>Basically it was getting in my way a lot more often than it was helping me. Microsoft went for increased security, which is understandable given the security problems Windows has had, but did it in a ham-handed way. You don't want to make things difficult for the legitimate registered user.
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>Overall response has been so poor that Dell had to reverse course and continue offering PCs with XP preloaded instead of Vista. Their plan had been to go along with Microsoft's strategy of phasing XP out by January. Another example: a column in the NY Times this Sunday chiding Apple for not gaining more market share with Macs given Vista's troubled launch.

And Microsoft had to churn another line of serial numbers for XP, when they thought they wouldn't be needing them at all. And even sales of Office 2008 have surpassed the sales of the Vista - and the latter also counts those who have scrapped it from their drives (because they bought it preloaded, not having much choice) and installed something else.