NIST bans Vista in major blow to Microsoft

The National Institute of Standards and Technology isn't just another federal agency - it sets the standards for federal computing. And NIST doesn't like Vista. In fact it has banned it from its internal networks, according to document obtained by InformationWeek.

IW obtained a copy of the formal agenda for an April 10 meeting at which tech staffers will explain their concerns and discuss "the current ban of this operating system on NIST networks," the newsweekly said.

This follows news that the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration are also banning Vista. FAA CIO Dave Bowen told InformationWeek he wold consider running a combination of Linux and Google Apps.

Among other things, Bowen said he is concerned that Windows Vista may be incompatible with many software applications already in use at the FAA.