I didn’t use Vista on my main computer for the first 18 months of its life, so I can’t really speak on the problems Vista initially saw (all operating systems have some initial problems). I do know that I haven’t had a single problem yet on my main computer, which is always nice.
I think MS has realized the error in their ways and are working to correct it. This is evidenced in the rather ironic Apple ad mocking Microsoft for spending so much on advertising.
Microsoft was placed in a tough spot because while most of the things being said about Vista were false, they were true of ME. People with experience didn’t have to stretch to believe it was possible. I remember using ME and it would crash overnight. As far as I know, the “System Idle Process” was unstable.
I’m far from a computer geek and I couldn’t write a line of code if my life depended on it. But I’m told all MS stuff is so bloated that they’ll never get the programs out from under in our lifetimes.
In industry, I’ve seen manufacturing systems designed with such a degree of complexity and redundancy that they can do nothing well.
I’ve designed enough stuff in my life to know simplicity is ALWAYS the best design criterion.
And simple don’t describe MS stuff. Sooner or later someone will come along with simple, clean programs that do the same things their stuff does.