The other day I took the opportunity to install Microsoft Windows Vista Beta 2 on my 'old' laptop.  The old one is a pretty decent machine too: Dell Inspiron 8600, 2.0 GHz Centrino, 2GB RAM, 60 GB drive, etc, etc.  In fact, it was my primary laptop until just recently when I upgraded to a Precision M90...but's that's a different story.

I've got to say I LOVE Vista.  It is awesome.  I'm not just saying that because I have drunk the Microsoft Kool-Aid, but rather in spite of it.  Even for a Beta, the OS is slick, reasonably fast (though it's sure to be much faster once it hits RTM).  But talk about polish.  No, I don't mean sausages.  I'm talking about shoe-shine.  I have seen demos of the OS before, and many screenshots, but it doesn't quite hit home until you actually use it and have first-hand experience.

Granted, there is now another learning curve as many things in the core OS have changed, been renamed, or been moved, but so far I think it's all been for the best.  It is remarkably easy to navigate and the controls at your fingertips are so much more usable.  I particularly enjoy the bread crumbs navigation bar where each step is a selectable button with an associated drop-down menu of other options at that step.

Sure, I can see how many believe that MS took note (finally) from the Mac world and others (and with good reason), but they managed to keep the nice, sleek Windows look and power and stepped it up a notch visually, more so than the other OS's.  You remember the scene from Jurassic Park where Dennis (the computer geek) was so excited upon seeing the shaving cream can via which he should smuggle the dinosaur DNA?  I used to think that was pretty over the top, but that's how I feel.

I'm hooked and eagerly await the RC versions and RTM.  It's like moving to VS.NET 2005.  Once you're there, it's hard to go back to VS.NET 2003 (though I have to work in it daily).  I fear the same holds true for Vista and XP.