Last time Microsoft impressed me was with Windows 2000. And many years ago with the Windows 95 interface and the OSR/2 additions afterwards.
Windows Vista has a great look, which is its equally challenging to the newbie as well as to the power user:
- Better priorities in information viewing, from the start and panel menus to the tree view eg. Computer > C: > Program Files > Adobe.
- Sidebar gadget application panel including clock, recent news, live tv&radio etc.
- Transparency - it's a good thing by itself and I hope it gets even better. Imagine replying to a letter that is viewed "through" the active window.
- 3D enhancements. Good work. There are many experimental vewing enhancements in the Free-Open Source World.
- Better imaging quality and visual effects. No more pixels, now that vector imaging displaces raster.
- Explorer tabs. At last. This was a normal feature for Netscape, Konqueror, Mozilla, Nautilus, Opera etc. for a very long time. Now in Explorer!
- Program run safeguards plus practical security model. There are now many good ways to be an administrator only when needed.
- Shadow copy adds to the already established troubleshooting/maintainance methods for Windows.
- Network discovery layer that works absolutely fine. Vista is the first Wintel OS I don't get a headache from the network.
implemented in such a compact and intergrated way on a single Desktop. The last time I saw a leap like this was in '95, with the new (back then) Win95 OS.
Native Multiple Desktop feature is still missing, but you can check applications like Virtual Dimension or MS Powertoys for the OS that you use.
we also forfeit our right to demand better software.
