2008 has been the year XP refused to die, Vista continued to cause controversy and Windows 7 made its first public appearance. Now we look back at the ups and downs of the world’s dominant operating system.

People in general don’t like anything new that requires getting “used to.”  That may be part of the problem with Vista.  According to a new article it seems it has been forgotten that XP wasn’t particularly popular when it was first released.

Symantec the software security firm has publicly expressed disappointment over Vista’s lackluster sales this Monday. It’s really not all that surprising because if Microsoft doesn’t make money neither does Symantec.

DirectX 10 was supposed to be the "holy grail" of Vista that would bring gamers in by the droves but this did not happen.  It seems some marginal gains in effects isn’t enough to overcome the headaches of Vista.

With the public re-release of Vista Service Pack 1 comes a host of new updates including the retirement of the Reduced Functionality Mode.

After compatibility issues last week many of you may already be aware that Vista SP1 and XP SP3 were delayed. They are now back with a vengeance, available for download since last night. I know just how excited you guys are to download these service packs which will greatly enhance your operating system adding much needed fixes, with a side of glitches in Vista SP1’s case.

Users testing out the new service pack 1 for Vista are reporting issues when using Windows Update for the latest sound drivers, experiencing problems with no audio after the update. This issue mainly seems to affect users with Sigmatel or now known as IDT high def sounds, which are used quite a bit on Dell’s PCs (mine included).

Skip Vista, and stick with XP? That’s what one reviewer has sugggested after extensive beta testing both service pack 1 for Vista and service pack 3 for XP.

If you were hoping to get Vista SP1 or Windows XP SP3 installed to your respective operating system, it may take a bit more time.  Microsoft has suspended the delivery of both service packs after some additional compatibility problems were discovered.

If you haven’t installed Vista SP1 yet then you’re in luck, it has been released to automatic update today but don’t be surprised if it doesn’t show up right away, Microsoft has released it but it’s more of a trickle release than a gushing flow.

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.

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.

A prerequisite update that is required to install Vista SP1 sent some systems into an endless reboot cycle.  Now, Microsoft has come up with an update for the update that should fix the problem.

The list of users who are experiencing more than a little difficulty with the new Service Pack 1 grows longer every day; it seems more and more users who boot multiple operating systems are experiencing grief as well.  Before installing Vista Service Pack 1, be sure to check out the boot systems you’re currently using if you use Windows Vista Enterprise or Vista Ultimate, otherwise your PC might end up the victim of a faulty SP1 install.

Many Vista users are justifiably a bit skittish when talk drifts to service pack 1, recently released by Microsoft; though home installations aren’t particularly difficult (though they could make you a nervous nelly), many larger companies will doubtless spend a good chunk of cash on IT help to ease the transition.  Microsoft has an answer for all those businesses who are looking for something a bit more streamlined, and it is a toolkit that should expedite the process quite nicely.