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Microsoft Windows Vista started shipping back in January of this year. In December of 2006, only about 47 percent of those online were aware of Vista's existence. Then came Microsoft's marketing machine and according to a recent Harris poll, 87 percent of those online say they are aware of Windows Vista. But some are aware of Vista for the wrong reasons.

Some are finding relatively few problems with Vista while others are voicing a great many concerns. One of which is that their current software and hardware are not working with Windows Vista though they have been listed as "compatible". Many software products that compete with Microsoft software seem to be having the most issues. Roxio and iTunes are good examples. Some anti-virus software are facing conflicts with Vista protection systems as well.

Yet many more are concerned that they are unable to use some of the hardware such as their Palm PDA synchronization software and hardware, but even worse are the printer issues. Many HP printers for example have no updated Vista drivers available, and the note on their website states that the drivers in Vista are the most up-to-date available. However the drivers in Vista, though they may offer some usability, do not allow the full functionality of the printers. For example, you cannot open the printer properties to change any of the print settings such as draft or normal print. You also cannot use the 2-sided printing without the full software package, and the XP version is not compatible with Vista.

Gamers seem to be having the most problems with Vista. Some have reported playing an online game called MapleStory only to find that it is not compatible with Vista. But incompatibility is only part of the issue as some have reported that the game actually conflicted so badly with Vista that it caused the Vista to shut down many of its functions and think that the user is using a non-genuine version of Vista. One blogger related that this happened to him with a new computer with Vista installed on it. He inquired of Microsoft who said that he was on his own as it was his responsibility to make certain of the software compatibility with the operating system. Others have related of problems playing games such as EA Game's Battlefield series. The game runs alright but then after a couple of minutes in an online game, Punkbuster kicks the player due to an OS incompatibility.

Microsoft has reported great sales of this grand new operating system, and likely there are more stories of success than there are of failure. More problems will be reported than successes - this is just the nature of the beast. But if this many users are having so much trouble, it begs the question, "did Microsoft release Vista too soon?" Was it really a finished product? And is it possible that Microsoft spent too much time on the anti-piracy of Vista and not enough time on the features of the operating system like the speed or its ability to fight virus'? You know, the stuff that the user really wants.

One last point that needs to be addressed is the limitations of installation of Vista. When a user upgraded an XP system too many times and reinstalled Windows XP, ofter they would not be able to complete the install because of too many changes to the system. The user would simply call Microsoft who would say that the system was changed enough to really require another copy of XP, but then they would issue a new CD key that would work for a few more upgrades. But how many times does a user reinstall their operating system due to a virus or an upgrade?

Gamers seem to be constantly upgrading their systems because there is always something new with more power coming out, and with the limitations placed on Windows Vista, these gamers may be required to buy a new copy of their operating system. How many do you think will instead turn to pirated copies of the program instead of buying that which they have already bought?

Ultimately, we are seeing many people stick with their Windows XP operating systems. They are refined and run smoothly without glitches. No one wants to intentionally put glitches on their system. For this reason, most people who know of Windows Vista - for bad or for good - will likely wait until all of the bugs have been ironed out before they purchase a Vista upgrade. We don't think Microsoft is intentionally shooting themselves in the foot over these Windows Vista issues, but a little more compassionate customer service and a little less arrogance might help smooth over these problems. And maybe focusing on what the customer wants rather than how they can protect their market share and avoid piracy will get them a little closer to making their customers happy and have more positive comments on those Internet blogs rather than all of the negative ones.