Microsoft has admitted that many customers are reluctant to switch to Windows Vista because of its sub par reputation, and the company is now trying to convince customers that there is no need to worry.

In a newsletter, Microsoft said, "some customers may be waiting to adopt Windows Vista because they've heard rumors about device or application compatibility issues, or because they think they should wait for a service pack release." Although Microsoft will be releasing a Service Pack later this year, the company is anxious for users to adopt the new operating system now. (Source: slashdot.org)

In an attempt to convince customers that Vista is "A-OK" without the Service Pack, Microsoft has created "a comprehensive set of fact-rich materials illustrating how Windows Vista is ready today and tomorrow." (Source: apcmag.com)

This "fact-rich" material, however, is only available to computer makers willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement. This makes it quite difficult for average consumers to regain their fallen confidence in the operating system.

Further impeding Microsoft's plea is the fact that the company had described Service Pack 1 as a program that will address "deployment blockers and high impact issues." It doesn't take a rocket scientist to infer that Vista without Service Pack 1 likely has deployment blockers and high impact issues. (Source: apcmag.com)

On Slashdot, the response to Microsoft has been critical. One user vowed to stick with XP until "Microsoft stops releasing security fixes for XP and starts making sure new software only works right on Vista, like they did to 98 and 2000 when XP came out." (Source: slashdot.org)

This is not the first time that Microsoft has come under scrutiny for their new operating system. Ever since it shipped to the corporate audience in November, Vista has received some substantial criticism for anything from compatibility issues to cost complaints.