Hello FatRakoon, I'm sorry but I have to disagree with you there. The below is just a few features that Windows XP hasn't got by default:
DirectX 10
User Account Control - Internet Explorer 7 Protected Mode
Parental Controls
SuperFetch
Readyboost
Windows Aero
Windows Search
The above is simply of the top of my head. Then you also have the significant changes under the hood of Windows Vista. Now, admittedly, some of the things I have mentioned are pretty small. However, they do improve the overall user experience of using Windows Vista which in my opinion, is very important.
Those you mentioned are not exactly stunning anyone yet, not even DX10, which I have to accept can be much more than it is, but delivers nothing truly outstanding. There is also talk that DX10 will be coming to XP anyway, but as I can point to links that both agree and disagree on taht one, I wont say anymore.
Superfetch can be useful and certainy is to a point, but only if you are running the same old junk day in day out, if you run a mixture of things at random stages then its not.
IE7? - I use FireFox, but then I do notice how much like Firefox, IE has suddenly become with IE7?
Windows areo? - WTF?
Windows search? - Ok, this is one function that is massively underestimated and sure, you pay at the start, but once its setup, its a god send. I will accept that one.
Yes, the overall experience when using Vista and XP are different, no one can truthfully argue that one, but for most people, there is absolutely no reason for them to move from XP, if XP is doing what they need it to! - Its no good spouting off that Vista does this or it does that, because in most cases they are gimmicks that are not actually needed for a PC to run.
Would you care to link me to something that confirms what you have just said please? Windows Vista is far from a flop and is actually a very important release; the changes within Windows Vista are very significant. Now, the changes may not be so immediately prominent to the user in Windows Vista. However, this does not mean that it's effectively a pointless release and not needed.
I cannot be bothered to link to anything... I just went to google and I typed in Windows Vista flop and I got pages of the stuff.
It does not take much, to see that with MS bringing the release of Windows 7 forward so many years that they themselves are accepting that Vista really has been a flop compared to what they had hoped.