Vista: Not Cutting Edge, But Bleeding

Windows Vista is fundamentally different from other versions of Windows, even XP. Therefore, Vista requires updated device drivers for most hardware. At the time of Vista's release in January, almost no on-disk drivers were included with the off-the-shelf hardware. Some hardware already in the field became immediately obsolete when no future Vista support was planned by the manufacturer.

One example: Creative Labs' Soundblaster Live! series sound cards and earlier PCI- and ISA-bus sound cards. Basically, any hardware that's been in the market for more than three years is likely to have no Vista drivers available.

The earlier release of Windows XP did not cause this type of disruption to users and system builders. That's because Windows XP was built on the same code base as Windows 2000 and Windows NT. As a result, many older device drivers were already XP-compatible. These drivers could be pressed into service until new revisions were released. The same principle applied to Windows Millennium Edition; it was able to use device drivers originally programmed for Windows 95 and 98.

While many Vista drivers can be downloaded from manufacturers' Web sites, this process is tedious. And it's more tedious than allowing Windows to either install a built-in driver or install from a disk included with the hardware. What's more, when it comes to compatible hardware drivers, there seems to be much less support for the 64-bit versions of Vista out of the box.

Until these issues are resolved by hardware manufacturers, system builders will be forced to alter their systems' Bill of Materials to account for the lack of available Vista-compatible drivers. System builders must be sure that future Vista support will be forthcoming for the hardware they specify for their systems. I believe more time is also required to configure a Vista system, due to the need for finding and downloading device drivers and Windows Updates.

VISTA TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES: SOFTWARE APPS

If the problems of Vista incompatibility stopped with the device drivers, it might somehow be bearable. But they don't, and it's not.

Perhaps the worst nightmare of switching to Windows Vista is combating the various software application incompatibilities that plague this new OS. If you see one of those warning screens from Vista telling you that an application is not compatible, heed its advice and stop there.

The problem may be relatively mild, such as the need to download and install an update from the manufacturer (and not a small download, usually). Or it may be quite serious, such as finding that the system has locked up, won't respond, or has crashed entirely. In other cases, a system may behave oddly when trying to install or run applications that have not been reprogrammed for Vista.

System builders are essentially at the mercy of software manufacturers to release new versions of their programs that are Vista-compatible. Not every software maker will make Vista updates available right away for their current products. For example, Adobe recently announced that it will actually withhold Vista support for several of its products until the next version of Vista is released (see this news story for more details).

My final recommendation: If you have business customers who depend on certain core applications for their productivity, then be very careful before advising an upgrade to Vista.

Also, assume you will need to do a lot of research when planning for application migration and data transfer to Vista. If you do not plan for every possible outcome, you could end up with some seriously dissatisfied customers.

Waiting is another option. By the time Vista Service Pack 1 is available, I will likely change my mind and begin to eagerly advise my customers to switch to the new OS.

DAVID GILBERT is the owner of Appalachian Computer Systems, a West Virginia system builder that specializes in multiprocessor SCSI RAID servers.