Is Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) Windows Vista computer operating system really that bad? According to PC World, the five-year, $5 billion operating system from the world's largest software company was the tech industry's "worst disappointment of 2007." Ouch.Although a statement like that will surely get readers fired up on both sides, users of the Vista operating system have to ask: is it really that bad? Although many of the changes in the Vista operating system are "under the hood" and not really all that recognizable to the average PC user, the brunt of criticism about Windows Vista is the 5 years and nearly $5 billion spent on the operating system. And so the question is asked: is this the best Microsoft could do?
Sure, the requirements of a PC to run Windows Vista at optimum speeds are quite a bit higher than from the older Windows XP, but that means Windows Vista on recent PCs will perform much slower than on brand-new machines. Is that a fault? Depends on your point of view. How about the non-compatibility of older software with the newer Vista operating system? Is that a disappointment? Perhaps, perhaps not. How about the costs for Windows Vista outside of having it installed on a newer PC? $199 and up -- is that too high of a cost for what is being perceived by many customers and reviewers as a "minor upgrade?" What's your take?
[Via Engadget]
[Disclosure: I own MSFT shares as of 12-18-07]
As Microsoft shareholders let out
a gigantic sigh that erased $2.8 billion in market cap, the company's stock flirted with its 52-week low of $24.00
during the afternoon. It finally closed just barely above that solid line, at $24.01.
Why do we have a weak dollar?
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