Interesting thread.
MSN Premium and/or its successor will definitely run on Windows Vista.
Unfortunately, we will have to wait a little longer before that becomes a
reality. In the mean time, web based features and access are available with
few exceptions. Personally, I use Outlook 2007 beta for e-mail access.
To provide a little continuity in my online experience while using Windows
Vista, I used the export feature in MSN for my favorites and e-mail
contacts. Once in Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, it is a matter of
exporting again to a file. Then importing from a file on the Vista
flipside. I also added a few additional favorites in IE7 of the MSN
features I use most like MSN Money, MSN Encarta Online, and MSN Calendar. I
set My MSN as my homepage.
Also, if you haven't already installed Windows Vista may I remind you of a
few obvious precautions and make a few recommendations to alleviate any
potential headaches?
1. Take inventory of your software and data. Along with your Windows XP
and installation Key or your system recovery discs and all your application
installation discs, tuck away a full backup of all your data not forgetting
any drivers or applications you might have downloaded.
2. If you are going to be using only one PC, make it a dual boot system
just in case your run into any compatibility issues. I used Partition Magic
to reduce my Windows partition and had Windows Vista install in the newly
allocated space and it took care of the whole dual boot thing.
3. Plan ahead. Eventually you will have to remove Windows Vista Beta.
NeoSmart's Easy BCD (for Windows Vista) is great. Not only does it make
customizing your dual boot features a snap, it makes the transition back to
only Windows XP really easy by restoring your XP boot sector with a click of
a button... then it is only a matter of rebooting your system and using your
partition software from within XP to reclaim the Vista partition.
For the alarmists I say yes, Windows Vista is a beta. As such, it should be
considered unreliable and potentially threatening to your data. We all
should be safe guarding our data regardless of what OS we're using. Am I
saying you would be justified running Windows Vista in a production
environment where reliability and productivity are mission critical? Of
course not. But to sound the alarm when someone confesses using it or
wanting to use it full time in a recreationally dominated environment like
the home is counter-productive. In order to properly test beta software,
you need to be using it. MSN would be an integral part of using it for
those who subscribe to it.
I hope this helped,
Dave
