Pros: 1.) Uses system resources (often confused with being a resource hog) 2.) Aero is great 3.) FAST 4.) Intuitive, thoughtful UI design 5.) Install was a breeze (Detected ALL my hardware out of the box, no additional drivers needed to get it running) 6.) I actually like UAC 7.) The new integrated Windows Update 8.) Very Polished feel 9.) A more standardized directory structure (Users - That's where Users' data goes; Users/Me/Downloads - That's where my downloads go; Users/Me/Favorites - That's where my favorites go) 10.) Stable - Way more stable than XP was at this point in its life

Cons: 1.) Service Pack 2 will be out later this year or early next year (Windows 7) 2.) The Ultimate Extras aren't all that cool 3.) IE 64-bit doesn't launch by default - uses 32-bit due to the 32-bit ActiveX controls probably

Overall Review: Don't believe the negative advertising. After using Vista on semi-recent hardware, it's actually enjoyable to use a pc again. Vista makes XP look like an amateur OS. Read reviews to find out what to look out for before installing. Investigate your investment, don't rely on your knowledge of the way things worked in Windows 3.11. Vista is a revolution more than an evolution. Example: Install takes longer in AHCI mode than in IDE mode. Install custom AHCI drivers after installing and performance will improve. The game has changed, and MS raised the bar in a big way.