Is HP Wanting to Improve the Vista Experience, or Completely Avoid It?

The Vista experience – what exactly is it ? Microsoft continuously strives to improve the experience users of its operating systems are subjected to.

This is one of Microsoft’s biggest concerns when developing their computing platforms. Microsoft wants the average consumer to be more productive via a user friendly and intuitive interface - the Vista experience.

However it appears that consumers abroad and some of the industries largest players think otherwise. In a recent move by the currently No. 1 PC maker giant – Hewlett-Packard, the user experience is being viewed from a different angle. HP has put together a team of engineers that are focused on developing software that will essentially by-pass certain elements of Windows Vista.

HP has acknowledged this effort as the ‘customer experience’ group which was put together nine months ago under the watch of Susie Wee – a former director within HP’s research labs. This ‘customer experience’ team is developing on touch-screen technologies and other software that will allow consumers to perform functions such as watching movies, view digital photos and manage other media and content much easier.

Quoting HP’s chief technology officer, Phil McKinney “Our customers are looking for insanely simple technology where they don’t have to fight with the technology to get the task done.”

Upon launch Windows Vista drew a lot of criticism from its target audience with claims that it “slows computers down” and “does not work smoothly for certain tasks.”

Employees involved with an internal project at HP are looking at possibilities of replacing Windows with a customized HP-assembled operating system. McKinney claims any discussions about building a customized operating system to rival Windows are happening below senior-management levels at this time. There was no denial that some employees may have had such conversations, but HP is not devoting substantial resources into such projects.

Still however, sources claim that employees within HP’s PC division are exploring possibilities of building a mass-market, customized operating system based on Linux. The goal would be to make an operating system that is actually easy to use for mainstream users. According to sources this goal would strengthen HP against Apple and make them much less dependent on the Windows platform. For the record, Apple has been increasing in Market share with its easy to use computers using its own customized operating system. Food for thought ?

Several of Microsoft’s partners are stepping up support for Windows alternatives as well. Intel is now promoting Linux for a new class of mini-laptops that use its Atom processor. Dell has also introduced a mini-laptop that can run Linux as well – they also may be using the operating system for digital media players according to someone that is familiar with the company’s plans. “It is an endrun around Windows,” says Rob Enderle, president of tech consultant Enderle Group.