No Fond Farewell For Windows Vista

(AKA the only 2 applications that work under Vista).

Before us is the larger truth. Microsoft feels that, for now, this is all that is needed. When they feel that we need other software, they will release it for us.

Good riddance I say as far as Vista is concerned.
(BTW “allow/deny” can and must be turned off if one wants to remain sane whilst using vista)
On my Vista install, which is gone now, even their damned IE was running like shit. Not to mention HPs decision not to do a thing about their drivers (in spite of all the happy propaganda before Vista release, which was supposed to be worked on and adapted by hardware producers).

[...] No Fond Farewell For Windows Vista [...]

Thanks for the heads up!

I’m not interested in DVDs myself, but perhaps the following from Microsoft’s “Exploring Windows” bi-weekly newsletter might help you:
Master digital music
Want to learn how to rip, burn, sync, share, play, and organize all your digital music? Then check out our Music and Sounds section for Windows Vista.
http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=7132424

Of about a dozen people I know personally who have bought new computers, only the five who got them with XP SP2 (three at my suggestion) have been satisfied. *Without exception* the Vista purchasers have expressed repeated dissatisfaction, and two had me clean out Vista and install XP (which they purchased separately) on their brand-new machines. The others are still a-bitchin’. These are non-geeks with a lot of legacy software and “stuff,” who felt that alternative OS’s weren’t an option.

What a shame that Micro$oft, who were responsible for the revolution in home computing, are unable or unwilling to live up to their obligations to the customer. I guess selling two operating systems for each computer is a boon to business, but it would be nice if Bill Gates gave something back (like a quality product) to the people who’ve given him so much.

I feel like your comments a bit harsh. I have 9 machines running Vista now with no major problems. A couple of slight problems with Vista not being recognized by a server as an OS. I did have 4 Acer machines purchased from NewEgg that would not burn CD’s, DVD’s worked fine. Several reports of the same problem from other people on the Net. Neither Acer nor NewEgg would aknowledge the problem. Replaced the cheap Acer CD/DVD burners with Sony and no more problem (just swapped hardware, no new software installed).

I find it amusing that you complain about UAC causing you to have to decide whether to allow or deny, yet you want to buy Linux on your next machine. UAC is no problem to turn off. Unless you are running Linux as root (a big no no for security), most distros I am familiar with require you to enter a root password to make changes. MAC’s do the same thing.

After reading Kyle’s account, I thought I should offer something in balance. I have had Vista Home Premium installed on my custom Core 2 Duo 6700, 4 GM Ram, ATI All-In-Wonder x1900 system since early March. Unlike Kyle, I have not found such a plethora of incompatibilities.

I use Maxthon as my browser - no problems. I use Nero 7 Ultra (now upgraded to 7.10) and again no problems. GetRight download manager, Webroot Spy Sweeper, Stardock’s Object Desktop with Window Blinds, Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0, Delorme’s Street Atlas 2007, Ipswitch WS_FTP, Copernic Agent Professional search and a host of programs I have written operate properly.

ESET NOD32 works properly except when trying to scan an individual file or folder. This is a problem/hassle with the VISTA security kernal and User Account Control. I do agree that the request to elevate the security level for running many programs is tedious, particularly for systems where there is only one person using them and that person is reasonably knowledgeable about what to run and what to not run (i.e. my system).

While my choice would be to eliminate the UAC I have to emphasise that the OS is stable and effective and I have noticed no degradation in performance in comparison to this system running XP SP2. I’ve had no installation problems and the only device I have not been able to get working is my HP Scanner for which HP states it won’t be producing a Vista driver (HP problem, not a Vista problem). My PocketPC, iRiver H10 interface as well, if not better than with XP. I tried repeatedly to get an IR link to work with XP to no avail and I had no problems with it and transferring my diving computer information with Vista.

My bottom line? Vista still has some rough spots that I would like to see addressed and some of those involve significant programming challenges (for the people at ESET for example). Despite those rough spots, I have no interest or intention of returning to XP. Vista works well for me.

Hope this brings another perspective to the on-going discussion about Vista.

Ron

People that have a problem with Vista get a lot of press. For most of us, it works great. I have made many DVDs on my Vista Home Premium PC using Easy Media Creator 9. Haven’t had a problem making any of them. Have created data and music CDs, used LightScribe for labels on the DVDs, on and on, no problems.

I have had only one problem with connecting hardware, an 8 year old HP film scanner that I had trouble connecting to Win XP when it came out. I never have been able to make it work with Vista, so it is now attached to an older PC with XP. My 5 year old Canon scanner, 3 year old HP photo printer, and 4 year old Brother laser printer (via a network connection through another PC) all connected without a problem. A USB hard disk that I use for backups on the old XP computer also worked with Vista.

Some of us are happy campers with Vista. Do you ever write about us?

Tom

I agree in general with these comments about not using Vista at least for the moment, and how annoying the Allow/Deny thing is, but maybe your case (or computer, more precisely) was a bit special since you say no programs work, apart from IE7 and Office 2007.
In an Acer Aspire notebook, which came with vista home premium, I could burn system restore dvds with a backup utility included by Acer and also Nero 7 seemed to work fine (I did burn some DVDs with it). Many programs, and I believe is the case for most of the simpler ones, were also working fine, including not-so-new freeware and shareware (to name some programs that run: Rname-it, MaxSplitter, WinSCP, GoldWave, Ghostview and ghostscript, Winamp, WinRAR, Winzip, FastStone Image Viewer, QuickTime, RealAlternative, Matlab, Photoshop CS2, BSPlayer, and codecs like divx, xvid, AC3 filter, and ffdshow). Most of them worked without any problems, and a few only required to be run in XP SP2 compatibility mode (which is easily done and doesn’t do any harm, it seems to me). Of course there are programs which are known not to work in vista, but there are lists of those, and in doubt, just try them. One bad point is that the system seemed to run a bit slower than XP, for instance, and another is that so far we don’t have a vista version of Comodo firewall, my favourite.
The point is, it’s not like nothing works with Vista, as the article says. There are some things that work and some that don’t. Of course, for such an expensive and anticipated OS, that should NOT be the case, and that’s why I would not recommend Vista as well… and that’s also why the notebook I mentioned now has XP and linux instead.

“Only buy a new PC that comes with XP SP2 or Linux.”

Or Mac OS X. A great OS.

I just bought a new HP with Vista Ultimate installed, and have been having all kinds of problems. What would be the easiest way to fix this? Can I install XP SP2, or am I completely screwed?

My next computer will either be a Mac Powerbook if I go desk/laptop or a scratch-built XP SP2 desktop. I have yet to hear of any function Vista offers that makes the ‘upgrade’ worth considering. Alpha-blended windows? No thanks. Vista actually puts me off buying a new PC. And my Compaq TC1100 with XP is still as cool and functional as the day I bought it:)

I have new software that crashes over and over on Vista. It’s really aggravating. I have begun using Ubuntu, it doesn’t work for my games and such but… neither does Vista.

I use an HP scanner and it does run on Vista. My hardware is fine, it’s the software, new games in particular, which do not run. When I bought the new PC I was looking forward to upgrading to new versions of my favourite games. I’m really angry to find only my old games will not crash or freeze. What is the point of a new OS if you can only run old software? I feel I could go back to running WinME and not notice much difference.

Hereeeeeeee we go again!!! Bashing OS (Vista). Now you can’t tell we that Windows 95,98,98se,Me (well i will admit moocho problems with Me, mainly the memory leaks), and XP, had no problems at first. In fact problems of every sort with each new OS, and I have had them all, including Dos5,6,6.1,3.1,95,98.Me,XP, and now Vista Ultimate. I have at present installed over 100 applications; these range of utilities, desktop enhancements, screen savers, spyware, adaware, antivirus programs, cd & dvd programs, tweakers, extreme maps and earth applications, clipboard enhancements, literally hundreds of gadgets and widgets from Microsoft, yahoo, and Opera, multiple browsers and I use all 5 of them, multiple weather programs, speech recognitions programs, text to speech programs, and the list goes on and on, and I have had only a few problems and these problems would have occurred in any operating system that is abused the way I abuse them. You bashers are apparently doing something wrong, and it does not matter that you are supposed to be experts, you are still doing something WRONG! Vista Ultimate has been very good to me and I recommend it to any user that has had any experience with computer OS.