NEW Vista PC with Older Software & Hardware?

[bbibowen]

I have read a few of the Vista compatibility threads with interest. It
appears most of these deal with upgrading from XP to Vista. My question is a
bit different - I think:

My old PC (which was running Windows 2000 Pro) has bit the bullet. I need to
purchase a new machine. All the new machines that I am finding in my price
range use Vista.

I do not have any more budget to buy all new software versions in addition
to a new pc, or a new printer.

Am I "out-to-lunch" to hope that my old MS Office 2000, MYOB Ver 11,
Quickbooks Pro 2005 will work on a new Vista system? What about an older
printer/fax/copier machine (Brother) - it's about 5 yrs old and worked just
fine with my old pc.

I appreciate your expert advice.
Thank you.

 

[philo]

I have read a few of the Vista compatibility threads with interest. It
appears most of these deal with upgrading from XP to Vista. My question is a
bit different - I think:

My old PC (which was running Windows 2000 Pro) has bit the bullet. I need to
purchase a new machine. All the new machines that I am finding in my price
range use Vista.

I do not have any more budget to buy all new software versions in addition
to a new pc, or a new printer.

Am I "out-to-lunch" to hope that my old MS Office 2000, MYOB Ver 11,
Quickbooks Pro 2005 will work on a new Vista system? What about an older
printer/fax/copier machine (Brother) - it's about 5 yrs old and worked just
fine with my old pc.

I appreciate your expert advice.
Thank you.

Why not just fix your old machine...
what's wrong with it?

There is pretty much no such thing as unfixable

 

[AlexB]

I am not an expert on compatibility by any means but I think you can
purchase a new machine but keep your old one next to it.

There is a chance that you will be able to use MS Office 2000 if you install
it from the old disk. There is no risk to try.

With MYOB - it is a different story. Most likely it won't work. You may try
to get a new upgrade from the maker or perhaps they have some add-ons
specifically to make the old versions compatible with Vista.

I would guess that Quickbooks Pro will face teh same fate.

 

[Bill Yanaire]

If you need a new machine and have some older software, you can XP installed
on it. Vista will probably cause too many problems for you.

 

[Tom [Pepper] Willett]

Office 2000 is going to have compatibility problems.

:I have read a few of the Vista compatibility threads with interest. It
: appears most of these deal with upgrading from XP to Vista. My question is
a
: bit different - I think:
:
: My old PC (which was running Windows 2000 Pro) has bit the bullet. I need
to
: purchase a new machine. All the new machines that I am finding in my price
: range use Vista.
:
: I do not have any more budget to buy all new software versions in addition
: to a new pc, or a new printer.
:
: Am I "out-to-lunch" to hope that my old MS Office 2000, MYOB Ver 11,
: Quickbooks Pro 2005 will work on a new Vista system? What about an older
: printer/fax/copier machine (Brother) - it's about 5 yrs old and worked
just
: fine with my old pc.
:
: I appreciate your expert advice.
: Thank you.

 

[AlexB]

has bit the bullet

**philo**, the expression above does NOT mean that the OP's computer is
broken. It means that is OBSOLETE for the task.

To "fix" a Win2K OS on an old hardware is an idiotic suggestion. He will
spend more time fighting viruses and finding fixes than working. There is
also something like being morally obsolete or obsolete in the eyes of the
people. It is nice to have many things new.

It is just mind-boggling what you trolls do. It is near criminal. It means
that you give your fellow man and advice in BAD faith.

You are a virulent anti-Vista troll and you do not hesitate to screw people
up at a slightest opportunity.

 

[Jake]

**philo**, the expression above does NOT mean that the OP's computer is
broken. It means that is OBSOLETE for the task.

To "fix" a Win2K OS on an old hardware is an idiotic suggestion. He will
spend more time fighting viruses and finding fixes than working. There is
also something like being morally obsolete or obsolete in the eyes of the
people. It is nice to have many things new.

It is just mind-boggling what you trolls do. It is near criminal. It means
that you give your fellow man and advice in BAD faith.

You are a virulent anti-Vista troll and you do not hesitate to screw
people up at a slightest opportunity.

POT=KETTLE=BLACK

 

[DanS]

Why not just fix your old machine...
what's wrong with it?

There is pretty much no such thing as unfixable

I agree. Any machine more than a couple years old, but less than say, 5,
can usually be fixed for $50.....or less.

Unless it's both the MB & CPU, then a little more, but certainly not
nearly as much as buying a new system.

As a matter of fact, I just fixed someone's PC for them.

It's a P4 1.5 GHz socket 478, DDR RAM, AGP video. The MB needed
replacing, the CPU was fine, as well as all other components. There was
some issue with initializing the video in BIOS, and the video never came
on.

I could have bought a new MB for it, but not to many choices to pick
from. The least expensive NIB 478 MB was $60.

So I picked up a working used one....I know a bunch of people that deal
in a lot of used stuff........$10.

Replaced the MB, repair install, the PC's fixed, the guys happy, end of
story.

The cost of a replacement motherboard.......$10.
The cost to have Dan swap it in for him.....$20.
Seeing the face of someone who thought
they'd have to buy a new PC that they
couldn't afford, but instead only ended
up paying $30................................Priceless.

Regards,

DanS

(PS- I'm not recommending the OP *NOT* by a new system, just sharing an
experience.)

 

[philo]

I agree. Any machine more than a couple years old, but less than say, 5,
can usually be fixed for $50.....or less.

Unless it's both the MB & CPU, then a little more, but certainly not
nearly as much as buying a new system.

As a matter of fact, I just fixed someone's PC for them.

It's a P4 1.5 GHz socket 478, DDR RAM, AGP video. The MB needed
replacing, the CPU was fine, as well as all other components. There was
some issue with initializing the video in BIOS, and the video never came
on.

I could have bought a new MB for it, but not to many choices to pick
from. The least expensive NIB 478 MB was $60.

So I picked up a working used one....I know a bunch of people that deal
in a lot of used stuff........$10.

Replaced the MB, repair install, the PC's fixed, the guys happy, end of
story.

The cost of a replacement motherboard.......$10.
The cost to have Dan swap it in for him.....$20.
Seeing the face of someone who thought
they'd have to buy a new PC that they
couldn't afford, but instead only ended
up paying $30................................Priceless.

Regards,

DanS

(PS- I'm not recommending the OP *NOT* by a new system, just sharing an
experience.)

Yes...I can pickup used parts for next to nothing...
I often get decent P-III motherboards with CPU and sometimes RAM for as
little as $5...if not...free...

Generally I can build an entire used machine for just a few $$$...
so to reapair an existing machine is usually no problem at all

 

[Ron]

get machine that has degrade rights to XP, and use XP instead of vista until
or even IF you will upgrade and want to use
vista.

Vista is not good anyway

 

[bbibowen]

It was already a very old used pc and it was a temporary purchase when my
even older pc bought in 1999 finally bit the dust after6+ years. Has been
having alot of problems that I've had repaired twice. Third time it's turned
out to be hardware problems and after many hours spent trying to make things
work.... the cost in trying to figure out exactly what the hardware issues
are it makes more sense to start again considering what I paid for it and
that it was meant as an interim machine.

Thanks.

 

[AlexB]

Good for you, I may be envying you on that but I don't really need to go
that far since I can afford to buy the best new system when I need it.

The question is: can an accountant (he is an accountant) possibly working
two jobs, one for a firm, another one at home doing income tax return for a
bunch of friends, afford to lunge into a hardware venture like this with
April 15 coming?

Such things require one thing: APTITUDE and not everyone has it. The OP may
have other aptitudes we don't know about but it is not a subject to discuss
in here.

 

[Bill Yanaire]

get machine that has degrade rights to XP, and use XP instead of vista
until or even IF you will upgrade and want to use
vista.

Vista is not good anyway

Why not get a machine that has XP on it and you don't have to worry about
downgrading or "degrade rights" as Ron suggests. Who knows what degrade
rights are anyway. Could be problems with the wife or girlfriend or
Boyfriend.

Vista probably isn't good for Ron but it's OK for others. Maybe Ron doesn't
know how to use Vista

 

[AlexB]

Well, I just threw out a machine, probably 8 years old. I hope it did not
end up in your clutches

 

[AlexB]

Don't listen to this guy, he is prejudiced. You will be much better off with
Vista.

 

[philo]

It was already a very old used pc and it was a temporary purchase when my
even older pc bought in 1999 finally bit the dust after6+ years. Has been
having alot of problems that I've had repaired twice. Third time it's turned
out to be hardware problems and after many hours spent trying to make things
work.... the cost in trying to figure out exactly what the hardware issues
are it makes more sense to start again considering what I paid for it and
that it was meant as an interim machine.

Thanks.

<snip>

Well I guess it's time for a new machine then...
sounds like you've gotten your money's worth out of that one.

If you go with Vista, there is of course the possibility that not all your
apps and H/W will work.

I suppose you could google a bit to see it all your apps will run under
Vista...
and visit the website of the mfg to see if there is a Vista support for your
printer.

If there is lack of Vista support...
do the same research for XP.

If it looks like all will work with Vista that's fine...
but if you find that XP support is more likely...
you still can purchase new machines with XP.

 

[Jim Rusling]

Don't listen to this guy, he is prejudiced. You will be much better off with
Vista.

<snip>
Only if his software will run, otherwise he would be better off with
XP.

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Frankly, most of the hardware and software you've listed will not work well,
if at all, with Vista. If you have doubts, contact the software and
hardware manufacturers and see if they support Vista with the stuff you
have. Given the age of what you've listed I doubt if much of it, if any,
will be supported.

--
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

 

[DanS]

Good for you, I may be envying you on that but I don't really need to
go that far since I can afford to buy the best new system when I need
it.

Unfortunately some of us aren't that lucky. Some have lived, and still do,
paycheck to paycheck, for whatever reason, where it's not that easy to just
go drop a g or 2 on a PC whenever needed.

Hell, I was going to buy a new PC with my Christmas bonus this year. But my
furnace decided otherwise.

The question is: can an accountant (he is an accountant) possibly
working two jobs, one for a firm, another one at home doing income tax
return for a bunch of friends, afford to lunge into a hardware venture
like this with April 15 coming?

Nowhere at all in his post did he ever mention about being an accountant.

Having Quickbooks != Accountant

 

[MICHAEL]

I am not an expert on

The only thing you are an expert on
is how to be the very best idiot douche
in this newsgroup.


-Michael