Daddy Gates is glaring.
 
What do you think the reasons are for lackluster sales?  
 
Lets give M$FT a clue shall we?

I did the $$$ vote but to better reflect my inner monkey I would need a combination of $$$ since it is just a repack of OSX/XP and it is too slow and it is a violation of my privacy and I lost my frame rates and there is ZERO chance that I will validate this copy. I guess the one good thing is that you can try it for 120 days? Anything with AACS, DRM, TPM, that at one point was running 68 services should be its own answer not to mention that most people are sick of computers in many ways and most people are broke and most people realize that we are in a resource war   so    keeping out of harms way and getting laid trump dumping $400.00 on spy stuff that invades privacy.

Didn't you see Balmer's quote? Its all the nasty pirates giving to all of us for free, not that fact that they released a sub-standard product. AGAIN.

He's all BS.  He's just using piracy as a scapegoat for a total disinterest in the product.  I haven't even heard of someone with a pirated copy - even those in the scene don't really care for it.  Piracy in that part of the world has nothing to do with the lack of sales in North America.
 
A major problem has been the lack of interest in other companies to write drivers for their products to be supported in Vista.  If I knew all hardware and software I owned and use with XP would be 100% compatible with Vista, I wouldn't have a problem dishing out the cash for it.. but that simply isn't happening.
 
I'll wait till I'm forced to play games in DX10 before actually moving to Vista.

 
DX10 is the one and only reason to buy Vista next year if and only if Microsoft is the only game in town.
 
LOL
MSFTextrememakeover

 
I agree with what you said. I have a trial copy right now, and have numerous "sources" to get a free copy pretty much whenever I want. So far, it hasn't been worth the effort to get a free copy. I'll probably just let the trial run out and then wait for Vienna, which looks more promising.
 
As for Balmer's motivation, I think it is more of a prep for tightening the security restrictions and DRM than making an excuse for poor sales. We all knew, as did MS that most of their sales would be OEM anyway.

I voted the bloatware one. I like new OSes being made and all, but the fact that every new version is SLOWER makes me think about optimization. Hardware gets faster, software gets slower.
 
It would be nice to have some more customization options. None of this Home, ultimate, business... crap. I want to get the option to install a fast, clean system and choose wether I want IE, OE, MS Antispy, Win Firewall, etc installed on my PC or not. So I can't choose and every release they just add more trash to an already trashed system.
 
Hell, I just wanna play games, why my damned OS needs 500 Megs of ram?? I don't even run the printer service! Nor the Application experience nor the superfetch nor readyboost nor Aero, etc. Wow, I killed all those services... Now I'm down to... 400??? Crap.
 
Software developers are being lazy or they are in a VERY short deadline. I think that today's apps could be a lot faster and better if they just spend some more time in the "optimization" department. Vista is unoptimized and poorly planed. Everyone that migrated to Vista is having some problem or another. Oblivion is higly unoptimized, Need For Speed Carbon is unoptimized, NWN 2 is unoptimized and those are only 3 games that I have.
 
Ops, time for my medication.
 
In short: I'll switch to Vista like everyone, but that doesn't mean we want to. Dx10 will force Vista into gaming people like me. Wish there was an alternative.

MS has hardware partners. The whole thing is as scam to force you into a new PC. With your list above it sounds like you want to install LinuX but w/ direct X  LOL  Better hardware more money more services running need better hardware   see?

DRM is not MS's choice. Its being told to put it in, or film studios will sue.
 
Vista has many advantages over XP:
      1. Media Centre redesigned and built in (the reason I bought it)
      2. Fast with 2gb or more - better use of memory cache
      3. Improved user interface
      4. Great search facility
      5. Directx 10 - only works with new GDI - could not be implemented in XP. However only flight simulator with nvidia 8800 currently using.
 
I upgraded from XP 64bit and there are actualy more drivers for Vista 64bit (i.e. my canon i850 printer now actually works again).
 
I think its quite cheap for the extra bits. With media centre my xbox 360 now can stream everything to my plasma - really excellent.
 
If you have XP and it works for you then you don't need to upgrade. But if there is something in Vista you want, I recommend it.
 
In terms of the bloatware argument, the list of vista features is extremely long. You can't get functionality without code. Last time I installed suse Linux it was a much bigger install then vista ........

 
Government maybe behind DRM Analog Hole, DMCA. If DRM is here to stay maybe MS taking the initiative to set a standard may benefit the consumers, most certainly MS will benefit IMO.
 
Can you post a link as to where you read about MS being sued if they didn’t incorporate DRM into Vista?

Microsoft has made itself the lead organization of AACS LA (the encryption being implemented for HD Media), DRM (the encryption of various media not protected by AACS) and TPM ( hardware/software protection over anything not covered by AACS & DRM). Microsoft did this in order to appear more secure since Windows is affected by nearly 400,000 virii now. If they were TOLD to do it by the recording industry that is a stretch since MS is one of the owners of AACS (it even gets a cut for each disc sold) this is stated on the first page of the AACS LA site. The Federal Government attempted to break MS in two and FAILED. The fact is corporations like Warner Brothers, Sony and Walt Disney pay MS who sit at the center of the whole thing. (Doom9 has for the moment rendered AACS useless...Hip Hip Horay)
 
At this time Vista has no advantage over XP:  
 
1. Media center is useless software unless you have a PVR/MC. Cyberlink makes a better product and made the original MC for MS. MC is in fact a SOFTWARE APPLICATION not an operating system.
 
2. XP is faster than Vista at all tasks including GAMES. Some people report 70 processes running.  
 
3. The user interface of Vista runs from the memory of the video card and the best that can be said for it is that it is a poor rip-off of MAC OSX. Bread crumbs came from MAC and that came from Linux. Here mentioning the UNC might be a good idea. MS has decided to use warnings for every little change made on the system. "Are You Sure?" becomes a nagging question. Since they adapted a Linux style UNC you would think that MS would have moved to a journaled file system? No the left NTFS in place and eliminated indexing of open source file systems. They in fact left a whole bunch of Linux stuff back on the setup disc. Many people would say that the GUI looks better. After spending time with it I miss the UP arrow and bread crumbs reminds me of my MAC & Linux systems. The GUI uses more resources and helps to shorten the life of the video card since it stays in 3D mode. Most users "USE" their system like me and seldom see the desktop.
 
4. The search feature is nothing new since BeOS had search streams, Linux has streams, most would say that vista search is a direct copy of the MAC search feature (there are videos all over Google and You-Tube showing the lack of originality on the GUI). MS uses NTFS STREAMS for this and that is old news.
 
5. If not for DirectX millions of PC users would never look back and go to LINUX. DX is the thorn in the side of all users and open source fans. It is enshrined by MS and the fabrication of Craig Eisler who seems to have invented it as a sub contractor for MS. Who told you DX could not work on XP? It is the same OS after all. The can/can't thing has little to do with the issue; it can be better stated that, "Since XP support will end soon further devlopment of DX will be found on Windows Vista, thanks for your support!" DX is part of the shell game to move everyone to new computers. Yes MS and their partners Dell, Gateway, HP, and Sony all have dismal sales and are counting on Vista to bail them out.
 
Lots of people use the term "UNDER THE HOOD" when describing all of the innovation and improvements that MS has used on Vista. They don't even believe that BS "Down in da hood!" Vista is like a car or an iceberg are some of the other ways used to "Justify" a $400.00 rip-off of MAC, LinuX and BeOS. Folks Vista is XP with layers and layers of both hard and soft encryption and good ol' Windows Genuine Advantage that use AACS, DRM, TPM and DX10 to force you to get a new PC that runs around 60+ more or less out of the box.
 
You mentioned X Box 360. As it happens the XBOX360's USB HDDVD drive is what was used to nullify AACS protection that forces the PMP concept down users’ throats. Hackers, pirates and virus writers are all still in business with Vista but the people that pay for things pay dearly in terms of money, loss of privacy, innovation, activation, time and resources (energy). Bigger video cards asking for 650 W PSUs is not greener computing. I'm not alone in my views you can use Google and just stop skipping through by only reading all of the propaganda. If Vista were all that I would say so but after a close look, its just XP SP3 w/Pretty Pants on.
 
MS would have been gone years ago if they were not allowed to become a MONOPOLY. Spank MS in the pocket hold off on Vista and watch Ballmer attempt to punish China LOL

Microsoft has made itself the lead organization of AACS LA (the encryption being implemented for HD Media), DRM (the encryption of various media not protected by AACS) and TPM ( hardware/software protection over anything not covered by AACS & DRM). Microsoft did this in order to appear more secure since Windows is affected by nearly 400,000 virii now. If they were TOLD to do it by the recording industry that is a stretch since MS is one of the owners of AACS (it even gets a cut for each disc sold) this is stated on the first page of the AACS LA site. The Federal Government attempted to break MS in two and FAILED. The fact is corporations like Warner Brothers, Sony and Walt Disney pay MS who sit at the center of the whole thing. (Doom9 has for the moment rendered AACS useless...Hip Hip Horay)
 
MS felt it needed to at least have some control of DRM, as it felt its attempted usage would be inevitable. 'Attempted' as its already been broken, and I don't think MS is crying over this.
 
At this time Vista has no advantage over XP:  
 
1. Media center is useless software unless you have a PVR/MC. Cyberlink makes a better product and made the original MC for MS. MC is in fact a SOFTWARE APPLICATION not an operating system.
 
Completely disagree. Media Center is amazing for streaming my pics and videos seamlessly to my xbox360. most of whats in MS oses, like all linux distributions, are applications, not OS. But thats part of what you are paying for.
 
 
2. XP is faster than Vista at all tasks including GAMES. Some people report 70 processes running.  
 
Firstly its marginal and secondly is mostly due to early versions of drivers. exactly the same situation when XP replaced ME/98, but now XP is faster.
 
3. The user interface of Vista runs from the memory of the video card and the best that can be said for it is that it is a poor rip-off of MAC OSX. Bread crumbs came from MAC and that came from Linux. Here mentioning the UNC might be a good idea. MS has decided to use warnings for every little change made on the system. "Are You Sure?" becomes a nagging question. Since they adapted a Linux style UNC you would think that MS would have moved to a journaled file system? No the left NTFS in place and eliminated indexing of open source file systems. They in fact left a whole bunch of Linux stuff back on the setup disc. Many people would say that the GUI looks better. After spending time with it I miss the UP arrow and bread crumbs reminds me of my MAC & Linux systems. The GUI uses more resources and helps to shorten the life of the video card since it stays in 3D mode. Most users "USE" their system like me and seldom see the desktop.
 
Vista is not a rip-off of MAC OSX. In fact Apple ripped off FreeBSD and xserv. The MAX OSX is in fact more like Win95/DOS as its a screen manager sitting on opengl sitting on FreeBSD rather then a graphical shell which is properly integrated, like Vista. This is proved by the power of DirectX10 compared to OpenGL.
 
4. The search feature is nothing new since BeOS had search streams, Linux has streams, most would say that vista search is a direct copy of the MAC search feature (there are videos all over Google and You-Tube showing the lack of originality on the GUI). MS uses NTFS STREAMS for this and that is old news.
 
Whilst other OSes have search features, does that mean MS should never incorporate it as they could be accused of copying ? KDE & GNOME are complete rip off of Windows.
 
5. If not for DirectX millions of PC users would never look back and go to LINUX. DX is the thorn in the side of all users and open source fans. It is enshrined by MS and the fabrication of Craig Eisler who seems to have invented it as a sub contractor for MS. Who told you DX could not work on XP? It is the same OS after all. The can/can't thing has little to do with the issue; it can be better stated that, "Since XP support will end soon further devlopment of DX will be found on Windows Vista, thanks for your support!" DX is part of the shell game to move everyone to new computers. Yes MS and their partners Dell, Gateway, HP, and Sony all have dismal sales and are counting on Vista to bail them out.
 
I run Linux both at work, and as a server at home. For desktop usage Linux does not get close to Windows. for example, I have moved XP hard disks to new computers and XP sets itself up with the new hardware. If I take a linux Hd and move to a new computer it freezes and has to be reinstalled.
 
Lots of people use the term "UNDER THE HOOD" when describing all of the innovation and improvements that MS has used on Vista. They don't even believe that BS "Down in da hood!" Vista is like a car or an iceberg are some of the other ways used to "Justify" a $400.00 rip-off of MAC, LinuX and BeOS. Folks Vista is XP with layers and layers of both hard and soft encryption and good ol' Windows Genuine Advantage that use AACS, DRM, TPM and DX10 to force you to get a new PC that runs around 60+ more or less out of the box.
 
This is pure emotion. You don't like Ms or Windows, fine thats your think.
 
You mentioned X Box 360. As it happens the XBOX360's USB HDDVD drive is what was used to nullify AACS protection that forces the PMP concept down users’ throats. Hackers, pirates and virus writers are all still in business with Vista but the people that pay for things pay dearly in terms of money, loss of privacy, innovation, activation, time and resources (energy). Bigger video cards asking for 650 W PSUs is not greener computing. I'm not alone in my views you can use Google and just stop skipping through by only reading all of the propaganda. If Vista were all that I would say so but after a close look, its just XP SP3 w/Pretty Pants on.
 
Like I said, MS sees DRM as forced but it is happy to minimise its effect. You are making my point for me. XP SP3 is your opinion, but this is a credit to MS as it puts so much into a SP that people expect big things.
 
 
MS would have been gone years ago if they were not allowed to become a MONOPOLY. Spank MS in the pocket hold off on Vista and watch Ballmer attempt to punish China LOL
 
No MS survives because, on the whole, it produces good software. If you look at software history you will see that the landscape can change overnight. e.g. Wordstar -> multimate -> word perfect -> word.
 
You don't like MS, thats fine, its your choice. Sounds emotional to me.

I know far more people with a cracked version of Vista than a licensed version.  I think most people aren't going to go for a license unless MS "patches" that particular issue.  My copy was purchased but I wonder what % of computers are running illegal.

 
Government maybe behind DRM Analog Hole, DMCA. If DRM is here to stay maybe MS taking the initiative to set a standard may benefit the consumers, most certainly MS will benefit IMO.
 
Can you post a link as to where you read about MS being sued if they didn’t incorporate DRM into Vista?This Inquirer article…
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37091
Mentions a Q & A on a Microsoft blog addressing DRM that is found here…
http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/ [...] swers.aspx
Then there is this article…
http://www.betanews.com/article/Mi [...] 1171297451
About MS moving into AT&Ts phone jack…
Those poor programmers at Microsoft chained to their workstations by the government being forced to implement DRM. That is a gut wrenching concept for a fiction movie. The government makes laws, enforces laws and mismanages all of our money. Al Gore invented the internet, Remember? The DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) is the result of lawmakers meeting with Microsoft, MPAA, RIAA, Sun, MAC, (all) ISP’s, etc. to make a new series of taxable revenue streams in at that point the only “Free” place left in the world. Then after that everyone acts like they never downloaded a thing on Napster  LOL
Microsoft was taken to court for being a MONOPOLY and were they broken up? Were they found guilty yes or no?
Microsoft is constantly in court here and around the globe. They get sued and do their own share of suing. They cannot be forced into much of anything and the RIAA and MPAA decided to PAY Microsoft (cut them in) for some protection. Folks we are watching the biggest crime syndicate of all times at work. I can give you link after link (you can hit Google yourself even better) showing how this whole thing that started with Metallica/Napster has matured into a huge protection racket and money making scheme.  
To scale the magnitude of the whole thing; Bill gates has a home in Washington that cost him $70 Million. Do you really think he can be forced to do anything at all? The entire US government uses his products. The DoD uses his products. When MAC was in a jam the solution was for Bill Gates to be a partner.  
Get this one through your heads: Bill Gates gave $140,000,000.00 US Dollars to Apple Computer that is Microsoft’s only competitor (Linux is OPEN SOURCE) in the entire world in exchange for what?? That was only 2 Bill Gates sized homes and that didn’t make a dent in Bill’s assets. Bill Gates cannot vote like other stock holders so what does he get? Does he buy the illusion of still having competition to legitimize his MONOPOLY? Did he walk up to Steve and say, “God Steve, I feel bad about MAC. Here take this $140,000,000.00 till you can get back on your feet, it’s no big deal!” Steve was brought back in by Bill Gates as part of the $140,000,000.00 deal to save Apple.
All of this goes on right in front of the Federal Trade Commission and dozens of other Federal and State agencies and I am the only person on this site who sees that as problematic? Take some deep breaths kids, even though Bill Gates can’t vote at Apple he in effect became his own competitor. There is no problem making money hand over fist but the fact is Microsoft is a MONOPOLY. Steve Ballmer thinks it is about time to spank the “Pirates” of China, Russia, India, etc. I wonder if Steve ever outsourced some of the work in copying Vista, I mean making Vista to any nice Indians or Russians?
It is all a game guys and girls and the pawns can become the Queens if they cross the board but that is only because we are all Microsoft’s bitches.