Maximum PC, a favorite periodical of hardcore computer users (read: IT types) and those of us here at Simplify PC Solutions, has given Vista its share of lumps over the years. So it was with genuine delight that we read the mag's February, 2009, issue.

Specifically, in the feature story "The Maximum PC 100," the staff counts down the "most intriguing tech products, people, and news of 2008." Here, in its entirety, is their choice for number five:

Vista SP1 Arrives and Fixes a Broken OS Vista users fed up with slow file transfers and lackluster performance celebrate the OS's first Service Pack and its many fixes. Much more than just a series of security plugs, SP1 offers speed gains in everything from browsing network file shares to manipulated zipped files, and so much more. Even the photo screensaver is snappier. For the first time since its release, Vista isn't all that bad.

In other words, it's time to forget all the Vista bad-mouthing you've heard and accept the reality that Vista has arrived. Maximum PC, the self-proclaimed "no b.s." magazine, says so.