Getting Used to Windows Vista
My Vista initiation continues, and so far, I don't have much to complain about. I've done this whole "new version of Windows" thing enough times in the past 15 or so years that I know that there's really no point in not spending a week or two getting used to the new functionality before complaining about what I think I lost. Historically, there have been very few things that I really felt I lost after I got used to the new.
(I'm still somewhat miffed about the loss of F7 & F8 for moving/copying files that was available in the old File Manager, and disappeared with the Windows Explorer interface. There was no real reason to eliminate that functionality!)
One of the features I expected to like, based on the demos I saw, was the integrated search functionality, and I have not been disappointed! Once I get the hang of tagging my data, my entire categorization of content will change on my systems.
Here are a few other things that I really like so far, and will discuss in depth at a later time:
- Task Manager: New & Improved
- Event Log Viewer: New & Improved
- Welcome Screen: Now available even when in a domain
- Sidebar: Cute, but growing on me
There's more, but I'll have to document them while I'm on the machine. Even using the Control Panel in wizard mode is easier under Vista because it's better laid out than it was under XP, and there are a gazillion options in Vista, so having individual icons is slower right now. That might all change as I increase my familiarity with the OS.
The jury is still out on the UAC. I like the concept, and it enjoy the fact that it will protect my family (wife) from taking action that is inadvisable, but while I'm in tweaking mode, it pops up at what seems to be very inconvenient times. The Security Professional in me just can't turn it off, though. 
I still have to get used to the memory utilization. I have a system with 2GB RAM, and where I would routinely have 200-300MB free under XP Pro, I am seeing scary numbers ranging from 2-70MB free under the same workload. It should be noted, however, that Vista under these conditions does not behave like a sulky child as XP does with 50MB or less memory free. I suspect that Vista has a very different way of handling memory than XP (not surprisingly), and I'm already happy to note that Vista -- even via an in-place upgrade -- is performing much better than XP Pro on the same system.
Time for me to check out that Vista Internals article that I've been meaning to read. 
I really can't want to go with the 64-bit version now.
The one complaint I have so far is the size of the desktop icons. They're much bigger than before, and the sizing options only allow you to make them larger.
Beyond that, I complicated my life a bit by also upgrading to Office 2007 yesterday, but even though the interface is vastly different, it's also setup and presented in a way that is way more intuitive than before.
(I'll get into Office 2007 functionality in another discussion, but suffice it to say that I really, really like the changes to Outlook in the new version, and I'm pretty sure that I'll master the interface of the new Office before that of Vista)
So much technology, so little time...
About Logik!
Andrew S. Baker aka ASB aka Logik!
Andrew S. Baker is a business-savvy, hands-on IT leader with expertise in mentoring people, mitigating risk, and integrating technology to drive innovation and maximize business results. He creates competitive advantage for organizations through effective IT leadership: implementation of processes and controls, and architecture of robust business solutions.
Mr. Baker has successfully led a number of high-performance technology teams in designing, deploying and maintaining secure, cost-effective computing environments for well-known companies, including Warner Music Group, The Princeton Review, Bear Stearns, About.com, and Lewco Securities.
For over a decade, Andrew has exhibited thought leadership on technology and business topics via mailing lists, technical forums, blogs, and professional networking groups, along with contributions to podcasts, webinars, and over 20 technical/business magazine articles. He also serves on several boards and committees for non-profit organizations, and within the Seventh-day Adventist church.
His personal interests include Astronomy, Basketball, Bible Study, Chess, Comics, Computers,
Family Life Ministries, Reading, Strategy/Role Playing games, and Professional Networking...
A summary of Andrew's current résumé is available here, and he can be reached on a variety of social and professional networks, including LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.