I wasn't anticipating much of change from Windows XP and haven't found anything that could be a show-stopper so far. However I ran into a few interesting things in this my first and unsupervised (not too mention unbiased by any previous training) encounter with Vista.
I installed Vista Ultimate on a new SATA drive just added to my SFF HP Compaq D530, a machine chosen for no other reason than it was the only one I could safely spare without borrowing or stealing.
Not much to tell about the install, but despite 1 additional GB of RAM, which brings the total to 1.5 GB, Vista is still poo-pooing that machine with a WEI (Windows Experience Index) rating of 1.0, the lowest you can get.
Anyway, Vista is still responsive and doesn't lag too much, actually I am posting this from the Vista PC.
I digress. Back to storage, a "simple" installation of the OS set my 60GB hard-drive back 9.5 GB. After adding FlashGet, FireFox and a few extensions I am getting close to 14GB, and haven't even touched Office.
My point is: If you are serious about backups better forget the idea of using DVDs (worse yet CDs) and get some gadget with serious capacity. So far Vista has recognized (and worked with) any USB drive I've attached to it, including an Iomega REV 70, home of my first full backup.
Obviously, I have many more devices to test on Vista, but I found a locked door, at least for now, with the Storage Central 101 that doesn't have drivers for Vista yet. I am keeping an hopeful eye on the NetGear site.
Back to the grind now, but feel free to post with snippets from your experience with Vista, or with comments and suggestions.