You don't have to go too far to see examples of Microsoft telling us that Vista is their best OS to date nor is there any dearth of PC users chanting that switching from XP is a terrible idea. Here's a little perspective from someone who uses both every single day.
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The biggest single question in the XP vs. Vista debate is: What exactly does everyone mean by "better"? Some people only use their computers for work, some never access any of their advanced features, and some people just keep a Windows machine for gaming. Each one of these groups - and all the other users out there - value something different in an OS. Experience plays a big part as well. A savvy user can get things out of their machine that others can't. So we have to look at XP and Vista in their raw forms to make any sort of intelligent argument one way or the other.
With that in mind, here's the take of a writing and internet professional who works with Vista in the living room and XP by the bed.
Out of the box
Every pre-installed Windows machine comes complete with a personal horror story about removing all the useless software that came along with it. The only comforting thing is the fresh hard drive on which it's installed. With an unfragmented drive and only the basic files around, we see the first black mark on Vista's record.
Assuming the same or similar hardware to work with, it's clear that years of development time hasn't produced much of anything. There is no noticeable speed difference from XP. The menus look so much alike that they might as well be a nice XP skin. Even the default background is eerily similar to the rolling hills that came with Vista's predecessor.
The average user won't notice much newness beyond the word "Vista" on the loading screens. Point: XP.
Software handling
It never really feels like your computer until the desktop and Start menu are full of familiar program names, and there's nothing more annoying than an OS that can't handle their requirements. The newer competitor gains back a good bit of ground in this area, as there isn't much XP can handle that Vista can't.
Both XP and Vista come complete with their own sets of quirks when it comes to making things work, whether it be a brand new FPS or a program for heavy math calculations. Nobody ever claimed that any version of Windows worked perfectly with all their software desires, so this one is a draw.
Software performance
It's one thing to be able to run a piece of software. Running it well is something else entirely.
One big step backwards for Microsoft is Vista's stability. XP still has the low score for crashes and BSODs. Even worse for Vista is the fact that heavy programs still work faster in XP. Games needing high frame rates, photo processing, video and audio conversions: they all take a hit on the newer system.
Not only is it slower for your big tasks, but Vista is constantly writing and rewriting its own files, which will slow up everything else. Point: XP
Loose ends and verdict
It's the little things that count in life, and it's those little things that nail the door shut on Vista in this debate.
The most obvious and frustrating is that, in Vista, every action that might change something in your system is flagged to produce a warning pop-up. Ironically, it alerts you that a program (which is on your computer) has to access your computer, which is exactly what you were doing in the first place. And that's just one of many little annoyances.
Unless the phrase "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" incites laughter, Vista isn't going to ruin your computing experience. Still, in the end, XP is clearly the superior choice. If you've got it, don't waste your money upgrading.