To meet its release schedule, Microsoft has had to cut certain features from Vista -- notably, the new WinFS file system, which was to have stored data from multiple Windows programs in a single common database, simplifying searches. That will have to wait until the server version of Vista comes out in 2007. But while Vista may lack a lot of "sexy" features at first, says editor Foley, "there's a ton of really good stuff."

Many of the major changes in Vista have to do with infrastructure features that most people don't use directly. "A lot of this low-level functionality doesn't mean a lot to the average person," says Cherry. But once Microsoft releases Vista programming tools to software developers, they'll find ways to exploit the new infrastructure by building more compelling applications, he believes.

One advantage that Cherry thinks Vista will probably have is a relative lack of bugs and security holes. Given the company's spotty, albeit improving record in patching security holes, he believes that Microsoft executives are choosing to focus on a less feature-rich, more stable version of their core product. "Microsoft can no longer afford a buggy release," Cherry says; "they almost lost market share over their security problems" with Windows XP before releasing Security Pack 2. "I don't think they'll risk shipping a bad product."

But while Vista is expected to be more stable than previous Windows operating systems, it's also sure to be much bigger. Although Microsoft will not release the minimum system hardware specifications needed to run Vista until the summer, according to Microsoft's Burk, the operating system will require at least 512 megabytes of RAM, a dedicated graphics card that supports Microsoft's with DirectX 9.0 graphics standard, a minimum of 64MB of virtual RAM, and a "modern" Intel Pentium or AMD Athlon processor.

Vista will also require at least 3.5 gigabytes of free disk space, according to predictions from users of beta releases. These hefty system requirements may limit the use of Vista to consumers with the newest PCs, some experts believe. "The features all look really good on super high-end machines," Foley says, "but I'm a little skeptical about running Vista on older hardware."

Although Cherry doesn't believe the disk space requirements will prove to be a major hurdle for most consumers, he thinks Vista's need for an advanced graphics card with its own processor and memory management might be a stretch for laptop users -- whose machines are already straining against overheating and limitations on battery life. "And more and more people are using laptops" rather than desktop machines as their primary PCs, he points out.

Consumers without a burning urge to buy a new PC loaded with Vista, Cherry says, would be well-served to continue using Windows XP operating system with Service Pack 2 for the next couple of years. For one thing, he points out, applications designed specifically for Vista will take time to emerge -- so the current operating systems will not be outmoded anytime soon.