I'm ambiguous about the whole thing of course, and am more concerned about the fact that my perfectly good and hardly ever used Lite On DVD Writer is now ruined. But still, it made me think. I've been struggling with the idea of moving back to Windows after my 3~4 month Ubuntu experience, but I've finally sat myself down to write the reasons for either direction, and sadly, Windows won out. Could above disaster prove ominous?

I actually made a longish bullet point style article about why and why not, but it's stored on my storage PC at the moment, a transitional server from which I shall retrieve files from after my migration back to Windows, which of course has been delayed.

I hope to get cracking immediately tomorrow morning and get productive immediately. I have so much to do and am almost done with the new site.

I'm almost sad that I have to migrate back, but as I said, the list I made has proven that it is the wiser choice given my situation. Primarily I mentioned my missing Photoshop and a few other editing tools I consider essential. I should try not to hold sentiment on the decision on such things, but as it is, yes, I wish I didn't have to. If it were merely a matter of living with a few quirks then I'd still be using Ubuntu, but in the light of the kind of work I do and the expectations I have from the tools I work with, I really do have to.

Mind you, this isn't a pro - Linux or pro - anything rant. I don't own a Vista PC to begin with, and like I said in a previous post, I don't find anything wrong with it either. I'm using Vista Home right now on Jill's PC, and I'm doing just fine. Some isues here and there, but mostly, it is, albeit superficially (primarily because most of it's 'improvements' are cosmetic) can be considered a step up above XP.

Having said that, one might assume though that there was something wrong with XP to begin with, or at least missing a feature that'd necessitate an upgrade.

By now however, after Vista's been around for a while, the answer to that is no, N-O, there is no truly compelling issue to 'upgrade' to Vista. You might be compelled, just because you wanna see your computer do this:

Above is a screenshot of me doing a 'Windows key + Tab' maneuver, which lets me switch to another application in a very fancy way. Or you may be interested in doing this:

A screenshot of Vista's Parental Controls.

But I'd be lying to you if I said that the Compiz isn't as impressive, screenshot here (and more jaw dropping effects here):

or that Norton can't do Parental Controls better or at least similar to Vista.

The point of this post is moot. People who have already bought Vista have bought it, period. It's money spent, money you can't get back.

But if you were happily using XP before Vista came along, that announcement is basically saying that it's money you shouldn't have spent in the first place, or at least until 2014.

Anyway, below is another article that came out today, re Vista. I'm still waiting for a promised test laptop (no, not a free one), which I gather is being upgraded to handle it better (the ones we tried in Tagaytay were rather inadequate), along with an interesting presentation that by Ivan Franco, MS Consumer Marketing Manager, re customer buying habits. I can probably make ten articles alone from his findings, so I'm raring to get my hands on that.

So here's my article, in orig form. The published one was cut around a fourth of the orig wordcount, and I don't even wanna know where they got the title for that one.

Things To Know About Microsoft Windows Vista

Remember the tail - wagging dog that pops out when you use Search on Windows XP? Apparently his name is [tag]Search Assistant[/tag], and if you look closely, he's actually reading a book backwards, which might explain why your computer is taking so long to look for something. He isn't on Vista anymore, and while that may be sad to some, a better, indexed Search has replaced him that promises to be faster than ever.

But that's not all that's new with Windows Vista. Here are some of the many other innovations to let you know what else is new when it's released next February:

Four Vistas to choose from - There are four types of Vista for retail distribution named according to its intended use. These are Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, [tag]Vista Business[/tag] and [tag]Vista Ultimate[/tag]. Some applications such as the highly touted [tag]Windows Media Center[/tag] is available on the home models, while applications that help sharing documents like [tag]Windows Meeting Space[/tag] is for the Business model.

Same Price as XP - Rumors of higher prices are false. Windows Vista Full Package Product (comes in a box with everything) costs as much as XP, with Home Basic priced at $199.00, Home Premium at $239.00, Business at $299.00 and Ultimate at $399.99, prices from the Microsoft website. Like before, there are special pricing schemes available for upgrading, volume purchases and academic editions. XP will continue to be available for a time, as will support for it.

Parental Controls - Vista Home Premium and [tag]Home Basic[/tag] includes a powerful feature that lets parents decide such things as how long kids can use it, what games they can play, what websites they can view and even reports of what they had been doing. So technophobe parents better get tech savvy already, otherwise your computer adept kids can block you instead.

Access basic info without turning your PC on - You're late for a meeting but forgot where it was and will have to turn your laptop on just for that. Annoying right? Windows Slideshow is a feature on [tag]Vista Home Premium[/tag], Business and Ultimate that can display recent email messages, addresses and telephone numbers on an auxiliary display without turning your computer on. This innovation will probably spawn a whole new generation of 'Vista - ready' laptops and PCs with small LCD displays on their casings, keyboards, remote controls or other devices.

Powerful Vista needs Powerful PC - If you purchased your PC or laptop two or more years ago, I suggest you get a new one to run Vista properly. If you bought one more recently, then you might get by with an upgrade. The 'premium specs' on the Microsoft website require a 1 GHz 32 or 64-bit processor, 1 GB of RAM, a DirectX 9 capable 128mb. video card, and a DVD-R drive amongst other things. Of course you can get by with the 'minimum specs' listed on their site, but if you want to really enjoy Vista's great new features, then go for the above.

Windows [tag]Aero[/tag], Live Taskbar, [tag]Flip 3d[/tag] - Windows Aero is the name of the terrific, slick new interface on Vista, highlighted by a transparent glass - like elements. It will also note your PC's specs and will adjust depending on what's best for it. Live Taskbar Thumbnails will give you a small window of a running application in the taskbar, and Flip 3d is a godsend for people who run multiple applications like me. Like with what Alt + Tab used to do before, you can now use Flip 3d to give you a 3d view of the open windows using your mouse's scroll wheel.

Security - Long known as XP's waterloo, [tag]Microsoft[/tag] strikes back with a stronger [tag]User Account Control[/tag] to help better manage who gets to tinker with a computer's inner workings, a new [tag]IE7[/tag] that can run in a 'protected mode', data encryption that makes a stolen laptop's data useless to anyone but the owner, and a toughened firewall that checks both inbound and outbound traffic.

Sidebar and Gadgets - Where you used to get a plain wheat field in XP, the Sidebar and Gadgets interface gives you quick access to gadgets like picture slide shows, [tag]Windows Media Player[/tag] controls, or news headlines. You pick the gadgets you want to see in Windows Sidebar, and expect to see websites develop some of their own for you to download to keep you updated.

Let me tell you something. If Mae Rivera, PR head of Microsoft Philippines gives me a free laptop to review Windows Vista with, then I would do the following in this order: 1. thank my lucky stars, 2. thank her, 3. thank Microsoft, 4. tell the world about it via my blog, and 5. go and review Vista with it.

Doing so, I think I would be doing the right thing which are (again in numeric order. Sorry, I like trying to organize my thoughts): 1. Thank all those responsible for giving me a gift. 2. Tell everyone about it, just because it's an interesting thing to share, and 3. Review Vista with it, and share it with as many people as possible (regardless of your opinion being positive or not) which is the least you could do.

Of course, not everyone shares this pov. And that's fine. If you wanna give it to charity, return it to Microsoft, or lambast MS with their marketing technique, so be it.

However, let me be frank in saying that if you think Microsoft is trying to buy your opinion with it, then you are stupid.

First of all, you'd be stupid if you were in the business of writing good opinions based on receiving freebies. Doing such taints your reputation, and your value as a reliable source of reviews will sink like a stone. Second, the reason Microsoft gave you a laptop is precisely because they consider you as someone with an opinion important enough to be given one. If you had previously sold your opinion in exchange for a doodad, then Microsoft will not want to deal with you after having tainted your name doing so. And third, Microsoft is not stupid. I know that because I know people like Mae respect the press, and as such the press respects her back. If she were to tell me that reciept of such a gift is contingent on a favorable review, then I, as well as the other press, would make sure her statement would be on the news faster than PGMA's Cha-Cha revival. It's the farthest thing MS's PR would do.

I'm not even gonna mention the fact that since it's a gift, it behooves the recipient to do whatever they wish afterwards. Hence, should they decide after a thorough review that Vista is worthless, then they are free to say so in complete transparency without worry of retribution from big old bad MS.

By giving those laptops, MS is counting on the possibility that you might actually like it, and take measures to say so. If it does happen to be an exceptional product, then you are doing people a favor by telling them which will surely be appreciated.

Wait, I think I should probably add that to the list. If you are an IT professional whose opinion has some weight in this world, neglecting the opportunity to educate people on a good product, especially something as influential as a Microsoft Operating System, is stupid.

Ok the fight's about to start..
It's 1:53 and the fight's over. Here's more:

And guess what, here's another one. If you are not going to accept the laptop because you are afraid of "what people might think", then again you are stupid, because you are already allowing your opinion to effectively be shaped by others. If you are afraid that people will think you're a sell-out, then you already are, except you are not selling out to Microsoft but to these people's opinions.

If you are afraid that the 'blogosphere' will be tainted by Microsoft, Mr. Stupid is again knocking on your door, getting comfy on your couch, switching on the tube, and reaching for the phone to order coffee and doughnuts. It is YOUR opinion that counts, not the 'blogosphere' (whatever that is), not the press, not your neighbor, not the guys who frequent your blog, nothing. If you are influential enough to be worth attention from Microsoft, you will take your opinion and guard it even further, because apparently people value it.

More at Mobile Exchange. Full review to follow, with links to articles I've submitted as soon as they come out.

I like it. Terrific hardware hog, but it's ok.

See, if there's anything i like about hotels, it's the bathtub and hot / cold water galore. And Thu night at the MS Vista launch, whilst all the other press dudes were revelling (or what little revelry they could find) in Tagaytay, I was soaking my old, tired, aching, and supremely pained self in my room at Taal Vista care of Microsoft, no less. I dunno which was better, the terrific hot soak or the fact its paid for by MS. It just feels extra cool and everything that way.

At any rate, believe me the fact that gout is described as 'excruciating' and 'numbing' pain in medical websites is not an accident. The pain is hard to describe, its almost... spiritual, if there's ever a word for it. I've dislocated my elbow, gotten banged up in all sorts of creative ways and even passed kidney stones, but this one is especially different because it is just so unrelenting, never allowing you a moment's rest. Even sleep, the age old remedy, is not enough. This thing will wake you up to remind you it's there. In the wee hours of the morning when you feel most helpless and least able to bear it, there it is, saying 'hello!' and 'would you like some more?'.

I think I'm at the tail end of this one now, though. And that soak helped in a big way. I usually find it hard to relax in hotels, but I just couldn't care less. If a spirit decided to invite himself in and / or fingers grow out of my head I wouldn't have given a damn. It was that good.

So anyway, to things Microsoft. The Vista launch was terrific, eventful and also very fun. All of us press, PR and MS people alike had a great time and I think everyone would've felt the same for sure. We talked just as much about our friends and families as much as we did about work, and so did the geeks (which obviously is a big thing).

Adel, my editor at Hinge who was part of the group has talked about the Zune with complete pics and stuff at his blog. Me not being a gadgets fan (yes. I'm not really.), kind of brushed it off when it was handed over to me. I should've taken the hint when I saw him get all excited, but really, I was more interested in Vista, Sharepoint and Exchange, (and only mildly at Office 2007), which were all launched at the same afternoon. Talk about a Microsoft brainwash, that was a full 5+ hours of nothing but Microsoft stuff. Not complaining though as I enjoy these kinds of things. Keep em comin, I say.

I'll be writing all about these things later. As of today I have to:

1. Make a new /shop graphic for the Kikay shop. - DONE! Check it out.
2. Write a Canon article for 2bu.
3. Write a Speed article (postponed till further notice. Found out I can move this later.)
4. Put up a Mobile Exchange post.
5. Make Kikay's weekly 3rd of 5 'Motorola Kikay Phones' post.
6. This and that other stuff.

That one event may probably result in as much as 10 articles for me. I can probably write about Vista alone in 20 different ways, from lifestyle, business, the launch itself, new features, a personal take, it's effect on the industry, etc. etc., and that's not even counting the other products, so going to the event turned out to be a very good idea, regardless of pain and all.

MS is actually saving a lot from me, as I got 2 invites for this event from 2 different publications, which means they're getting 2x the mileage for their money's worth, plus the other stuff I'll contribute to the other mags I write for and MobEx as well. Well, in light of the refreshing hot soak, I think it's all good.

Ok then, off to work. Later!

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