How many advanced users like vista?

[Dustin Harper]

Yes, I am an advanced user according to your criteria, except I started
before Windows 1.0 (yet, I have so much to learn!).

But, yes, I do love Vista. It has a lot of great features, and I am also
a gamer (FSX, mostly, but looking forward to Crysis). The security is
good (UAC is annoying, but it does it's job). I've been running several
machines with Vista and all have been stable (1 laptop had some issues,
but I worked them out). I've been working with it since Beta 1, and
trying to learn as much as I can. Although I don't see it in an
enterprise environment right away (at least until Longhorn hits), it is
a great desktop Windows.

I loved XP as well, from it's Whistler days (when people were dissing it
just like they are with Vista). 2000 was great, too. 98 was ok, 98SE was
better (but look at the other options).

Linux is alright, but not for what I use it for. BSD is awesome, but not
for a desktop. MacOS is great for desktop publishing, web design, and
image manipulation. All OS's have their great points. But, to me,
Windows is a well rounded OS. And Vista just improves on that. I like
the addition of Media Center.

And those that are concerned with the many versions: Windows XP Home,
Pro, Embedded, Media Center, Starter... Vista is almost the same.

I like the anytime upgrade feature, and the Ultimate Extras. Windows
Updates are also well implemented. Of all the Windows releases, I have
to say I like Vista the best.

And on the server side, I'm using Server 2003 right now, but also using
a beta version of Longhorn, which is pretty cool.

I used to be pro-Linux, but with the gaming options, and other third
party applications, I went back to Windows.

 

[jim]

How many advanced users like Vista? I am really curious...

You only qualify as an advanced user if:

1) You have installed and used all versions of windows from 3.1 upward
2) You have tried more than 10 different versions of Linux
3) You have used Mac OS
4) You have multibooted 3 OS and up on the same computer
5) You have had at any time 2 or more screens connected with your computer
6) You like power yet you strive to simplify things as much as possible
7) You use virtual machines to test OS and software
8) You know how to control your computer without a mouse using only a
keyboard
9) You prefer performance over eye candy although you may like eye candy..
if it slows down your computer you disable it
10) You can see a list of processes at any time that are running on you
computer and determine if something should not be there.
11) You have never failed to fix a computer with a problem.
12) You strive to learn more each day, and you are open to new ideas

If you have all the above traits... please tell me... do you REALLY like
vista?
If you do or do not please give me the reasons...

thanks

 

[fred_eg_bowinatuck]

You only qualify as an advanced user if:

11) You have never failed to fix a computer with a problem.

No such animal!

 

[Programatix]

Performance vise? I hate Vista... but since the eye candy is nice... oh
well... anyway, if the problem is not resolve in 1 or 2 months, back I go to
XP.

 

[Buellpilot]

Anybody who has fulfilled your criteria for an advanced user will of
course be old jaded and cynical, and as a result they won't say
WOW but HMMM....

 

[Richard G. Harper]

When are we going to do teh ASL part of the poll? ;-)

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

 

[jim]

Anybody who has fulfilled your criteria for an advanced user will of

course be old jaded and cynical, and as a result they won't say
WOW but HMMM....

Please explain why you say the above?

 

[Kerry Brown]

If you answer affirmative to 10 or 11 you may be an advanced user but you're
not an expert. Anyone who thinks they can always see every process that is
running is a fool. You would need to be able to interpret in real time what
was happing on the system bus to do this. If you say yes to 11 you haven't
worked on a large enough sample of computers. Number 9 is a personal choice
that has nothing to do with being an advanced user. Personally I'll take a
small performance hit if it makes a task easier. In the end run easier may
mean you're more productive so that even with a small performance hit you
get more done.

All that said I consider myself an advanced user. Yes, I really like Vista.
It is now my preferred OS for every day use. The more I use it the more
productive I am. I get more work done in less time with Vista than I did
with XP or Linux. I do still use both XP and Linux occasionally. I don't
currently have a Mac but I do work on customer's Macs. I use Linux to
investigate malware sites and I use XP for programs that are not Vista
compatible. For everything else I find Vista to be more productive.

You haven't told us opinion of Vista.

 

[Bill Anderson]

How many advanced users like Vista? I am really curious...

You only qualify as an advanced user if:

1) You have installed and used all versions of windows from 3.1 upward

Check. Even 2.0, actually. Used my set of 2.0 5.25 floppies to qualify
my upgrade disk of Win95. But I'd have to say I never really "used"
that POS WinME. Finally threw up my hands and quit trying cuz I didn't
see any benefit. And now that I think of it I've never used Windows CE
or Windows Server. Does that disqualify me from being an advanced user?
Am I to be tossed out of this quiz before I even get started? You're
not a nice person.

2) You have tried more than 10 different versions of Linux

At first I thought I hadn't, but now that I think back I believe I may
actually have tried ten or more over the years, starting with a copy of
Red Hat which came on 5.25" floppies, as I recall.

3) You have used Mac OS Check.

4) You have multibooted 3 OS and up on the same computer

Check. There are four working on my computer now -- two XP, one 2K and
one Vista, with OS-X currently sitting in a partition but unavailable
until I have a chance to start over with a larger partition. Should
have been thinking bigger when I set it up. Boy does it load fast
compared to any version of Windows. Had no idea I'd enjoy playing with
Mac on my PC. I also have the latest Knoppix Live DVD and I'm toying
with the idea of installing it as a boot option. I haven't had Linux as
a boot option in a couple of years. Linux just became too much effort
for not enough payoff and therefore wasn't much fun.

5) You have had at any time 2 or more screens connected with your computer

Check. My 42" plasma screen takes VGA input and my ATI 9600XT drives it
nicely.

6) You like power yet you strive to simplify things as much as possible Check

7) You use virtual machines to test OS and software Check

8) You know how to control your computer without a mouse using only a
keyboard Check

9) You prefer performance over eye candy although you may like eye candy..
if it slows down your computer you disable it Check

10) You can see a list of processes at any time that are running on you
computer and determine if something should not be there.

So-so. I suppose I need to work on this.

11) You have never failed to fix a computer with a problem.

Never is a long time. But basically, check.

12) You strive to learn more each day, and you are open to new ideas

Check. And I am kind to children and dumb animals, and I give to the
Red Cross, and I keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side.

If you have all the above traits... please tell me... do you REALLY like
vista?

Oh, yes.

If you do or do not please give me the reasons...

It's so purdy.

thanks

My pleasure.

 

[Buellpilot]

Simply.... because if you have being using operating systems since Win3.1
(and before)
you will have seen many things change in hardware and software, heard all
the hype
read all the manuals, done all the work, and are not likely to get too
excited about
an OS, and of course relaised that very little has actually changed at all!!
it has
just improved...

So I didn't say WOW when I saw Vista, I said HMMM

Do I like it, yes.... do I want to compare it feature by feature with
alternatives... No

Will I use it... yes I am.

Do I hope it will get better... yes.

Will it get better.... yes, they always do

 

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?Erik_Wikstr=F6m?=]

How many advanced users like Vista? I am really curious...

2) You have tried more than 10 different versions of Linux

No, just a few. Been running a number of BSDs though. Can't see how
running many versions of any Linux makes you advanced. Choose the right
distros and the differences are minimal.

4) You have multibooted 3 OS and up on the same computer

No, just two at a time. It's easier to run them on different computers,
but nowdays with virtualization dualbooting is seldom necessary.

5) You have had at any time 2 or more screens connected with your computer

Oh yes, this really determines how advanced a computer user you are.
Nope never could affort to use more than one monitor/computer.

9) You prefer performance over eye candy although you may like eye candy..
if it slows down your computer you disable it

If it makes me more productive I turn it on!

10) You can see a list of processes at any time that are running on you
computer and determine if something should not be there.

And you can? So you know if someone has managed to start a malicious
service running as svchost.exe?

11) You have never failed to fix a computer with a problem.

How do you define fix? Replacing malfunctioning hardware? Reinstalling a
broken system? I've always managed to remove the problem, but if a total
reinstall is fixing it is debatable.

12) You strive to learn more each day, and you are open to new ideas

Only a very stupid and narrowminded person wouldn't, this have little to
do with how advanced a user you are.

If you have all the above traits... please tell me... do you REALLY like
vista?

Sure I like it, I like it a lot, it definitely the best OS for me at the
moment. I must confess that my exposure to OSX is somewhat limited but I
think that the third-party applications available to Windows tips the
scales in favour of Vista. It's much better than XP, which was a very
nice OS. Though I must confess that it took some time getting used to,
but once I started to utilize the features of Vista and adapted the ways
I work it's been a big improvement in productivity.

But in the end the OS is just a tool and for some tasks one tool is
better than another, the same goes for Vista. There are things that I
prefer to do in BSD instead of Vista, one good example is processing of
data in text-format, where tools such as awk, sed, perl etc. makes life
a lot easier. But for all my day to day work I use Vista and have no
plans on changing.

 

[Guest]

Looks like you should have shortened your list chief, You would have gotten
more straight answers...

I LOVE Vista, but they released it too early, I think thats obvious to most
of us.
Media Player 11 is the biggest offender at the moment. It keeps playing when
you close it, sometimes. If you go to start and type in reliability monitor,
you will see a fantastic new tool that tracks the reliability of your system.
It will show what it is that is crashing, its not the operating system, it's
the stuff on top of it.

The thing that crashes most is any software which was not developed FOR
Vista. Which right now is pretty much everything out there. I'm pretty sure
that once all the beta testing that is going on with the current retail beta
release is honed, things will be much better. I know i'm never going back to
xp.

Another peave i have is on explorer, there are no copy and move file
buttons, this is hugely aggravating. There are a lot of people out there, who
are not comfortable dragging and dropping files across the directory
structure. And a LOT of files get dropped in the wrong folder by accident
using this method. I'm kind of amazed they missed this. It would be pretty
damn simply to fix.
jf

 

[Guest]

How many advanced users like Vista? I am really curious...

You only qualify as an advanced user if:

1) You have installed and used all versions of windows from 3.1 upward
2) You have tried more than 10 different versions of Linux
3) You have used Mac OS
4) You have multibooted 3 OS and up on the same computer
5) You have had at any time 2 or more screens connected with your computer
6) You like power yet you strive to simplify things as much as possible
7) You use virtual machines to test OS and software
8) You know how to control your computer without a mouse using only a
keyboard
9) You prefer performance over eye candy although you may like eye candy..
if it slows down your computer you disable it
10) You can see a list of processes at any time that are running on you
computer and determine if something should not be there.
11) You have never failed to fix a computer with a problem.
12) You strive to learn more each day, and you are open to new ideas

If you have all the above traits... please tell me... do you REALLY like
vista?

ONLY an A-D-D Geek would meet your criteria above. You are not asking
"advanced users"! I've owned a Mac since 1984 and have run Windows since
version 3.1 but I have absolutely no need to run or tinker with Linux, and I
am an advanced user. I have dual booted one computer, built a dual cpu
computer and several single cpu ones. My brother-in-law likes Linux, and
likes to tinker with it. I'm glad he has found something he likes to mess
with. I like to spend my time using my computer, not playing like computer
mechanic.

I do like Vista very much, and the issue of performance will be, in time, a
non-issue. It may be slower in some tasks but the user doesn't "feel" it
when running a modern computer, one with dual core processors and good
hardware. To the contrary, Vista "feels" faster because of the way
applications open.

Vista is an OS that takes advantage of the latest hardware. We would never
get to x64 processing staying with the old 3.1 clunker version of Windows.
Hey, I bet Windows 3.1 runs faster than any other version of Windows on
modern hardware. Why not use it?? Hey, DOS is faster still! So, speed is
not the most important issue with the OS - overall user experience is what
matters.

The OS must evolve along with the capabilities of newer hardware to get us
to a point where performance is so good that the "user" can feel no
difference, as with the sound quality of most music these days for example.
We are getting there.

 

[Dale \Mad_Murdock\ White]

Does format re-install count as a fix ?

No such animal!

 

[Guest]

1) Have used Microsoft Windows before the introduction of Win 3.1

2) Have been times of multi booting three or more Microsoft OS

3) Yes, open to new ideas, and rapidly close the door when determined
that new idea was a good thought, but a very bad idea, specifically a bad
idea as Linux and Sun.

4) Linux is far worse than Inferno, not worthy for installing an
inferior OS.

5) Majority of people greatly underestimate how complex a Linux cluster
is to set up and manage.

6) The Linux cluster maintenance is so time consuming it deteriorates
profit margin, equal with all Sun products.

7) The more important aspect; consider the total cost of ownership when
using Linux vs. Microsoft Windows. Only requires a very short evaluation for
quickly determining Genuine Microsoft Products are not only more reliable,
they are far less expensive for owning and maintaining.

8) Linux and Mac are technically a counterfeit OS; from their attempts
duplicating Microsoft Code.

9) Have explored Mac solo, with its virtually un-supported OS, not
worthy for purchase!

10) Only requires a very short time for determining Linux and Mac do not
justify stealing our time and money, quickly learning they are little more
than a publicity stunt instigated and encouraged by Sun.

11) Have simultaneously used at least two or more monitors (screens if you
prefer).

12) Have used VM & SQL for evaluating OS.

13) If you have IT persons with earned PhDs you delegate, not necessary
for personally resolving every issue, or personally developing new codes;
very different if using Linux, when Linux breaks, who do you seek for
assistance? You do not your own your own and must get the band aids and tape
for possibly repairing Linux, and when that fails, you visit chat rooms.

14) From trial and error experiences, it is significantly more intelligent
and far less expensive for using a state-of-the-art OS, as Microsoft Genuine
Products.

15) Jim, if you were not reimbursed for promoting Linux, you would be
properly using Windows Vista (not maliciously polluting and corrupting Vista).

Yes, I REALLY enjoy Windows Vista secondary to the over-all user-friendly
functionality and inherent state-of-the-art Security.

Simply expressed, one can not obtain a more reliable and more Secure OS
compared to Windows Vista.

 

[Mark Freedman]

Unless you used an HP 3000 with every interation of the MPE operating
system, you really can't call yourself an advanced user and what you
think about Vista can only be taken with the proverbial grain of salt.

 

[fred_eg_bowinatuck]

Does format re-install count as a fix ?

Counts as a software fix, in as much as gutting the machine and
giving it back to them in the same box counts as a hardware fix!

 

[Dale \Mad_Murdock\ White]

You're requirements are a little too strict and I don't think that really
makes a person an advance user. I think you're looking for a diverse user
with alot of technical expertise.

Why would having multi Monitors count towards being an advance user ? And
try 10 different version of Linux ? Geez, that's radical Why not say, if
you meet 10 out of 12 or something ?

Anyways, guess I'm just a basic user. As I've only done Linux in a very
limited fashion, haven't used mac since 89. The unix and Honeywell mainframe
software I used, wouldn't load on any of the PCs I've ever owned

I don't care for Vista, nor do I overly care for XP. I hate eye candy and I
turn it off as soon as I boot up. My Vista looks as close to Win2000 as I
can get it. For me, vista is aimed so much at a person who's never used a
computer that it trashes on those who has used windows since 3.1 (3.11 WFW
for me). I don't ever need an OS ot openin My documents for me. I know how
ot organize and sort my files and it's never the way Microsoft wants me to.
When I download a file, I pick where it will download to and it's never to
"My downloads"

I want my OS to be absolutely solid at the core, and offer a highly
customizeable desktop. I can handle a little eye candy and some minor
changes, but the new IE7, just decided to force me to unlearn the way I've
used the IE browser for the last 7 years. Why move the buttons around all
over the place? Different isn't better !

I guess that's my complaint with every MS OS release, they spend all their
enegry catering to someone who's never seen a PC (as all they ever talk
about is making it easier for afirst time user) and take away the look and
feel that power\advance users are use to and have learned.

I know it's an old dog new trick thing, but I submit to you, why have they
not change the QWERTY keyboard ? They have tried and it's never worked,
because the millions of people who know how to touch type don't want to
throw that away. It was design a certain way to keep from causing sticking,
well that's not been a problem in the last 50 years, but they haven't
changed it yet

 

[canixs]

How about I can customize the every options in window without using
user-interface and only edit the registry file.
does that make me an advance?

 

[jim]

Thank you all for your replies...