Microsoft Vista: Advice from A Current User

[Canuck_4_Life]

I was asked this afternoon about Windows Vista. Working for a company that is an Authorized Microsoft OEM Distributor, I can tell you this: While Vista was popular in the days leading up to the launch, I've seen more copies of XP go out the door, meaning a couple of things:
1)Like sheep, people flock to the newest toy out there, without doing any sort of research.
2)Upgrading to Vista is a lot more complicated than when XP was released. Upgrade Chart
3)Vista is quite quirky. It could the the UI that throws people for a loop. It could also be IE 7, which I'm currently using. There's a lot of work to be done after installing Vista, namely updating of drivers.

Unlike XP and previous versions, Microsoft decided to go after profit more than anything else, releasing 6 different versions. Each version comes in either 32 or 64bit, with the exception of Vista Enterprise, which I don't know about.

Vista Starter - not available in North America or any region the World Bank deems to be high income

Vista Basic - I wouldn't touch this with a 1000ft pole. The major additions have been left out (Aero, Flip 3D, live thumbnails)

Vista Home Premium - Seems to be the most popular version. Media Center is included, as well as Aero, Flip 3D and live thumbnails. (This the version I have and run problem free, save for my soundcard, which up until recently didn't have driver support)

Vista Business - Don't know enough about it, but based on it's features, why would you want this at home

Vista Ultimate - The whole nine yards. Everything Microsoft decided to offer in its other versions of Vista, plus some other features. It would be cool to have, but it's not worth paying the $400 or whatever it costs right off the bat.

Vista Enterprise - Zero practical use, unless you run a major corporate intranet in which you already know whether you want Vista or not.

The most popular versions seem to be Premium and Ultimate.

Microsoft did create "Anytime Upgrade" which allows you to upgrade from any lower version of Vista to Vista Ultimate. I haven't actually gone as far to check the price, but it's something I'll consider.

Vista works if your computer is new enough. Simply put, if you comptuer is more than 1 year old, chances some of your components won't work. I bought my current system last September (AMD dual core) with the intention of upgrading to Vista.

At this point in time, if you're happy with XP or ME or whatever version you're using, and you're not ready to buy a new computer, stick with whatever you got.

Most bottom end computers being sold are "Vista Capable." To me, "capable" means barely meets minimum requirements. In parlance, barely breaking the goalline on 3rd and goal.

However, I'd actually spend more money to get a system that exceeds min requirements. I'm not saying that you should spend in excess of 1K for a computer, but don't cheap out.

To complicate things further, Microsoft puts out 2 types (OEM and retail) of Vista, in addition to the different versions that they have.

Simply put, retail versions give you everything you expect from a typical box of software. In a nutshell, OEM version functionality is tied to the motherboard, meaning if you upgrade your motherboard, theoretically your OEM software is now useless. Supposedly there are ways of countering it.

Retail versions gives you the ability to transfer your software from one computer to another. You also get a manual and pretty packaging. For those priviledges, they charge you twice as much. Microsoft sure has their nerve, that's for sure.

Do I regret upgrading so soon after the launch?
No

Any other questions, other than for tylenol, PM me............

[West Coast Blue Fan]

Looks like installation can be difficult.........


HOW TO INSTALL VISTA

[Solar Max]

[Canuck_4_Life]

He's probably a Linux or a Mac user........................ :lol:

[Shi Zi Mi]

I have a good rule of thumb when considering new Microsoft products.........always wait for the first Service Pack to be released, before you EVER consider getting involved.

Let other goofs be the guinea pigs (don't you love the way Microsoft includes the 800 number on the package so all "zero cost" testers can report any problems back to them). There's no wonder that the initial release of Microsoft products are so buggy......Microsoft has no need to do extensive testing "in lab", the goofs will do it for them, free of charge......in fact, they'll even pay the exhorbitant first release price for the honour of being Microsoft guinea pigs.

[CB123]

Im not gonna switch to Vista untill I buy a new computer, and thats not gonna be for a while.

[Soundy]

I haven't seen or heard of anything that Vista offers that's really useful or an improvement - it's all been about the window dressing and the bells and whistles. Maybe someone can fill me in on the "benefits" I'm missing.

[Canuck_4_Life]

Most people work in one or two different programs at the same time, therefore Flip 3D isn't really of much use to the average user. I believe it's primary function is to aid those who work in 3 or more programs at the same time (network techs, graphic designers and related fields). The kicker is that all the programs have to work with Aero desktop.

I buy on eBay or buy online from various websites throughout the US, so having the new Windows Sidebar, with the exchange rate gadget going is a handy little tool. Some of the gadgets are useful (CPU/RAM monitor, calculator). Other than that, it's mostly ephemera.

Functionality wise, it's about on course with XP Home. Then the next logical question is, why the hell did I spend money on it? I don't really know.....

[Soundy]

Most people work in one or two different programs at the same time, therefore Flip 3D isn't really of much use the average user. I believe it's primary function is to aid those who work in 3 or more programs at the same time (network techs, graphic designers and related fields). The kicker is that all the programs have to work with Aero desktop.

Hmmm, so basically a really glitzy window manager? *yawn*

I buy on eBay or buy online from various websites throughout the US, so having the new Windows Sidebar, with the exchange rate gadget going is a handy little tool. Some of the gadgets are useful (CPU/RAM monitor, calculator). Other than that, it's mostly ephemera.

Again, nothing that hasn't been available through third-party software before? I used to have a live-hockey-scores widget that worked with Active Desktop, but it was buggy and bogged things down, and wasn't really of that much use. Once again, *yawn*.

Functionality wise, it's about on course with XP Home. Then the next logical question is, why the hell did I spend money on it? I don't really know.....

So essentially, a lot of added glamour and glitz and window dressing requiring a $#!tload of additional resources. Pretty much what I already figured. No SIGNIFICANT improvements...

[TheLionKing]

Looks like installation can be difficult.........


HOW TO INSTALL VISTA

:lol: :lol:

[TheLionKing]

Typical Microsoft, releasing a product first without ironing out all the bugs. Patches for this and patch this for that.

[Harderfindings]

I have a Mac!

Smiling broadly

[Sir Purrcival]

Vista is not completely without some merit. Some of the functional bits of the OS have been retooled. The TCP/IP stack is reported much more efficient than its predecessor, meaning that machines with the new stack are capable of transferring data faster than identical machines with the previous OS. Doesn't probably mean much as far as the Internet is concerned but in large office networks with a trend to ever increasing bandwith hungry applications, that could prove useful. I got my first real taste with a new notebook that I bought for a consumer the other day. Vista basic came on the machine. It was slow to go through its initial configuration and I can see little that immediately made me go ga, ga but then again it is Vista Basic so there really isn't much there to make me go wow in the first place.

[Canuck_4_Life]

Before it was released, I was telling my boss that they'll be 3 big blitzes with Vista.
1)Initial launch
2)Release of SP1
3)Release of SP2

I've also heard that XP will be supported for another 5 years. I'm not sure what to make of that however, I believe they'll discontinue support for XP when the new Windows comes out in 2009.

A lot of people skipped over Windows ME and waited for XP, hence the quick phaseout of 98SE and ME support once XP SP1 came out.. I think a lot of people will by-pass Vista thinking the next Windows release won't be as system intensive as Vista is. Honestly, I believe each OS that Microsoft puts out will get more and more system intensive, to the point where people have to buy a new computer every 2nd or 3rd year.

[Lionheart]

Most people work in one or two different programs at the same time, therefore Flip 3D isn't really of much use the average user. I believe it's primary function is to aid those who work in 3 or more programs at the same time (network techs, graphic designers and related fields). The kicker is that all the programs have to work with Aero desktop.

Hmmm, so basically a really glitzy window manager? *yawn*

I buy on eBay or buy online from various websites throughout the US, so having the new Windows Sidebar, with the exchange rate gadget going is a handy little tool. Some of the gadgets are useful (CPU/RAM monitor, calculator). Other than that, it's mostly ephemera.

Again, nothing that hasn't been available through third-party software before? I used to have a live-hockey-scores widget that worked with Active Desktop, but it was buggy and bogged things down, and wasn't really of that much use. Once again, *yawn*.

Functionality wise, it's about on course with XP Home. Then the next logical question is, why the hell did I spend money on it? I don't really know.....

So essentially, a lot of added glamour and glitz and window dressing requiring a $#!tload of additional resources. Pretty much what I already figured. No SIGNIFICANT improvements...

C'mon now.. be nice. Anything and everything to make it better is well worth it. I had the displeasure of working with xp for a bit last year and my blood pressure and stress level went through the roof. In one program I was literally locked away from the desktop, and other windows. I just hated it. This "window management" is an extreme upgrade, it seems there's features in Vista in an attempt to be more Mac like and that's only a good thing.