Windows has again created the perfect mainstream OS.
A mainstream OS consists of: Bling Bling colours, Transparencies, pseudo 3D, and inbuild-everything so the (mainstream)user doesnt need any other software.
For an advanced, or even moderate users those things arent really important.
What the user of today wants is: performance, an OS that takes up less Space and Ressources, easy configuration of devices and software.
I dont really understand why Vista is that popular, it eats up half of the performance (on almost every not high end machine) i want to have available for other applications, and truly disturbs me with his pseudo 3d look.
MS is slowly but surely moving in the direction of a Movie-OS, where the computer flashes small squares if it searches and does strange noises.
I work on XP, why? 1st, it came with my Laptop in 2003, since my Laptop is dead, there is no reason to still use it. Still i stripped XP to the look of standard Windows and deactivated manually processes that are completely unnecessary.
My box now boots in 30seconds and is stable, as long as i dont fuck with it too much.
An major upgrade to Vista would just give me things i dont want, higher usage of ressources, and therefore less ressources for other applications (i mostly dont talk about gaming).