Windows Vista - SP2 - What functionality is removed this time?

[lforbes]

No Problem. I run Vista SP1 (hacked to get back most of the XP function) at
home with little issue. I actually prefer some of the features that were
added like the ability to rename a file without an extension and the Gadget
bar which I use a lot.

However, I am now the beta tester for our organization to see if we can
actually handle running Vista. I have XP and all Vista licenses have
Downgrade rights (Even OEM which surprised me) therefore I can keep XP as
long as I want.

The issue is that some of the new Dell laptops we buy literally don't have
any drivers for XP or they are very difficult to find. I know that it will
only be a matter of time before the drivers are just not available anymore
and we are forced to switch to Vista.

I need to be prepared.

I don't have Vista Business installed as of yet. We have switched our Select
License company and have not received our KMS key yet so I am not able to
test SP2.

Also with SP1 there were features removed that I wasn't even aware of for
awhile.

Cheers,
Lara

 

[lforbes]

I don't think more important per-sey. However it is easy for a home use to
create a shortcut on the desktop for the Desktop icon and IE. When you are
dealing with 2500 users all with profiles that roam the job becomes a lot
more complicated.

 

[Earle Horton]

You don't have to listen to your wife cursing about it...

Earle

 

[Steve Thackery]

Sorry. MS has decided that dumber is better.

Sarcasm aside, you are correct. They seem to have removed features for
no apparent reason in many places.

Although I have no patience for the chronic Vista knockers who like to
pollute this newsgroup, I do agree with those points. MS seems to feel
under pressue to make Vista more Mac-like, and hide (or completely remove)
anything that might be more complicated or "technical".

I think this might prove to be a big mistake. I do appreciate why the user
interface needs to be clean and simple by default, so it is accessible to
non-techies, but that shouldn't preclude having excellent technical
functionality available to power users and tech support people.

Now that I've realised where Lara is coming from, and grovelled for
misunderstanding her initial comments, I'm happy to accept her, and Bob's,
points that MS is removing functionality for no good reason.

At risk of making big generalisations, the Mac seems to be very attractive
to (and marketed for) creative types who are generally uncomfortable with
"nuts 'n' bolts" computing (I'm thinking of my sister-in-law, for example,
who hates Windows and loves Mac OS). Windows has always been more
complicated and "technical", and harder to learn, certainly. But that suits
me very well - I've always appreciated being able to get right into the guts
of the OS. Linux is even further along the "tech-head" spectrum - too far,
for my liking.

Different types of people buy different OSs, and Windows fills an important
place in the market. I really don't want Windows to start moving into Mac
OS territory and leaving behind those users who want it to do what it does
now.

SteveT

 

[+Bob+]

I think this might prove to be a big mistake. I do appreciate why the user
interface needs to be clean and simple by default, so it is accessible to
non-techies, but that shouldn't preclude having excellent technical
functionality available to power users and tech support people.

Having trained thousands of users in a previous business, I can tell
you reliably that no matter how dumb you make it, the users who don;t
have a clue still don't get it. Making it simpler just pisses off the
people who have a clue.

But, that said, there's also no reason MS could not have kept the
features available in XP and just made them optional i.e.
configurable. Not to mention, in some places they've gone completely
over the edge onto some wavelength I can't quite pin down (not
friendly, not dumber, not better) and the only response is "WTF could
they be thinking" e.g. the Vista Search feature.

Different types of people buy different OSs, and Windows fills an important
place in the market. I really don't want Windows to start moving into Mac
OS territory and leaving behind those users who want it to do what it does
now.

I can concur with that. Mac's are beyond annoying, confining, and
restrictive. And contrary to popular opinion, they do crash.