just for context, i've been daily driving this thinkpad z61m with windows vista sp2 for the past week and it's actually been pretty damn good lol. sorry, i just don't like linux that much. though i might post haiku in the future :3
also it's dual booted with XP Pro SP3 :p
that was definitely more of an early 2006 thing, Windows Vista came out in late 06 for manufacturers, but I think it was definitely relevant at the time
i'd say it was more because the hardware requirements lol, if it came out in, say, 2008, I feel like people would've already had better computers and it would've been better received. that being said, it'll be fine on high end hardware as far back as 2004 I believe