I’ve been using Vista for a couple of weeks and it’s definitely growing on me.  I originally tried a build back in June and I found things didn’t work too well.  The demos I tried, like extending a web app using sidebar gadgets was really cool, but I didn’t feel compelled to continue using the latest OS.

After RC1 was announced, I installed it again using a network install.  The installation process was extremely quick and painless – within 1 hour I had a new system running Vista and Office 2007.

Where did it go?

I’m sure there were many usability studies conducted during the design of the new OS.  Unfortunately, this leads to certain functions being difficult to find for someone using Windows XP for so many years.

For example, where did the “Run..” command go from the Start Menu?  It took me a while to find it because it’s defaulted not to show.  This probably makes sense for the majority of users – I’m sure many users, especially if you’re a new user, wouldn’t care to use that command.

What about “Add/Remove Programs”?  I’ve been so conditioned to use Add/Remove Program I didn’t think about a possible name change – simply “Programs”.    I tried to uninstall my fingerprint software (Lenovo software didn’t seem to work) when I came across this slight confusion.  Taking a step back – this makes sense, but it’ll take some time to adjust when you’re use to looking at something a certain way.

Other than these two small quirks, the experience has been great.  It’s a sleek look and a pleasure to use.  Before I had a chance to try Vista, I wasn’t sure why someone would consider upgrading from Windows XP Professional to the new OS.  After using it, I definitely feel the user experience has been improved significantly and it’s a worthwhile investment. 

(It would be great if there was a “Windows XP” UI that could be applied.)