U.S. computer manufacturer and long time Microsoft partner, Dell is raising the alarm signal over the issues associated with the upgrades to Windows Vista. Dell emphasized migration challenges inherent with the installations of Vista. This of course concerns less end users, but it is a major problem for corporate clients performing large scale deployments of the operating system. By underlining the multitude of aspects businesses have to prepare for when switching to Vista, Dell is doing a disservice to Microsoft.

The U.S. computer manufacturer has even in the past showed signs of a divorce from Microsoft's main trajectory with the Windows platform. While Dell did support Windows Vista, it did not cut off the lifeline for Windows XP. Furthermore, the computer maker also introduced the Ubuntu distribution of Linux along side Vista and XP on its systems. And now Dell is focusing on the downsides of Vista, such as the hardware requirements, deployment, compatibility, support and user training.

"They need to be looking at the number of images they will be installing and the size of these images. A 2GB image for each user will have a big impact. We are set up to give people all the guidance and support they need for this. We are not here to promote Microsoft and tell people they should buy it. We can show them the advantages of Vista and what they need to put in place to begin to move across. You have to allow time for testing. Vista is big and complex and there is a lot to it. It requires a lot of testing. You can't just shut off XP on Friday and start Vista on Monday morning. There will be training. There are things to learn", revealed Dell's European client services business manager, Niall Fitzgerald as cited by ZDNet Asia.

Dell is one of the major companies that have joined Intel in postponing internal migration to Windows Vista until the first service pack of the operating system will become available. However, Fitzgerald denied the fact that Dell has succumbed to the SP1 myth. But still, in the past, Dell showed a poor understanding of Windows Vista, so the question is: should the computer manufacturer be put in a position to advise on migration to Microsoft's latest operating system?