Avoid Windows Vista until 2008, business users told

But while the changes in Vista should reduce the risk for most users, the security features mean upgrading won't be easy, Jaquith cautioned. "Vista will dramatically improve the security for Windows users but they have some execution and usability challenges," he said. "It is clear as day that Vista is going to really annoy users."

The annoyance would come from such features as User Account Control, which is to be enabled by default and lets users run Windows with fewer privileges. The intent is to thwart malicious software from gaining a foothold on Windows PCs. Jaquith wrote: "Although the new security system shows promise, it is far too chatty and annoying."

As a result, Yankee Group recommends business users who don't want to be on the bleeding edge to steer clear of Vista until 2008 and continue to use Windows XP with Service Pack 2 until then. Jaquith wrote: "As a hedging strategy, enterprises upgrading their hardware should also take a look Apple's dual boot Intel Macintoshes."