As a developer, I have really only 1 requisite - that I have a FAST machine. If I cannot compile 180K lines of code in less than 2 minutes, well, it's time for an upgrade!!!
On another note, as a MSFT developer, I have been involved in many beta (often more like alpha) programs. Vista and Office were no exception.
Office - very well done. The RTM is proving to be faster than the B2TR bits were - and I have not had a crash yet.
But the real cherry on this piece of pie is Vista - Vista Ultimate.
I setup a dual Xeon system w/4GB of RAMBUS RAM - 2 AverMedia video controllers and connected my cable. I've spent the past hour watching a concert - in HDTV. This is incredible!
Out-of-the-box (OOB) Vista Ultimate is really a new user experience - and my hat's off to MSFT on this one. I have never been a big gamer or video buff - just another chiphead that wants a fast computer. Well, you too will find Vista Ultimate to be the ultimate in experience!
That's my 2 cents worth - and MSFT? Thanks...