It’s hard to believe all of the FUD that is being repeated (over and over) about Windows Vista by the press and bloggers. The interesting thing is that you could slowly see it start to ramp up from when the RTM build was published; now, just a few hours before the official launch, it’s at a fever pitch. The tipping point was probably the Gutmann whitepaper that basically asserted that the DRM in Vista was a Very Bad Thing™ and that started a whole round of misinformation, speculation and paranoid conspiracy theories.

The thing that really annoys me the most, however, is that you have these techno-pundits who have never actually used Vista simply regurgitating things that they’ve read on someone else’s blog or some article in the trades. It’s like a book reviewer who glances at the cover, reads a paragraph or two of the forward and then writes a scathing review denouncing it as rubbish because they’ve read a previous book by the same author that they didn’t like. Not only is it disingenuous, it’s patently unfair to both the author and the potential readers. The same principal applies here. If you haven’t actually used the operating system (and I mean really use it, not just install it), then you have no business writing about its vices or its virtues.

Here’s a sampling of some of the questions and comments that I’ve come across over the past few months:

1. Fiction: Only digitally signed applications can be installed on Vista.
   Fact: Programs do not have to be digitally signed to be installed on the operating system. If they are downloaded, then you will be presented with a warning dialog indicating the publisher is unknown, but this is essentially the same sort of thing that users have seen for years with Windows XP.
   
2. Fiction: Only managed code (.NET) programs will work on Vista.
   Fact: Vista supports both managed and unmanaged (native) code. It includes the .NET Framework (all versions of it) so it does make it less of a hassle to redistribute managed programs, but Microsoft hasn’t eliminated the ability to run native Win32 applications.
   
3. Fiction: The Win32 API was replaced by the .NET Framework.
   Fact:  The Win32 API is still there in all its glory, and if you prefer SDK style programming, there’s nothing to stop you.
   
4. Fiction: Vista is only available for 64-bit systems or can't be installed on older computers.
   Fact: There are both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Vista, just like there are for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. And you can install Vista on older systems, but you may not be able to use all of the "bells and whistles" such as the Aero Glass desktop.
   
5. Fiction: You can’t run 16-bit legacy applications under Vista.
   Fact:  The 32-bit version of Vista will run 16-bit applications under WoW32 just as Windows XP does. However, 16-bit programs will not run under the 64-bit version.
   
6. Fiction: Vista only supports DRM enabled audio formats.
   Fact:  You can rip, burn and play music in non-DRM formats like MP3 using Windows Media Player or the third-party software of your choice. Of course, Vista will enforce any licensing restrictions for content if it exists, just as it does under earlier versions of Windows.
   
7. Fiction: High-definition video played over an insecure channel can force the entire desktop to a lower resolution.
   Fact:  The (largely theoretical) issue about image down-conversion originates from the Gutmann whitepaper, and he’s simply wrong. Down-conversion of the image only happens if the content creator specifies it, and only for that specific content. It doesn’t do anything to the desktop or other windows. Not to mention that no movie studios have said they’re going to actually use the image constraint option in AACS; in fact, a few of them that said outright that they are not going to use it for any of their titles.
   
8. Fiction: UAC security prompts are displayed every time you run a program.
   Fact:  Prompts are displayed whenever an installation package is run, and when the program requires it (either by specifying it in a manifest, or the user selecting that it should be run with administrative privileges). Users will frequently see the UAC prompt when they first setup their systems, but rarely after that. Once their software is installed, it will be a non-issue. People buying new systems with pre-installed software will hardly notice it.

Windows Vista is a solid operating system and a definite step forward for the platform and for Microsoft’s commitment to security. It is not a panacea; it will not eliminate all security threats, resolve every compatibility issue, end world hunger or create a lasting peace in the Middle East. Upgrading to Vista will not be a religious experience for you. Likewise, you are not risking eternal damnation by installing it. It’s just an operating system, folks.