Windows Vista....

[Hyperblaze]

Not sure if a similar thread has been created on it yet, but couldn't find squat in the search engine.

For those who have used it, what do you like about it. What do you not like about it?

Personally haven't used it much. But my first impression wasn't quite a positive one.

 

[Puffnstuff]

I like it when it works right and hate it when it doesn't. I get lots of strangeness out of it on a regular basis. I would suggest waiting for sp1 before making the switch and let ms fix a lot of the problems including the random deactivation which lots of people are experiencing.

 

[spyordie007]

There are only about 1000 other threads on this topic, or if you really want a wealth of information visit Google...

 

[bwatson283]

Originally posted by: Puffnstuff
I like it when it works right and hate it when it doesn't.

Microsoft for ya.

 

[Noema]

I have used Beta 2, RC1 and 2 to an extent, and I like what I've seen so far, but so far I haven't pushed it to the limit. Haven't tried retail. I'm waiting until SP1 before taking the plunge.

 

[loup garou]

Runs fast as snot on our new computers in the office (thank you Dell Outlet! :laugh: ). New start menu is great, integrated search is fantastic, especially as it integrates with Outlook 2007. Shadow copies of local files, complete pc backup are great to have and I've freed up most of one of my monitors with outlook & messenger gadgets. We've gotten a little use out of Windows Meeting Space, but I don't see it replacing WebEx or Live Meeting. Mobile Device Center is a big improvement over Activesync.

As for home use, I really love the new Photo Gallery and can't wait to replace my Media Center box with a Vista machine, especially once DCT-equipped machines start coming out and down in price. Also can't wait to see what Fiji will bring to WMC. Standby/Hibernate on my (fairly old) notebook seems faster than XP. Explorer refinements, thumbnails and favorite folders on the left pane are welcome improvements.

One thing I don't like are the changes to how VPN connections are handled. I connect to a couple dozen different VPNs regularly, and the lack of a flyout window on the Start menu slows me down. However, adding a shortcut to Network Connections is almost as quick. There are also way too many windows involved when creating/connecting to connections through "Connect To." UAC doesn't bother me.

 

[coolpurplefan]

Originally posted by: Puffnstuff
random deactivation

RANDOM DEACTIVATION??? ROTFLMAO!!!

MSFT really going nuts now aren't they? Hahahaha, well, they're not getting my money for Vista then. That REALLY sucks and there's no excuse for that kind of insane crap.

I'll wait for real nice DX10 games to come out before considering Vista.

 

[stash]

One thing I don't like are the changes to how VPN connections are handled. I connect to a couple dozen different VPNs regularly, and the lack of a flyout window on the Start menu slows me down.

I have this issue too, one thing you might try is running "rasphone"...start, type rasphone, enter. That will bring up a network connections box with a dropdown listing all your VPN connections.

This works on XP too.

 

[Kyle]

I built a new system for it- installed it the day it was released and have nothing but good things to say about it. Maybe I'm lucky. I've thrown a handfull of games at it w/ no problems, it's running extremely fast and I really prefer the look/feel of it better than XP. Non-computer friends seem to love it- don't really have any geek friends like me =)

I am the minority opinion here on AT though.

 

[spherrod]

Originally posted by: stash

One thing I don't like are the changes to how VPN connections are handled. I connect to a couple dozen different VPNs regularly, and the lack of a flyout window on the Start menu slows me down.

I have this issue too, one thing you might try is running "rasphone"...start, type rasphone, enter. That will bring up a network connections box with a dropdown listing all your VPN connections.

This works on XP too.

Cool tip! :beer:

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: spherrod

Originally posted by: stash

One thing I don't like are the changes to how VPN connections are handled. I connect to a couple dozen different VPNs regularly, and the lack of a flyout window on the Start menu slows me down.

I have this issue too, one thing you might try is running "rasphone"...start, type rasphone, enter. That will bring up a network connections box with a dropdown listing all your VPN connections.

This works on XP too.

Cool tip! :beer:

Yeah, that is cool, thanks stash.

 

[Griffinhart]

My Vista Experience has been mostly positive. There are a few Quirks that I've had to adjust too, but they are pretty much all driver problems that are still being worked through.

My Problems:
Sound can be a bit flakey: For 99% of the time there is no problem. The typical problem is when I have been playing EQ2. If I window out and try to load any music player They just won't play. It's not that big of a deal for me, but it's annoying.
Logitech G-5 software: It mostly works. again, 99% of the time it's fine. The problem is that I occasionally can't change the mouse resolution on the fly after I change it.

What's not a problem:
Gaming: Most games I play run just as fast in Vista as they did under XP. One or two a slight bit slower, but nothing huge. EQ2 even runs a bit better under Vista for me than it did under XP. I am having far fewer gaming issues moving to Vista than I have with any other major change in Past. It's far less painful a transition than DOS to DirectX/Windows games and 98 to 2K/XP gaming.
Stability: Two months of heavy use, so far, not a single system crash. It's very stable.

So far, while it's not totally without pain, moving to Vista has presented me with far fewer problems than going Win2K and XP.

 

[nerp]

Vista has been fabulous for me. Super fast on my box. Games run great, too.

Not upgrading because of irrational fears about being deactiaved are silly. This has happened to a tiny fraction of the overall installed userbase and MS will never refuse to rectivate Vista if it's legally owned.

 

[Gdepp519]

meh I'm not touching vista till next year.. i just don't personally see the benefit at this point in time....

 

[JonnyBlaze]

I love it. The new search and explorer are enough to keep me.

 

[VIAN]

It is a good improvement over XP. But it is buggy. A few weird things happen to me. And it's a little slower than XP.

There should be no reason not to like Vista when it works. It's not going to work exactly like XP, so you have to realize that something things are different and they are going to take time to get used to before you can see their potential. You have to use Vista for about a week and think about the reasons for the changes before forming an opinion.

I hated it the first time I installed it, but the second time I realized why certain changes were made and also that they actually make using windows easier.

 

[mayest]

Originally posted by: JonnyBlaze
I love it. The new search and explorer are enough to keep me.

I love it too. All except the new Windows Explorer (file manager). I can't figure out how to always have the Navigation Pane visible on the left side. If that is doable, I'd be very happy. As it is, once I open a directory, the Navigation Pane is gone and the only way to go directly somewhere else is with the breadcrumbs. I just don't understand this at all.

Edit: Never mind. I found out how to make the navigation pane permanent. I went to the Organize button and then Layout. The navigation pane was turned on, so I turned it off and then back on. This seems to have worked as I now have the navigation pane at all times. Why I had to do this is beyond me, but at least it worked.

 

[Tegeril]

Love it. Running on 3 systems now, Ultimate, Business, and Home Premium.

 

[pcnerd37]

I am planning on installing it tonight. Is there anything I should be aware of before installing it?

 

[fierydemise]

I'm really liking Vista, the interface takes a little getting used to and I spent way to much time searching for where some control panels got buried outside of that no problems (a few minor things like VLC having to run in Basic mode). The only reason I can see not to upgrade is if you have something with questionable driver support, which is still a problem.

 

[tatteredpotato]

I'm still waiting for my University to offer it. First they told me it should be out sometime in March, but I decided to drop them an email last week to see what was up and now they say late April. It's awhile but the price is definitely worth the wait. All of my Vista Beta experiences were good and the OS has come a long way since then.

 

[pcnerd37]

Originally posted by: BlameCanada
I'm still waiting for my University to offer it. First they told me it should be out sometime in March, but I decided to drop them an email last week to see what was up and now they say late April. It's awhile but the price is definitely worth the wait. All of my Vista Beta experiences were good and the OS has come a long way since then.

My college started offering it a couple of weeks ago. Everybody was hounding the IT department to get it since it was available. Unfortunately the version they have is Vista Business, and I already have a copy of ultimate, so its not much use to me. Plus they wont let us install it on our school laptops until they get some compatibility issues fixed.

 

[tatteredpotato]

Originally posted by: pcnerd37

Originally posted by: BlameCanada
I'm still waiting for my University to offer it. First they told me it should be out sometime in March, but I decided to drop them an email last week to see what was up and now they say late April. It's awhile but the price is definitely worth the wait. All of my Vista Beta experiences were good and the OS has come a long way since then.

My college started offering it a couple of weeks ago. Everybody was hounding the IT department to get it since it was available. Unfortunately the version they have is Vista Business, and I already have a copy of ultimate, so its not much use to me. Plus they wont let us install it on our school laptops until they get some compatibility issues fixed.

Yea we run Cisco Clean Access Agent and AFAIK they don't allow Vista on through it. My email from the IT guy said that they are "targeting Ultimate" but nothing is set in stone. Vista Business is what I'm thinking they'll provide if they can't talk MS into Ultimate. I could really go for the MC features of Home Premium/Ultimate. But I guess for $12 I can't complain.