Have you seen the Mojave Experiment? For those who haven’t, this is Microsoft’s attempt to prove that Windows Vista is really not that bad. For the experiment, 140 computer users were persuaded to tell us on camera why they don’t like Vista. They were then shown what they were told is a new operating system that Microsoft is developing called Mojave, which they all loved. Expressions of appreciation then turned to amazement when it was revealed that ‘Mojave’ was in fact Vista.
I watched with amazement and dismay. For a start, the participants have obviously not used Vista before so their change of heart is based on a short demonstration by a Microsoft representative. They have not felt the frustration of being unable to use a hardware device for lack of a driver, or an application because of unresolved incompatibilities. They have not experienced the unhelpful dialogs or the unexplained crashes.
I have not upgraded my office machines recently so they are all running Windows XP and work well with all my devices and applications. However we did recently upgrade our home machine and took the opportunity to get to know Microsoft’s new baby first hand. This has not been a total disaster but the problems we have had do not inspire me to upgrade my other machines. The next time I buy a new machine it will probably come with Vista – although when I bought a new laptop for my wife, who is a teacher, we were advised to stick with Windows XP as it would be easier to integrate with the school’s current systems.
I can understand Microsoft’s dilemma. Windows XP is very successful but is built on an old code-base, takes little advantage of the capabilities of the latest graphics hardware and is vulnerable to attack. However properly addressing these issues causes problems for third parties whose applications and devices risk being rendered incom