Is Vista worth it?

[Vanquished]

Tehe, you got reprimanded GrandMaster..
Anyways i wasn't really paying much attention to the IE comment but what if i use Firefox? Will Vista include any better non IE security tools, like general security?

 

[kcnychief]

Vista is an all-around improvement on so many levels.

Just to give you a few tidbits:

More intelligent firewall-XP only monitors incoming AND outgoing traffic, whereas the firewall for XP only monitors incoming. That, is a very HUGE improvement.

UAC - User Account Control, will allow users to run most, if not all, of their apps and tasks in an account that does not have Administrative priveleges. The user will get prompted when these rights are needed, but this is a step in the right direction to combat virii/malware/spyware from running amuck without the user knowing.

That's the two biggest ones I can think of off the top of my head in regards to security, but you should visit the official Vista site for more info:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/default.aspx

 

[o2d]

More intelligent firewall-XP only monitors incoming AND outgoing traffic, whereas the firewall for XP only monitors incoming. That, is a very HUGE improvement.

...for the ignorant masses who have been content to plod along using MS mediocreware. The rest of us with more than even half a clue have had this functionality all along, using freeware no less.

UAC - User Account Control, will allow users to run most, if not all, of their apps and tasks in an account that does not have Administrative priveleges.

Are you saying we don't have this now in Win2K and XP? Or that the ignorant masses haven't been led down the primrose path with someone to hold their hand, ie. a paint-by-numbers software wizard?

 

[kcnychief]

...for the ignorant masses who have been content to plod along using MS mediocreware. The rest of us with more than even half a clue have had this functionality all along, using freeware no less.

Are you saying we don't have this now in Win2K and XP? Or that the ignorant masses haven't been led down the primrose path with someone to hold their hand, ie. a paint-by-numbers software wizard?

Thanks for taking the time to post such intelligent and credible comments

If you re-read this thread carefully, the point I was replying to were security differences in Vista, vs. previous Operating Systems (XP mostly). I am not talking about possible 3rd party software that is out there now, as the question wasn't "What will Vista's Firewall offer that something like ZoneAlarm won't". ZoneAlarm, or another freeware program currently available, does perform this now, but XP does not by itself.

In regards to UAC, no, it is not availabe in 2K or XP. I understand what you are saying a little bit, but the main difference here is that programs WILL work in this new mode, as they currently don't in 2K/XP. This technology, while buggy, was available in the first Vista CTP/Beta, so developers could work hard to write their applications to function in this level. You cannot run a day-to-day PC in lower privelegs in 2K/XP without having a few issues. Microsoft is trying to change that.

 

[o2d]

You cannot run a day-to-day PC in lower privelegs in 2K/XP without having a few issues. Microsoft is trying to change that.

Well, I guess that would be an improvement. I'll wait for the jury to render their verdict, however. MS has a very reliable track record of not getting it right on their first attempt, sometimes with catastrophic results. Been there. Done that. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

 

[Vanquished]

Thanks for your help www,
You answered my question..
O2d you need to read more carefully and not get so easily pissy...
He answered what i asked and thats that... OK?
Thanks again www
-Jack

 

[kcnychief]

Thanks for your help www,
You answered my question..
O2d you need to read more carefully and not get so easily pissy...
He answered what i asked and thats that... OK?
Thanks again www
-Jack

You are most welcome

Well, I guess that would be an improvement. I'll wait for the jury to render their verdict, however. MS has a very reliable track record of not getting it right on their first attempt, sometimes with catastrophic results. Been there. Done that. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

I'm sorry, but I don't understand how that ISN'T an improvement.

If you can operate in a more protected mode, so the general public can actually have a safer computing environment, how is that not an improvement?

 

[o2d]

I didn't say it's not an improvement. It is an improvement, IF it works AND is free of the security flaws we have come to know and love from MS.

 

[Vanquished]

Alright o2d,
I forgive you but next time look before you post please...
and try not to come off that pissy...
-Jack

 

[kcnychief]

Vanquished -

Here is an entry from the IEBlog posted earlier today:
http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2006/02/16/533586.aspx

Granted, that is IE, but it will give you a hint of how MS is trying to focus on security for Vista related technologies...

 

[Mainframeguy]

Back to topic (maybe) with this link

 

[LordOfLA]

edit: N/m - FF had a cached link for somereason and missed the second page

 

[LordOfLA]

Well, I guess that would be an improvement. I'll wait for the jury to render their verdict, however. MS has a very reliable track record of not getting it right on their first attempt, sometimes with catastrophic results. Been there. Done that. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Which cave have you been living in???

Vista isnt a first attempt by MS:

1.0, 2.0, 2.1, 3.0, 3.1, 3.11, NT3, NT3.5, NT3.51, NT4, NT5.1 (2000), NT5.2 (XP)

Thats 12 prior to vista...

On that note - I want to see your killer OS in 20 years time...

 

[Mainframeguy]

MS has a track record of seldom getting it exactly right on any attempt IMHO (sorry to disagree Lord) but then again no one is perfect, and once you have market share in a market of uninformed people, well - the market rules... But perhaps this will be something different. It will certainly be interesting...

 

[Grandmaster]

I didn't say it's not an improvement. It is an improvement, IF it works AND is free of the security flaws we have come to know and love from MS.

So do you use Windows?

 

[LordOfLA]

MS has a track record of seldom getting it exactly right on any attempt IMHO (sorry to disagree Lord) but then again no one is perfect, and once you have market share in a market of uninformed people, well - the market rules... But perhaps this will be something different. It will certainly be interesting...

This is down to 3 things:

1) its not possible for a man-made creation to be perfect.
2) MS follows the truth that its impossible to please everyone all the time so they make some people happy some of the time
3) Just because a market is uninformed doesnt mean its right.

 

[Mainframeguy]

You have another thread to post on now Lord - check the green room...

Oh, and are you sure your (3) is in need of no editting?

3) Just because a market is uninformed doesnt mean its right.

 

[LordOfLA]

could use a hyphen or two, but no.

A mass of uninformed people will think that they are right, just because they are "the masses".

However that does not necessarily mean they are right no matter how much they may believe otherwise.

 

[madmatt]

Someone at Microsoft goofed. The so called "eight flavors" have been pulled off the Vista site. The information was released too soon (or so Microsoft says).

 

[Grandmaster]

Someone at Microsoft goofed. The so called "eight flavors" have been pulled off the Vista site. The information was released too soon (or so Microsoft says).

Good. I saw the page and it didn't seem to make much sense. If you read the page, it said you could only change icons and themes in the Ultimate Edition. Which would be funny and very stupid.