Vista ultimate with various bits taken off. Now if you have a brand spanking new pc wouldnt you want it to run the best software? Mac OSX has all features included and is £80 on amazon. Now I was wrong about ultimate OEM as I didnt realise there was such a difference in price from 320 - 107 ?! Now that just seems like rip off merchandising to me.

Anyhoo I just feel why not have a single Vista version, drop the ultimate and be done with it.

Yes but while Apple give you the M3 they also charge you to update it to a tiger M3 and then a Leopard M3 whereas with Microsoft sells you an M3 and gives you free updates until they start selling a totally new M3 in a few years time.

[badass]

Software is slightly different from cars, as once its written it doesnt matter how much you charge for it. My point was this, microsoft, unlinke Mac have produced many different products that are all basically Vista ultimate with various bits taken off. Now if you have a brand spanking new pc wouldnt you want it to run the best software? Mac OSX has all features included and is £80 on amazon. Now I was wrong about ultimate OEM as I didnt realise there was such a difference in price from 320 - 107 ?! Now that just seems like rip off merchandising to me.

Anyhoo I just feel why not have a single Vista version, drop the ultimate and be done with it.

Unfortunately since you think that OSX is made by some mythical company called Mac I dont think you are qualified to comment on operating systems at all.

[Splash]

Also... How about Microsoft released one flavour of Vista, and that it was Home Basic. Would you be happy then? I struggle to see why people always think that because there is a version of something with less bells and whistles it's a ripoff. Microsoft have given the market a choice of various featuresets whereas Apple have not: the market will decide which is the best model.

Microsoft and Apple have vastly differing business models - Microsoft's OS is designed to run on pretty generic hardware, whereas Apple's is designed to be locked onto hardware that is only sold by Apple.

[306maxi]

Also... How about Microsoft released one flavour of Vista, and that it was Home Basic. Would you be happy then? I struggle to see why people always think that because there is a version of something with less bells and whistles it's a ripoff. Microsoft have given the market a choice of various featuresets whereas Apple have not: the market will decide which is the best model.

Microsoft and Apple have vastly differing business models - Microsoft's OS is designed to run on pretty generic hardware, whereas Apple's is designed to be locked onto hardware that is only sold by Apple.

This is also part of the reason why Mac OSX is generally so stable.

If you buy a Mac you're buying a platform that Mac has tested endlessly and to be fair has probably specced quite well. If you go to your local PC place and they use crappy parts you're going to get lots of crashes and you're going to blame the OS. If you build your PC from a decent Asus/Gigabyte board with brand name non-budget ram and a decent PSU you'll have little problem. I do wonder how many people who've had problems with Vista are having problems with it because of the substandard hardware their system builder has used?

OSX also does less. OSX doesn't play games which is where a lot of compatibility and stability issues lay.

I much prefer to have choice. I like the fact that for 70 odd pounds I could get an OS for my g/f's PC and for just over 100 I can get one for myself. I'd rather that then only being able to buy a cut down OS or being forced to buy a more capable yet expensive OS for someone who doesn't want it or need it.

The main reason why people think Vista is so expensive is that people seem to have latched onto the price of a retail copy of ultimate when most people don't need it and when an OEM copy is sooooo much cheaper.

[Ciber]

I think everyone agrees the retail price of vista is a total rip off. The thing that puts me off oem is that you can only use 1 mobo with it. Since when was that fair? I always have bought oem o/s, but it's never been so restricive before. Back when I bought msdos 6.22 I bought oem as it was about £30 instead of about £55 iirc. Now, vista home premium, which is the only version to get afaik, is £70 for an enthuisiast unfriendly oem version or £200 for retail. So oem goes up 2x in that time but retail nearer 4x cos M$ dont want you to build or upgrade your own machine any more it seems. Sucks. PC are all about being able to build your own, specially seeing as so many system builders build frankly awful systems.

Anyway, £200 for vista or £70 every time you upgrade? F*** Vista then I say. There really is no compelling reason to pay £200 for an OS that basically does nothing XP doesn't.

[306maxi]

I think everyone agrees the retail price of vista is a total rip off. The thing that puts me off oem is that you can only use 1 mobo with it. Since when was that fair? I always have bought oem o/s, but it's never been so restricive before. Back when I bought msdos 6.22 I bought oem as it was about £30 instead of about £55 iirc. Now, vista home premium, which is the only version to get afaik, is £70 for an enthuisiast unfriendly oem version or £200 for retail. So oem goes up 2x in that time but retail nearer 4x cos M$ dont want you to build or upgrade your own machine any more it seems. Sucks. PC are all about being able to build your own, specially seeing as so many system builders build frankly awful systems.

Anyway, £200 for vista or £70 every time you upgrade? F*** Vista then I say. There really is no compelling reason to pay £200 for an OS that basically does nothing XP doesn't.

Not true. Soooo many people have simply called Microsoft up and said "My PC died, this is a new one and I won't be using it on that other PC ever again" and they've allowed them to activate on the new motherboard.

Where did you people learn all this Vista urban legends from?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

[Splash]

I think everyone agrees the retail price of vista is a total rip off. The thing that puts me off oem is that you can only use 1 mobo with it. Since when was that fair? I always have bought oem o/s, but it's never been so restricive before. Back when I bought msdos 6.22 I bought oem as it was about £30 instead of about £55 iirc. Now, vista home premium, which is the only version to get afaik, is £70 for an enthuisiast unfriendly oem version or £200 for retail. So oem goes up 2x in that time but retail nearer 4x cos M$ dont want you to build or upgrade your own machine any more it seems. Sucks. PC are all about being able to build your own, specially seeing as so many system builders build frankly awful systems.

Anyway, £200 for vista or £70 every time you upgrade? F*** Vista then I say. There really is no compelling reason to pay £200 for an OS that basically does nothing XP doesn't.

*yawn*

If you feel that way then... I dunno, maybe don't buy it? No need to get so het up about it. And when will people get over the fact that the general availability of OEM licensed software is there *for their benefit* and not that Retail software is a rip off? If Microsoft (please, M$ is sooooooo 12 years old) decide to withdraw OEM from the retail channel (as would be their right) then you'd be stuck paying retail figures. There will always be a difference in cost - if you really want the software then buy the relevant edition but please stop complaining.

[Pup]

The full retail prices of Vista are overpriced imo. However I have managed to pick up Vista Home Premium upgrade for around £60 and Vista Ultimate Full Retail for around £150, both on ebay. It pays to shop around

[Splash]

The full retail prices of Vista are overpriced imo.

But they're comparable to XP, the leading alternative...

[306maxi]

But they're comparable to XP, the leading alternative...

Exactly. I do believe the prices of Retail copies of Microsoft Operating systems are just silly. But that's not limited just to Vista. The price of Office Ultimate 2007 Retail is just silly..... but go throughtheultimatesteal or whatever they call it and it's far more reasonable Just as the OEM copies are more reasonable. say if I use Vista for 3 years and I buy Ultimate. That's ~£100 so that's ~£33 a year and about 10p a day. It's even less if you buy Home Premium which is the best solution for most people.

[Ciber]

*yawn*

I agree.

[blw37]

The poll probably over states the number of people who don't use Vista. For example, I have not put Vista on my own computer, but I support Vista on other people's machines, and I am probably not alone.

[Blitzen]

Try to remember all you XP lovers........you are 32bit people i should think.

Vista 64 Bit is FAR MORE stable than XP 64Bit ever was/is.

[306maxi]

Try to remember all you XP lovers........you are 32bit people i should think.

Vista 64 Bit is FAR MORE stable than XP 64Bit ever was/is.

XP 64 is the ME of the 64 bit world.