Theoretically Vista has the potential of being an excellent operating system at some point. But at present it falls way short in my opinion. If what Al is saying is true about Vista SP RC1 then it seems Microsoft is on its way to making Vista a little more palatable to the masses. But the reports that Vista's SP RC1 hasn't added any additional driver support to the mix is troubling to say the least.

Why the lackadaisical approach by Microsoft in providing desperately needed driver support? I think the main reason is that in Microsoft's mind (which would be Bill Gates noggin I dare say) it all revolves around marketing and the making of money and not necessarily the consumers who buy their products. Vista requires component upgrades, peripheral upgrades and also software upgrades for probably the majority of people who upgrade to Vista. Which further drives and expands the technology industry but also, for people like you and me, we are the ones who end up fueling the industry and lining their pockets in the process. If Microsoft was more diligent in providing driver support for older hardware and in providing better support, integration, and compatibility with older software, that would mean you and I wouldn't need to buy near as much new hardware and software to run Vista and therefore the computer industry conglomerate would stagnate and suffer financially as a consequence. In other words Microsoft WANTS you to buy new hardware and software (preferably their software of course ) to keep fueling the technology sector and all the while keep lining Microsoft's and other computer companies pockets in the process. And because Microsoft essentially has the world by the tail because of its predominance in the OS market most people therefore bend and sway to Microsoft's leading and direction and they begrudgingly do the upgrade dance. Some, like Al, who are technology enthusiasts, do it willingly and with a smile on their face but most people dread the thought of pouring hundreds, if not thousands, of additional dollars just to upgrade to an OS which has proven to be severely lacking in many ways and in which it predecessor i.e. 'Windows XP' has shown to be relatively stable, robust, and also works with peoples older hardware and software. Yes, it is true that Microsoft will soon pull the support plug on Windows XP, but at least they will give it another shot in the arm with SP3 before they do. I think it is in 2012 or 2013 when Microsoft will officially pull the support plug on XP PRO. XP Home on the other hand will only be receiving support until 2009 I believe. But hopefully between now and then Microsoft will have improved Vista sufficiently enough to make it a desirable upgrade. And who knows, the way Microsoft repeatedly launches new OS offerings every few years, something completely different and better than Vista may be knocking at the door by then. >> I won't hold my breath about the "better" part though. That, or possibly millions or even billions?? of people will have made the switch to open source versions of Linux in the next several years and quite possibly knocking Microsoft off its high horse in the process. Time will tell. But for now I'm sticking with XP and refuse to do the Vista upgrade dance. Much like I refused to do the Tyros to Tyros2 upgrade dance with Yamaha. Tyros3???.. maybe. If it has 76 keys and is more than just an incremental upgrade that I think the Tyros2 was compared to the Tyros. And Ian says no 76 key Tyros3 so my future prospects for a TOTL 76 key arranger are off on the horizon with another keyboard manufacturer such as Korg, Roland or possibly Ketron. But I digress..

Back to Microsoft: until Microsoft can prove to me and to the world that Vista is actually worth its upgrade price tag I refuse to fork over my hard earned cash for it. And in its present state I don't think it is worth the price unfortunately. And I myself am also a tech enthusiast at heart but needless to say I am a little more cautious than some of my comrades.

Best,
Mike

[This message has been edited by keybplayer (edited 12-30-2007).]