Windows Vista had a rough start when it first launched. While there were many reasons for the instability of the platform that were fixed with service pack updates, the platform brand image never recovered.
If you are still one of the few that are using Vista on a daily basis, Microsoft has announced that they will be ending support for Vista SP1 on July 12, 2011, according to TheWindowsClub.com. This is in accordance to the service pack support policy, support for Vista RTM was killed on April 13 2010. TheWindowsClub states:
Windows Vista users must upgrade their Service Pack to continue to be eligible for Mainstream Support on Windows Vista. Once support ends for Windows Vista SP1, users who have not upgraded to a support service pack will not have access to new security updates, non-security hotfixes, or the option to engage Microsoft product development resources.
Customers will need to update their systems to Vista SP2 to ensure that their platform is secure. If a user does not perform the required updates, it will leave their system vulnerable to attacks and exploitation.
While Vista got a bad rap, and Apple made a series of commercials pointing out the flaws of the platform, it did lay the ground work for Windows 7. Without this platform, Windows 7 would not be what it is today.