In 1985 Microsoft introduced Windows 1.01. We here at BlueBadger still have the original Windows Operating System in all its 5.25 inch floppy (back when they really were floppies) glory. It wasn't the greatest piece of software, but it was the precursor to both Windows 3.0 and Windows 3.1 which revolutionized the home and office desktop computer. In 2007, Microsoft introduced its latest Windows' incarnation, VISTA. Today's OS is far more sophisticated than the original. Read the reviews and then experience Windows Vista at Windows Marketplace.

And just recently Microsoft also got into the MP3 race with its techy little gizmo named Zune. With wireless internet and superior sound, the 8GB version is a worthy competitor to the Apple iPod. Read the professional reviews and decide for yourself.

In-Depth ZUNE Reviews

"Though the old 30GB Zune didn't go over too well, Microsoft's kept at it and managed to produce an impressive pair of players in its second-generation Zunes. The 80GB hard-drive model we tested would make a capable alternative to an 80GB iPod Classic if wireless syncing or built-in radio interest you." more from pcworld.com...

"Last November, Microsoft released the first-generation Zune to a predominantly iPod-toting nation. While the first-generation Zune is not without its devotees, the device came to epitomize Microsoft's awkwardness at marketing itself as hip. Having survived its freshman hazing, the Zune is back for its sophomore revenge, and the iPod has every reason to be frightened. With a new design, higher capacity, wireless sync capability, larger screen, and integrated support for audio and video podcasts, the new 80GB Zune ($249) is finally giving everyone a true alternative to the iPod." more from cnet.com...

"We can confidently say that times are changing for the Zune. The underdog of portable music players has pulled up a seat at the cool kids table alongside Apple’s iPod fleet. The 80GB Zune boasts a bigger screen than its predecessor, a new wireless synching capability, and an easy-to-use gesture Zune Pad. In fact, the 80GB Zune and Zune Marketplace have the goods to be our new daily music device and PC listening software combo of choice." more from laptopmag.com...

"When the new line of Zunes was announced, the addition of a flash-based model stole the show, but the new hard-drive-based Zune is a huge improvement on its 30GB predecessor with a better user interface, faster controls, and more features--including wireless syncing. For the same $250 price as the 80GB iPod classic, the new Zune 80GB offers a much larger screen, FM radio, wireless player-to-player sharing, Wi-Fi syncing with your PC, and a rear panel that can be customized with some cool artwork--for free." more from pcmag.com...

In-Depth WINDOW'S VISTA Reviews

"Windows Vista is Microsoft's first new operating system in more than five years and the successor to Windows XP. However, it is not worth rushing out to purchase. If you desperately need to buy a new PC (if your old one died or you've been waiting and waiting for Vista to be released), then by all means do so; there's nothing wrong with Windows Vista." more from cnet.com...

"Over the years, much has been made of Windows' security or (perceived) lack thereof. Though Microsoft's record has certainly improved in recent years, many industry observers feel that the company could do more. So Vista does more, both to address old-fashioned security issues like buffer overflows and more recent "innovations." Especially significant is the modern phenomenon of spyware, and some of the much less modern phenomena such as rootkits that go along with it. Vista's most obvious, noticeable measures are aimed at just this kind of problem." more from arsrechnica.com...

"Windows Vista is both revolutionary and evolutionary. While it includes modern OS features, such as a new hardware-based graphical user interface (GUI), Vista will also feel like familiar territory, for the most part, to anyone that's already familiar with Windows XP. And Mac advocates can claim, truthfully, that many of Vista's best features appeared first on Mac OS X, sometimes years ago." more from winsupersite.com...

"Has any operating system been so maligned and so praised during a painfully long development cycle as Windows Vista? The march to Vista's launch has sometimes seemed longer than the Hundred Years War. Now that Windows Vista is at hand, let the debating begin. Is it a look into the future of operating systems, or the last, dying gasp of an old way of computing? Should you upgrade your system to meet its considerable hardware needs? Is it anything other than Mac OS X Lite?" more from pcworld.com...