A few days ago, after my 4-year-old desktop computer, running Windows XP has finally expired, I got a new, fast machine with 2 GB of RAM and must say that I absolutely and totally hate Windows Vista.

This abominable operating system regularly crashes when its OWN, BUILT-IN e-mail client is started. It crashes with almost everything else as well. I have never seen as many blue screens of death in 15 years of using computers, as I have seen in TWO days of using Windows Vista Home Premium.

Although XP wasn't perfect, it was a much better and more stable operating system.

Although I have tried to customize it, after a while it has become obvious that configuring Vista into a practical, easy to use and reliable configuration is an impossible and frustrating quest.

Everything about Windows Vista is ugly, including the new Solitaire game. Need I say more?

What doesn't cease to amaze me is the fact that all of the computer manufacturers have so readily jumped on the bandwagon and are eagerly offering this inferior OS and the many apologists, who actually have either the gall (or are just plain stupid) to say that Vista isn't perfect, but it is still pretty good. What crud!!!

The new Windows is not only extremely unstable and unreliable, but its interface is very counterintuitive and clumsy. Tiny, poorly functioning controls and a lack of a clear, easy to use interface are very annoying. Despite Microsoft's claims, customization options are very, very limited and even at their most extreme settings, usually useless, or at the very least - inadequate. What were they thinking?!

The supposed security 'enhancements' are more of a hassle for the user than an improvement.

In place of reliability and more backward compatibility Vista has 'gadgets' - an unneeded analog clock, calendar, notepad, etc. Whoopee!