In the last few weeks we ran a poll on our site, asking our readers to point out what is Windows Vista's biggest problem. Due to the fact that our site does not have high traffic we managed the gather only 534 votes. However the results are pretty conclusive.
Our readers pointed out that, after approximately 6 months, Windows Vista has two main problems: the lack of proper drivers (36% of votes) and lots of application compatibility issues (36% of votes).

We have been using Windows Vista since it was launched and, based on our experience, we agree with our readers.

These days, Microsoft launched an exciting computer called Surface. Microsoft Surface™ is the first commercially available "surface computer" that allows users to manipulate digital content using natural motions, hand gestures or physical objects.

Surface is a 30-inch (76 cm) display in a table-like form factor, 22 inches (56 cm) high, 21 inches (53 cm) deep, and 42 inches (107 cm) wide. It uses cameras to sense objects, hand gestures and touch. This user input is then processed and the result is displayed on the surface using rear projection. The software runs on Windows Vista and it has Ethernet, wireless and Bluetooth connectivity.

One of the small but important changes in Windows Vista is the redesign of the Shut Down Start Menu options. Even if some people might have a different opinion, we think this design option is not very inspired. Compared to Windows XP it is more difficult to understand the options available and you need to take additional steps in order to shut down your computer or to put it into hibernate mode.

This is why we decided to create separate shortcuts for each option which you can easily place on your desktop.

Some of our readers e-mailed us asking if we know what happened with the e-mail identities in Windows Mail. In Outlook Express, if multiple people were sharing the same computer, they had the possibility to create different identities to keep their e-mail separate from others.

According to this post, found on the Windows Vista Help pages, the ability to create e‑mail identities has been removed in Windows Mail. Instead, Windows Mail enables you to create separate Windows user accounts for each person who wants to use e‑mail on a single computer.

These days we managed to develop another small tool for Windows Vista users. As you can tell from its name, this tool allows you to change the registered owner and organization for your Windows Vista installation. You don't have to edit any registry keys. Just download our tool, run it, type the desired owner and organization name and press the Change button.

The people from Mozilla have recently released a new version of the award-winning Thunderbird e-mail client. If you are not satisfied with the features of Windows Mail or you are a fan of open-source software you should definitely try Thunderbird v2.0. This new version is available in over 35 languages and works on all recent version of Windows, including Windows Vista.

The list of new features is pretty impressive and includes the following:

The Windows Media Player team recently released a plug-in for Firefox. After you install it you will be able to view Windows Media Player videos directly from your favourite browser.

Each time you will navigate to a web page that has the embedded Windows Media Player ActiveX control, Firefox will automatically grab the new plug-in and you will be able to enjoy your media content. To download this plug-in, click on the following link.

Alternatively, you can click on the attached file and download it directly from our site. The plug-in works on both Windows XP SP2 and Windows Vista (32 and 64 bit).

Tweak VI Basic is one of the few tweaking solutions that were designed for Windows Vista. It was also the first to be available for free. As its name says, this solution allows you to tweak and optimize your Windows Vista operating system.

Tweak VI Basic includes a set of 11 plug-ins that deliver a core set of tweaks split into the following categories: System Information and Tweaks, Miscellaneous Tweaks, Visual Tweaks, Internet Tweaks and Utilities.

If you need additional tweaks you can upgrade to Tweak VI Premium or Tweak VI Ultimate. The first costs 29.99$ and offers 8 additional plug-ins while the second costs 39.99$ and includes another 15 plug-ins for even more advanced configuration options.

Recuva is a free Windows utility that allows users to restore files that have been accidentally deleted from their computer. This includes file emptied from the Recycle Bin and files deleted by bugs, crashes or viruses.

It supports all versions of Windows including the new Windows Vista operating system. The setup file has a size of only 200KB and the application itself is very light on resources consumption. Also the interface is very clean and easy to use.