Windows Vista - Perspectives

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Fri, 2006-05-26 17:41

I have done some research and reading around on this new system.

a) It requires pretty modern hardware: 512mb Ram is a realistic minimum although it will install on systems with 256mb Ram. MS suggest 128mb video card to run the new Aero user interface experience with 3d flipping and transparent windows, it will run on less vram but Aero won't.

b) Seems they have changed the way it installs as well. It uses a boot image that gets copied across to the hard drive. Some commentators say that it will use up 6GB (compare this to 1.8GB for XP Pro SP2) but will REFUSE to install unless the hard disk has at least 15GB free. The commentator said that 15GB of disk space works out at $5. Of course he doesn't mention how people who have a 4 year old laptop and a complete refusal on the behalf of the manufacturer to tell them how to replace the hard disk will be able to achieve this.

c) Ram is very cheap they say, unless you need it for a laptop, then it gets expensive.

d) Most of Dells pcs are still not being sold Vista ready, so be careful when buying a new machine. Typically, Microsoft will release their new OS and myseriously forget to update the previous version after a while.

e) The way user security works has changed. Even something as boring as changing date and time may require admin privileges.

My advice, don't upgrade to Vista, buy a new system with it pre-installed.

Fri, 2006-05-26 19:41

maddan

I doubt there's ever been a windows os that wouldn't run like a dog on four year old hardware (let alone a laptop). That's how the industry is driven, microsoft add ever spanglier features so that people have to buy the hardware, IHVs need MS to do this so they can be sure of a large enough user base for any new feature, MS need IHVs to develop the hardware so that they get to sell us Windows all over again. Missi is right in the other thread, an old version of windows and MS office is still perfectly good enough, they are only selling you fluff. There are signs it's not working so well anymore, MS have taking a very long time to get Vista out and are basically only playing catchup with OSX and Linux on both prettiness and security. Plus the idea's are lamer, Sun's jave/ogl wizzy 3d desktop thing was out years ago, we all gathered around and went 'ooh, that's pretty' but none of us actually used it.

Fri, 2006-05-26 22:43

styx

My younger brother is a computer programmer and still uses Windows 98. He said it's still the safest system around. I overheard a conversation in a computer shop by a couple of computer bods who said exactly the same thing. To get rid of Internet Explorer (because it has too many 'holes' in it) takes about half an hour with XP but a couple of minutes with 98. I had endless problems with XP and viruses: again he said it has too many 'holes' in it. He bought a cheap XP system and only uses it for designing, he said "I'd never let it near a telephone line".

Sat, 2006-05-27 00:25

maddan

Describing any Windows system, let alone the bastard offspring that is Windows 98, as 'safest around' is the sort of talk that will get you suicide bombed by militant linux nerds. As an OSX convert I look on with benign indifference, one day all of you will atain the same state of enlightenment.

Sat, 2006-05-27 00:40

maddan

For those who don't know, here is my hillarious guide to operating systems that I just thought up. Unix is the Conservative party, once it was king of the world because there was no reasonable opposition and then suddenly, without it ever really understanding how, it became a silly niche OS for nutbags and lunatics. Recently, in the new young dynamic forn known as Linux, it's been making inroads by not being at all evil and (mostly) by being the only viably alternative to... Windows is New Labour. It surged suddenly to massive world dominating strength by aggressive marketing tactics covering up for a pisspoor product, it keeps desperately trying to renew itself but the cracks are showing wider and wider. Mac OS (aka OSX) is the Liberal Democrats, it's always been ahead of the game but gets to watch all it's good ideas be stolen by the other two, yet however morally sound and all round decent it is, it remains the preserve of bearded wierdos and media types. Recently it ditched the PowerPC processor because it was a drunk and now finds itself straddled with the underperforming geriatric x86 chip.

Sat, 2006-05-27 18:35

iceman

Very good. I would add one other description DOS -- Old Labor party -- reactionary, single-tasked, they were slow to react to change. until they became the New labor under Windows..

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