Windows Vista
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,290
Likes: 9
From: BHX LXR ASW
Windows Vista
Just had a free upgrade through for my Vaio. Before I attempt to use it, anyone had any good or bad experiences with the new operating system?
When I ran a system check through my laptop it seemed to have issues with my Epson C200 printer, along with AVG spyware, My Tomtom software, Intel wireless, adaware antivirus etc etc
I hope this is not going to be an ordeal trying to upgrade and finding nothing will work on it apart from Microsoft systems!!
When I ran a system check through my laptop it seemed to have issues with my Epson C200 printer, along with AVG spyware, My Tomtom software, Intel wireless, adaware antivirus etc etc
I hope this is not going to be an ordeal trying to upgrade and finding nothing will work on it apart from Microsoft systems!!
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 8,121
Likes: 686
From: Twickenham, home of rugby
Quite apart from the voracious appetite that vista has for hardware, and leaving aside the DRM issues (some FUD admittedly), there are a lot of changes in the way that drivers and software interact with the OS.
As a result, large chunks of existing software won't run, and large numbers of peripherals won't work.
The former is largely down to the lazy programming assumption that "everyone has admin rights". Not the case under vista.
While MS has doubtless invited hardware manfrs. to write drivers for their peripherals to work with vista's increased security (much less access to protected kernel mode), many manfrs. will understandably be somewhat tardy in supplying drivers (let alone certified drivers) for their older products.
This is quite different to the situation with Win2K and XP, where drivers were frequently interchangable. It's more like the leap from Win 9x to XP.
So unless you upgrade your hardware to run vista, then upgrade your software to work on vista, then replace your older peripherals to work with vista, you would be better off sticking with your existing OS.
Or trying Linux
SD
As a result, large chunks of existing software won't run, and large numbers of peripherals won't work.
The former is largely down to the lazy programming assumption that "everyone has admin rights". Not the case under vista.
While MS has doubtless invited hardware manfrs. to write drivers for their peripherals to work with vista's increased security (much less access to protected kernel mode), many manfrs. will understandably be somewhat tardy in supplying drivers (let alone certified drivers) for their older products.
This is quite different to the situation with Win2K and XP, where drivers were frequently interchangable. It's more like the leap from Win 9x to XP.
So unless you upgrade your hardware to run vista, then upgrade your software to work on vista, then replace your older peripherals to work with vista, you would be better off sticking with your existing OS.
Or trying Linux
SD
Plastic PPRuNer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 1,902
Likes: 0
From: Rochechouart, France
As Saab says, "...unless you upgrade your hardware to run vista, then upgrade your software to work on vista, then replace your older peripherals to work with vista, you would be better off sticking with your existing OS."
Or trying Linux......
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
From: UK
Crewmeal
Unless your the type of guy who wears corduroy pants, sandles with white socks and Shetland pullovers, home has stripped pine floors, have a liking for folk music, shop at Ikea and take naturist holidays. I'd steer clear of Linux.
Dave
Unless your the type of guy who wears corduroy pants, sandles with white socks and Shetland pullovers, home has stripped pine floors, have a liking for folk music, shop at Ikea and take naturist holidays. I'd steer clear of Linux.
Dave
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 13,787
Likes: 0
From: EuroGA.org
My son put vista on his Sony VAIO.
Slowed it down to a crawl. But looks quite pretty - if you like playing with a PC rather than doing something useful with it
I'd give it a year. It doesn't actually do anything that XP doesn't do.
I am still on win2000. It does everything XP does, except run Pinnacle or Ulead with a HD video camera; one has to have XP for that for some reason.
Slowed it down to a crawl. But looks quite pretty - if you like playing with a PC rather than doing something useful with it
I'd give it a year. It doesn't actually do anything that XP doesn't do.
I am still on win2000. It does everything XP does, except run Pinnacle or Ulead with a HD video camera; one has to have XP for that for some reason.
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,694
Likes: 15
From: Wellington,NZ
Willing to be put off Vista (and the way the industry is going) forever?
Check this out. http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut00...ista_cost.html
Check this out. http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut00...ista_cost.html
Last edited by Tarq57; 29th January 2007 at 01:51. Reason: spelling
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 224
Likes: 0
From: Deepest Europe...
I'm steering well clear. From what I've seen and heard, Vista does nothing more than XP for the stuff that I require. Until it's been out a few years and I'm otherwised convinced, any system that I build/rebuild/reformat will have XP put on it - not Vista.
No doubt PC World and the like will be supplying every new system they sell with Vista installed - another good reason, therefore, to steer clear of them.
No doubt PC World and the like will be supplying every new system they sell with Vista installed - another good reason, therefore, to steer clear of them.
Joined: May 1999
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 27,397
Likes: 857
From: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
Predictably, PC World have started sending out advertising e-mails about Vi$ta.....
About £450 for Vi$ta Premium and Office 2007 - and yet people are already reporting problems with software clashes.
I hated IE7 and I simply cannot see the point of Vi$ta for home and small office use.
Unless your name happens to be Bill Gate$, of course.....
About £450 for Vi$ta Premium and Office 2007 - and yet people are already reporting problems with software clashes.
I hated IE7 and I simply cannot see the point of Vi$ta for home and small office use.
Unless your name happens to be Bill Gate$, of course.....
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,290
Likes: 9
From: BHX LXR ASW
I wonder if you install it then find it's no good for what ever reason will you be able to uninstall it via a reformat? or is that it buy a new laptop. There again all new computers will have vista on them anyway!!!!
Bludger extraordinaire
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 194
Likes: 0
From: London/Frankfurt
An interesting piece of material here (it's a 90-minute movie - the pirates of Silicon Valley):
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...n+valley&hl=en
You should never buy a .0 release of anything these days. Still, I shall get a free copy and mess with it in VMware or a spare box where it will do not harm. I doubt it will give the same thrill that 95 and W3 gave me all those years ago, when they seemed revolutionary and I bought copies on day 0).
Resistance is futile - Vista will come. To ignore it would be analogous to iignoring everyone who uses the word 'like' peppered liberally through a conversation.
IBM: When you need it to work.
*nix: When you want it to work.
Microsoft: Should work.
Mac: Shiny!
BOFH
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...n+valley&hl=en
You should never buy a .0 release of anything these days. Still, I shall get a free copy and mess with it in VMware or a spare box where it will do not harm. I doubt it will give the same thrill that 95 and W3 gave me all those years ago, when they seemed revolutionary and I bought copies on day 0).
Resistance is futile - Vista will come. To ignore it would be analogous to iignoring everyone who uses the word 'like' peppered liberally through a conversation.
IBM: When you need it to work.
*nix: When you want it to work.
Microsoft: Should work.
Mac: Shiny!
BOFH
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 307
Likes: 0
From: South East England
From today's Daily Telegraph
The new system was also launched in America yesterday, where it will cost between $100 and $249 (£51 to £127) depending on the sophistication of the version, whereas in this country it will be priced from £100 to £249, almost exactly twice as much.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...1/nvista31.xml
The Times today quotes similar price differentials.
The new system was also launched in America yesterday, where it will cost between $100 and $249 (£51 to £127) depending on the sophistication of the version, whereas in this country it will be priced from £100 to £249, almost exactly twice as much.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...1/nvista31.xml
The Times today quotes similar price differentials.
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,114
Likes: 0
From: UK
Not sure where they are getting their prices from although I suspect they are full price retail copies. OEM versions from the likes of ebuyer etc seem to be around the £50 mark for the home version and go up from there. Doesn't seem all that pricey to be fair although I think I will take heed and hold off until SP3 or 4 is released
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Milton Keynes
From the BBC Today.
Vista has speech recognition hole.
Microsoft has admitted that speech recognition features in Vista could be hijacked so that a PC tells itself to delete files or folders.
Vista can respond to vocal commands and concern has been raised about malicious audio on websites or sent via e-mail.
In one scenario outlined by users a MP3 file of voice instructions was used to tell the PC to delete documents.
blooming PRICELESS !!!
Vista has speech recognition hole.
Microsoft has admitted that speech recognition features in Vista could be hijacked so that a PC tells itself to delete files or folders.
Vista can respond to vocal commands and concern has been raised about malicious audio on websites or sent via e-mail.
In one scenario outlined by users a MP3 file of voice instructions was used to tell the PC to delete documents.
blooming PRICELESS !!!
