Windows Vista Windows Vista...Like It Or Not

Personally, like many of you, I have a hate-love relationship with this new, extremely hyped OS. I have become quite familiar with it, working with it now for about 3 months, mainly in the areas of media production. OK, on the upside... Vista's security is such that it rivals Fort Knox. So much so, that even the user (owner) must negotiate with the system for special permissions to do simple tasks like delete a folder, and we're not just talking critical root folders here, but even deleting a simple menu folder requires that one give up their eye teeth and left kidney before getting a pass. Next, I have come to appreciate the nifty improvements in navigation; jumping from the Documents folder to the Program Files folder for example is a breeze, due to the added navigation buttons at the top of the windows. Several other niceties are the auto-refreshing of file lists, multi-choices in folder/file viewing, expanded search options, an improved email server, and a sleeker overall 32 bit appearance in graphics. OK, now for the bad news...Aside from the aformentioned security annoyances, there are a whole slew of others, including some really buggy ones that sent me fleeing to my local computer store to buy a reduced price copy of Windows XP, only to find that I cannot install it on my brand new HP Pavilion v6500 laptop...aaaarrrrrgggghhhh!!!! Next, call me festidious, but I would rather prefer that my folder/file views are left the way I had them, thank you, and not rearranged to Vista's liking each and everytime I return to a particular window..."and who's been sleeping in my bed?!" (By the way, Neuton's fundamental law of gravity dictates that if you stand an open folder on it's side, that is vertically, all of the contents will indeed fall out.) Unfortunately, it gets worse...you know all of those beloved, endearing programs you paid a pretty penny for? Get ready to unload a fair amount of them at your next garage sale, because Vista treats them like terrorists trying to sneak across the Mexican border. (Darn, wouldn't you know it, I forgot to take my crash course in 16 bit vs. 32 bit compatibility.) And what is up with Windows Media Player 11? I just want to listen to some music, not get roped and lassled into buying the new Britney Spears album. And the layout looks like it was designed by an Anime art student. (Not that there's anything wrong with Anime.) And so, here I sit in my high-chair, being force-fed mashed split pea; which tastes pretty bland, because I have already had my dessert...mmmmm, yummy.

P.S. Bill, I had a premonition that another pie was headed straight for your mug. And it wasn't Lemon Muringue either.