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There was no fanfare, no obligatory look-back posts in commemoration—not even from Microsoft employee bloggers. Oh my, what has Vista become?

Windows Me II.

Microsoft has moved on already to Vista's successor, and it's not even released. Sadly, nobody wants to celebrate Windows Vista but forget it. Many enterprises are committed to Windows XP and sticking with it.

According to recent Gartner numbers, little more than 10 percent of businesses have deployed Windows Vista. That's not exactly a whopping endorsement two years and one service pack after release of a new Windows version businesses waited more than five years for.

At Windows Vista's launch two years ago, Gartner forecast that early Vista deployments would begin in earnest by the fourth quarter of 2007 and reach threshold by the second quarter of 2008. There was plenty of pent-up demand for it. But early reviews and troublesome enterprise test deployments quelled Vista interest. A year ago, Gartner revised its projections, with mainstream enterprise adoption tracking for early 2009. Many businesses will now never move to the Vista called Vista but to the version called Windows 7.

Seven builds off Windows Vista. Microsoft isn't looking to reinvent the operating system, but to get beyond Vista's bad rap. Strange then that Windows 7 will be Vista made over.

About two months ago I blogged: "Windows Vista No Longer Matters". To that post, Microsoft Watch reader Mike Renna commented:

"I've barely touched Vista—I just can't deal with learning and teaching clients (I do IT consulting) where things they've used for years with XP are now. Where's the start button? Why did it change? Etc. My docs folder? Now pics are in their own folder. There's a users and docs and settings folder tree now, right? Too confusing for my feable brain. I'd like to look forward to 7, but if it's based on Vista, what's keeping it from inheriting Vista's bad rep? Get rid of the bloat, make it lean and mean and stop moving things around.

As I've repeatedly asserted, perception is everything in business. Mike asks the right question: What will keep Windows 7 "from inheriting Vista's bad rep?" For starters, Microsoft is better managing the message and pulled off some early good reviews.

But Vista problems are persistent because people continue to have bad experiences with the operating system. To the same post, commenter Thomas exasperated:

Vista has been the most frustrating and annoying computing experience ever. Never has a product filled me so much rage. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to pick my machine up and throw it at the wall. The solution? Keep a book near my Vista machine so I can quickly grab something to read while I wait out the 1-3 minute Vista freeze that happens 10-15 times a day.

This kind of user testimonial is akin to Windows anti-marketing, which is something Microsoft wouldn't want preparing the market for Seven.

Other Vista users have had more positive experiences, after bad Vista rap lowered expectations. Jess Meats commented to "Is Seven for Real or Just More Empty Vista Promises?":

I like Vista. Admittedly, I came late to the party. When I upgraded my home laptop, I went for one that still had XP because I'd heard all the negative press - without ever trying Vista myself. So, when work gave me a laptop with Vista on, SP1 had already been released and the major issues fixed. Having come to Vista post SP1, I can't see why everyone is complaining. This laptop loads up much faster than my XP one, shuts down incredibly fast, works fast, has a nicer UI and a really easy and useful search tool in the start menu.