Microsoft Windows Vista

Post by **mcooperstein** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 12:45 pm

I downloaded and installed Vista RC1 (beta) on one of my extra computers. I used it for a day before I couldnt stand it any more. Its....slower then snot. They have a Vista system index whereby they rate your hardware and its ability to optimally run Vista. My machine scored a paltry 1.0. I have an AMD 3.0 Ghz cpu in an Asus motherboard and 512Mbyte ram. It runs XP with no problems, but Vista was painfully slow. I suspect that this version has a lot of debug stuff in the kernel which might be bogging it down. But, I have a feeling that Microsoft and Intel would *love* for people to throw out their old XP hardware and buy one of the new Intel dual core CPU's to run this properly.

My first impressions of this OS is that it's not a whole lot different then XP. It has a slightly different look and feel, but not enough to be significant. There was a whole lot more difference between Windows 98 and Windows XP then there is between XP and Vista. I hope Microsoft knows what they're doing with this one, because right now I'm not that impressed.

Mark

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 2:43 pm

Thanks Mark..I've also heard bad things and that most current systems will not run it very well.

DJ

R4R&R · Post by **R4R&R** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 4:11 pm

Great. I'm looking at changing jobs right now and where I'm probably going is going to start working on a plan to roll it out. Yes, this will be my primary job - trying to make sure it doesn't break.

Post by **Doug** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 6:12 pm

They know exactly what they're doing.. Microsoft is driving the hardware market. Think about it, who's going to upgrade their hardware if it runs ok? I think everyone now knows that even the cheapest computer you can buy these days will run Windows 2000 or even xp fine, so what would make a person upgrade? Heck, to run that new snazzy os! The hardware and software markets feed eachother.

Do we really need a new OS? What possibly couild it do to make our lives easier? With all the bugs (which I am sure will be in there) its bound to only make it harder. I'm a real late adopter when it comes to OS's - Microsoft programmers stink!

[rant over]

Post by **yjleesvrr** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 9:57 pm

Don't look now, but Microsoft will cease supporting Win2k next year. So you'll have to upgrade to 2k3, XP, or Vista - depending on what you do with the machine.

Post by **wncbmw** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 7:35 am

Thanks for the info. Pricing from Dell on a PC at the moment includes free upgrades to Vista. Looks like that may not be much of a bargain.

On another thread I ask about getting a Mac next time. This is making the Mac look better to me!

Post by **MikeCam** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 8:21 am

Vann, (well all of us really)

Honestly, the computer is just the tool. Assess your needs and usual computer usage very well.... be wary of the upgrade monster in consumer electronics!

Windows versions and software that supports them are 10 times the market, pricing pressures, 'next best thing' and what not. But mainstream.

MAC are smooth, user friendly, and 'cool' (thx Gypsy!). But proprietary.

Both put you in the 'newer stuff right after you buy yours' dilemma.

As a testimonial: I had a stable, well running, works for me WIN95SP2/WIN98 network that did what I needed through 2005. Fought the upgrade monster pretty well until the things I needed to do just could not get done on that old set of equipment. During the search for new stuff (started in 2003) I determined to go Mac and ended up replacing the entire network with Mac stuff between 2004-2006. Stablized on OSX Panther, G4 CPU's, and Office Mac 2004. I am 2 generations out of date already for Mac apps. But I can do what I want with the equipment.

Compare to owning a Kawasaki KLR650 versus a BMW F650GS or a Concours versus a K1200GT or any other mainstream versus 'cool' factor bike.

It really is the age old early adopters versus the luddites!

And best of luck.

EDITOR's NOTE: References to Mac in this post or the other computer post do not refer to the esteemed R1150R.net member Machew01 (aka Mac). Any similarlity is coincidental and unintended.

Mac (by Apple) = cool, fun, smooth and easy going.

Mac (aka machew01) = uncool, sorta fun, rough exterior, semi-easy going but more likely to work without the upgrade.

Post by **Shaman** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 9:29 am

I have heard ZERO good about Vista.
Not, the usual... why upgrade and MS is trying to soak us, but we'll upgrade.
This time almost every single technical review magazine HATES Vista.

All I know is that my XPPro has run for 4 years without a single blue screen or desktop failure. I wont be upgrading up to Vista for quite some time.

Post by **wncbmw** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 1:02 pm

As I posted elsewhere, this computer I am on is a 6 1/2 year old Dell with only an upgrade in the RAM and to XP as an OS, so I am not too prone to the upgrade bug. I understand what you are saying though.

I use AutoCADD at work and upgrading that software for an entire company is expensive. I am convinced they make the improvements simply to force you to upgrade and bump the hardware requirements in collusion with the computer manufacturers!

At any time, we have 'luddites' running versions that are 5 generations back (refusing to learn anything new) right up to the latest, greatest. I have tried to be one of the more advanced users, simply to stay ahead of all the young buck engineers right out of school!

I have to confess, though, after experimenting with the latest extreme version of AutoDesk, it has me whipped! Exremely complicated! I am supposed to be on the committee to set the company standard for the new version and it is killing me!

Post by **jb44** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 6:15 pm

like it or not, it's here:

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,20 ... 110906EOAD

jb

Post by **mcooperstein** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:00 pm

I still say its dog doody. I'm not about to throw out my computer to run it, and it does NOT have as many differences between XP and Vista as Win98 had compared to WinXP. Maybe I'll just jump ship alltogether and get a Mac....Or just keep my Linux box running...It runs circles around my XP box with the same hardware.

Mark

HornHonker · Post by **HornHonker** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 5:52 pm

It was rough going from a device driver standpoint with XP when it was released. I'm going to wait a while for things to settle down with Vista.

Post by **yjleesvrr** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 6:00 pm

My Gateway MS XP laptop has gone 3.5 years with the original OS install without any blue screens or issues aside from the occasional spyware/virus that invariably turn up - and neutralized by Symantec.

XP and Win2k are what Microsoft should have started with back in '95.

Post by **jb44** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 7:37 am

HornHonker wrote:It was rough going from a device driver standpoint with XP when it was released. I'm going to wait a while for things to settle down with Vista.

Windows Vista supports more hardware than any other version, with hundreds of OEMs and thousands of system builder partners who will all install Vista. Microsoft expects about 50 percent more device driver coverage at RTM than Windows XP had, with thousands more coming through Windows Update.

I'm not a big fan of MS myself, but doing Tech Support for it's OS does provide a decent income... built-in job security...

...as usual, the best advice is to wait for Vista Service Pack 1 before changing over.

jb

Post by **rdsmith3** » Tue Nov 14, 2006 8:57 am

yjleesvrr wrote:Don't look now, but Microsoft will cease supporting Win2k next year. So you'll have to upgrade to 2k3, XP, or Vista - depending on what you do with the machine.

This is the really frustrating part of what MS does. You can get parts for a 10 year old car, bike, TV, toaster, washing machine, refrigerator, etc. But your computer's OS? Forget it -- not supported anymore.

I have an old PC at home that the kids use, running Windows 98. It is fine for basic e-mail and doing homework research on the internet. It is slow and cranky, but I don't want the kids spending too much time on the computer, so that is not a big issue for me.

The major problem is that it is now impossible to get necessary software for Windows 98. Fortunately my copy of Zone Alarm still works with Windows 98, and it includes firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware. But the new version that Zone Labs wants me to upgrade to will not work with Windows 98.

The other irritation is that MS makes this unnecessarily complicated. We bought a new, very basic, PC in September. It is supposedly Vista capable. But what does that mean, really? It means that I could maybe, hopefully run a stripped down "Home Basic" version of Vista, but not the "Home Premium" version. Since this machine works just fine with XP Media version, why would I want to upgrade?