Windows Vista is very expensive. Although upgrade prices are somewhat lower, and you may be able to find special prices on the street, the Microsoft recommended price for a new copy is rather high: $400 for Ultimate; $350 for Business; $250 for Home Premium; and $200 for Basic. And that doesn't include the top-end video card, the processor, and the extra RAM you'll need to install to get the most out of the new operating system on your old PC.

After you've seen features found in only the $400 Windows Vista Ultimate edition running on top-end hardware, you may be disappointed with the way Windows Vista plays on your old PC. Most people will get Windows Vista Home Premium, which includes only a select subset of features found in Ultimate. Even worse, Windows Vista Basic, designed for really old hardware, doesn't even include the AERO graphics system, nor does it have many of Windows Vista's new features.

The Windows Vista Welcome Center doesn't have to be charitable, but we can't help but feel crowded by the all the Microsoft-owned choices, such as Live.com, MSN, and Microsoft.com. The default RSS-reader Gadget on the desktop sidebar works only with Internet Explorer 7 RSS subscriptions (your Firefox subscriptions will be ignored). Talk about stifling the competition, Google isn't even an alternative search-engine option within Internet Explorer 7; you'll have to add it yourself if you want it.

Undoubtedly, the Microsoft gang saw the built-in search within Apple Mac OS 10.4 and wanted it themselves in Windows Vista. Windows' search function performs a lot like Apple's Spotlight, but Microsoft makes you dig down a layer from the desktop to access it.