Wriker,



I suggest you learn how to contribute intelligently to a conversation instead of engaging in name calling. We are talking about personal opinions here, and everyonbe else's is as valid as yours.



I am a tech, gainfully employed in the field, and no idiot, not by a long shot. I have seen a lot of good healthy debate on this thread, and honestly, that debate was what I hoped for when I left it open for comments in the first place. You benefit because of JU's glitchy blacklist feature; if I didn't know you would be able to comment even with my blacklist, you'd be on it and fast.



As for backwards compatibility, you're the one who's in the dark. Rise of Nations, a MICROSOFT Game, is among the games that will not play on Vista. As I just purchased that game about six months ago, I'm not ready to dump it for a shiny new toy.



You obviously have no business sense whatsoever if you think it is cost effective for a business owner to dump the operating systems on Windows XP machines they purchased last year and spend $400 per machine to go to Vista. While I'm aware the UPGRADE version of Vista Ultimate is cheaper, it's not enough so to be a smart business solution, especially in light of the fact that many businesses have expensive software that would require upgrading as well. Microsoft Office 2007 is, in a word, sweet, but the full version is also quite expensive. It's better simply to upgrade when you need to rather than when you want to.



If Windows XP had the security holes of pre Windows 2000 systems, I could see rushing to upgrade. But it doesn't. While security on XP is far from perfect, security will NEVER be perfect. Build a better lock and you'll just have to get a better lockpick. And again, you haven't addressed the fact that Microsoft has another O/S in the works, one it plans to ship before it ends support for XP, a point I and others have raised enough times for you not to ignore.

As for your comments about Linux, let's let Linux users speak about Linux, not disgruntled Microsoft fanbois, OK? You belittle the skills of other techies, and yet you're not willing to work on multiple platforms? Hmmm, lack of adaptibility's what killed the dinosaurs, isn't it? (Oh, and the fact they tasted just like chicken!)

That HAS to be the single dumbest comment I have ever seen on Vista. Ever.

♦ honestly in all my years of building computers and running microshaft OS's that is with out a shdaow of a doubt the most dumbest thing i've ever seen in a OS..when i clicked the live update for my norton anti virus it popped up and asked me if i wanted to run the program..a anti virus program of all programs and it asks me if i want to run it.so i disabled the damn thing


yeah i hear ya there bro,just for my copy of vista ultimate OEM 64 bit cost me 250.00..the retail is like what 400? lol although the funny part is i could of went down to my other nearest computer store called micro center and gotten it for 220..i could kick my self in the arse..

yup, don't disable something that makes you verify that you want to do something you just told your OS to do. hmmmm... do i really want to update my antivirus? well, now that i think about it, i don't. think ill just go on with outdated definitions...updates? what are updates? some kinda mac thing???

UAC would be great if there was a (always trust) button.

yup...

Yes, that 'would' be nice....

Sorry for my English.

As a computer enthusiast, with many years of experience, I can say that Vista (not Ultimate of Basic edition) is worth buying.
For one, I have a high-end custom build PC (I paid around 3k after taxes), purchased in Jan 2006. And I can tell you WinXP doesn't like it one bit. Unlike many, I adopted XP when it shortly got released, with its SP1 pack. Due to my PCI-E Ethernet card, PCI-e video card, SATA HDD, and Dual Core CPU's, WinX SP1 gives you problems like you never seen before. Until you upgrade to SP2, you see the fallowing:
- Messages: "File is corrupted", "Invalid Win32 application", and blank message with an OK button.
- Random lock-ups, and downloaded files off the net is corrupted (stops at 2-5%) 9 on 10 times. This is VERY annoying when you try to upgrade to SP2, as you have to successfully download and run the SP2 package.

You may think that my computer is broken (that is what I thought when I got it). Yet, it is not the case, as the mili-second you have SP2, everything works PERFECTLY, and fast as it should. And runs even better when you do the after updates of SP2. If you install Linux on it, you also have *no* issues.
Please note I do have a genuine copy of Windows XP Pro.

When I tried Vista Beta 1, 2, RC1, and RC2, the second it got installed, my printer worked, applications runs and startup visually faster, thanks to it's improved (frankly I find it better then Linux) resource management. And has a huge amount of XP bugs fixed and improvements, like: programs don't steal focus, while Windows starts your startup application you can access the Start menu, improved window management (under XP I need a dual screen. Yet it is not the case for Vista), certain objects like the Start menu, improved setup, do not hide tool tip (finally I do not need to remember to press F6, and install the SATA driver on FLOPPIES (does not allow any other media)! (yea, else Windows will fail to startup))

-------------------------------------
The usability of Vista seems to be much better, as my parents, which are real computer illiterates, can do things that really surprised me, like starting up application without me doing it for them, open/close the computer, insert media and access the directories. For some psychological reason, they have no problem with Vista. When I got back to XP as public beta ended, they were back to scare 1, and complained to put back Vista.

Moreover, many people do not like change. When something is different they get lost and instead to dig a tiny bit, automatically they go in their "Oh it sucks!" mode. Something that I found very idiotic.

In addition, many users just look at the overview of Vista; it is more than just some bug fixes and a new skin. It has A LOT:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_features_new_to_Windows_Vista
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista

And let's not forget people that don't get what DRM is, and think it ads it on their media when it clearly does not.


Vista was design for NEW 2 000$CDN computers or better. Like Macs, it's good and have *no* issues due that you pay ~2-3k for the hardware part. I bet if you install MacOS on a dell 200$ laptop, which seams to be the case for many, it will be just as horrible or even worst then Windows.

I would like to add: what is the point of all the RAM you have, if you you don't use it.
If you don't use it, then you don't need that much RAM. and you waisted money.
Something else I don't get. With DX10 games coming out, you need a powerful computer, so even if Vista would work under your specs, games won't. I don't know for you, but for me, games are not worth playing on low settings or medium settings. It's not that I look for graphics in games, but I mean when you buy a game, where a lot was invested in graphics, why not use it.

Vista is like when XP came out, it will have a slow start, but it will be greatly appreciated with many as they get new, proper specs, computers.

My computer:
- AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ S939
- ASUS A8N32-SLI *Deluxe* (Nforce 4 16xSLI)
- 2GB of Corsair XMS RAM
- W.D 250GB SATA-II with 16MB of buffer
- Geforce 8800 GTS 768MB RAM (used to be on a Geforce 6600GT 256MB of RAM)
- Creative X-Fi XtermMusic
- Windows Vista Business ed. (~ of Pro version of XP with TabletPC (tablet PC features is on all edition of Vista))

Ah, I read many places... "why upgrade when you know in 2 years a new OS will be out". Well, after 2 years (which i beleive will be MORE then 2 years, maybe 3-4), you still know an other new OS will be out also after 2 years, and still not upgrade. In other words you will never upgrade. For Mac OS, isn't it every ~6 months to 1 year?!

I would like to add this too:
For those that say, they will switch to Linux. Well, I tried Linux last year. I can tell you it was sooooo cooooll!!! Yea, it different, and people ask all around you, what is that, and you show them the power of Linux. Ah good times. But installing softwares is complicated. There is no easy system like under Windows. Many of the free programs are decompiled, and you got to edit the make file to match your compiler, or have 1 million of those installed on your computer (which, for some, are not fun to install). You got new devices and certain featured of your devices that don't work (Logitech mouse/keyboard extra features/buttons). And no games. Wine doesn't do a good job. Not yet anyway. Oh and very slow development on software and the OS. Example: Look at iPod Linux, it walks on eggs! Since in begging of 2006 (when I tried it), you have the exact same problems as now. Unable to play videos other then RAW, you can leave the music playing menu, else it stops. So you can browse your music while your device plays, and more... It's been a year I wait of version 2 of the OS... still none. Have fun with Linux, but you will go back, as you will be tired from switching form Linux to Windows and vise-versa.

Your experience with Linux is limited. Out of curiousity, which distro did you use? I have none of the described problems with Ubuntu.

As to the upgrades, note I am not saying Vista is a bad OS, not at all. Just that it is not a PRACTICAL solution as of yet for many people, and that I would not recommend it on a network I was managing. Windows XP Pro is a very good O/S, especially for anyone who remembers the Windows 9x days.

You're happy with Vista, that's good. But my goal on my home network is to find the ideal O/S for the hardware that I have. That's really what it's all about, isn't it? And as has been pointed out on other articles, most people don't have a need for 64 bit computing, so the upgrading is not as of yet essential. It would be like upgrading to HDTV 5 years ago; nice in theory, but where's it going in practice?

Yes, you can buy the 32 bit version of Vista. But when I have $200 worth of O/S on my computer, why would I want to dump it for a shinier new operating system that would cause conflicts with much of my software? My upcoming build will be constructed for Vista. And my XP apps will run on my XP machine. And my Linux apps will run on my Linux machine, 2000 apps on 2000, etc, etc, etc. ANd I have a hunch I'll be happy with all of them.

like Gideon MacLeish said, it's not that complex. Fish out of water feeling is just from using a new OS with different methods than problems with installing. I used Ubuntu for over a year now, and I can tell you that that feeling will go away evenually.

Hmmmmmmm......at least everybody got to install the bugger......it took me an hour to get the box open.....also a nasty cut......next after a new install I tried to get an Authorization (or whatever it is) number and the software acussed me of having a counterfiet copy....needless to say I'm back with XP......for quite awhile.      

Which is the SAME exact thing you get in XP Pro.

In part, I do agree that it costs a bit much - especially here in South Africa.
I don't know how the ideas of Windows Vista came about, but surely MS did some sort of survey system that gathered enough information for what the MAJORITY wanted.

Vista, at the end of the day, is a great OS. It will be for a while. We've said that we should let it gain steam for a while and see what happens - and I agree.

The styles and designs (in terms of Aero) of Vista are also great, and some people think that's why it costs so much. There are many new features in Vista, and yet some of them are system software changes, ones that most people do not see. Things like reliablility and structure changes.

Yes, Vista is great - but why pay for it now when we can wait for prices to drop and service packs to be released. That's what I did with XP.

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for Vista prices to come down....I don't see it happening anytime soon....maybe in the 6 months prior to the next Windows release, but not a heck of a lot sooner.

As for waiting on the service packs to make Vista more reliable/stable, that's not necessary either....I've been running Vista Ultimate for the last 7 months, and not once have I had a crash, freeze-up or BSOD, etc....something I cannot say for the same period using XP.