First Look: Windows Vista RC2

Other apps obviously designed with eye-candy appeal in mind include Vista's Windows DVD Maker and the new Mail system, which replaces Outlook. In terms of functionality, I was most impressed with the Network and Sharing Center, a feature intended to smooth connecting to the Internet (this was also in RC1).

On the negative side, the Security Account Controls designed to make Vista more resistant than XP to viruses and malware are still more obtrusive than they need to be.

Vista's Media Center features, which I liked in my review of Beta 2, still have a clunky feel. Design-wise, I didn't like the fact that Media Center seems to "take over" my PC by going to a full screen. That's a counter-intuitive comment, since it makes sense for a movie and music interface to go wide. But that's not what you want with software that feels less than rock-solid. Since Vista is nothing if not a Trojan Horse through which Microsoft hopes to take over the living room, one would expect that the Media Center would be glitch-free.

Performance-wise, RC2 looks and feels good and marks a continued progression from RC1. (I had only one unexplained reboot!)

The bottom line is that, with RC2, Vista is increasingly looking like a smart combination of heavy duty functionality sure to be welcomed by corporate users and an increasingly good-looking presentation (read: Aero) that'll appeal to consumers.