The tepid endorsement: Ten Reasons Why Vista Isn't That Bad.

The more-secure-than-XP part is good, but I can't see taking the items about gaming and home entertainment awesomeness to the CFO.

This user is unamused: "[F]rom the standpoint of one of their corporate customers [Microsoft's] biggest challenge is winning back my trust. Because they don't have it now and I often find myself actively looking for ways to avoid the Microsoft solution these days...the company has gotten to the point where they simply don't seem to care what I think anymore."

Previously: "CIOs have lost a lot of interest in Vista, due to concerns over security and productivity."

Related: Ballmer and MSFT after Gates. "[I]n a memo last summer to his top lieutenants, Mr. Ballmer drew lessons from two other U.S. business icons -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc., known for the central management of its retail outlets, and General Electric Co., known for businesses that operate autonomously. His conclusion: Microsoft needs more elements of both."

Wall Street loves management strategies that sound like Zen koans, right?