Perhaps one of the largest factors to Vista’s success or failure is whether or not companies choose to adopt the new Windows Vista operating system, stick with the tried and true XP, or hold off until Windows 7. It would seem that businesses don’t see any perks to adopting Vista, which doesn’t bode well for Microsoft.

Everything is swell when you’re a monopoly; you have the run of your playground, and plenty of minions to look up to you. In Microsoft’s case, Google is the monopoly running an adjacent playground, and threatening to come over and take control, because Google will be more profitable than Microsoft Windows within one year.

There’s no way around it: the vast majority of consumers and businesses are in a full-on funk as to what to do with Windows. Do they stick with the tried and true Windows XP, grudgingly adopt Vista with the knowledge that Windows 7 might be no better, or play the waiting game for Microsoft’s “apology” OS, Windows 7, hits the market? A Microsoft memo grants these insights: Windows 7 will probably be the embodiment of what Microsoft intended to do with Vista and more, but don’t hold your breath, because you’ll be waiting for Windows 7 until 2010.

Grand Theft Auto IV, released by the much acclaimed Take Two Interactive, is one of the most successful pieces of software to ever hit the market. Are there things that long-time software giant Microsoft could learn from the one of the most successful software launches in video game history?

Selling Windows Vista isn’t just about glassy interfaces, optimizing performance, and let’s not forgot those “gadgets.” Productivity software is just as important to consumers as a “modern” interface, and doing things like overhauling and reinventing applications like Outlook could have just be the key to getting consumers on board with Windows Vista, and might be the cause of some consumers’ dissatisfaction.

Sometimes having the most used operating system in the world still isn’t enough to get buyers to to adopt a system that isn’t catching good vibes from the media. Microsoft seems to be having that very problem with Windows Vista, but there are still a few tricks it can pull in hopes of increasing popularity.

Though many consumers aren’t suffering the woes of being forced to upgrade to Windows Vista, what with a very suitable XP SP3 readily available, businesses are in an altogether different position. Analysts believe that Microsoft’s halt on distribution of XP to retailers and manufacturers will force businesses to upgrade to Vista, whether they like it or not.

Now that Cuba is out of the control of Fidel Castro and is in the hands of Raul Castro, some things are definitely changing; one of those things is a lift on the ban of computers. Though it’s probably very exciting for Cubans, there’s only 1 model of PC being sold, and its just a bit more than underwhelming.

For those of you staying true to Windows Vista, there are a few good alternatives available in the way of instant messaging clients. Yahoo!, maker of a popular instant messaging client among other things, has just released a new beta for Windows Vista, and there are a couple new perks that should entice instant messaging addicts everywhere.

Everyone following the power struggle between the tried and true older sibling in the Windows family, XP, and the younger, brasher, very-out-of-shape-from-too-many-cherry Pop-Tarts sibling, Vista, knows that Windows XP SP3 is offering a strong and fast update to a familiar OS for those who aren’t feeling Vista’s SP1.  If, for whatever reason, you can’t wait until Microsoft debuts the service pack itself, you might be happy to find out there’s a working torrent floating around of SP3 for your pirating pleasure.

It seems as though the online community is uniting under one particular thought: with Vista faltering in the marketplace, many are simply waiting for news of the operating system that will take Vista’s place, now being called Windows 7.  However, many are even less excited about Windows 7, because some are suggesting that Microsoft will take a modular approach to the distribution of its next operating system to consumers.  

Or at least a few key points I think every intelligent reader should consider before simply taking what “authorities” have to say on the superiority of certain operating systems. I’m going to give you a great example of thoughtless Windows Vista promotion and explain why even your favorite websites might be getting it very wrong.

Just when everyone thought that Microsoft’s goose was near to fully cooked in all its greasy goodness, it seems as though the goose is getting some breathing room; though mounds of incriminating evidence against Microsoft in the “Vista-capable” lawsuit has been piling up in rapid fashion, the well-paid lawyers at Microsoft have found a loophole and earned a bit of time to either rally a defense or order a tombstone epitaph. 

I’m still not sure whether I should even classify this as news, per se, but take it as you will: if you’re sitting in front of an operating system-less PC, holding a copy of Vista SP1 in your right hand and a copy of XP SP3 in your left, and you can’t decide which OS to go with, your now barren PC will run better with XP SP3.

The recent hullaballoo over the exploit that opens up Vista through Adobe Flash has the hacking community grinning from metaphorical ear to ear.  The same can’t be said for Adobe, and what’s less of a surprise in the midst of the controversy is that Adobe is now claiming it knew about the exploit all along.