Microsoft’s new operating system, Vista, apparently is not cutting it. I’ve heard this from several tech-savvy friends, people who don’t use Macs at all and love Microsoft. They aren’t planning on switching to Macs, but they are trying to figure out how to revert back to XP. And now we are hearing the same thing from tech writers like Jim Louderback and James Fallows. Maybe Microsoft will fix these problems in upcoming updates, but it sounds like they’ve lost a lot of good will already.
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Just bought a new computer with vista. The only program I loading was a pc game. The problem is when I turn it off for the night it does not want to come back on. I get the blue screen of death. The tech support from Gateway are clueless. This crap is going back and am building my own with xp on it.
I like the Vista but it not compatible with nothing. What Microsoft didn’t thank about was just because people buy a new computer don’t mean they want a new printer. I’m thinking about cleaning my computer off and put XP on it. Windows XP is still better than Vista.
Just bought a bundle, projector and note book both dell’s my third one . 2 desk tops first note book . sorry boys your getting it back I’ll pay for the projector but this thing locked up the first min. I started it. now it locked and tech people can’t help after four hours on phone reformatting with the delivered disks. be a cold day in hell before I pay for this turkey.Never had a problem with dell desk tops xp and millenum. vista can go were the sun don,t shine.Bob
What do you expect from an OS that requires a gigabyte of RAM? Of course, like all Microsoft “minimum requirements” — minimum means just to boot up. Better get at least two, I put four on the Vista machine I bought for my dad.
The enhanced video experience comes at a cost — and that means a $200+ video card with at least 256MB memory — preferably 512. Anyone who thinks they can run Vista with 1GB RAM using shared video memory is delusional — but all the big manufacturers are selling machines configured this way.
What I’ve done to my personal machines is switch to XP64 — the 2003 OS that nobody liked because it was so hard to find reliable 64 bit drivers, if you could find them at all. Vista fixed that problem — 64 bit drivers are now available for everything.
I love XP64 — it’s built on 2003 server — it’s solid — it has no memory limits — and, as an OS orphaned by Microsoft and the market — you can get a copy for about 50 bucks.
Winbook XP running Windows 95 and AmiPro v2.1, used for scriptwriting: $60 at garage sale.Compac Desktop running W98 and Word97, used for transcribing interviews: $165 at hock shopDell Laptop running Windows XP, with CD/DVD burner, used for transferring media to my Mylo: $225 at hock shopBeing able to do just exactly the things I want to do with nice simple tools that actually work: Priceless.
Computers are just tools, same as an electric drill or a hammer. You find the one that fits your purpose. Of course, if you want to keep changing your purpose in order to justify spending time and money on upgrades that are driven by corporate greed not customer need, then good luck to you!
I never thought I would say this, but I actuallylike Vista. I’ve spent a little bit of time with itand I’m impressed with what I’ve seen so far.I wasusing a 64-bit dual core machine with 2GB of RAM and I’m certain that it made it a more pleasant experience. I think I might actually go out and buy a new machine with Vista.
One of the tech-savvy friends that I refer to was showing me his new Lenovo Tablet. He only had one application running: Microsoft Powerpoint 2007. He was moving from one slide to another and he got the Blue Screen of Death. He put it down and said, “see, that’s the kind of thing that happens with this computer.” He hasn’t tricked it out for gaming, and he was only running the operating system (Microsoft) and one application (Microsoft). I don’t think he was whining. He was complaining, and legitimately so. And I say, again, that many people I know are complaining as well. Obviously not everyone who uses Vista is complaining. Ed Bott: congratulations! And congrats to the others who have no problems.
One last question, though: how much money has Microsoft put aside to deal with problems in the X-box 360? Those are serious problems. And those kinds of problems might just be a harbinger of something. Then again, if your machine is working okay then who cares about harbingers?
Ed Bott posted comments on Jim Louderback’s article at the link below. I think both are worth a read.
https://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=287