Hi,
Don't mind me, but I'd thought I'd post my thoughts about Vista as well.
As with any new Windows version, it takes time for software vendors to update their applications to work with Vista. I now that AVG (anti-virus) and ZoneAlarm (software firewall) are now supported on Vista. I use both now without any problems.
As for battery life, Vista does appear to use more battery power than XP. the big difference, however, is Vista has much more control on how your computer runs when on battery. Such things as reducing the power consumption of your processor when on battery is one of the options within Vista.
One of the big tips is to dump the Aero (Microsoft's new buzz word) look of Vista while running on a battery, and stick with the classic gray Windows look. The Aero look requires your graphics card to do more processing, which will use more power. On my laptop I can get roughly 2-3 hours of battery life. I have more tips on my blog on conserving battery life.
As Joel mentioned, Microsoft will stop support for XP and go full tilt with Vista, so eventually you cannot avoid moving to the new operating system. Personally, I haven't had any issues with Vista, such as crashes, I just don't like the interface.
My two cents.
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