This is one question that must have been asked millions of times during the past year, ever since it was launched.Here I present to you a brief comparison of the features of Windows XP with Vista Home Premium(the edition I've been using for the best part of previous year).The ususal practice in any O.S. debate has been that Linux invariably comes into the picture so I'd like to refrain from the age old Linux vs Windows debate.
The reason I started using Vista Home Premium was simple enough: It came free with my laptop and at that time, the thrill of using an ORIGINAL software was reason enough, as I'd been using pirated versions of XP for a long time. I didn't go into too much debate as to whether it's advisable to switch on to Vista or not and decided to explore it myself.After all, the option of switching on to XP was always there as you can get the CD from anyone.
Merits:It contains revolutionary features such as the much improved search option(highly recommended), the aero interface(which doesnt add much value in terms of performance but it's good to have nevertheless), the windows sidebar(again an optional gadget, not too essential) and the much improved installation guide/the help and support system and the frequent warnings(it can get boring but then it keeps your computer secure). The C.P.U and RAM meter is the feature I like the most, alongwith the improved search and navigating through windows thing. It gives you a straightforward information about how badly are you screwing your processor and is a good indicator to keep a check on the no. of programs/applications you're using at a time.There is this "typing software" as well, which can type the words you speak but then I've not used it much and from whatever I've seen, there's scope for improvement.
Demerits:The major demerit that I've found out is the really long boot time. I use Vista Premium on a 1GB RAM compaq and it really takes at least twice the time taken by xp to boot.You can, of course reduce the boot time by chaging/removing the start up programs/applications but then it's not recommended until you're close to a geek(and if you were a geek, you wouldn't be reading this anyway!!). At times the CPU meter gets stuck on 100% and you need to shut off all the programs/applications to continue uninterrupted work.I think both these problems can be solved by getting extra ram(may be 1GB), something that I've planned to do in the near future.
All in all, Vista is the way forward, with a few shortcomings but then, all the good things come with a few glitches,don't they?
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