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Windows Vista
Posted by Liam_Walker (522 days ago)
With the release of Windows Vista today, where in Beijing can I buy the English Home edition? Also, I have been reading that there seems to be a lot of problems using it. My computer is less than a month old and high spec according to the Windows site I should have no problems running it but I have been reading conflicting information all over the internet. Any advice?
(I am based in Beijing)
Posted by bu$ine$$$en$e (522 days ago)
I sincerely hope that you don't have one of those "Vista ready" PCs from Santa. You know, the one that is entitled to a free upgrade. That won't be happening.
Microsoft Cripples Vista "Upgrade Edition" by Design!
Quote: "Arstechnica is reporting that Windows Vista Upgrade edition will not permit "clean" installs like all previous versions of Windows Upgrade editions. This is another one of those "what were you thinking" moments for Microsoft management
...
In the past, Microsoft has always respected their customer's time and allowed upgrade versions of Windows to install on a fresh machine so long as the customer could provide proof of possession of the old software. These new Vista Upgrade DVDs which I'm assuming have already been stamped out will lack the ability to install on a system unless Windows XP or 2000 was present. This means anyone looking to do a fresh install for any reason will not be able to. Someone who is doing disaster recovery after a hard drive failure or a virus infection won't be able to wipe their hard drive and install Vista, they'll have to install XP first and then install Vista on top of XP. That could easily mean nearly an hour wasted. If you're paying someone to rebuild your computer, this will mean an extra hour of labor that will be billed to you for the installation of Windows XP. Will Microsoft pick up the extra hour tab from Geek Squad for everyone?"
Story:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/?p=414
(I am based in Hong Kong)
Posted by onemorething (522 days ago)
Don't know about Beijing. Apparently it will be available in HK on 2 Feb, with a big promotion team at Times Square on 3 Feb.
bu$> It is possible to do a clean install on an XP machine. I do not see the problem, unless you want to do a clean re-install on a Vista machine (which most consumers never will do).
Other reasons to wait a little bit longer:
1) There are some issues with exising (online) games.
2) If you want to install the x64 (64-bit) version, some hardware components may not have 64-bit WHQL certified drivers yet, which will orphan the hardware.
(I am based in Hong Kong)
Posted by bu$ine$$$en$e (522 days ago)
<QUOTE>Someone who is doing disaster recovery after a hard drive failure or a virus infection won't be able to wipe their hard drive and install Vista, they'll have to install XP first and then install Vista on top of XP.</QUOTE>
Why?
10 reasons not to get Vista:
http://apcmag.com/5049/10_reasons_not_to_get_vista
I can't see a feature in Vista that I can't live without. Really.
Security: Microsoft claims Vista is the most secure OS ever. I have no security issues with XP, and thanks to lots of security software, I think we can get much better protection.
Performance: Sources say Vista is 5-10% slower than XP, probably because of Aero (the new Bob) interface and content protection issues. The drivers have to be more complex (so more overhead) to be Vista compatible. Microsoft is lazy, programming bloated baloney and telling us it is filet mignon.
Reliability: The OS doesn't trust you, the OS owner. Vista can enforce security policies without you ever knowing it, and the dimensions of this security policy can be further increased in the future.
Conclusion: I'll stick with XP until software vendors stop supporting it.
Windows XP vs. Vista: The Benchmark Rundown:
http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/01/29/xp-vs-vista/page11.html#conclusion_ko_for_windows_vista
(I am based in Hong Kong)
Posted by the_poor_man (520 days ago)
Wow... the more I read about Vista... this is getting really really scary.
No wonder my office (huge listed group) still uses Win2k.
(I am based in Hong Kong)
Posted by bu$ine$$$en$e (520 days ago)
Yup, what a circus!
--------------------------------- CUT ---------------------------------
Have Fun Purchasing Vista
by Paul Thurrott, thurrott@windowsitpro.com
When I learned that Microsoft would sell an unprecedented number of Windows Vista product versions, I questioned the reasoning behind the company's decision. I felt that consumers would be confused by the myriad of options available and that the diversification of the Windows product line would cause support headaches.
Clearly, I suffer from a lack of imagination; the situation is much worse than I ever thought it could be now that Vista is widely available. Simply counting the number of Vista versions Microsoft is currently selling is futile. There's Vista Starter, Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, Vista Business, Vista Enterprise, and Vista Ultimate. But there are also the so-called N versions of Vista Home Premium and Vista Business in the European Union (where, I believe, N stands for "no one is interested"). There are separate Upgrade and full versions of Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium (and Vista Home Premium N), Vista Business (and Vista Business N), and Vista Ultimate. And although Vista Ultimate includes both 32-bit and 64-bit media in the retail box, Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, and Vista Business all ship in separate 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Are there separate 32-bit and 64-bit Upgrade and full versions of these products? You know, I'm not sure.
Businesses, by the way, qualify for volume licensing. There are numerous prices, and it's always cheaper if Microsoft can convince you to buy Vista right away. Volume-license customers qualify for their own versions of Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, Vista Business, Vista Enterprise, and Vista Ultimate. Vista Enterprise has one almost assuredly useless but unique feature: You can install as many as four more copies of Vista Enterprise on virtual machines. There's just one hitch: All the copies have to be running on the same PC that's running the first Vista version you bought.
And let's talk about OEM versions for a bit. Online retailers are selling low-cost OEM versions of Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, Vista Business, and Vista Ultimate. These products are identical to the full retail versions of Vista, but they come without documentation, retail packaging, support, and, as it turns out, the humongous price tags. Smart buyers are snapping up the OEM versions before Microsoft realizes there's a loophole allowing these products-- which are legally available only to system builders--to be sold to individuals.
OEM versions aren't the only surreptitious way to get more than you paid for. According to my sources, you can purchase a retail Upgrade version of Vista and perform a pseudo-clean install, without having to have a previous version of Windows. It's a handy way to save money if you don't mind cheating a bit. I wonder if Microsoft will cut that off when Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) ships later this year. (You know ... the Vista SP1 that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer embarrassingly continues to deny is in the works.)
But wait, there's more. Consumers who purchase new PCs online can get Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, Vista Business, or Vista Ultimate with their systems by choosing which version they want at configuration time. If you purchase an XP-based PC before March 15, you can get a free or low-cost version of Vista Home Basic or Vista Home Premium via your PC maker, depending on the version of XP you bought. And if you got stuck with a low-end Vista version for some reason, take heart: You can use Windows Anytime Upgrade to upgrade electronically from Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, and Vista Business to better versions. Take your time: The upgrades will be available whenever you're ready.
If you buy the full retail version of Vista Ultimate, you qualify for Microsoft's Windows Vista Family Discount program, which lets you electronically purchase two additional licenses for Vista Home Premium for just $50 each. Are these full versions of Vista Home Premium, or are they Upgrade versions? No one knows yet, because Microsoft's Website hasn't been fulfilling requests for the past 24 hours and its support center has no idea when users call. I'm sure that will get sorted out eventually.
There's more. Oh yes, there's always more, because Microsoft is being particularly inventive about taking your money this time around. If you're too lazy to actually get off your couch and drive to Best Buy, Microsoft will sell you full and Upgrade versions of Vista Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, Vista Business, and Vista Ultimate via its Windows Marketplace Web site. I fully expect Vista to be included in cereal boxes, given out with new car purchases, and sold by street vendors in in New York by the end of the year. Come to think of it, the latter might already be a reality.
My favorite part of this chaotic silliness is the myriad ways in which you can start from a bare PC and work up to a Vista Ultimate powerhouse. Consider this scenario: You purchased a new PC in late 2006 with XP Home Edition. Using the Vista Express Upgrade program, you receive your free copy of Vista Home Basic in early 2007 and use it to upgrade your PC. Later, you decide that you want more functionality, so you use Windows Anytime Upgrade to upgrade to Vista Home Premium. Later, you can use the same service to upgrade to Vista Ultimate. In this scenario, Microsoft got paid three times (once for XP, twice for Vista), and you probably had to upgrade your RAM and video card as well. In short, the whole PC industry benefits. My question is, once you upgrade to Vista Ultimate, do you qualify for family licensing? Of course not.
Am I forgetting something? Probably. Because if there's a single truth about the new Windows version, it's that Microsoft will stop at nothing to ensure that you get the copy of Vista you so richly deserve. How you do it, and how much money, time, and effort you expend, is completely up to you.
--------------------------------- CUT ---------------------------------
Ergo, Microsoft wins.
(I am based in Hong Kong)
Posted by ldldjr (517 days ago)
I for one do not expect to ever get Vista'ed. I don't like the DRM and other limitations that will be imposed. I don't like the idea that it would disable earlier versions of Windows if installed as an upgrade (and therefore not dual-bootable), and as far as I can see, the little bit I have read, the only thing I could get by getting Vista is less flexibility.
Microsoft is making Linux and other open source software more and more attractive. I am pretty sure I will be sticking with my current Linux / XP dual-boot configuration for a long time to come.
(I am based in Vietnam)
Posted by onemorething (516 days ago)
It is getting a bit off-topic.
I have also decided against an upgrade for now. There is no obvious benefit from a performance point of view. As long as there are no Vista-only applications, I will stick with my smoothly running XP OS. I also realised that when you buy a new system you are implicitely forced to buy a new licence of Vista for that machine. I must give bu$ some credit there after all. If you buy Vista OEM (not Full or Upgrade), you can work your way around it more easily, but OEM does not give you the choice of 32 or 64-bit at installation. You have to make that decision at the time of purchase.
(I am based in Hong Kong)
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