Windows Vista forum: Should you go for Windows Vista

it all sounds good but it is like ms is forcing all to do what they want you to do you have to go out and buy a new pc because they are calling the shots.im not saying that change isnt good but support should be around more than a few years before these units are out of date because a new os comes in and now you have an old unit.and we all know that you cant update these (most of these) units all of these dells,gateways hp etc so now what happens NEW ONE NEEDED another 400 to 1000 dollars

Well, there's lots of reasons to go to Vista whenever it is ready and released. And there's good arguments to wait until Vista has its SP1 issued? My opinion: Vista is as good as Windows 2000, but with added, desirable and needed security features. But Cost of a compatible computer? Here's my run down on cost.

I put together an experimental machine just to run Vista Beta 2. I cut a couple of corners using an old DVD ROM and CD-RW that I just happened to have laying around. NEW, never used, but over a year old. I got a bargain on a case for $60 which was on closeout and wholesaled for $165. And I got a bargain on a new 450 W PS for $20 which usually wholesaled for $35 or more. So I did cut a few corners.

But the total cost for an AMD Athlon 3500 CPU, GigaByte MB, 1 GB RAM, 250 GB SATA HD, including the $80 above, was only $475. Email me and I'll send you a picture and the full details. Windy - windy@uniserve.com

Change is what got us from the horse and buggy to the Corvette. And from 8 bit software to 64 bit software etc, It sucks that it cost us to keep up but I would rather do that than still be playing pong. Test drive was a wireframe driving sim when it came out in 81 or so. It ran on a 12MHZ machine. I like my 3200 MHz machine a lot better and Test Drive isnt a wireframe anymore. I love the change its spending the cash to keep current hardware that hurts the most. XP will be around for a long while yet. Until mainstream PCs can run Vista at speed without haveing to buy extreme high end hardware..XP snaps quick on my computer and Vista makes it feel as though it has peanut butter on the hard drive. Raid0 stripe that seems a little strange. Has to be the beta factor kicking in.

What advantages will Vista give me over XP? Will the new IE have tabbed browsing?

For various reasons, Laptops will be the biggest issue with Vista. Unlike desktops, as fas as I know, laptops can't really be upgraded. It's hard to comment on Vista itself until I can try it out.

I have no issue with change that is good, I take issue with bad change.

I don't mind upgrading as long as it's something simple like RAM or a video card but I shouldn't have to buy an entirely new computer for an OS!! It's similar to buying a new car just for new wheels!

While displeased with MS, I do like Windows alot. I just think Windows is now an bloated OS.

It'd be nice to have an version of Windows that is:

-Streamlined
-Fast working/loading
-Supremely Stable
-Not a resource hog


Lastly, while I don't expect perfection, an OS should not be an bloated hog! Why does options have to mean bloat? An OS should be option filled and lean. Fancy graphics are nice and all but I don't need a super model OS if it means performance of an OS is bogged down.

They need to change that web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/support/endofsupport.mspx

Very good to here:

Wendell H

Thats what it is all about:
It took me a long time to switch to XP, realy forced because of memory.
I wanted to use 2 gigs and was not able to with windows ME
Just had built my first PC:

I now enjoy XP and is willing to go to Windows Vista when it is available on the market.

Tnank You Very much for you input:

Wendell H

I had a Dell laptop last year, and the time/date got messed up automatically after daylight saving changes. I called up Dell to ask for "support", and they say it isn't "covered" on the customer helpline, and I should call another phone number. Obviously, the other phone number was charging me few dollars per minute or something like that.

Then I turn to microsoft for support. I call their support, wait for forty five minutes, and then their representative "regrets" me and says that I should "search on their website".

And then everyone says Dell provides support, Microsoft provides support. Which support are we talking about? The average user is still very much on his/her own when handling PCs, and there is nothing like support from the company which made the hardware or the OS. At least not from Dell and Microsoft.

Even the Linux people are much better at this: I post a support request at forums and it gets replied within 15 mins. That's what I call support!

I have sold off the Dell laptop to a needy friend at half the cost, and have bought an apple macbook.

I got more support from Forums like these than I got from any company.

Thank You
Wendell H

You have to ask them for an ok to change your hardware and your pc's OS, what a crock of _____!!!!

That was my biggest peeve about xp, almost everything else was great! But that damn activation. Someone like me, who has 5 pc in the house for each family member, is not going to fork over $200 for an OS for each that is $1000 for OS's Microsoft is ripping everyone off!! The only reason I stay with MS is Gaming, and supior apps/3rd party stuff, otherwise I would switch to linux, as mac is worse then MS with prices and no varity plus DRM, but that is another topic all togeather! I build my PC's at home from individual components, upgrading as needed. You used to be able to buy one copy of windows and install it on all your pc's like you should! Why do I need to buy it again its insane!! Why don't people protest, petition, raise holy hell, at MS? I don't get it! Thankfully there is other ways to install the OS on multiple PC's. (I leave it as that, because I'm sure MS is listening through one of X]'s varous "Security" Patches!!!

By building my own Pc's I save money and know exactly what is on each pc, and what hardware I have!! I get drivers and manual for every individual component! (unlike Oem wjere you get a general dumbed down pc users guide for idiots) and drivers/support for each component that I bought seperatly. I don't need to call MS support, because; A. I don't get many problems B. I know how to diagnose the pc.
C. Can figure out problems on my own.
D. If I can't fix problems I go on forums and use google, you can get greater help online in user forums then from outsourced help support lines from india, like dell.

I will never buy a premade pc again!! Did it in 1999 with packard bell and got a pc with a pentium2 clone a cyrix that ran 100mhz slower then advertised(it's performance equvilence was only for integer not floating point, so it was useless for gaming!) and shoddy used pc components inside, plus intgrated crap. Not even being able to play a game 4 years older led me on the exiting road of pc upgrading, overclocking, and building/testing myself. It opened up a whole new world for me, a new hobby and a new business!! SO I don't regret buying that crappy oem machine, I will never do it again. I now warn people off of buying dells etc...(espicially mac's the worst computer around, if you buy one you can't upgrade, tweak, game, or use the multitude of cool 3rd party apps, and have to pay an insanly high price just to be owned by apple! not worth it!)

You can get an incredible pc if you custom make it yourself, by the parts discounted on Newegg.com . Use internet guides/forums to learn what components to buy and why, as well as how it all fits togeather and how a pc works. Install a corporate edition of XP so you can use it again on other pc's. Once you have done it once you can do again no problem! And you've gained a new skill and hobby, and bragging rights! You will not need tech support because you know how a pc works and how to diagnose and fix it yourself, and it will boost your selfesteem at the same time! Hope this helps someone!

I've come to the same conclusion. It's absolutely true that building your own has many advantages. On the other end though one should also consider the negative side of this approach. You're sometimes waiting for weeks for parts to be delivered. You'll have to be very sharply following price changes and act in a timeframe of just a few hours to not miss out on excellent deals ...etc...Consider also the time factor in getting your machime fine tuned. When you can afford to spent heaps of time, studying the effects of your changes, well then go ahead.

PREinstalled on new computers? That's not right at all!

Being preinstalled should be an option, not shoved upon new computers & their users.

So tell me what happened to 98 and ME (besides being rough as guts to begin with? I mean 3 blue screens a day rough as guts.) Why could this happen to XP (whatever it is)? You're funny in that you made a point without actually making one. A job in a government position awaits you!

Seriously, Windows XP has been what, in development 8, 9 something years (I'm including time before it was released up to the current day), and it's has about 2 million KB updates and patches and fixes released, that it's probably the most solid Microsoft operating system you'll ever see. I work as a software developer and we have a saying... "Don't shake the jello." This describes a caution to developers to avoid changing something that works. XP works. It's tried, proven and low risk, and pretty solid. I've run the Vista betas on virtual PCs, and relative to other operating systems (95,98,ME,NT,2000,XP,2003) Vista is a DOG!!! It seems to improve with extra memory, but I didn't want to spend extra $$ on more memory just to maintain the status quo.

Vista would lierally have to rub my back while I sat at the computer before I'd deliberately make the move to it. I just bought a fast dual core machine with 2Gb RAM; I don't want that negated by Vista, and I'm definitely not Anti-Microsoft - I've made my living from them.

Anyway, that is my own feeling and if you wanted to get Vista, go for it, but for my own machine I'll be waiting until the hype is over, a few SPs are released and we have something worth looking at.

I have said that XP was a dog years ago but I enjoy XP and prior operating system which I still use.
I still have a lot off games that XP does not handle, I use Windows ME for a lot off old games. The way technology is going today I have to keep up with it that is just my opinion.

(I like Change:)

Thank You

Wendell H