Why Vista Won’t Suck?

I took a look at all of the screenshots of the upcoming Windows Vista at ExtremeTech. The interface is looking more and more like Mac OS X (which launched in 2000)—aqua coloured buttons, chrome design, transparency, drop shadows etc.

Everything looks “clunky” as if it were patched together. It seems that Microsoft’s billions and five years of development can’t create an interface that has the cool design aesthetic found in nearly everything Apple creates. I find this baffling.

Maybe Vista won’t suck because of improved security, networking, performance and speech recognition. Are you excited yet?

The marketing department at Microsoft knows that most people don’t care about technical improvements. They’re expected in the release of a new OS. A stunning interface and incredible demos are going to compel people to upgrade to Vista.

I wonder why I can’t view the web page of new features in Windows Vista using my Apple web browser, Safari (it works fine in Firefox and IE 6). It could be that some of the new features have been available on Macs for quite some time.

Sleep

Sleep is a feature that has been available on Macs for at least 10 years. It is a new feature in Vista.

Windows Vista introduces a new power state called Sleep. In Windows XP, after you shut down your PC, it takes a long time to turn it back on… resuming use when your PC is in the Sleep state takes just 2-3 seconds.

Quick Search

This is called Spotlight in Mac OS X. It has been available for about a year now. The Quick Search box which is new in Vista has also been on OS X for quite some time.

Windows Vista Aero

Microsoft says, “Windows Vista Aero provides spectacular visual effects such as glass-like interface elements that you can see through.” This look has been called Aqua on OS X since 2000. I can’t blame Microsoft for wanting to copy it.

Windows Flip and Windows Flip 3D

Another rip-off of an Apple technology called Exposé. This will be great for demos and provide some of the eye candy Microsoft needs in the OS.

Gadgets

Microsoft describes Gadgets as “mini-applications with a wide variety of possible uses.” Apple calls them Widgets and they were introduced into the Mac OS X a year ago.

By now you get the idea and this comparison is becoming tiresome.

Design and “eye-candy demos” sell products. Apple introduced a lot of really cool-looking features in the last version of the operating system. Many of these features were pretty useless but they did sell more OS upgrades.

Microsoft seems to be doing the same thing in hopes that people will upgrade to Vista. Unfortunately for Microsoft there isn’t anything that is really new and innovative in Windows Vista.

Why isn’t Microsoft introducing their own innovative technologies or coming up with their own user interface that is unique? Anyone?

Posted in OS X Software at 11:55 AM