The way M$ Windows was meant to be?

Some people are pretty cynical when it comes to Microsoft and Windows, but not me! I take a broader view on what can be learned. The Vista shutdown menu is just an example of how heavy weight development processes have bogged the MS engineers down to the point where things just can't get done. Agile processes eliminate many of those problems ..Anyway, back to my point, some things just aren't right in Windows:

• The way popups are used so excessively, and the way they always display on top of full screen games, films and even VMWare!
• The lack of customisation options, take for example that they could only envisage that users would want a clock as a way to change the time -- so we are stuck with using that widget as a calendar to check the current date or a date in the future!
  
• Then shouldn't a decent email client (with bayesian spam filtering), a desktop calendar and a word processor come as standard with an OS these days?
  

... oh wait... you may have realised too, I've been describing things which work fine (and have been for many years!) in Desktop Linux., developed by companies, and individuals as a group of Free Software/Open Source packages. So the big question, why don't people switch? I'd say its hard to get off the treadmill when its still going at quite a pace, but it is gradually slowing due to the development process problems and also significantly, price! Users should start by switching to Firefox, Thunderbird, Gaim and OpenOffice; then follow it with specific applications you need like Picasa or Skype (Not yet free software) -- before you know it you'll be using the apps which are already all available native on the Desktop and you'll be ready to make the move! Of cause these products are all available at no-charge, online community support is excellent, or you can buy a support contract from a variety of suppliers. Finally make sure you get your Jabber.org or Google Talk account setup, which is secure and authenticated so doesn't suffer spam. Then you can communicate with everyone too!

Happy days ;)