Living with Vista

They managed to get most of the added winfs layer functionality into the operating system via other means... and as it is, it's a feature that's coming in a future update under a different name when Longhorn Server comes along (to complete the feature set as it were).

 

ie. wait for SP1 (well that was my plan anyway)

 

windows vista does have lower functionality than xp as at this moment in time to my knowlage there are no vista only aplications and games or any hardware soley for vista wheras there is plenty for xp that will not run on vista.

Ok interface is subjective and I take it that you like context senseitive menus thats fine.. I however don't and like command lines.

as for lower perfomance, games are just about the ONLY thing most people use that remotly stress there pc.

also I don't kindly take to been called a moron, my points are well considered and I just didn't show a justifying argument as they seemed (at least to me) self evident. It's only an Os after all, it's what you do with it that matters

 

I see what you mean - but that functionality is down to 3rd party applications. Take both operating systems, fresh out of an install and you'll see that Vista has a lot more base functionality as Wil stated.

I can't argue though, as when XP was first released, I was the complete opposite to how I am now.

 

hah. clearly someone who's never used Mac OS for any significant period of time

I started out hating the breadcrumbs in Vista but now i'm very used to them and don't find myself wishing for a path any more.

 

BTW, reading something entitled: "living with Vista" gave me the impression this was about the awkwardness felt whilst living with a homosexual street dancer name: "Vista". It's probobly just me...

 

Update your DivX codec's. Fixed that error on both my machines.


As to Vista, love it. Absolutely no hardware issues (only one device on two computers that it didn't support out of the box), and the featureset is amazingly easy and straight-forward to use once you get past your own expectations from XP (or any other OS for that matter).

Readyboost: awesome.

 

Heh. A number of people (especially after reading some of my less..graceful comments) might think that but I've actually used OS X for a not inconsiderate amount of time (Linux even longer) and the fact is that if I have two opera windows open or something, I know which is which because it tells me at the bottom (in words!).
When I had expose functionality in Linux (under beryl) I never used it. Apart from the fact that I could already distinguish which window is which, I don't think having 5 tiny window previews on a darkened desktop's going to help me much.

I disagree. In my experience (And I've been using Vista a LONG time) most things work, I've rarely come across something that doesn't outright work. Even some crappy school software works fine.
Also, the article stated base functionality, not the functionality you get after spending 30 hours installing software.

I'm going to guess you've never used Vista for a length of time, because just stating things with no evidence in a single line about an entire operating system doesn't come across as considered.
Although, I do visit a number of sites where hatred for Vista is high, and as a self-confessed MS fanboy I do my best to destroy the opposing arguments.

 

My mates have just got vista and have had nothing but problems trying to get the thing to function correctly. I personally use XP on my home desktop, and will not be making the change until I absolutely have to get a new machine. I have a MacBook Pro as well, and to be honest I've been rather impressed with it over the last few months. Apple are unique in offering a complete technology that works out the box. I've got work to do, why would I want to spend time messing around with various problems?

 

Too..expensive..for..me..
Argh.
Anyone got a spare license free for me (or not too expensive lol)? PM me ^^

 

I just got a new laptop that has vista home premium. sure you have to get used to the new interface and where stuff is, but other than that, i have no complaints.

 

intresting read, i have just installed the vista theme on my xp install. like it that way. areo glass etc, just looks like vista but all the joys of xp

 

Well, I'm Okay with my Vista experience so far. I do, by and large, prefer it to XP; driver issues aside. Mostly because I'm used to OS X and I just can't deal with the awful UI that XP presents- I've just come to accept that if I'm going to be sitting in front of the thing for 8 hours a day or more, I might as well look at something that's not ugly.

Main issues - driver support. Gah. If my box goes into standby or even some screensavers it seems (Frozenfire, at least; I'm guessing this is something with the 7900GT in there), it can't wake up. The display freaks out beyond anything where I can recover things. Happens sometimes with games too. It certainly makes it so I can't use it day-to-day.

Media center has some quirks, but overall is pretty good. I've only tried it for music and video though, no TV. TBH if they were smart, they'd have let it work with iTunes info since it has such a massive install base, so they can get could-be-switchers shelling out for whatever version you need for the media center. That and visualizations suck, especially on my 24" LCD... rendered way too low-res. Ick.

That and some games outright don't work. SC:CT for one, though I was expecting as much (effing Starforce). A lot of other flaws that I can't really deal with, not that I was intending to switch back from OS X. The only thing I really like about Vista over XP is the UI, which certainly is important, but until Windows has Quicksilver and a proper Expose (not to mention UI consistency between apps), I can't even start to consider switching back; they're just too critical in my general workflow now.

Edit -
That said, there are some things I really like, that I wish Apple would put into OSX (effectively all related to Explorer/Finder, but that's been true since long before Vista came out). In any case, the competition is a good thing.

Buzzons - honestly, it's something that you really need to experience. Everything is really well integrated together, and a lot of those subtle tweaks add a LOT of functionality. There's a lot of software that I just couldn't live without anymore (ie, Quicksilver, as mentioned before). Ex, Adium (my IM client of choice, though it's true for iChat as well) is integrated with my Address Book, which is integrated with Mail, etc, etc. Apple apparently provides enough APIs so all sorts of software can tie in nicely. Those little 'a ha!' moments. I could care less about the look of the system; in fact, I generally prefer using my OSx86'd ThinkPad to my MBP, save for a few rather serious quirks - it's honestly better hardware from the user perspective (runs cooler, no hard edges to kill the wrists, better battery life). There's a single piece of software - Minitab - that I need Windows for, but I can deal with that in Parallels. Office 2004 for Mac is, IMO, much better than Office 2003 (although I do like 2007 which I've lightly dabbled with; I eagerly await 08 for Mac), once again because of a generally better UI that allows me higher productivity.

 

Just as a question to mac users here (As I have asked all those I know in real life that have one)

what do you actually use your mac for? are there any proprietory apps?

For those i know in real life, they use a word processor , a web browser, and a terminal ...

now thats not really "OMG WOW MAC" that can be done on countless different operating systems -- so exactly what is this "Mac factor" that makes them so "ooooo"

other than the fact they ship in a "nice" case?

 

Like 95% of the PC using population...

Like Firehed allready said, it all fits together... It isn't a bunch of pieces thrown together, with different looks and feels to all applications...

But extending your comment, that can be done on Linux, without the need of an expensive OS, and Linux runs on nearly all architectures... Ah well, this is once again turning into a mine is better then yours battle, which we all had plenty of allready...

 

not worth the money when I get better, much cheaper.

 

What we really need is a windows/OSX/linux hybrid

 

I decided to be an early adopter, as I saw myself going over to it in the future, it's going to cost the same £70 in a years time, except I'll get one less years use out of it. Didn't expect to use it full time, installed it on a secondary partition, but...

...tomorrow will be reformating and putting it on the raid0 array, and xp will be relegated. Simply, I don't use XP anymore. When I do, it's actually slower. Right now, simply browsing the internet with skype open, Vista is using a whopping 828mb of RAM! That's a lot... right? Which is a bad thing surely? But the great thing about it, is it's using that ram to make everything run SO much faster.

Until people use it and give it a chance, they won't like it, I think a lot of people have an anti-MS mentality. I was open minded, wanted to see what it was about, and think the extra functionality for me personally (instant search, instant drivers, etc. etc.) make it much easier. It's a good professional product, not like some stuff you get that obviously was released too early, although it could be improved, with improved driver support (but tbh, that's not MSs fault), but the barebones work, and they work well.

I'm using the x86 version, so can't say what the 64 bit is like. But Vista start to finish is about ease for the end user, and it hasn't failed to deliver.

- the one problem I've had, was installing video codecs, didn't work unless you turn UAC off.

 

Whats UAC ?

 

The interface changes is one of the primary reasons I am not switching over to Vista any time soon.
I will wait for SP1, just like I did with XP, it usually fixes things that people complain about

On a side note, is there any way to turn off all the fluff in Vista, so that it looks more like 2k? Just that when I was in beta if you switched to "classic mode" it never actually turned ALL of the stuff off, things like the menus on the left of explorer windows (something I really don't like) always remained on.
Also what's the deal with "clear type" remaining on in certain parts even if you turn it off? it just makes text look all fuzzy.