[mavigozler]

As a long time XP user who has been using Vista HomePrem for more than a year, those of you still scared to jump to Vista should do so. Vista is really XP under the hood, but with a lot of fixes and a few new features added. One of the major fixes seems to be system stability: I have not had to do one re-install or clean install of a Windows environment with Vista. Everyone knows it takes nearly a day to do a re-install or clean install and then at least a week to bring the configuration back to the point where you had it, with all the application re-installs and their environments in the way you want them. You just need to kick up your RAM to 3 GB and have a disk drive of 120 GB or higher only for the Windows system and applications (a "mature" registry will take but 300 MB space).

Those who despise everything Microsoft stands for or which produces are either Macbook/Pro owners or using some form of a turnkey Linux. By the way, no Linux Ubuntu user EVER really hesitates to schedule time for upgrading from the A to B to C to D to E to F editions. So why really hesitate to upgrade to Vista. If a device maker hasn't written a Vista driver by now, maybe you should wonder about buying products from makers who really don't support them.

[aaka]

This article is basically stupid. The author clearly suffers from severe inability to understand or deal with technology. For PC Magzine to publish this nonsense is clearly an act of stupidity. The magzine and contents are becoming more and more irrelevent daily.

[tishavens]

Vista is underrated in some respects.

It's dissed by all the techies (like those of us who would read PC World) because all the lovely shortcuts we had masteered on proir Windows versions have become far more tedious and obnoxious. I 'downgraded' my new laptop to XP for that reason, and hope to get by on XP until Microsoft has a better solution for the geekier among us..

But that said, Vista (now that the first round of patching is done) is the best thing since sliced bread for everyday users like my techno-illiterate Dad. For users like him, all those safety are-you-sure check are great! Since he got his new Vista PC, the bi-weely calls we used to get to try to fix something he accidentally deleted, corrupted, moved, or to deal with the new virus he picked up, have come to a near halt.

[blackrock111]

Hi, I know that the author was saying that the touch interface function on smart phones are overrated when compared to good qwerty keyboards. But I was wondering if the author was saying the iphone in general is overrated because of its touch interface?

[DarrenGladstone]

blackrock111 said:

Hi, I know that the author was saying that the touch interface function on smart phones are overrated when compared to good qwerty keyboards. But I was wondering if the author was saying the iphone in general is overrated because of its touch interface?

Yep. The original intention was to say that a touch interface is overrated, especially when you try texting on a remotely frequent basis. You know, a couple folks have emailed me saying that I'm blatantly bashing Apple. NOPE! Apple is just the big boy -- the first one to do a touch interface really well (that everyone else is now chasing to copy).

Truth is, I could've easily -- and in retrospect, maybe I should have -- used a Samsung Instinct or something like that. I mean, Its not like I was saying that the Sidekick OS was hot in the story....

[LesSalings]

Good Eye, Trevor, your absolutely correct! I had to look at it 3 times before I saw it, after you told me.

[bigshotrob]

i'm confused author, in your first comparison article in regards to the touch keyboard vs a physical qwerty keyboard you are stating the iphone is overrated? and the sidekick is underrated? because of the harder texting on the iphone makes the whole iphone overrated vs the sidekick? and that aspect trumps all the other functional things the iphone does such as the music, safari, etc? and if u are stating the iphone is overrated, why didnt u do "OVERRATED: IPHONE, UNDERRATED SIDEKICK?" im just a little confused cause i took the article as you saying that the touch keyboard is overrated since that technology is not better than a physical keyboard. say, the iphone had a physical keyboard, then the iphoine would not be overrated? and are u just using an iphone as a representation of touch interfaces since its the big wig and most recognizable compared to the instinct. so in reality, ur really talking about all touch interface phones are overrated, and NOT just the iphone? correct me if i am wrong and keep up the good work, its good to get people to think and not be brainwashed all the time.

[sunsub]

Defenitely! Compared to Windows XP, Vista is way better. But if I remember correctly, XP was also cold shouldered when it was released. All Vista needs is time and some service packs!

[sunsub]

It is a matter of preference. For people who seek functionality iPhone is over rated because there are phones which do more and better for lesser cost. However, for those seeking usability, iPhone is the only one which has got it right. For example, WM has so many great features. Unfortunately they are so well hidden in the UI that many users are not even aware of it.

[compnerd]

firefox 3 is not overrated

[A1969B]

It was meant to be as such, if you read any of the articles which are Vista related.

[athynz]

I think the only thing you and I can agree on with this article is to disagree... Sure the Wii has some issues - including availability which is one of my pet peeves with them - but it IS a really kick ass platform and so much more than a gaming console.
Vista is the OS that is deeply overrated IMHO and personal experience - I tried when it was preinstalled on my HP Pavilion DV6000 laptop but after a few months and upgrading the ram to 2GB I had to "downgrade" to XP and it's been about 8 months with XP and NO issues at all - even running SP3...
iTunes... in some ways it is overrated but at the same time it is a pretty killer app - it's gotten really bloated lately.
The touch screen... sure I miss a physical keyboard but the touch screen is really responsive and in my experience easy to use - and I have large hands.
It's not that I am missing or overlooking the flaws, I'm working with them or finding workarounds in some cases.

[athynz]

This comment may be a bit late but do you even own an iPhone? Thought not. I do and I've owned a WM device, and several non-smartphones by several maufacturers with 4 different service providers (Sprint, Verizon, Alltel, and AT&T) and I have to say the reliablity and ease of use with the iPhone 3G is much better than any other phone I've had. Use one for a bit before you just spout things out. Thanks.

[BAMT]

I've had Vista for quite a while until I had had enough of it and decided it was time for it to go. Last night, Vista was assasinated by XP while it's NTFS journal was asleep. Why did this happen? Not only did Vista crash every week or two, but when it did, it would bring my Linux partitions down with it for no apparent reason (MS a penguin killer?). Also, many older games and my network card did not work with Vista. What's wrong with Compaq Netelligents? If you plug both of the ethernet plugs in, you get double the speed of a single cable (dual-port card). There were also other various issues, but XP fixed everything. I'm now a less angry happier Windows user

[epgomez]

In fact I do own an iphone and I'm about sell it. Yes your right touch makes it easy to use. But it's only touch and internet is not something new on mobile devices. That's why it's overrated. On hardware specs it's only average and sometimes lower than other phones. I had owned several cellphones/smartphones for 20 years now. software yes better but what does it offer. games can be had with any device. phone... others are actuallly better phones...internet... (no flash support) . camera sucks... bottom line internet can still be had with other smart phones some of them with flash support so I can watch important video news on the internet that I can't do with my iphone. I don't need koi ponds apps, speedster apps, and whatever. Apple bars the goodies from getting into the app store.

[morriscox]

>I thought only PC Magazine was paid for by that lobbyist Microsoft, but it appears that PC World is now on the take too. Zune? Vista? to lose instant >credibility suggest that anything Microsoft makes is "under rated"

What a loser. Someone said something that you didn't like so you think they're on the take. As though a magazine was supposed to bash Microsoft all the time and woe to them if they ever said anything good about Microsoft. Sheesh.

[morriscox]

>If Vista is SO GREAT then perhaps you can explain with your "smarts" why there are STILL software compatiabliy issues with Vista???

Simple. It's a dirty secret that software is almost always poorly made (and not just Norton products). Programmers have been making poor quality software for many years and Windows let them get away with it. Vista tried to fix that (since Microsoft got tired of being hammered for poor security) and people blamed Microsoft for having a shoddy operating system when it's the software's (and driver's) fault. "After all, why not run with Admin rights (even if you don't really need them) since everyone is running with Admin rights anyways?" Oh, you got infected. Tsk tsk. What a shame.

Vista certainly has faults, but bother to learn about the subject instead of just shooting from the lip.

[morriscox]

>Everything you write is bad. So maybe you are overrated and should be washing dishes?

Maybe you could do better? It's easier to be a heckler than to actually contribute something.

[SteveRyder]

I agree about Adobe, but not PAINT.NET which requires .NET to work at all.

However, XnView (another PCWorld recommendation) is absolutely fabulous. It is also OS Agnostic, running equally well on Windows AND Linux (which also means it will work on Mac OSX since it too is Unix based).

It is extremely easy to use, has no OS hooks, and has the best Red Eye correction that I have ever encounted, a place where Paint.Net really fell down.

[Cosmo]

Oh... your.... God!

A PC World journalist claiming an infallible Apple product has an overrated feature!?

Does this mean that the smack Microsoft and promote Apple crap is finally over and we get some real journalistic material? Three Apple products/features put out as overrated, it's nice to finally see the other side of PC World without fear of the Apple fanboys.

Darren, I'd like to say, "bravo," for being able to speak your mind on Apple!
Give that man a raise!