Well, let's see. Direct from M$'s site.
New features:
- Tabbed browsing (IE already has it without Vista and most who want it use Firefox anyhow)
- Built in IM (collaboration, if you prefer not to call it IM... most will probably stick to the main ones-- AIM and MSN)
- Synchronization for going mobile (also possible without Vista)
- Parental controls for time kids can use the computer (fits with security if you ask me, but even so, it's still possible without Vista)
- New mail program that supposed to be more secure (again security)
- DirectX 10 (a new version that doesn't help you if you don't have a newer graphics card (Geforce 8 series or higher for example))
- Game browser (If you are smart and install all games into a Games folder instead of Program Files, you don't need this)
- More parental controls to prevent playing games with certain ESRB ratings (again, security)
- Photo gallery (available without Vista)
- Camera to PC picture transfers (XP has a similar feature that works very well and easily)
- Built in picture editing (Anyone who really wants to edit pictures is going to get a real picture editing program)
- DVD Maker (available without Vista)
- Backups (available without Vista)
- Movie Maker (already available in Windows)
- Media Center (available without Vista)
- Media Player 11 (a new version already available on XP)
- Jukebox (available without Vista and was never really that popular when it used to be included with new PCs *years* ago)
- Music sync (available without Vista and usually built right into whatever you use for holding your music)
- Transfer old computer files to a new computer (available already in XP)
- Aero (just a GUI change)
- Instant searching (available in XP, but really is a waste of resources to use and will also be that way in Vista. Most people disable it to save resources)
- Defender (security that is available in XP)
- Other security things such as those causing mIRC and other programs to have issues, such as silently moving your files from where you want them to somewhere else.
Ok, everything is already available. M$ is just bundling more into itself so that it holds monopoly over even more software types. It also bloats Windows even further and most of those things can be found elsewhere with better quality and features.
Looking at that list, most are security and GUI related, or are just M$'s way of putting more Media stuff into Windows so people don't use other programs for that.
Can you tell me what change is a major improvement in Vista? I don't see anything that is major in what's listed above besides security?
