Windows Vista

No

I can't get any hardware to work with it, or get a suitable driver that works.

Here's an example for starters... Maxtor One Touch III Portable Hard Drive (100GB)...

Plug it in to XP or 2000 USB 2.0 and it detects the to55ing thing straight away... all the 'fix it's' for Vista tell you to insert the software CD which doesn't actually exist?

Haven't tried it but would like to know what are the advantages over XP. Apple claims that Vista copies the look and some of the features of their latest Leopard OS. It's been said that good artists copy but great artists steal. So perhaps the same is true here?

You do recall how Jobs got the first Apple GUI, don't you?

Someone with a solution
The only external USB HD I have is my CompactDrive PD70X, and I just plugged that in and it worked first time...

If there's an installer, right click it, and select RunAs Administrator - some installers assume they're running as admin, and break if they aren't.

Some of the advantages of Vista over XP:
More secure by default - for example IE7 runs low privs, so it's harder for malware to take hold.
UAC should prevent programs running unless you invite them.
Shiny UI
Faster network - the internet does actually feel faster on this machine than it did on the same (clean) machine under XP
Firewall on by default (as XP-SP2 onwards)

Whether it's worthwhile for a particular person is a bit of a lottery at the moment - as Dtox has found, some drivers are not yet ready. To be honest I like it and haven't had any problems with drivers either, in fact I found it better than XP in that regard... For most mainstream folk, I'd say wait until SP1, that's usually the time to think about an upgrade - the vendors might have woken up, and any major bugs should have been squished. In the interim, XP-SP2 is fine with anti-virus and anti-spyware - which are a good idea no matter what platform you're using.

FYI: I'm still running my beta copy of Vista, and I prefer it to XP-SP2/Win2k. I'll probably buy the upgrade version when this build timebombs at the end of May.

#5. Bob. Jobs has alway been the first to admit appropriating from PARC. Though I doubt that his feelings toward Windows will mellow. Perhaps Vista will change his attitude concerning what he called a third-rate operating system. But Microsoft has the last laugh always.

Sxxx or not.
You chose to buy it, you could of stuck with XP or another type like Linux.

I think Bill will have the last laugh, eventually people will upgrade to Vista or the future editions of windows.
Or you can use others like Linux ..

At the risk of hijacking the thread, I see many references to Linux being better than Windows. What would be the benefits to someone like me, an average PC user, of using Linux. I don't have any problems with Windows that I'm aware of..