I wish these $%^&*( hardware manufacturers would get their acts together!

[PTravel]

Why is it that so many hardware manufacturers seem to know less about Vista
than I do? I've had two instances, now, in which the information provided
by the hardware manufacturer was simply WRONG, and I was able to get the
hardware in question working just fine.

1. Netgear: I have a GA511 gigabit PCMCIA NIC. When Vista is allowed to
install it, device manager reports that it's working, but it doesn't.
Manually tweaking the registers for the NIC got it working with the Vista
default driver, but I couldn't force it to 1-gig only operation -- it would
lock up unless allowed to autodetect. When it would autodetect 1-gig, it
would report the speed as 10 mbps (though actually running at gigabit
speeds). However, autodetect was unreliable -- half the time it would
connect at 100 mbps. Repeated contact with Netgear was futile. I finally
reached a knowledgable tech who told me, "Oh, yeah -- I know about that.
I'm trying to work something out." Finally, I decided I'd play with other
drivers for the GA511 chipset, and found an internal alternative driver in
Vista that works perfectly (except for the false speed report, but that's
cosmetic only). I can now force the NIC to default to 1-gig and it works
reliably. So, no new driver necessary.

Way to go, Netgear! How many customers did you lose because you know less
about your products than they do?

2. Adaptec SlimSCSI 1480b Cardbus SCSI adapter. I've got some old HP
scanners lying around. They're very good scanners and I don't want to
replace them. I used to use them in an XP laptop with an Adaptec 1460c
PCMCIA SCSI adapter. That card can't be installed under Vista on my new
laptop. The Adaptec website has a page that lists Vista compatibility for
its various products. It indicated that, though the 1460c wouldn't work
underVista, Adaptec's 1480b adapter would, and there were downloadable
drivers available on the website. I found the card on eBay (great deal --
$35 for a card that retails for over $200) and went to the Adaptec website
to download the driver. Well, Adapatec has changed the website -- now the
Vista page says that it is working on a driver and will have one out
eventually, but the card will not work with Vista now. Great! Just for
kicks, I downloaded an old NT driver for the 1480b and installed it.
Bingo -- Device Manager reports it's working perfectly. I plugged in my
oldest HP scanner, a LaserJet IIcx that is about 15 years old. Vista
recognized (despite it not being plug and play!) and installed the right
driver. All my HP software works perfectly, including the very useful
Deskcopy utility. So, no new driver necessary.

Way to go, Adaptec! How many customers did you lose because you know less
about your products than they do?

What is it with these companies? What are their technicians doing, anyway?
I'm not a computer professional, and I can get their stuff working under
Vista. Why can't they figure this out?

 

[BigJim]

my guess is that they don't want it to work in vista so they can sell new
hardware.
a lot of manufactures are getting on that band wagon.

 

[NoStop]

my guess is that they don't want it to work in vista so they can sell new
hardware.
a lot of manufactures are getting on that band wagon.

Your "guess" is correct. This has been the plan ever since Microsoft,
through its monopolization of the desktop, and its "partners" came together
with the idea of "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours, and together
we'll be able to enrich ourselves at the expense of our user base."

Microsoft over the years has proven to be a relentless money grabbing
corporation whose reason for being is to enrich its owners. It is no wonder
that Bill Gates is the richest man in the world and Screaming Ballard is
the 14th richest man. Every upgrade cycle has been a story of forced
obsolescence requiring its user base to upgrade both its software and
hardware. All this is done in the name of innovation, when in fact, the
majority of users have rather simple needs (email, web browsing, word
processing, etc) that previous versions already provided.

The idea that the old should be in the landfills of this world and the
consumer should forever be consuming has become a fine art thanks to the
likes of Microsoft and its "partners". Welcome to the world of the
corporate domination of life on planet earth, lead in part (a major part)
by the greed of Microsoft - the most profitable corporation the world has
ever known.

Cheers.


--
The "Wow" starts now.

"No sane person wants Vista, so Microsoft is making sure they have no
choice."
http://www.aaxnet.com/editor/edit043.html

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

"...a story of forced obsolescence..."
In this case the "story" is fiction since no one is forced to upgrade
anything by anyone.
If a computer is upgrade is is only because the owner CHOOSES to
upgrade.
If "forced obsolescence" were true as you suggest older computers
would not be performing their jobs well, some still using Windows 3.1.

"The idea that the old should be in the landfills"
That may be your CHOICE, but not mine.
I use more than age to determine if something is suitable for a job
and nothing prevents anyone else from doing the same.
This applies to almost everything, not just computers.

 

[Guest]

Netgear is hopeless. I tried to setup wireless NIC Adaptor; finally threw it
out. Netgear said thattheyMIGHT have a driver solution by the END of April.
What a joke! I will never buy their gear again,and am advising friends to do
likewise with them.