[Tubamajuba]

Have you tried compatibility modes? Are there updates (manufacturer or 3rd party) available for your programs? Chances are there's something newer and better out there.

[stinkball]

I think I will just wait a few years. By then Microsoft will have another OS and maybe then I will upgrade. IMO 98 SE was the best OS Microsoft has put out with XP eventually becoming a close 2nd. I upgraded immediately to XP in 2002 and I remember the nightmare. I bought a PC with Vista when it came out but I gave it to the kids to use. I saved money by not having to buy a lot of upgrades and new software and repeat the 02 experience.

[RNR19952]

You know I forgot ME had system restore, 98 had a tool for restoring ini files and registry, scanreg.exe. As far as performance goes that is relative. I have a $2000.00 one year old Lenovo that absolutely flies with XP on it. I would not buy or sell a notebook for under $1000.00 they just are not equipped with the specs that are minimum to me right now. I do have a Vista machine, it does seem to run better since SP1, but the whole OS is not impressive at all.

[amplitude82]

I used XP for about 6 years, from near its release till early last year. I was satisfied with it, but when Vista came around I was happy.

The switch forced me to upgrade my desktop to be able to support Vista, which still had all but two original components in a box as old as XP. I still have that system, and though only one of the early components still survives inside, I'm still running on a system that barely supports Vista according to specs. I've got an Athlon XP 1.4 gHz processor... you read that right, 1 gig of DDR1 ram, and an Nvidia 6600 video card. Somehow, after a few early glitches, the computer runs like a dream.

Now, I'm writing this on a laptop I've been borrowing from my dad and been using for a while. It is a system built with Vista in mind with a more recent processor than my desktop system, but integrated Intel graphics. The system runs fine, but my desktop runs much better.Needless to say, I don't think low system specs affect the experience as much as what's powering the specs. That's one way Apple excels.

Until I can afford a Mac, which I'd also run Windows on, I'm sticking with Vista and most likely Windows 7, if it's released soon. Goodbye to the XP life.

[DMudd]

The Vista OS is not ready to replace XP. I have used it for a year and it is unstable and unacceptable. I use XP for all our development machines and tolerated Vista for email, wordprocessing and basic internet access. I gave Vista fair shot. When I bought my new laptop and a new desktop, I ordered them with Vista. I wanted to judge it on the latest and greatest hardware, not judge it's ability to work on old hardware. We have a large investment in MS technologies but am now considering a change. We, like thousands of businesses, are an ActiveX/.Net/Windows environment. Our commitment and recommendataions of MS technologies may just change and we will look at Linux/Java. The people I know that are saying Vista is not ready are not anti Vista or saying it because of comfort with XP. It is the stability and reliablity of XP against the experiences with Vista. It is as if Microsoft is giving us a reason to consider alternatives.

[TIGERE]

I have no GD intention of revamping my office with a new WF printer, a scanner ,an All in one printer and spending 200.00 for memory to run this pig I stupidly bought via HP laptop - my A is still stinging from the relentless kicking I give it every time I try to interface w/ my office equipment ... am I happy hell no - am I hopeful nope - but I am very interested in divesting myself of MS altogether - so now I am reading Linux, Ubuntu and any other open source material I can find - and I absolutely LOVE the Mac commercials - they are so spot on !! Besides -No one should pay anything for an operating system and certainly not 150.00 to 290. retail ,since the original code was developed with public money !! You know there is an old maxim that tells us" if it works" and after 5 years XP is working ..." don't fix it!!" Vista had to be a high school lab project ... it is absolutely juvenile ....I just can't take it serious... and I really resent being force fed BS ....

[Tubamajuba]

As disgusted as you are with Vista, please don't think Linux's device compatibility is going to be any better- it is considerably worse unless you have quite a bit of previous experience with the OS, and even then it is lacking. That said, Linux has the potential to be the future of all computing if its steep learning curve is addressed. Sorry to hear about your incompatibilities either way, keep on checking the websites of the manufacturers of your non-working devices- if they're worth their salt, proper drivers should be there or coming very soon. If that fails, give me the model numbers and and I can try to find them.

[TIGERE]

Tubamajuba - you have taken me completely by surprise - and I want to express my sincere thanks for your response - for content and timeliness ---

I am certainly not computer savy and therefore in the face of all this I feel very helpless which pes me off no end ... and of course makes me very reluctant to post where it is obvious there is much skill and knowledge present ...

as you point out Linux and Ubuntu in what ever flavor requires a little more than the average understanding - which is why I haven't tried it yet .... although the support seems to be more enthusiastic ....

Time at this moment is not available to respond adequately to your post, but , if it's acceptable to do so I would like to get back when I have more time to -

again sincere thanks

Tigere

[GlobalUSASourcing]

XP has provision for ALL of my HP and Epson Hardware. VISTA does NOT = it FAILS and neither Microsoft nor HP really care. So I would have to replace 3 printers, 1 printer scanner and one scanner. NO WAY !! Their answer is to purchase new hardware.

[biggeo]

I sure miss XP. Well I will keep them though till 2014 ,except VISTA prove to me till then that they don't need 3 GB of RAM and 8800GTX Ge-FOrce card just to take benefits from it's AERO feture.

And I like to manage the way I work with OS and not asking everytime if I am sure for the action I want to take. Seems like VISTA thinks that they have kids beside the screen who like to mess up with their system.

And if I like to mess up with my PC, it's my right. My PC, so I want to do what I like.
Companies can think to put VISTA for their employes, but for home use XP all the way.

[DMudd]

I think the point is that if I am going to have to fight compatibility issues and deal with a learning curve, it is time to consider options. The cost of the OS, its pains (i.e. OS registration), the vendors's history (forcing VISTA before it is ready), all factor into considering alternatives. You then add the cost of development and databases for the MS platform in developing business applications and it is becoming a real turning point. I have been doing development on MS for almost 20 years, it is unreal that a new release of an OS, or more accurately the discontinuing of the current OS, could be the cause of a drastic change.

A lot of companies have considered the transition from MS to Linux/Java. It is much easier said than done. If it were not for the fact that change requires the updating of software from multiple vendors and many in house developed (and support staff) concurrently, which is nearly impossible to accomplish in an enterprise, I think the switch from MS would occur at an unprecedented rate. It is getting hard to ignore the options.

[biggeo]

I wonder if you could use AERO with your hardware when VISTA came out. Yes VISTA is stable but most of my software and hardware needs update to woirk stable with VISTA. And if I have money for that, most people can't do that.

And I want to tell the software what I want to do, no mind good or bad. I don't like when the software ask me if I really want to do this, or point me to what I can do and what not.

[Tubamajuba]

My pleasure, Tigere. I stand by the fact that it is mainly the manufacturer's responsibility to provide updated device drivers, but Microsoft doesn't need to change the driver system as much as it does either. Unfortunately, if either side falls back on their duties, we as consumers suffer.

You know, you can get a feel for your computer's or your devices' Linux capabilities if you Google the model numbers plus "linux". Linux works great for some people, and I think everyone should try it out at some point. Me personally? XP and now Vista have served all my needs well, but once apps are easily installable (no, package installers don't cut it) and I can get my blasted WiFi to work, Linux will be more appealing to me.

[Bamagator]

Windows Vista is a joy. I am so glad that I no longer have to drag through the many crashes, the blue screen of deaths, the stack dumps, and so on with Windows XP. Windows XP is worst than Windows ME . I guess microsoft cant satisfy you critics no matter what they put out. Long Live Windows Vista. Kudos to microsoft for departing that junk XP

[TIGERE]

Tubamajuba , et al ....
I cannot agree with you more - something seriously arrogant has occurred here in the transition from XP to Vista ... and the consumer will bear the brunt of the cost ... at the hands of MS and the various peripheral suppliers.
Dmudd echoes my thoughts also - damn if have to go through all this crap I am looking for some other way to get it done ...

and as Biggeo points out who has the money ??.....

or the desire to have a garage full of peripherals which have been rendered obsolete and unsellable ... most of which is still very serviceable and delivering good service ... because MS rushed Vista to market ... there's more here than just struggling with a "new" OS - these bastards have created havoc and have blatantly left 1000s if not 1000000s high a dry - and just in passing where is all that "junk" going to go after the garage !!?? That would be and interesting lawsuit now wouldn't it......talk about social responsibility ... drop over and read MS mission statement just for kicks you'll ... LYAO!! (hope thats right)

There's a whole hell of a lot more at risk here than just XP .......

Tigere

(RE: the 200,000 signature petition ..."yeah well life sucks,dude" Ms to the petition signers .....now thats a confidence builder .......)

[biggeo]

Very much to the point. Where all the obsolete hardware will go? I suspect in China or on another country at Africa where they used too. Most of companies send the obsolete hardware there for disasemble or burying without thinking the life of these people. They count the life there with $$$, cause they found people in need for help,without thinking next generations.

I still have 2 scaners still working (a sczi one and a usb one) first when went from Windows 95 to 98SE and bought a faster one ,and 2nd become obsolete cause couldn't find drivers for XP. Don't mention a case with a Pentium at 233MHZ with a 800MB disk and 128 MB of RAM working too but useless, lol If you have any good idea as what I can do with all these I will thankfull. Keep them for over a decate cause I don't want just to throw them away. I don't want poisoned air or water. These stuff need 100s of years to dissapear.

And the fun thing is that all talking about the environment and how we can protect it. And no one said what we do all these stuff. Just they're hungry for more money.

Oh well, as I said I deny to go to VISTA not only for the cost, but cause I don't know what I do with a computer still working and fill my needs now.

[rkinne01]

In Answer to your questions....



1. The Menu system in Xp was horrible. What does personalize mean? Ever hear of a dictionary? Look it up. The XP model was dated and needed work, Vista got it right.

2. Neither XP or Vista can use 8 gigs of Ram, you wasted your money.

3. Actually XP has 3 versions: Home, Prop, and MCE. The "flavors" of Vista are refreshing, they allow people to get the best OS for themselves, Microsoft has made choosing the right version easy as pie.

4. I do agree here I did think Vitsa Retail was priced alittle high, but then again most people are getting it pre-installed on new PC's.

5. Legacy applications? Seriously? Dude its time to upgrade.

6. Who cares? If its there and people wanna use it then great.

7. Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder.

8. Linux is still too much of a pain to use for most users and Apple's pig headed business model will keep Macs as niche machines. I would also point out that many people see the OS era coming to an end.

9. There are plenty of companies that spit in the face of consumer, among them are Apple and Intel.

10. Great glad you like it, good luck.

9.

[zeth006]

LOL, your post gave me a chuckle. Yep, plenty of corporations spit at their consumers with few regrets...that is, until they get lawsuits coming at them.


Really people, XP, Vista, OSX, Linux, and whatever else is out there...all are OSes! All you Apple fanboys need to calm down with bashing MS. So I'm glad you've tried all the OSes out there! Great! edited

Message was edited by: AuroraDizon - no personal attacks

[Tubamajuba]

Actually, Vista can support 8 GB of RAM if you have the 64-bit edition of Home Basic. Vista Ultimate can support 128 GB of memory.

[josephfuentes]

I have to concur in certain ways about keeping old HW that still works. I have several brand new machines but you know what? I still have my first PC I ever bought . A compaq presario laptop. With a whopping 192MB of RAM (max), bone crunching 700(or so) MHz PIII, gut busting 1GB HD, Win 98 SE laden, it still works! It was amongst the first laptops with a built-in DVD player. That's one of the reasons I bought it at the time, a pre-Cambrian age of 2001(?).

It holds sentimental value for me. I'll never get rid of it. Till it goes to that big dining room table in the sky (that's where I used to work on it) that is.