Big Business still shunning Microsoft Vista

Almost eighteen months after it was let loose in the market, Microsoft Vista remains as well received as a matchbox in a fire-work factory.

A major supplier caused a fracas this week by admitting that, despite Microsoft ending XP machines sales on 30 June, they were still shifting faster than bangers from a barbecue.

There is a legal loophole which allows PC makers to sell boxes with Vista licences but load up XP regardless. Microsoft counts these as Vista sales, Customers have XP, everybody is happy until, that is someone let the cat out the bag.

Mind you, there are no XP boxes at local stores; we are talking corporate sales such as a website design company here. Big Business is doing all it can to avoid taking on Vista. According to an international research report last month, less than 10 percent of the big companies have started using it at all.

Why the downer on Vista? Tests have suggested it is slower than XP and users claim it is harder to get to grips with. But how much anti-Vista feeling is caused by its reputation going before it.

Try looking up ‘Mojave Experiment’ on Google and find out what happened when Microsoft took a cross section of Vistaphobes and had them try ‘Mojave’ instead – before telling them that Mojave was actually Vista. Critics say, though, that this stunt had all the credibility of a David Blane special.

A breakthrough is desperately needed. The longer the industry rubbishes Vista and Microsoft persuades itself that all is well really, the irritations caused by its incompatibility with XP.