If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you already know what I think of Windows Vista. And it’s not just me, but many others are dealing with issues with Windows Vista every day. If it’s not the defects in the software, then Microsoft just decides one day that a couple of thousand users are using illegal copies of Vista and puts their computer in reduced functionality mode – something that they can only attribute to their stupidity and are now trying to fix in the first service pack for Vista.

The last few weeks I’ve been dealing with another issue that seems to be widespread as well. As if Vista isn’t already very slow compared to Windows XP, for some reason, certain processes in Vista just like using lots of CPU time making it look like you’re running Vista on a Pentium CPU with 64MB of RAM. These processes, depending on the time of day, atmospheric pressure and possibly positions of planets in our galaxy, can be any one of “TrustedInstaller.exe”, “msnmsgr.exe”, “iexplore.exe”, “explorer.exe”, “msmpeng.exe”, “slsvc.exe” and “searchindexer.exe.” Sometimes, when I am not very lucky, I can even see two of the processes fighting eachother for available CPU time while my entire machine slows down. I’ve become used to running Vista with task manager open all the time to keep an eye on what’s going on when I suddenly can’t open a goddamn window without waiting 2 minutes. You think it’s just me? Just do a search on Google, and look at how many people are suffering! And these are just the people who write about it! When grandma can’t open a new email window at home in a reasonable amount of time, she’s not likely to know what’s going on, let alone post about it on the Internet.

I can get so furious about this. At this point I’m just waiting for Microsoft to release Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista next week, and hope for their sake that it will fix this issue among so many other issues. The entire industry is disappointed with Windows Vista, and they have good reason to be disappointed. Windows Vista is a lemon, it’s worse than Windows Me at this point. And all of this was to be expected. It should never have gotten released so quickly as so many, including me, have argued in the past. I can’t even begin to think of recommending Vista to anyone. Everything is just slower in Vista. If I didn’t have to reinstall loads of software, I’d have gone back to Windows XP in a split-second. If the service pack fails to address these issues, I am going back to Windows XP the next day.

I can’t imagine the support nightmare of running this OS in an enterprise environment. May god have mercy with the IT staff of companies that decide to switch to Vista.