Thoughts about Windows Vista "Ultimate Edition" Beta 2

[Rasmus Bertelsen]

This is just a general thought about the betas (not beta-build specific)
To begin it SEEMED interesting, but there just wasn't enough new things.
I must say if this is the ultimative version of Vista i'm way not impressed.
Especially if there wouldn't be more contents downloadable (free off course)
to the purchasers of Ultimate Edition. I don't see anything that you can't
do
in XP if you have a little experience. The only real benefit is the gfx. And
thats
not very important to me. The search system is a BIG disaster, and hopefully
fixed or taken out of the finished version. The Media Center part didn't
impress
me either. All in all a dissapointing experience eventhough i wasn't
expeting to
much. Many details seems usefull but are in fact popsmart features. In fact
it feels like it should be a free ugrade to Windows XP Pro users. To little,
to late
in my book. But before this ssems to slamming, the one thing that REALLY
impressed
me was the stability on my otherwise unstable system. THAT seems impressive.

Regards,
Rasmus Bertelsen

 

[Guest]

All in all, I agree with you. Vista is basically XP with more Group Policy
settings, a few new stacks, and media center. Oops, it appears I forgot WIM
imaging and improved indexing... which works sometimes (if you're lucky). But
as with any release, MS is trying it's damnist to make you upgrade. Take for
example DX10. I don't know if you are a gamer, but MS is pushing developers
(extremely) to develop for Vista, aka DX10, only. I personally can't see how
any developer or publisher would do that, but with MS and their insistance,
who knows. I can see it now, MS says "Since the NT 6.0 Kernal is SO
different, we just can't support NT 5.0 anymore, so 2000 and XP will be
unsupported starting Feburary of 2007". Maybe I shouldn't have said that,
give them an idea. Only other, possible, rantional is IPv6... but alas it
will be quite a while before IPv6 makes a big enough impact to care.

 

[Kerry Brown]

The big improvement is security. All the things you mention are nice but in
the end the important thing is the improved security. If this is enough or
if the improved security works only time will tell.

 

[neil]

I had read this, doesn't look very promising:

"Symantec Report: Vista Code Contains Security Loopholes"

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1990662,00.asp

 

[Dennis Pack x64, v64B2 \(5384\), OPP2007B2]

Neil:
Symantec has to maintain the stand about the operating system not
being secure because of it's own conflicts with the operating systems
including XP, XP x64 and Vista. Also if the operating systems were fully
secure you wouldn't need their product, they need the scare tactic. They do
have corporate editions that function, but personal versions are very
lacking. If it's the fault of the operating system why do Nod32, AVG, Avast,
PC-Cillen and others function without conflicts and still retard infestation
as well or better. Note: Nod32 doesn't support Vista yet but has no
conflicts with XP or XP x64 that I've been able to find in 2 years.

 

[Chat]

FWIW -

I had Beta 2 on a separate drive, and will install RC 1 when it is sent to
me. I also have Office 2007 Beta. I have enjoyed the chance to play with
these programs and when they ''die'' next year I'll decide about buying 1 or
both.
Nice thing is, I don't have to buy either.

Vista seems to be a wee bit too ''glitzy for me, I like plain and simple -
and fast. I use Office 2003 in XP Home SP2 for my everyday OS.

AFA Norton and their products, mentioned here in another post, I don't allow
them in my home - JMO

I paid $1.50 to d/l Office 2007 Beta and about $10.00 for the Vista CD.
Money well spent.




This is just a general thought about the betas (not beta-build specific)
To begin it SEEMED interesting, but there just wasn't enough new things.
I must say if this is the ultimative version of Vista i'm way not impressed.
Especially if there wouldn't be more contents downloadable (free off course)
to the purchasers of Ultimate Edition. I don't see anything that you can't
do
in XP if you have a little experience. The only real benefit is the gfx. And
thats
not very important to me. The search system is a BIG disaster, and hopefully
fixed or taken out of the finished version. The Media Center part didn't
impress
me either. All in all a dissapointing experience eventhough i wasn't
expeting to
much. Many details seems usefull but are in fact popsmart features. In fact
it feels like it should be a free ugrade to Windows XP Pro users. To little,
to late
in my book. But before this ssems to slamming, the one thing that REALLY
impressed
me was the stability on my otherwise unstable system. THAT seems impressive.

Regards,
Rasmus Bertelsen

 

[AJR]

In my humble opinion Vista is great!! All previous versions of Windows had
their share of "nay-sayers" and "dooms-day" predictions.
Following are some attributes not found in XP (or improved over XP)"
Trusted Platform Module support
Bit Locker Drive Encryption
Virtual Folders
Windows Service Hardening (what is it?)
Ready Boost
Network Access Protection Agent
Built-in Diagnostics (Including network and memory)
Window Anytime Upgrade Utility
Change Product Key within Vista
Turn Off/Shut Down - two different functions
Default Program Option Utility
Search Box (Not only to search but you can open and run commands from
here)
Dual TCP/IP stack with iVP6 support
Previous Versions (from Windows server)
Windows Media Center and Tablet PC functions included (Tried the "snips"
utility?
Windows Firewall -group policy support)

 

[AJR]

One other comment - Vista is not a" file" oriented installed OS as previous
Windows version - but rather "image" based - something like the clone/image
made of your OS by Ghost or Acronis.

Check out the following:
http://www.apcstart.com/site/dwarne/2006/07/773/inside-vistas-new-image-based-install

 

[SemiHelpless]

Good general rule of thumb on comments about security made by Symantec -
don't believe them. Symantec is basically a marketing company that makes
most of its money selling security products. Anything they say is tainted by
their desire to keep making money doing that. "Truth" rarely comes into play
in marketing.

Also, if you think Vista is a lot like XP, you just haven't spent enough
time with it. Saying Vista is like XP is like saying Windows 3.0 was like
DOS. Vista is the start of a whole new ballgame in PC computing. You'll
see...

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

The stuff under the hood is way newer than you appear to be perceiving.
Completely new networking stack, greatly expanded VSS, and so on. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_new_to_Windows_Vista
It is a very long list.

Perhaps the biggest performance boon is that the desktop does not have to be
rendered by the cpu anymore. Superfetch and ReadyBoost are new features
with some kick too.