Windows Vista in pictures

We're not entirely sure when the "Wow" starts, but our Vista coverage certainly starts now. We've got plenty coming down the pipeline for Microsoft's biggest software launch in years, but let's dive in right now and get our hands dirty, yeah? How about a comprehensive screenshot gallery of over a hundred pictures of Vista in action to whet your appetite? Sorry Mac fans, you may want to avert your i's.

Gallery: Windows Vista in pictures

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[LiQUid @ Jan 29th 2007 2:47PM]

First?

In other news XP > Vista

[BTS.WRKNG @ Jan 29th 2007 2:48PM]

THEY JUST HAVE NO TASTE.

[Michael @ Jan 29th 2007 2:49PM]

I have an idea - how about we stick to Vista conversation here, and have no mention of Mac or OSX?

[Marian @ Jan 29th 2007 3:57PM]

I wouldn't discuss about OS X here. But Microsoft forced me, by ripping off so many things out of it:
- Expose -- they made the crappy shuffle card thing, when a window covers another
- Dashboard -- they changed the name. Now they are gadgets. Not widgets
- Spotlight
- many others...

[brendan Sheehan jnr @ Jan 29th 2007 9:44PM]

If you didn't want anyone to mention OS X, then why'd you bring it up? I think Vista reminded you of something?

In all seriousness though I would have no problem with people mentioning Vista on a OS X thread if they had a point to make. If we can't contrast Vitsa to the major competition then what's the point in anybody ever reviewing it? Here's an example I think you might understand; Volvo recently just brought out the Volvo C30, it's not bad, but I prefer the Volvo S40, and seen as they are around the same price, if I'm in the market for a new car and have that much to spend, when I'm getting my next car I'll be going for the S40, cause I like the S40 more. If I wasn't going to get the C30 when you knew I was in the market for one, you'd ask me why, but you would say before you tell me the answer you're not allowed mention any other cars, would you?

[MearWolf @ Jan 29th 2007 2:51PM]

Almighty Vista, we humble mortals bow down before your beautiful glory

[derfreddy.de @ Jan 29th 2007 3:39PM]

you forgot a smiley.. i nearly overread the irony

[Matt @ Jan 29th 2007 6:35PM]

It's official: Microsoft employess lack any sort of original thought process. Gadgets??!! What a joke.

[tcc3 @ Jan 29th 2007 5:26PM]

So I take it Gadets were *completely* original when OSX copied them from Konfabulator?

Lets be fair now.

[Marian @ Jan 29th 2007 2:56PM]

OSX ripoff...

[Christopher @ Jan 29th 2007 2:56PM]

Vista is a nice clean OS. It took a bit to get used to for me. I finally am used to it and prefer some of the new features. Such as the Search Indexer.

[T @ Jan 29th 2007 3:04PM]

It is no OS X, that is for sure.

[dunk @ Jan 29th 2007 2:56PM]

i played around with vista this weekend and i will say it's very nice. lots of gimmicky stuff, but fun. the window redraw was really nice compared to winXP and for the first time i can say windows "feels" right. hard to explain, but in the past windows' windows has always felt like tissue paper, but they "feel" much weightier in vista.

flip3d is totally useless though. looks bad, works even worse. i was also a little disappointed in the system-wide search. i was expecting it to be faster than spotlight on OS X.

[matt e @ Jan 29th 2007 3:02PM]

Engadget, what exactly would I avert my eye's from? This ugly piece of imitative crap?

*commence negative score on my comments from windows fan boys.

[Joshua @ Jan 29th 2007 2:58PM]

My impressions of this OS kinda went like this:
"Oh hey this is pretty nice looking."
"This isn't as bad as I expected"
"Hmm, Most of these new features have been on my mac for years"
"This OS is annoying to actually use"
"BLARRRGGGggg..."
"Well, its better than XP at least. I can also play games"

[01 @ Jan 29th 2007 3:00PM]

why would we avert our eyes, we saw all this when OS X came out :-)
I kid, I kid, we all know that inovation comes out of compotition, good luck to the boys in Redmond, they'll certainly need it.

[Ray-- @ Jan 29th 2007 3:22PM]

Vista is copying OSX?? Oh you mean the Media Center UI with the ability to record/pause TV and listen to/pause radio and watch live TV with web integration etc..???? OH wait MAC has NEVER had anything close to that.... but i guess its just a copy...

[Toastmaster General @ Jan 29th 2007 4:20PM]

i love being asked if i just meant to click ok. UAC sucks big time, there has got to be a better way. I turned it off immediately. Vista is honestly just a more colorful but also more cluttered version of xp.

[glacia @ Jan 29th 2007 3:00PM]

So your plan is to hype like crazy then show screencaps of the installation so that people will post "is this what all the hype was about" and hope they don't notice it was you hyping it in the first place.

You're acting like there's been some smokescreen hiding Vista and now there's some Applesqe unveiling. Vista is interesting but the pretense isn't.

Cue the sheep for their negative comments.

[Michael @ Jan 29th 2007 3:42PM]

COOPERTINO, START YOUR COPIERS!!! (jk)

Windows vista? or OSX with vista skin?

[Clint @ Jan 29th 2007 3:38PM]

"It looks baaaaaaaaaaaad." - The Sheep

Kidding aside, it's just a new version of an OS. New features. Some cool, some annoying. :shrug:

[Alphadan @ Jan 29th 2007 3:04PM]

Hey, i remember there was an app that kind of lets you run a OS in a small window while your on XP for example. Is that what you used? Anyway, what's its name???
Cheers

[Brad @ Jan 29th 2007 3:04PM]

Awesome! Engadget is starting to cover the vista launch.

Hey guys, when are you planning on wrapping up the OCTOBER contest coverage?

[Ryan Block @ Jan 29th 2007 3:06PM]

This week.

[Mike @ Jan 29th 2007 3:07PM]

I remember there was an app that kind of lets you run a OS in a small window while on Windows XP for example.... Is that what you used? Anyway what's its name??

Cheers

[Buck Jones III @ Jan 29th 2007 3:09PM]

I'm ready for the new Vista experience with the media center especially. I don't have a imac or ianything and never plan on it. I had bad experiences years ago with macintosh gear. Anyways, I'm one of those crazy people looking forward to this new OS.

[Adam OK @ Jan 29th 2007 4:02PM]

Can see a lot of Mac fans green with envy. Can't wait to get my hands on the new Windows.

[Steve @ Jan 29th 2007 3:28PM]

I'm a Mac user/fan, and I'll be getting vista tonight. I'm not envious, since I can just run it right on my Mac. OS X and Windows Vista are both great operating systems that we should all be able to enjoy without stupid arguments.

[Anthony @ Jan 29th 2007 4:23PM]

I can see a lot of Windows fanboys getting Blue with SOD...

[Jimmijam @ Jan 29th 2007 3:31PM]

It "looks" pretty, but the interface still feels like XP?

[Michael @ Jan 29th 2007 9:28PM]

I appreciate that Microsoft did make an effort to simplify Windows, but once you move beyond the first few screens, the clutter and complexity still shows through. The control panels are especially hard on the eyes, with multiple points of focus that users will simply get lost in the interface. The gloss is all a veneer. Try as they might, it's still lipstick on a pig.

[Chris F @ Jan 29th 2007 4:21PM]

They've got some nerve. The "store your credit card" screen shot makes me pretty pissed. They have a huge problem with their image as far as security is concerned and yet they make it seem like they don't and put that front-and-center on the Vista experience. Might as well call it Identity-Theft Control Panel or something.

[Quality Not Quanity Boys @ Jan 29th 2007 4:34PM]

Microsoft is soooo creative. Instead of seperating all the windows out so you can see them clearly, they stacked them up so you can only see the corner of each window. Ahhh, progress.

[Goobimama @ Jan 29th 2007 3:17PM]

I was at first really excited about Vista (I own an iBook as well as iMac Intel), thought it would be a great upgrade on the home peecee. But now that I look into its features, there's nothing. After five years of development, if all they could come up with is a nice looking "skin" and a photo app, I'm dissapointed...

[matt @ Jan 29th 2007 3:53PM]

Iv installed it and im running it right now. its pretty, but thats about it. Im glad i got it free from my school cuz im reinstalling xp, at least everything i want(tv tuners, peerguardian2) runs on it. but i could see switching back in a few months once more companies have made

[nightryder21 @ Jan 29th 2007 8:33PM]

This was a good site for a review of Vista. Some good things and some bad. But it goes in detail all the new, updated, and same stuff in the OS. He actually points out whats been copied from OS/X. If you "really" wanna know whats in vista then check it out. http://www.winsupersite.com/vista/

[Shawn @ Jan 29th 2007 3:26PM]

All you apple fans are very irritating. "Buy a mac", "OSX rip off", Vista sucks". I laugh at you and your over-priced apple hardware. While you spend an extra $700 for your computer, I just bought a new canon sd900 digital camera. So STFU apple fans!

[CharlieX @ Jan 29th 2007 3:33PM]

Oh Shawn, I'm sure we're all pleased that you could afford the camera of your dreams. Don't be a tool.

[Sean @ Jan 29th 2007 5:18PM]

Considering how much a USEFUL copy of Vista is, I believe you are the one who is overpaying, you f'in tool.
Enough with this Macs are more expensive crap, just demonstrates how out of touch you are with reality.

I use XP almost exclusively for work and play now after having switched from OS X, solely because that is what is used at work. Both got the job done, both have their shortcomings. I'd say Vista needs to mature another 2 years before this DRM-ladden crap will ever get its hands on my data.

And yes I agree that Vista has only now caught up to OS X, VISUALLY, cause it seems to me that's all it has to offer to anyone.

[Jason @ Jan 29th 2007 3:26PM]

Trust me... Vista is NOT a copy of OSX... not by any means... I have been using the RTM version of Vista for almost a month now and I have a Mac Mini at home. Vista is still WINDOWS... it is still far superior to OSX... there is just TONS more software for Windows than OSX... I can't even THINK about switching over to OSX...

ANYONE WHO SWITCHES TO OSX FROM WINDOWS IS NOT A "REAL COMPUTER USER". If you can cleanly switch to OSX from Windows then you just don't use your computer for very much. Sure you can do all the emailing and web browsing you want on OSX and if you are crazy about graphic design then you can use all the Adobe tools out there but outside of the graphic design field there is just nothing out there for OSX.

I am still struggling switching completly to Vista because on 1 (one) application that doesn't run in Vista... how in the world could anyone make the switch over to OSX when there is only a fraction of the applications that run on it? If you do then you are just willing to make the sacrific and use APPLE software... you are sold on the "cool" factor of anything in the OSX look... plain and simple.

I have a iPod Nano that I use for running (the Nike+ stuff) and having to use iTunes to sync it is just TERRIBLE!!! It is frustrating to NO END that in order to get album art imported into iTunes from my existing collection that i have to signup for an account in the iTunes store!!! Having used WMP11 I am just so spoiled with its clean and easy to use views allowing you to see a hundred + album covers on the screen at the same time... looking for music in iTunes is like looking for something in a database!!! BORING... and the new spinning album view in iTunes is USELESS! You can still only see a couple of albums at the same time!!!

I don't understand how people who "switch" can make the move and just plug themselves into EVERYTHING apple... most of their products are not nearly as feature filled as other offerings out there... it amazes me to no end.

And this... a simple post with some links to screenshots of Vista you can tons of APPLE cronies crawling out of the woodwork yelling "COPYCAT!!!"... Please!!! For once can't the work/play you do on a computer be more important the your "LOVE" for company or CEO (Jobs) of the company?? Why does it pain some many Apple users that Vista is coming and it is an improvement over XP?

[Daniel @ Jan 29th 2007 3:49PM]

1. The notion that "feature-filled" = quality and ease of use is a mistake.

2. I switched this past year from Windows to OS X, and I'm a software programmer/analyst. I don't miss a thing. It's a rather bold statement to assume who uses/doesn't use their computers to the fullest.

[qwert @ Jan 29th 2007 4:09PM]

to that jason guy:
what happened? did your girlfriend that introduced you to the mac just leave you? or did your erm .. "finger" get trapped in your floppy drive (hurts like hell, ive been told)?
why so angry. if you cant find software for OSX you must be doing something wrong. i have never missed something on mine, and i didnt have to spend a single dollar for it, and i didnt pirate either, there is a nice thing called open source software. and if thats not enough you can still go in store and buy things. strange but true.

but back to topic:
the first thing i see in vista is how ugly it looks. dont get me wrong, im not that aqua-is-god fanboy, i have no problems using other stuff. hell, even win98 looks better than tthat. can i still switch back to to classic theme like i did after the first time i booted Xp?
Just why does everything have to be transparent and "glassy"? whats the use with that?
and flip 3D? why? whats the use with that? the old versoin with the icons wasnt pretty, but i was easily able to see what i would get, but now? i have roughly 10% of the size of the window available to determine to wich app all this shiny godess belongs. really nice. that will shurely help my productivity (sarcasm).
i could go on and on and on

and no, im not an apple fanboy, i also regularly use winxp, win2000, win98, linux, freeBSD and S60, and they all have their good sides and their bad sides. but vista? it looks like taking XP and making it worse.

qwert

[erin @ Jan 30th 2007 3:07PM]

ummm, i don't know how to tell you this but you don't have to have an itunes account to import artwork. maybe to import it from the itunes music store or whatnot, but there are other ways to get it...

as far as "looking for music in iTunes is like looking for something in a database!!!" goes, have you ever heard of a little something called alphabetical order? how does being able to look at "hundred + album covers on the screen at the same time" make it easy to find what you are looking for?

sorry, i realize that this comment has nothing to do with vista, but neither does half of the comment i'm replying to.

[Sam @ Jan 29th 2007 3:35PM]

Yeah...it's not like Mac doesn't have the resources to incorporate things like pause, re-wind and record of live TV. They choose not to do it for whatever reason. I think people are more talking about things like aqua look and widgets and stuff like that.

[EriCKY @ Jan 29th 2007 3:42PM]

Holy shit, haters of Vista are so freaking arrogant. I'm on a macbook, and even I can say that I like Vista's interface. It's definately gonna be on my desktop.

[CarlieX's Mom @ Jan 29th 2007 3:40PM]

Oh CharlieX, I'm sure your loving your over-priced mac hardware aren't you. Ah good boy. Mommie loves you.

[CharlieX @ Jan 29th 2007 7:03PM]

Dear Mom,

I made some grammatical corrections to your post:

I'm sure you're loving your over-priced mac hardware, aren't you?

[Revels @ Jan 29th 2007 3:41PM]

Windows Vista has performed an illegal operation and needs to shut down.

[KaosDG @ Jan 29th 2007 3:47PM]

Can someone just show me a screenshot of the "Install New Font" screen?

Because it seems to me that this interface hasn't changed AT ALL since Windows 3.0. At least give us a font preview or something :(

[danielisaprogramminggod @ Jan 29th 2007 9:09PM]

A anal-ist and a programmer? Wow, you must be smrt.

Get over yourself.