Vista: And So It Begins

[LostMyMind]

If you don't have any favorite software or games now, then Vista will be fine for you as long as you have enough memory, processing power, etc...

Look at Vista box at any store, see their min requirement. That's a computer that will run Vista and nothing else.

Almost everything has issues running on Vista. Unless the software was written for Vista (and not many are), you're going to have problems. That also includes drivers for any devices (printers, web cams, etc....). So unless the company software is written for Vista, find a company that will put XP on the computer.

The company I used often still offer XP, you just have to select it. Or take the XP from your old computer and install it on the new computer. Just get all the XP drivers for the components.

[Crazyredhead]

I have a question. Now I do understand computers, to a point. I'm not technically savvay, even though my hubby thinks so. I am going to buy a computer (hopefully), would it be better to get XP or windows. I am having a hard time finding XP anymore as everything is now Vista. I was XP that is upgradeable to Vista. I don't know the first thing about building my own computer and will have to go with something already put together at the store. I want AMD, but I heard that Intel is coming out with better chips. This computer will do everything, burn CD's/DVD's, run company software, play games, word processing, cook dinner, money management, internet, handle my printer, Adobe, and a slew of other things. I am looking for a 350gb hard drive and a 2gb memory that is expandable to 4gb. I know what I want but I don't know much more than that. I just wat to make the best decision since this will cost me between 15 and $2000.00. The one that I have currently is almost 6 years old and still running strong, and this new one will, hopefully, last as long.

[RichS]

Another issue is that PC manufacturers are putting Vista into cheap PCs with only 512mb of RAM. People buy these PCs and then call us and complain that they put one lousy app in and the PC is running poorly. Unfortunately, it's tough to tell them they need to upgrade the memory to at least 1GB (or exchange it for one that does) without them screaming back at you "then why would they sell a computer that needs to be upgraded out of the box?!"

Let me guess - Dell, right?

They were notorious for selling XP machines with only 128MB RAM. Runs fine new out of the box, but install a few apps, and they slowed to a crawl.

We'd get the result, and tell them they needed to boost their memory at least another 128MB, a little more if they had onboard video with shared memory. And, of course, we'd have to special order more expensive memory specific to the machine, because Dells are too special to run standard memory.

"But I don't want to spend that, it was working fine before!" was a common response...

[IlovemyGeek]

I wish I could get rid of Windows on my home PC. My hubby has Linux on both his systems; for mine I have a custom built PC that he made and a Mac but I can't switch b/c when we do web design, it helps to be able to test it on IE6. Vista is rearing its ugly head at my day job too. For us, Vista plus IE7 = not working anytime soon and folks don't understand why they need to download Firefox when they just bought a new system. Its all the additional security Microsoft used, it completely farks with our service and I can't even troubleshoot it b/c we're still on XP.

[Great Unknown]

Glad I don't have to deal with it...

except when friends and family go out and get screwed into V!$#@ when they buy a new computer and want me to help set up their system/network...

I'm so glad I decided to go Linux before V!$#@ came out.

Random Stranger Looking Over My Shoulder: "So... how much does that GIMP software there cost?"

Me: It's free.

RSLOMS: A hundred bucks? Two hundred?

Me: No, really! It's free!

RSLOMS: You mean, free, like costs nothing?! *incredulous*

Me: Yeah, free, as in freedom, and free, as in free beer. Free.

RSLOMS: *wanders away, still gape-mouthed*

[Raerlynn]

Ugh. I work at an ISP, and a big shout out to the brilliant genius in Microsoft who decided to rewrite every. freaking. connection error code to output the same error code. Case in point:

WinXP

Error 676 - Line is busy (DSL server screwup)
Error 678 - Remote Computer did not respond (generic connectivity error)
Error 691 - Username/Password
Error 769 - Destination Host Unreachable (Usually NIC-related)

Win Vista

Error 815 - Failed to connect. [Line is busy] (DSL server screwup)
Error 815 - Failed to connect. [Remote Computer did not respond] (generic connectivity error)
Error 815 - Failed to connect. [Username/Password]
Error 815 - Failed to connect. [Destination Host Unreachable] (Usually NIC-related)

Note that the parts in braces/parentheses do NOT show up on screen. Thus problems that occur in Vista all share the same error code. Anyone else see why this could be a small problem?

[Casino Jockey]

i have a friend of mine that works in an electronics store here in australia.
they have 2 types of stores (regular stores with limited range, and superstores that stock things like DVD's, Cds and computers) and he works at a superstore. the only computers they are selling at the moment that support vista are... the macs that they sell.

[SuperDan]

Unfortunately, it's tough to tell them they need to upgrade the memory to at least 1GB (or exchange it for one that does) without them screaming back at you "then why would they sell a computer that needs to be upgraded out of the box?!"

Could it be that they make next to no store profit or commission if applicable on that computer, but they make a crapton on the ram chips you'll be buying within the first month?

[sld72382]

To tell you the truth, the calls I have gotten for Vista haven't been all that bad. Some were great. The other day, a client's Gateway would not start up. I had him put in the Vista DVD, it detected the errors and BOOM, fixed. If that was XP he would have had to wipe out and start over.

The biggest issue is not with the O/S, but with people who think that 5-7 year old software is going to work with it. Take Office 2000 and XP, for example. They will install but they have HUGE issues with running on Vista. When I tell them that only 2003 and up work with Vista, they get mad that they have to *gasp* buy new software that works.

Another issue is that PC manufacturers are putting Vista into cheap PCs with only 512mb of RAM. People buy these PCs and then call us and complain that they put one lousy app in and the PC is running poorly. Unfortunately, it's tough to tell them they need to upgrade the memory to at least 1GB (or exchange it for one that does) without them screaming back at you "then why would they sell a computer that needs to be upgraded out of the box?!"

[blas]

I'm really starting to wish I had put more thought and selection into my laptop. Even though a computer isn't an "emergency" per say, I'm going to need one for college anyway, and I couldn't go much longer paying for cable internet I wasn't using. Practically a few days after my roomate took the computer, I hopped on the internet and picked the first and cheapest laptop to catch my eye.

I've been getting a lot of "Oh blas, you didn't....." when friends who are more computer oriented than I am come to see it.........and I've heard the tales on here. I'm starting to think I made a dumb decision.

My roomate told me, "I'm not sure if it's because it's a Dell or if it's that damn Vista"

[EmiOfBrie]

Just like Apple. We used to have a Mac version of our software, but Apple kept coming up with new versions which wouldn't run it. O/S X was the last straw. There weren't enough sales to justify the cost of playing "keep-up with the Mac" so we stopped developing for it in 2001.

Erf....2001/2002 was around the time Mac stopped those games. Their backward compatibility between the differing versions of OS X has been rather good, likely due to the fact that they all run on top of BSD Unix. I have programs on my system that I got back during 10.1 that still run fine on 10.4.8

[BravoOrig]

I had a beta release of Vista, but didn't play with it all that much. I was able to get it online to my wireless network and everything. Now that its out to the public, I'm having a tough time finding Local Area Connection to check that connection. One day we tried every different link, and the only choice it gave us for a new connection was wireless or PPPoE, which we are not. Then we got an email saying to shut down the computer, unplug its ethernet cable for a few seconds, then plug it back in as a fix. WTF Microsoft?

[greensinestro]

Don't even get me started on this one! Since Vista came out, I have dealt with less than ten customers who have it, and nearly all of them, I think, were people that were scammed by a sales floor person eager to make his commission. Not a customer I've had was able to follow along, and many were not able to get the same screens and input information as what our "screenshots" show when we help them do a DUN connection. I hope it dies a quick but painful death.

[Crosshair]

Windows Vista: Proof that just because it is newer, doesn't mean it is better.

[Dips]

Microsoft is breaking what made their OS "safe" to upgrade to. Backwards compatibility and developer friendliness.

Yup. That is the one thing that MS should definitely NOT be trying to do like Apple and they went ahead and did it. And thousands of Windows developers