Earlier today, Microsoft released the highly anticipated Beta 2 (Build 5384) of Windows Vista, which some say will make or break the operating system. While I have only spent a short amount of time with the new beta, others around the web have had a chance to release some brief reviews. Are the critics impressed?
Initial reviews seem to be mixed, claiming that the interface is snazzy, that is if you can get to it. Gary Krakow, one of MSNBC's tech columnists, found the operating system to be incredibly difficult to install on his machine, stating, "Installing Vista Beta 2, for me was one of the worst operating system experiences that I’ve ever encountered." Once the OS was installed, Krakow concluded that Vista is still a "good looking operating system."
Information Week was next up for Vista Beta 2. Again, the testers found the operating system rather difficult to install, citing driver conflicts as the main issue. After the installation, testers were getting the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) when they attempted to run the performance rating tool. The testers also noted that performance was slow on systems compared to the same systems running XP, but that is to be expected. Still, Information Week liked plenty of Vista's touted features like Aero, integrated search, an "overall improved" Windows Explorer experience, and gadgets.
Finally, eWeek had a chance to run through the new beta, and it was fairly satisfied with everything minus the Aero UI which periodically "flaked out" on the testers. The testers also reported driver issues.
From the small subset of reviews given, it appears that many of Vista's problems stem from driver compatibility issues and installation issues. Strangely enough, I managed to get the beta installed in VMWare with no hitches, not even driver issues.
If you want to see more of the new beta, ZDNet has a video walkthrough that shows off some of the basic features. eWeek and PCMag have a ton of new screenshots as well.
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