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Posted on 13 Nov 2007 at 11:37

We'd hoped for considerably fewer OS patches for Vista compared to XP, due to the much-vaunted "secure by design" moniker that Microsoft was touting, but there's been no obvious reduction between a mature XP SP2 solution and a new Vista one. For either, you really need to ensure you have the local network deployment tools in place, such as Windows Update Server.

Which to choose? Vista offers more and has key advantages. But XP SP2 is like a well-worn pair of shoes - business is comfortable with it, knows where most of the demons are hidden, and can make it jump through hoops. It isn't clear that Vista currently offers enough to make the leap forward. And for many, the reality is that it isn't yet compelling enough.

XP - 8
Despite XP's well-reported security flaws and quirks, it's a known quantity and still clearly the platform of choice for the business desktop - a fact acknowledged by Microsoft's recently introduced downgrades.

Vista - 7
Without doubt, there's much to admire here, and a few key features might make all the difference to some businesses. But does it really offer enough to make switching over worthwhile?

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