Despite Microsoft’s marketing efforts to convince everyone that their Vista OS is not a monster, many people, when faced with a new or replacement computer situation, shudder at the idea of “that scary Vista”.  I became slightly obnoxious with a sales guy once in a shopping mall who tried to convince me that Vista was fine. I refused to believe him.

Not only did I buy a Dell-forced-Vista laptop, but I begged my husband, Eric, to give me dual bootup access so that I could use both XP and Vista.  Surprise, surprise!  I ended up adapting quickly to Vista.  Now I have a Vista laptop (with XP on it too), plus an XP desktop computer.  There’s a mix of OS’s in the house, but the newer PC’s are all Vista. No one is complaining.

Are there alternatives to Vista?  Yes.  Are these alternatives other than asking for XP? Yes.

An educational thread can found at Cre8asiteforums, in Is Vista Good Or Should I Get Xp Loaded On New Computer?.

Welcome to Windows Vista, you have been demoted!…really, you were demoted. “It’s good to be the King” (or Queen). Typically Windows XP users granted themselves Admin access to their operating system. You have permission to do anything, install anything, delete anything (just about). You are now the master of all you survey, on your XP desktop, however so are any nasties that came in with you from the internet.

Enter the paranoia zone, next stop Windows Vista ACL (UAC)