I've turned off most of the "features" included in vista. It has always run much faster since. I've had XP installed on my laptop and it runs so much better, especially games. I like the search function vista has for the start menu and the way file renaming automatically excludes the extension. It's prettier too, but there's not much else I like about it.

This is actually making me want to go back to XP, now that I don't have a need for the HD-DVD drive in this thing. Oh what a waste of cash that was. Although it did allow me and my Dad to watch the HD-DVD of Shrek that he bought, thinking it would play in his DVD/Hard Disk Drive recorder, just because it says HDD on the front.