Windows Vista: The Ow starts now.

[Equiflux]

Recently, I bought a new PC(I returned it, I'm about to tell you why) and it had great hardware for it's price. I paid about 688 USD for a system with an AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+(2.6 ghz PER core!), 320 GB HD, 1Gig RAM, and obviously the OS was Windows Vista Home Premium.

The problem:
Vista uses a LOT of RAM and HD space(not that filesize mattered since I had 320 gigs to blow off). It was just extremely resource inefficiant, and my particular version of the OS used over 500 megs of RAM, and about 27 gigs of HD. The OS itself is pretty slow, some of the slowness having to do with its over exaggerated "security." When you plug in external drives or pop-in CD's, sometimes(I don't know if it has to do with filesize or type of the content, I didn't bother to check cuz I was mad) Vista takes a BUTTLOAD of time opening the external storage device because it's either doing one of the two: 1.scanning for "threats" or 2. doing some wierd formatting. ( choice 2. I know for sure because I got some messege box saying that one time, choice 1. not confirmed but sounds like something dumb that MS would implement) To top it off, Vista sparked a sense of paranoia in me:

http://digg.com/security/NSA_Admits_To_Microsoft_Vista_Contributions
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/01/nsa_helps_micro_1.html

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So anyways, after my first hour with Vista, I hated it. So I decided to get a different operating system. I tried different distributions of Linux(And tried Damn Small Linux for the first time, It's pretty damn good for it's size) and even some older versions of Windows, and after the first few OS installations, I noticed a lot of things weren't working, like I had no connection to the net.(Oh and BTW, Vista no longer uses "boot.ini" on prebult systems, it doesn't exists and in systems where it is implemented: Vista ignores it; instead, you have to work through some settings in the control panel.) Then I realized: DOH! I forgot to install all my drivers. So I installed SiSandra and got my full system specs, beyond what the nooby sticker tells you. So I got the model names and manufacturers for all my hardware. Next, I set off on an epic journey to find the correct drivers- only to fail. I soon learned that all my hardware that needed drivers only had Vista versions of their drivers available. So yeah, I wasted a huge chunk of my life trying to make my computer better.

Also, Vista's UI treats you like you are totally computer illiterate, especially in IE7, come on, it doesn't even give you a choice where your downloaded files are saved. (Not that I use IE anyway)

So later on(2 days after I bought the PC) I returned it. The Geek Squad guy asked me why, and I told him my story, he seemed to agree. This was the first time I ever thought a Geek Squad employee was intelligent. Every other Geek Squad person I've ever met seemed pretty much computer illiterate besides being able to install firewalls and use MS Office.

If you don't care about the Ow that will start the moment you run Vista, here's some advice, buy an extra small HD, about 40 gigs(you never know what Vista will try to install under your nose) and just run vista from that HD so you don't have to deal with it messing with your boot settings on your other drive. Then just keep your other OS on your normal drive, as Vista can't run many apps for older OS's.

NEVER buy a prebuilt system that is running Vista - It will give you hell.

All in all, I give Vista a -666/10 for being so resource inefficient, slow, outragously large, and all around the crappiest OS I have ever had the displeasure to use.

Like I said: The Ow starts NOW

 

[Spartan Erik]

Yep Vista is the sux0r. I'm just going to upgrade my XP machines as necessary; Vista is the worst thing since..well.. ever!

 

[MicrotechXP]

Guys you are all on stuff! I am running Vista on a 20GB (testing it) HD.

My Specs:

Intel P4 3.0 ghz with HT with original fan
Asus mobo. P4C800 E-Deluxe
nVidia 7600 GS OC
1 GB Kingston ram

And Vista is running SO good! Its very smooth and runs much better than XP. The only thing I hate about it is that on the boot screen it does not show a Vista logo.

 

[Equiflux]

Wait, I'm on stuff? I must really be. Do you not see how much RAM Vista uses?! Even when you disable most of the services, it still uses about 200 megs. Not only that, get fraps(To check framerate) run a game on Vista, then run the same game with the same settings on Server 2003 or XP.

Or

You are running a different version of Vista than I was.

 

[Brandon]

Wait, I'm on stuff? I must really be. Do you not see how much RAM Vista uses?! Even when you disable most of the services, it still uses about 200 megs. Not only that, get fraps(To check framerate) run a game on Vista, then run the same game with the same settings on Server 2003 or XP.

Or

You are running a different version of Vista than I was.

My Windows XP uses more than 200 MB when i first install it, does it matter?

 

[noerrorsfound]

NEVER buy a prebuilt system that is running Vista - It will give you hell.

It would probably be better to build your own system even if you're going to run Windows XP. It usually ends up a lot cheaper than a pre-built.

 

[KowKing]

I love Vista...

 

[MicrotechXP]

I run Vista Ultimate. For my PC it runs fine and great. I am on XP right now as I missed my files and because the HD that XP is on is bigger.

 

[Christopher]

I upgraded a friend's computer to Windows Vista, and they have been having a few problems such as not being able to shutdown the computer. It keeps freezing. (Please tell me a solution if you have one) Vista seems to run faster. The install process takes much longer than XP does.

 

[Micro]

Do a fresh install of Vista. Upgrade installs are just full of problems.

 

[Trixter]

ROFL

That’s not entierly true micro iv done over 40 upgrade installs and not a problem on one of em.... well nothing that isn't just bad planning on Vistas side.

Vista requires atleast 1gig of ram to run correctly more if your running it with the areo system enabled. Its also built to ask for the administrator password every time you make even the slightest change ( alittle something thay stole/borrowed from linux but atleast in linux you can disable it) thay call it a security feature.

Heres a little something mose people iv talked to dont know,its called the five point rule, microsoft alowes you to change upto five points of hardware , with each peice of hardware having a point value if i remember correctly your MB has a point value of between 2-4 depending on what it has onboard, if you exceed the five points you have to buy a whole new OS from Microsoft!! At FULL price!!! this means if your building is struck by lightning or a power surge and fries your computer (or even certian componints in your computer) you have to not only buy new hardware but new software as well!!!! all this is NOT even mentioning the Machine ID code they wright to a chip on your MB that is checked every time Vista is installed/reinstalled Its “Job” is to record (A)The current Hardware installed in your machine and (B) how many times youve installed Vista on that machine. After a certian number of Installs/Reinstalls it requires you to buy a new product code from Microsoft this is kinda like the verification on XP(which you have to do on Vista aswell) but it now uses the hardware as well as the software key online.

So what do i say to all the people buying and installing Vista? Knock yourself out. Ill install the sucker for you but as for me? Ill be giving it a complete skip. XP was intrusive and constraning enough for my taste. Im currently migrating to mac and linux, something which i see more and more of the tech people who went for longhorn/vista training and were involved in beta testing are doing.

 

[Brandon]

ROFL

That’s not entierly true micro iv done over 40 upgrade installs and not a problem on one of em.... well nothing that isn't just bad planning on Vistas side.

Vista requires atleast 1gig of ram to run correctly more if your running it with the areo system enabled. Its also built to ask for the administrator password every time you make even the slightest change ( alittle something thay stole/borrowed from linux but atleast in linux you can disable it) thay call it a security feature.

Heres a little something mose people iv talked to dont know,its called the five point rule, microsoft alowes you to change upto five points of hardware , with each peice of hardware having a point value if i remember correctly your MB has a point value of between 2-4 depending on what it has onboard, if you exceed the five points you have to buy a whole new OS from Microsoft!! At FULL price!!! this means if your building is struck by lightning or a power surge and fries your computer (or even certian componints in your computer) you have to not only buy new hardware but new software as well!!!! all this is NOT even mentioning the Machine ID code they wright to a chip on your MB that is checked every time Vista is installed/reinstalled Its “Job” is to record (A)The current Hardware installed in your machine and (B) how many times youve installed Vista on that machine. After a certian number of Installs/Reinstalls it requires you to buy a new product code from Microsoft this is kinda like the verification on XP(which you have to do on Vista aswell) but it now uses the hardware as well as the software key online.

So what do i say to all the people buying and installing Vista? Knock yourself out. Ill install the sucker for you but as for me? Ill be giving it a complete skip. XP was intrusive and constraning enough for my taste. Im currently migrating to mac and linux, something which i see more and more of the tech people who went for longhorn/vista training and were involved in beta testing are doing.

Maybe there is a way around this.

1. Install vista
2. Make an image

so if you need to re-install, the activation and hardware id are the same, and it dosn't know its a new install?

 

[Trixter]

nope Microsoft thought of that. microsoft currently uses images to install vista so it counts that as a reinstall. its actually one of the Mass Preinstalling techniques they teach you.

BTW i asked the same Question in the training and the instructor didn't know the answer he had to ask someone else. lol

 

[Zenax]

What about backing up to a spare hard drive, so u got a pre-installed OS allready, then any files that break or what not can just be copied from the back-up? in theory, that should work, as the same hard ware is there, so it shud just stay the same?

 

[SEÑOR]

I use vista Home APremium. No problems runs smooth, I love it!

 

[bigguy]

I just got a new laptop that runs Vista home premium with these specs:

1.7 gb intel processor
512 mb ram
80 gb hard drive
intel graphics

It runs smooth. Not one problem so far. Equiflux, maybe the hardware in your new system was not preforming well. I have been running Vista since it was called Longhorn and the only problem I have ever had to this day is software compatability. I think your system wasn't built right. You should never IMHO buy a pre-built system, always build it yourself.

 

[Livewire]

Not to be...blunt, but there _are_ alternatives to side-stepping vista's security. I mean, it can't be that secure when I've got around twenty separate sources to choose from, each with activation hacks and what-not. But I'm with Trixter regardless; I'm not upgrading until some game comes out that I must absolutely have and would sacrifice my first born for, and that game must require Vista to run. And since I don't have a first born, it's going to be mighty hard to sacrifice them for a game, isn't it? (I wouldn't really do it, but until theres a game that requires Vista that I feel the need to play, I won't be buying it, nor will I be obtaining it through one of the twenty previously mentioned sources). I'm quite happy with a triple boot here (Suse Linux, XP, 98se). I see no reason to mess with a fourth OS that's still in its infancy, especially when XP isn't really all that old when you look at it.

 

[Trixter]

i know of only one way of "sidesteping" Vistas activation security. Its tool Microsoft sent to registered preinstallers who were involved with the Longhorn beta program when RC2 of Vista came out. How it worked was to reset both of Vistas install and time counters.

They quickly discontinued distrobution however when some of the first sidestep programs came out as it looked and worked very similer. LOL

I dont know if it workes on Vista boxset But Ill try that out. Ill let you know the outcome when Im done

Edit: BTW@Geoff if your running any premium version on less then 1GB of ram then your just using the BASE system. if you try activating some of the cool *NEW* features like AERO, memory control, True Drive search, ect.. youll see your laptop start acting like a sluggish sloth... or it might just error out.

 

[Brandon]

Edit: BTW@Geoff if your running any premium version on less then 1GB of ram then your just using the BASE system. if you try activating some of the cool *NEW* features like AERO, memory control, True Drive search, ect.. youll see your laptop start acting like a sluggish sloth... or it might just error out.

I was running Areo with Home Premium for a bit and I have 512 MB of RAM, wasn't sluggish at all, but i still like XP MCE Better so

 

[SEÑOR]

How can you not like the Aero theme. Its sweet if you ask me, and the mixing of colors and stuff.