Submitted by Despite warnings to businesses about the dangers of skipping Windows Vista, many IT managers and CIOs are standing firm that the risks of migrating to Vista outweigh the benefits.
Why I’m Skipping Windows Vista: IT Managers Speak Out
About The Author
Adam Scheinberg
Technology Executive • Web Developer • Father • Foodie • Music Snob • OS enthusiast
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It’s really good to see that a growing number of IT decision-makers are finally seeing that there are alternatives to Windows. Not only are the alternatives less expensive, but they are much faster, less resource-hungry, more robust and more secure. They also come with lots of free software too (as well as the OS itself being free).
I use Linux, FreeBSD and OpenBSD and all are very good.
Edited 2008-11-04 21:38 UTC
“It’s really good to see that a growing number of IT decision-makers are finally seeing that there are alternatives to Windows. “
Huh?? The article had nothing to do with alternatives to Windows. The article was about not enough ROI and that most were sticking with Windows XP. Please read before posting.
The article was about firms “skipping Vista”. Some firms (already having XP) will be sticking with it.
Others (not mentioned in the article) will be looking around to see if there are alternatives out there (and if they do not, they are poor IT managers).
Please consider the big picture before posting…
Edited 2008-11-05 01:20 UTC
“Please consider the big picture before posting…
“
I always consider the big picture. That is why every OS has it’s place in my shops. I do not play favorites, and keep OSS out of places where it does not belong, just as I keep proprietary out of places it does not belong
. The big picture includes all the OS’s, this article however was not about that 
Correct indeed… at last we agree on something…
I agree that the article was not about “all of the OS’s”. However, OS’s other than Windows do form part of the big picture, as you’ve rightly mentioned.
My original post was simply aimed at giving praise where it is very due – that there are at last a few IT shops around who are realising that they do not have to stay in lockstep with Microsoft. Aaron Seigo (one of the KDE developers) has highlighted this in one of his blog posts here –
http://aseigo.blogspot.com/2008/10/next-battle-lines.html
That is all I was getting at – to quote him, “the market has choice and it knows it”.
The more that this happens, the better it is for everyone.
Now, I’ll fade back into the woodwork and watch my ratings plumb the depths…
Edited 2008-11-05 08:28 UTC
‘Skipping Vista’ automaticly indicate Windows users who use an older verions of Windows (xp) and are ‘skipping’ Vista in favor of the next version (Windows 7).
So there are no ‘others’ in relation to this shipping story.
I think you really just didn’t read the article and then when you got confronted with it, you tried to wiggle your way out of it.
Poor IT managers? People who don’t look for alternatives to things that work just fine are poor managers? A poor IT manager is a manager who changes OS for no good reason. If XP is working fine, then why upgrade to Vista? Move to another OS? I don’t think so.
I’m not moving my users to Vista, or looking for an alternative. I am letting my users get their work done. That’s what a good IT manager does. We are there to support the business.
If there is a good business case, to upgrade or change to something else, then I would do it. But there isn’t.
Edited 2008-11-05 17:10 UTC
Waiting till circumstances forces you to change to something else doesn’t sound like good risk management (and hence IT management). Looking for alternatives to the current environment doesn’t mean that you have to perturb users. And lowering vendor dependencies to gain flexibility during times when you are not immediately forced to take actions isn’t bad either.
I didn’t say I was waiting to be forced, I said I was waiting for a good business case.
For example, I have 12 users that have Vista on their laptops, it’s there because they are recruiters, and these laptops are the same as the ones students can buy in the campus computer store, so the case can be made for them.
There is a difference between being forced and being prudent. I like Vista, it’s on my laptop at home, but I’m not disrupting my users without a good reason.
IT managers who are pressure into allowing sales people run their environment are the ones in a poor state of being. Alternatives do exist and are applicable where appropriate. What they shouldn’t be doing is relying on sales people to decide whether or not they need to change their environment. Who better to have a big picture out look of your environment than you the IT manager… well maybe your users but then that is where you need to be able to interpret their needs properly.
Definitely not waiting for Windows 7.
After being hit with multiple rootkits in Windows, and struggling with drivers, security options, lack of compatibility with corporate programs in Vista, and network unusability with Vista, we took the plunge and started the switch to Linux.
Ubuntu Linux servers are far more usuable, easily maintained, secure, and are free.
We have reduced our IT budget significantly, increased up-time, and are quite happy with customization abilities.
We use the Kubuntu desktop, and immediate acceptance from former Windows users is quite high.
IT manageability of multiple installations is easier using Linux.
It is also nice to have open source groupware freely available and not have to rely on Outlook, which was also a major security pain in the neck.
We’re not skipping Vista for Windows 7. We’re skipping it for (Ubuntu) Linux.
“After being hit with multiple rootkits in Windows, and struggling with drivers, security options, lack of compatibility with corporate programs in Vista, and network unusability with Vista, we took the plunge and started the switch to Linux.”
LOL
Not the switch to Ubuntu..good if it works. What the LOL is for is that if you have gotten hit with multiple windows rootkits, and have struggled, you need a new IT department.
Why did you go to Vista in the first place? It appears you upgraded without looking into things such as application compatibility, drivers, you know, all the stuff that a real IT department would look at before upgrading anything? If you sir are a member of that group, please find a new occupation, like sales or something.
People aren’t upgrading to Vista because of cost, and the fact that there isn’t enough of changes to warrant the upgrade. Plus, economic times being tough, that means companies are being tight with the $$$.
There’s nothing wrong with Vista, it’s a fine operating system. The Linux advocates are pushing anything that meets their political agenda, whether it’s truthful or not. Thank [insert your diety here] your average person doesn’t give a **** about Linux, or what Linux advocates think!
Dave
Yeah you Linux lovers, you don’t like it when you hear the truth do you? You wonder why you only have a piddly 1-2% of the global populuation using your operating system choice, don’t you? Just keep sticking your heads in the sand, and lashing out at anyone that dares “bash” your beloved Linux and you’ll stay with the dregs.
Modding me down won’t change the truth of the matter, it just proves the idiotic fanaticism that you guys have. Good luck!
Dave
Dave, I don’t think the Linux lovers were modding you down. It was the Windows XP lovers. The Linux users were simply ignoring your dumb rant.
They’re almost as idiotically blind as the Linux lovers. Many of them haven’t even tried Vista for any length of time. They have old hardware that doesn’t work? Boohoo. Talk to the manufacturuers to get off their lazy asses and write drivers that support Vista.
I’m highly likely to switch from Canon to Nikon after 20 years, and lose probably 10k in lenses during the swap, because Canon is too ****ing tight to write 64 bit drivesr for my Mark IIn. Of course, before I do so, I’ll be doing everything I can to complain about Canon’s behaviour. I find it completely reasonable that for a 3 year old, 6k camera, for Canon to be compelled to write drivers for Vista 64 bit by the powers that be. Of course, we all know the collusion and favouritism that big business gets from governments, at the expense of the population, it’s a big FU really. So, I’ll vote with my wallet. Sony & LG are already on my exclusion list, I’m not afraid to add Canon, or any other manufacturer to that.
I ain’t rolling back from Vista because of Canon, or anyone else. These manufacturers don’t deserve to be in business for what they’re doing, and if any of you sons of bitches had any balls, you’d be taking similar stances. When money dries up, that’s the only thing these big companies understand. Time and time again they screw people over, and people bitch about it, but don’t do anything about it. You deserve what you get then.
Dave
For someone trying to depict others as hopelessly over-emotional and blind… you don’t seem to be coming off particularly objective yourself. I don’t really see a problem with the “lovers”. They might not see everything, but they are hardly blind. Love of platform is a great motivating factor, and a little evangelism is not a bad thing. It’s the “haters” that can be a problem.
I strongly dislike Microsoft and their OSes. But I can have very pleasant and productive conversations with people who dislike Linux. And I learn from them. Best to keep our loves, and do our best to convert our hates into healthy dislikes.
Best regards to Albert Ellis, wherever he may be. 🙂
Edited 2008-11-09 19:12 UTC