Hold off on buying new PC with Vista? 1

[GUJUm0deL]

So i've decided to wait off on buying a new PC for the time being. I've spoken to many ppl that have Vista and they all explained that there are many unresolved issues esp with incompatible hardware/software/patches and et al.

I think i'll wait for MS to release a patch of sorts (or wait for other companies to play catch up) before I invest in a new PC with Vista Home Premium edition.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

____________________________________
Just Imagine.

http://www.imajinarts.com

 

[merlinman]

My concern is the ACTIVATION BS they are going to chain us down with.

I am playing with a BETA version of Vista Ultimate, and I left the PC running all night.

The next morning the PC had a Dialog Box stating something like:

"Vista was successfully activated".

I did not initiate that activation process.

However, I do remember reading an article about VISTA that said that VISTA will verify it's activation from time to time.

Well, I have ENOUGH trouble with my PC.

What if, I had a problem with my HD or some other piece of Hard Ware that made the Activation process think I was trying to use an ILLEGAL Copy of the software?

Would that mean, that the next morning when I ABSOLUTELY HAD TO HAVE MY PC TO DIAL INTO A CLIENTS PHONE SYSTEM that it WOULD NOT WORK?

If that's what they are going to do, I am really not sure I want to play that game.

Don't get me wrong.

I am all for this GREAT UPGRADE. I see it capable of many great things. But, I am just plain scared of the above mentioned possibility.

If VISTA's activation process puts my ability to do my JOB (THE THING I DO TO MAKE MONEY!) in jeopardy, then I am going to figure out how to use a MAC.

Not to mention, my XP just keeps getting POUNDED by VIRUSES
- SPYWARE - and who knows what else.

But, in playing with Vista Ultimate (BETA) it's slick, but it will be a LONG LONG Time before I rely on it for my work machine.

I just do not trust it, and it's activation BS.

 

[GUJUm0deL]

That was another one my concerns. I had heard that MS would make instaling software and/or activating softwares kinda hard.

What I do with my XP machine is, I have my zonealarm to only allow IE, FF to access the internet. EVERYTHING NEEDS PERMISSION. That is how I found out that MS Word an MS Excel "send" information back to the mothership. Now, I have permission denied on those and similar products.



____________________________________
Just Imagine.

http://www.imajinarts.com

 

[linney]

During Setup there is are Options to not enter any Product Key, not to Activate, and to disallow Activation whilst Online. You have 30 days to Activate, same as before in XP, if still not activated after this time you lose all but Safe Mode access.

 

[ArizonaGeek]

I've had very few problems with any of the software I use and my Vista machine only activated the one time I used it during install. If you buy a new machine with Vista preloaded, you should have NO problems with drivers and hardware.

I am not saying Vista is perfect but far from problematic as some people (who probably aren't using it) are saying. I have TONS of software and out of all the software I use I have one that wont work. I have one piece of hardware I can't get to work and that's a SCSI card from 1997 or 98 so it isn't a surprise there's no a driver for it.

Really, there are quite a few of us on the Tek-Tips board who've been running Vista for a few months with little problem. Yes there are quirks and "features" most of us figure out how to turn off or work around but we dealt with the same problems when XP was released.

I am not saying go out and buy a new machine but not saying don't either, just know that most of your fears are unfounded and media hyped. If it bleeds it leads.

I will say there is already a Service Pack 2 scheduled to be released when the Longhorn server is released. Vista will be upgraded to the Longhorn kernel in the service pack. The last release date I heard was July or August. If you wanted to wait until then it wouldn't hurt but that wasn't enough of an excuse for me to wait.

Cheers
Rob

If someone helps you, leave them a star. It is just a nice way to say "Thank you"

The answer is "PEBKAC!

 

[jlockley]

Arizona - is that 32 or 64 bit you are using?

 

[ArizonaGeek]

I am using 32bit ... 64bit has way too many issues but I think it has just as many in XP as it does in Vista.

Cheers
Rob

If someone helps you, leave them a star. It is just a nice way to say "Thank you"

The answer is "PEBKAC!

 

[linney]

A late breaking story on Activation and extending the non-activation time can be found here. It involves the Slmgr.vbs (Software Licensing Manager) installed and found in System32

Use Vista without activation for 120 days

http://windowssecrets.com/comp/070215

 

[Ploper001]

No offence but that isn't exactly late-breaking, I've known about it for about 2-3 weeks.

Also, what's with the Vista trial period?? I've had Vista trial on this PC for almost 3 months now and I have "13 Days Remaining" apparently - without using that extending the activation period thing. Very strange.

 

[linney]

It is then a late "late-breaking" story isn't it? Earlier up the post I mentioned 30 days as the non-activation time limit. I just wanted to correct that error, the journalistic term was more in reference to that fact.

Some of the Beta versions have, and probably Trial versions too, a time limit on actual usage of the operating system, but that might be a bit different to Activation of the RTM version, which after it is activated has no "Sunset Clause".

 

[Ploper001]

It is then a late "late-breaking" story isn't it? "



Mine is a final version, it's just that the trial period (before you have to activate - I didn't enter a serial during install cos I just wanted to play around with it) seems to be counting in a weird way so that I actually have 3-4x as long as it says I do. No idea why though

 

[MicroZealous]

It appears that Vista home Edition Premium only supports M$ Office 2007. While attempting to install clients' Office 2003 or office XO Pro, got installer message "Wrong OS version" . Is this right?

 

[linney]

Help regarding Windows Vista's compatibility/'useability' with Office 2003

http://codingforums.com/showthread.php?p=533941

Both suites are included in this list for what it's worth.

http://www.iexbeta.com/wiki/index.php/Windows_Vista_Software_Compatibility_List#Office_Tools

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:&q=run+office+2003+on+vista+premium&btnG=Search

 

[lorel]

Maybe we should all move to Linux desktop, and guess what, It is free!

 

[dbMark]

Vista is still being refined. It looks like few will see a real need for Vista until they start wanting to run more than 4GBs of DRAM. That's when you'll see the big exodus from XP to Vista. XP can't handle over 4 GBs. Same comment goes for older mainboards, many had or have specs limiting DRAM to 3 or 4 GBs. It won't be long before you see those limits disappear.

When we transitioned from 16-bit CPUs (with 20-bit segment addressing and then 24-bit addressing) to 32-bit CPUs about 15 years ago, the transition was rapid because the new processors were so much more capable. The jump from 640K or 1MB or even 16MB to 4GB was tremendous. We are at another juncture, moving from 32-bit to 64-bit, another tremendous leap, but this time the transition will not be as drastic since current programs are rather capable already and few programs really need more than a few GBs to run well. (But add the memory and someone WILL use it!) Note that at this point even many of Microsoft's own programs will continue to be run in 32-bit compatibility mode.

 

[TimRegester]

I always follow a golden rule, "never buy dot zero of anything". If I had known that ten years ago, I would have been spared the pain of Windows 3.0, MS DOS 4.0, 6.00 and Windows 95 OSR1. Windows XP on release was not without its agonies and corporate take-up was slow, even 3 years ago major corporations were still rolling out Windows 2000.

The main hindrance is driver support and shifting the goalposts for everyone, what for instance will be the new benchmark 3c905 nic to test with if the onboard nic needs eliminating, apparantly no support under Vista. As Microsoft further dumb down their software those who need to get under the bonnet will need to know new tricks. Why waste valuable support and client time.

So my reasoning is wait. Wait for SP1 which promises a new kernel (and thus probably requires rewritten apps) wait for 64 bit to mature (and true 64 bit apps) and wait for every IT dev team to iron out the bugs and create a useful knowledgebase and FAQ.

Until then migrating to Vista is really taking a flyer and to those that want to pioneer that way, remember the other adage
"The definition of a pioneer is a cowboy with an arrow in his back"

Or go buy a Mac.....

 

[dilettante]

Large RAM isn't a reason to go with Vista, it's more of a 64-bit issue. Vista32 doesn't take you past 4GB, and even then a good chunk of the RAM is "covered up" by memory-mapped I/O, ROM, and DMA buffers.

Some server versions of 32-bit Windows can address more RAM, given the right hardware.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms791558.aspx

I assume "Vista Datacenter" in the table there is an error, and really refers to Longhorn Server Datacenter (Microsoft has backtracked on the Vista naming for the server OSs).

 

[1DMF]

Large RAM isn't a reason to go with Vista, it's more of a 64-bit issue.

Personally I thing the main reason to go with Vista is DX10, WinXP-64 has been around a while so you don't need to go Vista to go 64bit! , you do however have to go Vista if you want DX10!

"In complete darkness we are all the same, only our knowledge and wisdom separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you.