So there you are, signing the "Save XP" petition, shaking your fist in triumph as you stick it to "the man." It's a liberating feeling. You've found the courage to buck the trend and jump off the Wintel upgrade treadmill. You feel empowered, enlightened. But still, there are these nagging doubts.

Can you really skip the Vista upgrade cycle? Will Windows XP still be properly supported by Microsoft and, as a primary development target, by third parties? Is there something we've missed, some hidden gotcha that's going to trip us up 12, 18, or 24 months from now?

[ A third Windows desktop alternative has emerged for technical users. See “Weird, wild, wonderful Windows ‘Workstation’ 2008.” ]

Of course, there's no universal answer to the Vista upgrade question. Yes, in all likelihood you'll be just fine sticking with Windows XP – at least until Windows 7 ships in 2009 or 2010. But let's not rush to universal judgment. Let's take a close, measured look at the key considerations, and compare Vista's merits against the state of XP on the essential points that IT organizations and end-users care about. And if we can't solve this calmly and objectively, like fair-minded professionals, then let's at least have a good fight.

Are you ready to rumble? OK, then. Operating systems, return to your corners, and come out swinging.

Round 1: Security
Round 2: Manageability
Round 3: Reliability
Round 4: Usability
Round 5: Performance
Round 6: Hardware compatibility
Round 7: Microsoft software compatibility
Round 8: Third-party software compatibility
Round 9: Developer tools support
Round 10: Future-proofing