Why should I stay with Vista?

[Guest]

Hi Frank,

Gladly will.

My work usage on either laptop or desktop consists of coding PHP, XHTML, CSS
and some javascript. I constantly switch between notepad, style master,
illustrator & photoshop, firefox, mail client, ftp programme, skype and
explorer.

In addition I tend to have putty open for times I need to alter things on
our servers and run Apache and MySQL locally for testing purposes.

I will generally have a music player running in the background.

Finally, from a more CPU intensive production end of things, I also write
music using Cubase, Reason and other software. This would be the main place
that processor speed and RAM become an issue.

Also, I have an urgent need to write blog posts about toilet paper.

 

[Guest]

Don't worry about that. I've been long aware of the need to clean up a new
machine. I've always tweaked the hell out of my systems, and though I've had
to proceed a little more carefully on Vista I am satisfied that I have
cleaned out all of the unnecessary background/start up software.

 

[dennis@home]

Hi all,

I don't want to sound like I'm trying to get a rise out of anyone here,
but
I've been using Vista (pre-installed on my new laptop) for about 2 months
now
and I am finding it difficult to justify using Vista instead of going back
to
Windows XP. I've been very happy with XP for a long time - it's stable,
quick
and gets the job done very well in my mind.

I have greatly expanded my point on my blog (link at the end), but the
long
and the short of it is the bad outweighs the good and I can think of more
reasons to go back to XP than stick with Vista. Ultimately it's an overall
sluggishness that is probably the main reason. I have a desktop with XP on
it, with much lower specifications than my laptop and it feels snappier
and
more responsive.

So, is there anything people can say to convince me to stay?

If you have had it for 2 months and you don't like it then its time to
change.
You don't have to put up with something you don't like if you are in charge
of the system so go back to XP if you prefer it.
Vista will get better and you can switch later if you want.
After all it is /just/ an OS and its the /applications/ that matter not the
OS.

 

[Guest]

Hey Lang,

Thanks for your response. AV hasn't been mentioned at all. I'm using AVG
free edition, due to happy experiences of it on my previous XP based
machines. I actually have a license for a full AVG suite but I found their
firewall to be glitchy and I had no need for their spam blocking software as
I have that taken care of with two layers of spam protection server side.

I do think this is Microsoft's most stable pre-service pack release. I have
had one BSOD which seemed to be related to a Sleep/Shut Down confusion, but
that has not repeated so I felt no need to investigate it further. Other than
that the system has been nearly entirely stable, although some of the
software within it has been less so (including Internet Explorer 7).

Regarding UAC - I did a fair bit of searching around of advice on the web.
Ultimately the collective opinion that I encountered was to only disable UAC
when setting your machine up to save you having to confirm it a hundred
times, but that it makes good sense to leave it running during normal
operation. This was the overall feeling I got about it, which is why I
mention that I didn't feel it was a good idea to turn it off.

Does this make sense?

Oh, by the way, and this is a general response to a few people on this
thread. What is with all the Ubuntu comparisons? I have no intention of
switching to Ubuntu - there's too much software I would lose out on. I never
mentioned Ubuntu - this is purely about Vista vs XP for me. Hope that
clarifies that

 

[Jane C]

Also, I have an urgent need to write blog posts about toilet paper.

LOL! Have you ever come across this one?

http://www.toilettissue.us/images/vistapkg.jpg

<vbg>

 

[DP]

Oh, by the way, and this is a general response to a few people on this
thread. What is with all the Ubuntu comparisons? I have no intention of
switching to Ubuntu - there's too much software I would lose out on. I
never
mentioned Ubuntu - this is purely about Vista vs XP for me. Hope that
clarifies that

Ubuntu is kind of a running joke around here. There are people who will
seriously suggest that as an alternative. I'm not dissing them; they're
entitled to their opinions. But I think most general users will find a leap
to Linux is too big a leap for them for a variety of reasons, including
those you mention.
Then there are others who, as a kind of ironic slap at the Linux devotees,
will jokingly suggest Ubuntu and other variants as the solution to a myriad
of problems, including jock itch.

<Flame-protecting clothing -- ON!>

 

[Guest]

Hi Ayere,

I too build my own machines (not laptops obviously). My current desktop is
going to be due an overhaul in the next year and I can't see myself, with
some form of quad core and masses of RAM, not installing Vista. I would think
I will have all the processing power that I'll need. This will give Vista
some time to settle as well.

Currently my desktop is an AMD Athlon 64 3400+ with 1.5Gb of Ram. I wouldn't
try Vista on that to be honest. It's so zippy at the moment that it will
easily sustain me for a while to come.

I do look forward to getting a beefy new desktop though and enjoying Vista
for all the benefits it does offer.

A

 

[Guest]

I tried it in the first place as I was in a rush and it was the best
specified laptop for the price. They did not offer it with XP pre-installed
at the time.

I had a gig 7 days after my old laptop, which was working fine, was pulled
off a high table by my nephew and started acting very strange.

That being said, I was also curious to see what it was like and as stated
previously I thought that a turion dual-core TL60 with 2gb RAM would be ample
speed and memory to avoid the reports I had heard of sluggishness.

 

[Guest]

this is interesting. one fellow from de monkey mocks another, yet can't spell
GNAT. lovely.

Let's see. I taught computer ops starting 1986 in college.
I remember the original BIG disks and when windoze 3.0 came out.
Not Impressive. But, it had that silly Apples wysiwyg feel. Basically
for the unwashed.

Now, the Sloth has all but taken over. And, now we have a huge
pig eating memory, storage, etc.

Do any of you remember that a pc is just a tool?
-write letters, send photos, work up spreadsheets, etc.
Simple stuff we did with a dual floppy and a plugin modem.

Now, we have machines that are stupid, even in their architecture,
but we think they are'smart'.

Why?

Perhaps it is time to just say no to the Sloth, and the myriad
companies sucking at its engorged teats.

I will not recommend my clients & customers to use Vista.
They will be shown these and other letters and, of course,
make their own decision, but I believe most will decline the
foolishness of a 'new machine, new opsys, new problems'
cavalcade.

adieu - to you- too!

 

[Lang Murphy]

Hey Lang,

Thanks for your response. AV hasn't been mentioned at all. I'm using AVG
free edition, due to happy experiences of it on my previous XP based
machines. I actually have a license for a full AVG suite but I found their
firewall to be glitchy and I had no need for their spam blocking software
as
I have that taken care of with two layers of spam protection server side.

AVG shouldn't be a problem. I was thinking of SAV (Symantec Anti-Virus or
NAV, Norton Anti-Virus) or McAfee... both of which are known resource hogs.
So, guess AV's not your issue.

I do think this is Microsoft's most stable pre-service pack release. I
have
had one BSOD which seemed to be related to a Sleep/Shut Down confusion,
but
that has not repeated so I felt no need to investigate it further. Other
than
that the system has been nearly entirely stable, although some of the
software within it has been less so (including Internet Explorer 7).

Ah, that reminds me... I do have an issue with external USB drives on one of
my boxes, a desktop. It's not running Vista now, but when it was running
Vista, it would not recognize the USB drive for eject or safe removal. I
have no problem with external USB drives on the previously mentioned
laptops. I've not had any problems with IE7 on Vista. Don't know if that
would be an IE issue or a Vista issue. I've got IE7 running on two XP boxes;
a Home box and an MCE box and have not experienced any problems on those
systems either. How is IE7's instability disclosing itself on your
system?

Regarding UAC - I did a fair bit of searching around of advice on the web.
Ultimately the collective opinion that I encountered was to only disable
UAC
when setting your machine up to save you having to confirm it a hundred
times, but that it makes good sense to leave it running during normal
operation. This was the overall feeling I got about it, which is why I
mention that I didn't feel it was a good idea to turn it off.

Does this make sense?

Dunno. I assume you're talking about initial setup. A hundred times? Heh,
heh, heh...

Oh, by the way, and this is a general response to a few people on this
thread. What is with all the Ubuntu comparisons? I have no intention of
switching to Ubuntu - there's too much software I would lose out on. I
never
mentioned Ubuntu - this is purely about Vista vs XP for me. Hope that
clarifies that

Yeah, no problem. Believe it or not, my reference to Ubuntu was honest, not
facitious. At any rate, I think DP covered all the possibilities for why
folks mention Ubuntu in this ng.

Lang