WinXP were not better than Vista on release, not in any way. I'm sorry there Corbs but I surely disagree with you.
My take on the whole thing.. If you have a computer with relatively new hardware, with updated and correct drivers and if you are at least a somewhat decent administrator then you should be fine running Vista.
If you don't like Vista, then by all means don't use it. But when you are suggesting that WinXP were a better OS then you're on thin ice mister.