Today Microsoft released the 2.0 version of the Windows Vista Hardware Assessment (WVHA) tool . This

WVHA v2.0 was released earlier today. Baldwin Ng, Sr. PM on the Microsoft Solutions Accelerators team

The ugly Windows 95 era folder icons catch my attention in the screenshot.

Nice try, but no cookie.

Run install program. See it needs Word 2003 or 2007 when an earlier version is installed. Install free word viewer and 2007 compatibility pack.

Re-run install. Watch it fail again. Colour me unimpressed. We don't need to upgrade Word, and expect tools such like this which are only viewing data, to work with the free viewer.

When are Microsoft going to stop bungling Vista ? Sub par releases, no date for Vista SP 1 (next week, 2008, who knows?), no details on Ultimate extras, extortionate pricing in the UK, cynical product feature selection meaning the Ultimate edition is needed for more than basic business usage, or home usage with business functions (like say, backup), unwanted DRM and by all accounts faulty product registration.

No business is going to move to Vista until the bugs are fixed, the performance is improved, and SP1 is released.

Where's the consumer version of this upgrade tool? Surely the Upgrade Advisor 1.0 is out of date now, sending the message that Microsoft really doesn't care about consumers.

Syllopsium, you are running a prior-to-v2003 version of Microsoft Word?

Why then would you care about Windows Vista? It is apparent that your (I'm assuming) pre-2003 system *CANNOT* run Windows Vista!

Rant aside, let me help you through your points:

When are Microsoft going to stop bungling Vista ?

In what way?

Sub par releases:

Please!

no date for Vista SP 1 (next week, 2008, who knows?):

What do you want to see improved? Please write a detailed epistle.

no details on Ultimate extras:

Question: if you do not have Windows Vista, should you care? However, since you do, please read this blog post (http://windowsultimate.com/blogs/announcements/archive/2007/07/02/update-on-the-windows-ultimate-extras.aspx) very carefully. You just might find some details.

extortionate pricing in the UK:

As opposed to….?

cynical product feature selection meaning the Ultimate edition is needed for more than basic business usage, or home usage with business functions (like say, backup):

So not true!

unwanted DRM:

Believe it or not, it does cost money to create content, and since we live in a capitalist society, leastways in the Western world, the artists want to, and deserve to be paid for their efforts.

by all accounts faulty product registration:

How many faulty product regs have you encountered, Sol?.

No business is going to move to Vista until the bugs are fixed, the performance is improved, and SP1 is released:

Over 50 million copies sold makes you either a truly bad prognosticator, or a liar

Where's the consumer version of this upgrade tool?

Windows Upgrade Advisor ring any bells?

My $0.02

John, it might actually help if you read my post and didn't make any assumptions.

All the systems at my workplace, and at home, are perfectly capable of running Word 2003 or later. The point is that we have no desire to upgrade - no need of the new features, and we do not wish to pay the upgrade price.

If the number of complaints about Vista performance, resource usage and bugs are tracked, plus the failure to uptake by any sizeable business are taken into account, I think 'bungled' is an appropriate word.

Improvements in SP1 would be : all notable bugs fixed (such as all the file I/O bugs many people have). More performance. A more tuned UAC - it's clearly not got the balance right.

The statement you link to about Vista Ultimate updates is marketing waffle with no substance. There's no detail about the extras or their exact timescale.

Extortionate pricing in the UK - where it is twice the price of in the US. That, by any standard, is a ripoff. I should point out the exchange rate for a considerable period has been 2 dollars to the pound..

The cynical feature selection is entirely true. Consumers might reasonably expect backup and disk imaging. Business users might reasonably expect some improved multimedia features. *all* users of Vista might expect Bitlocker, seeing as Steve Ballmer apparently thinks it's so critical.

DRM restricts how people can transfer content to their devices, the devices they can use to view that content, and frequently the quality of the output. Operating systems should work for the user, not serve the self interest of others.

I haven't personally had any faulty product registrations, but have heard of several cases of it being more than overenthusiastic.

I think I'm going to trust the word of people like Intel over not moving to Vista, rather than 50 million that are bundled with new machines.

If you read my post, you'll see I already mention the upgrade advisor, and ask if this is sufficient. Surely it should be updated inline with the new app.

I actually have Vista; I'd quite like to use it, but I'm not going to until I see some sniff of SP1. There are some rumours the beta may be as early as next week, but frankly nothing firm. The Vista driver situation has only recently improved, despite it being available all year.

Perhaps it is time to start trialling Vista, but it's been a rocky year so far.

Syllopsium:

I agree with you--Vista still has a long way to go and MS should put out a new version of its upgrade advisor for consumers and get SP1 out so many of their issues can be resolved.

If any businesses out there have half a brain--they will see the problems that consumers are running into with Vista and wait for MS to get its act together before taking the dive. MS is obviously interested in getting all businesses to move to a new OS but hopefully they'll get the message that eye candy alone isn't a good reason to upgrade.

That's why I got tired of being MS's test-bed and went back to XP/Pro. I'll reinstall my Vista when I'm convinced MS has cleared the majority of its problems. Who know--it could be another 2-3 years. By that time, MS will be advertising its next OS to the world.

A Friday the 13th edition of the weekly roundup, cool...anyway E3 and the Microsoft World Wide Conference

What a joke! Word/Excel 2003 is a pre-req!

Hi all, A few months ago, I had the pleasure to meet David Feng, Director of Technical Services in Systex

Today Microsoft released the 2.0 version of the Windows Vista Hardware Assessment (WVHA) tool . This

The wait is over! The Microsoft Solution Accelerators Team is pleased to announce the newly-released

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