[rgreen4]

The book I got was Ubuntu for Non-Geeks, 2nd edition by Rickford Grant. As I said, he was not real long on explanations. It is a little over 300 pages long. I guess I was looking for something more, his network wireless connection explanation was to insert the wireless adapter into the laptop and let it connect. It was about a half a page with no trouble shooting help. It was also on 7.04.
Sometimes those just recently into something may be the best in writing something for others just getting into it, for they remember what it was like. I think I fell into answering the Vista questions because I had just gotten mine upgraded, and I had the book Windows Vista:The Missing Manual by David Pogue. I also have his books of similar titles on Win2K, XP and XP SP2. The Vista book is over 800 pages. I was answering question with the book open and experimenting on my Vista Machine.
After answering a question yesterday on networks, and after encouragement, I wrote a document on networks, and yet a little over a year ago, I couldn't get mine to work. I did have help and a submission from MPH on security which I added (with credit to him of course). If you put the document out there, you may get some other Ubuntu adherants to assist with their suggestions.

[RedRat]

rgreen4,
Thanks for your encouragement. If you think it might help I would be glad to post it. Since I am new here myself (I just joined a couple of weeks ago) and have not quite felt my way around this forum, where would it best fit? If you could point me to a location I will look it over and see what to do.

Having used both Windows, Macs (got started with the little Mac SE way, way back when), Linux (in the Red Hat early days than fell away), and now modern Linux, I think my perspective is somewhat open minded (at least I would like to believe that) in regard to choice of OS. I have seen all to frequently the "true believers" for all operating systems, be they Macs (they tend to be the worst), Windows, and Unix in all of its flavors including Linux. Each of these systems has something to offer to the general public, depending on what they want to do. And that is the reason for my comments here.

[mphenterprises]

PCWorld said:

Post your comments for Farewell Vista, Hello XP here

>
>



Hi All. It is good to see such spirited discussions on Linux; however, please let's try to revert focus back onto the article.

[fmorriso]

Good point. Is anybody in the 'farewell' camp thinking of giving Vista another try when Service Pack 1 comes out in early 2008? I have a feeling that the answer will depend on how comfortable people are with putting such a (probably huge) patch on their machine coupled with whether they installed/upgraded Vista themselves or if Vista was pre-installed by the vendor they purchased the machine from.

One thing I've started doing more often under Vista is setting older programs 'Compatibility' (a tab in the Properties window) by setting the 'run this program in compatibility mode for:' checkbox and then choosing 'Windows XP (Service Pack 2)' from the dropdown listbox of choices. Too bad Microsoft doesn't have a tool that will sift through the shortcuts in the 'Start/Programs' list as well as any desktop shortcuts and suggest which ones should probably be run in 'XP-mode' for the 'best customer experience'.

(OK, I baited the hook. Now time to sit back and enjoy the responses. :x)

[Lima]

WAIT a minute ok Want the best of both i don't normally comment but your readers are losin out on Vista I just read one other PC World article sayin well it's not all that bad .For the one's that want all those apps they cant run in vista I dual booted from this link http://www.apcstart....485/dualbootingvistaand_xp and let me tell you it was easier then what you went through and now i choose vista or xp depending what i want to do like download in the old morpheus or burn dvdrip movies in older nero you name it i can do it and i'm no I.T. tech or nothen just a guy that works at randalls

[rkinne01]

I agree with Red Hat and Rgreen, but I'd like to throw a fourth type into the mix. The fourth type are those who favor an opposing OS who post just rile others, it's done on the Windows boards, Mac boards, and even on the Linux boards. I don't have a problem with others using OS-X or Ubuntu, I happen to prefer Vista but if you like something else thats great. I don't think people who use Macs should be bombarded with attacks from Windows users, nor should Linux users have to deal with upitty Mac fans. I tried Unbuntu Fiesty Fawn, while I can see the potential of the OS, at this point it wasn't what I was looking for in a OS. One of the troubles I had was finding one place to get up to date info, I often had to visit several sites till I found accurate information. The layout of Ubuntu was very nice and easy to find my way around, with a setup that was just as easy as Vista's.

I would love to try a Mac OS, but won't until they allow users to install the software on any machine. I think that if Apple had done this right from the start, they would be the "evil empire' and not Microsoft, thier loss I guess. At least with Vista, Xp or Ubuntu you can install the OS's on a wide variety of machines and not just what Apple says you can.

Finally, as different as all these OS's are, they are really not that much different are they? When working with Ubuntu I wasn't totally lost, I found things quickly enough, most of the differences were minor. Just my opinion.

[mphenterprises]

Hi RKinne. This Discussion is in relation to the article. If you would like to continue discussion Linux, please do so within this Discussion. The hyperlink will take you right to the newly created Linux Discussion.

[robb]

i installed vista in april 07.
it took about 20 mins.
i have had no problems with any part of it.
and in fact since some of the latest patches
have come out my system has become much faster
i have also noticed my game programs look and
run faster.RobbRush2112

[josephrot]

Being in the industry since 1979, as a Conservation Engineer, and having been stung and assisted those that were stung by Vista...

There are two kinds of fools in MS Vista...

The corporate fools that coded this sometimes incomprehensible semi-disaster, and the poor fools that buy it.

Come to think of it, the question is raised as to where were the honest magazines, product reviewers and Beta testers before Vista even shipped. - JR

[rkinne01]

I was a Vista Beta Tester and I take issue with you calling any of us who tested "fools". I simply tested and reported on what I found, I didn't create the software nor did I code the product. Beta Testers are gloried lab rats, but being that you're in the industry you'd know that, right?

[josephrot]

In reply to rkinne01, I point out that I did not call nor in the slightest infer that the Beta testers were "fools."

Please Re-read my original message again.

Being one of the Beta testers myself, and one for many years, but even so, I am careful to not slight unfairly those unsung hero's that make up the Alpha or Beta testing clan.

[fmorriso]

During your testing, how often did the 'windows needs permissions' pop-ups occur for you? Did you find it annoying?

I turned off that particular 'security' setting right away and have been happy with Vista now that it doesn't annoy me every time I launch an application.

[georgetirone]

i totally disagree with this comment. ME was the worst operating system made on Microsofts behalf. Vista doesnt even come close to it. Now i switched out my operating system from XP pro sp2 to vista home premium and and wont ever look back. As far as drivers are concerned i do remember when xp first came out the same was said about it also. people need to do more research before upgrading. it is not microsfts fault that certain hardwares are not compatible with vista at the moment and yes i say Moment because hardware manufacturers need to stay up with the latest upgrades and patches. as far as any new harware or peripherials that i have hooked up to vista its been a dream i plug it in and boom vista picks it up. those MAC commercials are entertaining but not necessarily true......i have hooked up old HP printers about 7yrs old to be exact and vista installed it automatically and functions properly. even at work all our computers are xp and i finally convinced my boss to switch over one of our computers to vista ultimate and the computer operator now loves it. these comments are obviously all a matter of opinion and thats fine but lets remember not bash something with out doing proper research before purchasing an upgrade. check online and make sure that proper updated have been issued online then upgrade. and last but not least if XP is running great on your current system why are you upgrading to begin with.

[fmorriso]

My HP 4100C scanner, which works just fine under Windows XP, won't work at all under Vista, which is why I refuse to upgrade my wife's XP laptop to Vista (where the HP 4100C is currently attached). I checked the HP web site and they flat out admit that they want to force me to fill up the local trash landfill with the old scanner and buy a new scanner rather than supply a driver and software to make the old scanner run under Vista. Not exactly 'environmentally friendly' of them is it?

[ian422]

if vista's so great why is mac doing so well with Leopard, Why are company's like dell pre-shipping Ubuntu on there systems?, why does everyone on the planet know exactly what apples point is with the MAC and PC video "ask not what vista can do for you..ask what you can do for vista"

as i pointed out in my post about vista SP1, vista has some potential but like every other Microsoft OS that has been released for as long as i can remember its absolutely unusable when it first comes out.

[rgreen4]

Ian422 - absolutely unusable? There has been more than one instance in this thread of someone installing this OS described in various unseemly terms, and finding it not only usable, but actually pleasant to use. I have been using Vista on one machine since May full time - that's 8 months, I have been using it on this laptop since I got it in September and also on a second desktop since October, but not full time as that machine is my testbed.

Now either we are using a Vista other than the one you have been using (you have used it for more that 15 minutes, haven't you?) or someone is very wrong.

Fmorriso - HP already went back and provided drivers for that scanner after it was out of production when XP initially came out. The documention refers to the operating systems as Win95/98. A company has to cease supporting a product at some point. My scanner was 4 years old and they will not provide updates to it either. But, I will also maintain an XP machine as well, but I will use Vista as my main OS, and some scanning will be done on my AIO.

[ian422]

im glad u had a good experience using vista but i doubt that 2 far off the mark with its flaws, if i am so very wrong why does every major managed IT environment still use XP on its desktop clients?, walk into a bank...a university...a government office and find me a workstation running vista. im not denying that some people can have a good experience with this OS as you seem to have had. but you cant deny that windows vista alternatives such as going back to XP or going Mac are getting more and more popular all the time, thats the only point i was trying to make.

[lonewolf22]

Vista is still in its infancy and hopefully MS comes out with SP1 soon. Vista has a lot of eye candy, but it has some features that XP does not have. I have two Vista machines, a XP machine and a Mac. just to be safe.I like Vista but XP I have to say is more stable right now. But give it time Vista will be more stable that is if MS don't plan on making a new OS which I don't think is too smart to do right now.

[JimmyDahGeek]

>> But give it time Vista will be more stable

So tell me... what's it like to be a beta tester and to have to pay to do it?

;-)

[lonewolf22]

I am no beta tester and I also got my OSes free. No, Vista is not perfect, but it works for me and if you know the OS you are working with you learn it's in and outs.