Vista Works for Me

About a month ago I bought a new Sony Vaio computer—my third since 2002—and with it the Vista operating system and Microsoft Office 2007. I couldn’t be happier with my choice. Of course, I was leery after reading the negative reviews and for a few fleeting seconds I actually considered switching to a Mac. But, as a consultant, I need to be as compatible as possible with my clients and I’ve always enjoyed my Sony computers.
My transition to Vista was almost immediate. There was about five minutes of new learning before I felt comfortable. I like the changes Microsoft has made to the look and feel and to the file system. I’m sure there is much more that is changed but it all seems transparent to me. I haven’t had any problems with crashes and/or bugs, knock on wood. And, I really like the automatic updates and built- in computer diagnostics capability. When I bought the new computer, I knew I had to also buy a new printer—my old one would not be compatible—but that was no problem as the prices on very good printers are so low and with rebates, it became a non issue. The only compatibility issue I’ve had is with automatic sync with my BlackBerry and that can be straightened out when I either have time to buy a new Blackberry (which I need to do) or call customer support.
Even more than Vista, I am thrilled with Office 2007. I find it is easier to find features, more intuitive and improves my productivity. Many of the changes are small tweaks but when added up, they make a big difference in my efficiency and overall enjoyment of the user experience. Again, it has been totally easy to learn and when I did have a problem migrating my Office 2003 Outlook file into Office 2007, I called Microsoft customer support. With very little wait time, I had a great agent on the phone who downloaded a software app that allowed him to take control of my screen. He helped me fix the problem, was extremely courteous and, it was free.
Over the years of dealing with Windows XP I became a very disillusioned Microsoft customer. But, now, Vista and Office 2007 have reset my positive expectations. Nice going, Microsoft.