What makes Vista so “unfriendly” for developers?

As it had happened before, it is a new guidelines and requirements.

It was true with Windows 3.x, then Windows 95, NT, and 2000/XP. Nothing is so different now – a new UI, the new user experience. As a result, the new approach in development is required.

Microsoft pushes this new requirements through all possible channels and one of them, a primary for developers, is Windows Vista Developer Center.

Developers could find many references and tips there, helping them with existing and new software to become “comfortable” in Vista environment.

A very first item is “Why Develop for Windows Vista” – a summary of what we, as developers, need to look for…

As for Delphi, we should not forget now famous Creating Windows Vista Ready Applications with Delphi (second editions) by Nathanial Woolls.

Yet there is much more has to be taken into account, so visiting WVDC would be appropriate.

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No surprise, but it is very easy and feature was in Windows for a few versions already – it is called “compatibility mode”.

For Delphi being around for long time, developer might find some issues running old versions of the IDE on Vista: security restrictions, debug mode, even look-and-feel. Whatever reason you do not like Vista affecting your development environment, there is very easy way to go around it.

From this article at HowToGeek:

Windows Vista, like any new operating system, will have problems running some older versions of applications. This is especially true in Vista, considering all the changes. Thankfully there is a compatibility mode that can be easily set per application.

To configure the compatibility mode for an application, just locate the installation directory and right click on the .exe, selecting Properties from the menu.

You can choose to run the program in Windows XP compatibility mode, or even all the way back to Windows 95 compatibility.

Probably the most useful setting to start off with would be to disable the visual themes and desktop composition, if you can’t get things working. You’ll have to play around with it, but most likely you can get your application working this way.

If you are willing to take more drastic approach, this Dr.Bob’s article might be of help to you.

Enjoy.

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After few minutes looking for the guy, I think I found the author for the article – Mark Russinovich, “Technical Fellow” and his Springboard series.

There is my take on it.

As a developer I do not like UAC, as an administrator, I do see where it is coming from and what it is trying to achieve.

Problem Vista faced immediately was that many applications were written with little to none analysis about security implications.

How often do you see applications expecting be able to write into system areas, starting with registry, windows folder, even Program Files (which not recommended for user data)? Probably as often as you see an application. And truth is that I am not an exception here. Lets learn from our mistakes and address this in any future code. It is a change in application governance enforced by the OS maker. It could be good in the long run.

What can one do to ease the pain?

1. disable UAC, make it all run in admin mode… not good…
2. make application run in XP mode… better…
3. Ask for application improvements in future versions… best – application should not try accessing system areas. There is really no need for it in reality.

I am with Marco about the speed. Vista IS slower on the same hardware compare to XP. Well, so was Windows 95 compare to Win 3.11, remember? Microsoft is shooting for future hardware instead of considering fit-in for existing systems. Bad move which might cause them slower adoption of the new OS today. It might improve with the rotation of the hardware, but not right now.

Search service would run better as a service versus an application since it is a service and can utilize system resources better, especially by working when user is not even using the computer (log off, not shutdown). And yes, using multiple indexing engines will slow down the overall system, since all of them will do the same job. As a result, aside from marketing war (Yahoo, Google, Microsoft), having only one WILL BE better.  I turned off Google and MS immediately after installation. How often do you search versus performing other operations?

4Gb is the memory limit for XP. Actually it is less then that… Hardware can have as much as you want but XP will only address 4Gb, no “buts” here. (If you do know a trick pushing above 4Gb, please let me know, I’ll let know our sysadmins…)

Notice that when talking about drivers author referring to Video drivers (WDDM). Higher requirements for video effects (you do like Mac interface in Leopard don’t you?), it requires better video handling. I do not see why should we complain here. I am personally sick and tired from ATI drivers incompatibility, where having two GC on my system cause different experience from one monitor to another.

Sorry Marco, but I hear more frustration from early adoption of the Vista in your post then it could be from straight analysis. I have high respect for you and would expect more from guru like you.
Comparing with Apple? Leopard is running ONLY on the hardware from one vendor and one vendor only, who dictates ridiculous prices for the piece of hardware. I am still to see raise of the “OpenMac” or fall – all depend on the take Apple’s lawyers. People like Mac for slick design, this is where roots are. and it is comp for designers for many years. It is cool, it is simple – this is why it attracts students, writers, artists, … Microsoft only starts a first steps in this territory, baby steps…

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