Vista RC2 Available, 2006-10-07 - Your reactions

[linathael]

The last beta version of Vista has been released, even though it is only for official beta testers for the time being. The RC2 should be available for the public in the coming days.
Microsoft seems to be on track to its schedule for releasing the final version beginning Q1 2007. Apple will probably release Leopard around Q2 2007. But for sure Steve jobs will probably comment on Vista during the San Francisco MacWorld Keynote.

We think that Vista is a good thing for both Mac users and Apple:
- First for Mac users because it will force Apple to keep the innovation wheel running, with the release of OSX 5 years ago, the system is fully mature, reliable and robust, and the recent updates have mostly been on "cosmetics" aspects or "gadgetization" (widgets); without really bringing ground breaking innovation. It is also normal, every OSX updates should not be a complete new system, but rather bringing improvements and reliability; however, after Tiger, there is not much to improve, and Leopard with have to bring new features and improvements coming from deeper layer in the system.
- For Apple, via BootCamp and Parallels, a Mac has never been so closed to the universal computer, allowing any users to run its favorite applications independent of the OS. It will also strongly secure PC users tempted by a switch to MacOSX. Indeed, in addition to the dual boot abilities of the MacIntel, Microsoft Windows has never been so closed/similar to MacOS (we did not say so well copied). But MacOSX will be a fully mature system while vista will require at least 2 years to become a reliable OS, based on the life cycle of WinXP.

At the end Microsoft Vista might be the best weapon for Cupertino to reach the expected 10% market shares.

[translation by Linathael]

[Stéphane]

I must say, I really didn't like Vista GUI in the first place: too much transparency, too many color gradients and reflection effects in the windows, items positioning very different from window to window and what with all the contextual information displayed everywhere — green-like horizontal field at the top, green column at the left with hyperlinks at its bottom, glossy green-blue bar at the top of the window for views settings and grey comments under each item?. It is a mess to look at, and it is IMHO very disruptive when you try to quickly identify / analyze information…

See by yourselves:

 winvista_5744_01.jpg ( 101.66K ) Number of downloads: 105
 winvista_5744_14.jpg ( 90.01K ) Number of downloads: 93
 winvista_5744_22.jpg ( 94.68K ) Number of downloads: 94
 winvista_5744_25.jpg ( 97.72K ) Number of downloads: 93


GUI basics focus on allowing users to become used to retrieve information using the same means and at the same places (hence the spatial Finder metaphor often discussed, notably by John Siracusa from Arstechnica). In the case of Vista, and XP before it, information seems to be scattered everywhere in the "Windows Explorer" windows and, for example, the layout changes greatly between Control Panels and Folder content views: information are very different in kind and very differently placed; still the windows aren't different enough (as in OS X Preferences Pane and Finder window) to suggest their function is different which is the case (listing content vs analyzing components/settings specifics and acting upon them)!

Besides that, I feel MS made their way in modern GUI "discovery" with eyecandyness in mind… above all. I think they have the feeling they are playing catch up with OS X Aqua ex-innovative features and would end doing better than them, just by using more transparency and more animations…
Sure enough, IT isn't a problem with people who don't mind losing some efficiency in analysing information on their – already – cluttered screens (thanks Gadget bar) and who will rejoice using a visually stunning GUI… BUT it is really a problem with professionnal relying on their OS GUI to retrieve/check/sort tons of information snipsets on their machines…
And I don't write about the workload Vista is putting on the computer graphics shoulders…

Pros are faced with this choice : using lots of candyness and losing efficiency or being stuck with Windows 95/XP unsexyness forever. Because, although Vista uses too many visually obstructing effects, it brings also a lot of welcome GUI refinements…

What is stranger is Apple and Adobe (Lightroom) interfaces seem to be heading in another direction with neutral colors, darker backgrounds, fewer textures, less bumpy buttons on their pro apps…

Let me summarize my main problem with Vista: colorful gradients in widnows, desktop background colors visible throughout windows borders and menu bar, lots of colorful icons in windows and their "special informative" column, glossy bars with colorful elements (URGE "letters" in WMP, Windows logo in Taskbar)… all are REALLY disruptive for anlyzing visual content… Varying positions for informative bits about listed elements (left colum, top horizontal field, bottom field, top glossy view setting bar, grey fonts under each listed element etc. all is making information retrieval in Vista A MESS.

What about Apple OS X then? We all agree to say Apple progressively toned down Aqua most candylike elements : less bumpy buttons, greyer windows, less brushed aluminium, smaller arrows and sliders etc. Apple is goning the other way, now that his system has showed off its visual "modernity". We Mac users are calling that "refinement" of the GUI…

My fear in the Windows Vista / Mac OS Leopard upcoming comparisons is that Vista will appear more modern to untrainded eyes who would unconciously prefer candyness over efficiency since VISTA RC2 IS REALLY GOOD AT MAKING XP LOOKING OUDATED AND DULL.

Pros are another story but Vista is offering lots of improvements on the features front to satisfy them nonetheless, and, since OSes war are generally won through basic consumers dwelling, I am more than a little sad of Apple lack of major inovation on the interface front those last 3-4 years…

Now, Leopard prensentation at WWDC was lacking the touted secret features: if like me, you hope there will be a major redesign of the OS interface and the Finder, nearly-exclusively focused on making Vista looking visually outdated, then I would like to know what you think it would be like…

1- More professionnal/neutral looking GUI elements as in Apple pro apps, toned down Aqua, grey windows a la iTunes AND visual striking animation/effetcs like Aperture magnifying glass and the likes?
2- A lot of new Apple candyness (animations, transparency, secret drawers and thumbnails) to compete with MS in the same "form over function" war ?
3- Something unheard of : the next generation of OS GUI making OS X looking like a Barbie thing and Vista's Luna as a pale copy of it?

This post has been edited by Stéphane: Oct 9 2006, 09:31 AM

[Boomer]

I am not sure too many people will see the nice glasslike interface of windows, and the flip 3d effect.

I just installed the RC1 on a 2 year old NB, with an ati 7500 card, and it cant show the glasseffects.
Guess most of the cheaper PC which have been sold like crazy in the last years, have either the onboard intel cards or cheap add ons which will probably be unable to show Aero with all graphic options.

Without the glass the windows are grey and looks much more like Tiger.

Also Vista hugs resources like mad, takes about 300-350 MB of ram, if you have just 512 you can forget working with it.

But what anoyes me the most is the new way the explorer scrolls on its own, when directiores are to long to be displayed right, its scrolling left and right and in every direction. Makes you dizzy.

Was quite amazed, the windows react nicely and quick. Also startup time isnt too bad. A fresh install of the NB was also quick, much quicker then a XP install. An update of the XP running on it was quite different. I like that you can place the gadgets freely in your desktop, a nicer solution the the extra layer for the Widgets.

But if you just dig a bit deeper, underneath that nice new desktop, you still find all the old windows stuff. And it looks like it ever looked. Device Manager, Services,Control panel.... Still the same no new ideas there and of course you still have the regeditor.

[guerom00]

I like very much Aero; I find it beautiful.
What wastes everything on any Windows computer is this hideous system font…

[moose]

Yeah, too bad especially since MS is very good at releasing great fonts, like Verdana for example...
Regarding flip3D, two remarks:
1) it sucks big time in terms of anti-aliasing, even with a high-end 3D card with multiple AA support (just have a look at the screenshots around the web)
2) As it stacks the open windows (instead of tiling them, à la Exposé), when you activated flip3D you do not see the content of all open windows... to be able to spot a particular window, you need to "scroll" through the Flip'd windows... slower and less useful, even if the 3D effect is sure to attract some "oooohs" and "ahhhhs"... a bit like when you Fast Switch users on your PowerBook and all the neighbouring PC users go "ahhhhhhhh" when the ysee the rotating cube transition.

[guerom00]

I'm listening to TWIT right now : Paul Thurrott is talking a little bit about RC2

[Stéphane]

I am not sure too many people will see the nice glasslike interface of windows, and the flip 3d effect.

I use it mainly through Parallels (OpenGL graphics emulated), hence I don't have the transparency effects but I still have the colorful gradients and glossy bars …

I always liked the way close/resize buttons are on top right of windows, it seem so much more natural! And the close button is really distinctive which is a good thing.

[cheerful]

eyecandy definitely ... but i think i'll probably still pick mac os over Vista any day. crap ... u have a 7500 card, i'm running a rage pro 8Vram here ...

thanks for the screenshots.