Vista Rama He Haw!

[Digger[NJLP]]

Ok so Vista is officially here and I’m curious to see what everyone’s plan is for upgrading? At work we have had the same install of Vista running on a small form factor GX620 for the last two months now and I can’t report any major problems. Shocking isn’t it.

I keep second guessing myself, I wonder if I have become “conditioned” to the MS-Windows reality of upgrades and work a rounds. But then the desktop comes up and all my desktop widgets pop-up and all that nonsense melts away.

At home I don’t have a PC that can really handle it. So I have opted out of upgrading for the next few months. But if I hit it big in Las Vegas in March, I’ll have one right quick!

My Dad had his new laptop from Dell delivered a day ago with Vista Home and he loves the thing.

Vote, yell, scream, post quietly, or none of the above…

[War_Ghoul]

I'll upgrade as soon as I run into a game that really requires it that I must play. Until then it's XP for me. Heck I just moved to XP from 2k six months ago.

[coold8]

My curiosity caused me to buy it the day it came out. I have it installed and running on 3 of my systems without any regrets. I actually bought 3 legal copies, an Ultimate and took advantage of the family pack offer for 2 home premiums for $100.

A few notes:

*SLI Users, wait, SLI does not work with Vista. Single Card users can expect somewhat of a performance hit as now the GFX card has more to worry about. I have not noticed it being major.
* The main problems with Vista is simply Driver Support (for more advanced gaming stuff), I have yet to find any real issues with the OS itself.
*Windows AERO is probably the best GUI I have ever used, I would say more fluid and supported than any Linux attempts to make a 3d GUI.
*I have this installed on my Tablet PC with Office 2007, if you have a Tablet PC, the support is much wider. As the Tablet PC edition of WinXP was built almost as an XP add-on. The vista interface has much better handwritting recognition, and you can train it much easier to recognize your hand writing. Also, the interface is much better for tablets as well, allowing more flexibility when running applications. Also the inking has much better response to the pressure of the pen and the end result is a much better looking natural writing.
*Battery Life goes down because the GPU always must be used.
*Windows Boot Up is much quicker
*Readyboost is nice if you only have 1gb of Memory (On my Tablet rest have 2gb). Takes effect when doing multiple applications like Virtual Memory but much faster.

That is all I can think of now, but the upgrade is definitly worth it if you are a single card user.

[NILL]

I actually bought 3 legal copies, an Ultimate and took advantage of the family pack offer for 2 home premiums for $100.
.

I heard there were problems with the family packs not working. I guess they fixed this.

I'll get vista when I have to for a game, but how many game developers(I mean non-microsoft game developers) are going make their games vista only? I going to guess microsoft is planing to push their weight around to they have to.

Also if/when I do get vista I'll probably get the cheapest version. But whats that difference between them. Especially if it's just for gaming?

[cybrwlf]

http://movies.apple.com/movies/us/apple ... 80x376.mov

[Digger[NJLP]]

I'll get vista when I have to for a game, but how many game developers(I mean non-microsoft game developers) are going make their games vista only? I going to guess microsoft is planing to push their weight around to they have to.

Also if/when I do get vista I'll probably get the cheapest version. But whats that difference between them. Especially if it's just for gaming?

Nooooo Vista for gaming is going to just get better and better from what many are calling a more stable platform!

Ok I was going to give you my long winded explanantion of how Vista is just going to let the PC Game market explode. Since Microsoft plans to allow their games to play cross platform, XBOX and Windows.

But lets let a pro talk about it! That way you can read it if you want and I save time typing..

Paul Thurrott's SupeSite, from WindowsITPro Magazine, sums up the basics pretty well and makes clear what the plans are for Gaming in Vista.
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_games.asp

Here is a quote that after reading, should make any gamer want to read the rest of the article..

But the real question isn't why Microsoft has spent so much time and so many resources on the Xbox 360. Why hasn't the company done more to promote PC gaming? And why has it steadily abandoned what was once a well-respected line of PC gaming peripherals?

I can't answer those questions exactly. But I can tell you that Microsoft intends to make up for it is past mistakes and establish Windows Vista as both the pinnacle of PC gaming and an equal partner to video game consoles from a features and functionality perspective. In true Microsoft fashion, this plan involves working closely with its partners and integrating with the hardware, software, and services it's already created for the Xbox 360. And you know what? It's just crazy enough to work.

Vista's claims for gaming greatness are many-fold. First, the system will include a new version of the DirectX gaming libraries that will allow for an impressive new generation of PC-based game titles. Vista includes a surprisingly capable Games Explorer that the game industry is embracing, allowing for new features and integration possibilities. Vista will work with all Xbox 360 gaming peripherals, thanks to an upcoming Xbox 360 wireless adapter. And Vista will let Xbox 360 and PC gamers play together in unprecedented ways, thanks to a melding of Xbox Live and Windows Live through the new Live Anywhere scheme. Finally, Microsoft is also working with its game maker and retailer partners to brand and sell PC games in a manner that's nearly identical to console games. This should result in a better game experience, whether you're a beginner or seasoned veteran of the gaming world.

Anyway read the article.

[Digger[NJLP]]

http://movies.apple.com/movies/us/apple ... 80x376.mov

Great example of the new annoying firewall. But granted it stops asking so many questions as it learns what to block and what not to.

In the office all that is disabled automatically by our group policy. We don't have need of it what so ever.

So I ask... Why? Why? why?
Why does everyone seem to think you have to use the Windows OS firewall??
Bottom line is if you have a firewalled router, with a descent virus software package like Mcaffe or Symantec, and you are running an ad-aware scanner program like ad-aware from lavasoft. There is no reason to run a local firewall on your PC.

Its redundent and just slows your PC down while browsing and even slows the system down while gaming or navigating the home network.

Argh...

[coold8]

I could not agree more. THe only use I could find for a firewall was maybe if you were at a Starbucks, but I think they isolate the clients at starbucks so that I can't talk to someone else that is connected anyway and have a firewall, so I am not sure if it is even worth it then.

-Dave

http://movies.apple.com/movies/us/apple ... 80x376.mov

Great example of the new annoying firewall. But granted it stops asking so many questions as it learns what to block and what not to.

In the office all that is disabled automatically by our group policy. We don't have need of it what so ever.

So I ask... Why? Why? why?
Why does everyone seem to think you have to use the Windows OS firewall??
Bottom line is if you have a firewalled router, with a descent virus software package like Mcaffe or Symantec, and you are running an ad-aware scanner program like ad-aware from lavasoft. There is no reason to run a local firewall on your PC.

Its redundent and just slows your PC down while browsing and even slows the system down while gaming or navigating the home network.

Argh...

[NILL]

I could not agree more. THe only use I could find for a firewall was maybe if you were at a Starbucks, but I think they isolate the clients at starbucks so that I can't talk to someone else that is connected anyway and have a firewall, so I am not sure if it is even worth it then.

-Dave

http://movies.apple.com/movies/us/apple ... 80x376.mov

Great example of the new annoying firewall. But granted it stops asking so many questions as it learns what to block and what not to.

In the office all that is disabled automatically by our group policy. We don't have need of it what so ever.

So I ask... Why? Why? why?
Why does everyone seem to think you have to use the Windows OS firewall??
Bottom line is if you have a firewalled router, with a descent virus software package like Mcaffe or Symantec, and you are running an ad-aware scanner program like ad-aware from lavasoft. There is no reason to run a local firewall on your PC.

Its redundent and just slows your PC down while browsing and even slows the system down while gaming or navigating the home network.

Argh...

Because most people don't know and don't care about that kind of stuff till something goes wrong. And I think everybody here has had to deal with someone like that at least once. At least if windows has this turned on by default less computers with be spreading viruses around.

I love how the guy's a MIB what with how the NSA had to step in and help microsoft with security or lack there of if your into tinfoil.

[cybrwlf]

And how about going to a lan .. sure you practice safe computing but what about the 16yr old (no offence to any age in particular just an example) that doesn't use a firewall/antivirus/etc and downloads music and crap on to his computer. And then said pc, that is full of viri and who knows what, makes it way to a LAN with other gamers...

When you sure of the network enviroment you entering then you should adjust to a safe level. I assume the worst when I go to a public lan and then go from there. When I'm at my friends house or my own ... your right .. not much on the machine it's self.

And as Nil pointed out most people don't know/care... so I don't mind that by default M$ sends out their stuff with it on. I see it as M$'s small contribution to prevent the spread... even if it is little and much too late.

[Digger[NJLP]]

Well, I would expect anyone who took the time to read about the firewall and who disabled the firewall to put it back up in that type of situation.

But when I go to LAN parties I usually just close up my shares, rather then turn on the firewall and slow down the game. Plus my systems are members of my windows domain at home so its going to be pretty hard for a virus to get on to my system from a machine across the network.
I was actually at a NJLanParty where a few people had gotten a virus from an open share and I was untouched, not to toot my own horn.

Lets face facts, the large majority of users who use Windows and MAC machines have no interest in the inner workings of the machine. They want to plug it in and go. So the old adage of "Reap what you Sow" is quite true. If you don't educate yourself, even marginally, on the computer you use, you are your own worst enemy.

[kobalt]

I took the vista trial for a spin and in the end I just don't feel it. Gadgets are not my cup of tea, I hated the constant questions/confirmations and many of my trusted applications simply refused to work with vista. Granted, all this is somewhat expected seeing that it is a new operating system but I fear it's just not for me overall. Perhaps I will change my mind if/when winfs becomes part of vista but until I am forced to use it (dx10 only games?) I'll stick with trusty xp.