Windows Vista released to consumers

Windows Vista, initially codenamed 'Longhorn', was a major release from Microsoft that aimed to enhance user experience and security. It introduced a new graphical user interface, known as Aero, which featured transparent window borders and new visual effects. Alongside Vista, Microsoft also launched Microsoft Office 2007, which included significant updates to its productivity software. Despite these advancements, Windows Vista faced considerable criticism for its performance issues. Users reported that the operating system required substantial hardware resources, making it difficult to run smoothly on older machines. This led to a perception that Vista was heavy and resource-intensive, which deterred many users from upgrading from Windows XP, a version known for its stability and lower system requirements. As a result, Windows XP remained popular for an extended period, with many users opting to stick with it rather than transition to Vista, which was seen as less efficient in terms of performance and usabil