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Hello Gang, it's been over a year since I've last been here. Hope someone can help.
Well, going for the plunge, and looking to replace my old box (W98SE) with some newer technology. I'm considering the HP Pavilion with Windows Vista. BUT.... after doing some preliminary research, VISTA seems buggy to me. So, I need an opinion or two.
The new computer setup is for general home office work - internet, email and M$ app's such as Word, XL, Powerpoint.
My kids and I do fairly minimal gaming - generally stuff from www.gamehouse.com
My largest requirement is to plug into stock market data (real time)and run speciality software for charting, etc.
As well, I need the PC hooked up to my TV (serial port connection), but that seems to be a challenge, as the TV is some 20' away. Any idea's on cabling?
SINCE THE SECURITIES I TRADE ARE HIGHLY VOLATILE AND TIME SENSITIVE, I CAN'T AFFORD ANY SERIOUS DOWN TIME WITH THE COMPUTER AND INTERNET CONNECTIONS.
Any opinons on how well VISTA will perform these basic functions.
Thanks.
EPL
Wait until mid or late April of this year. Reason: AFAIK none of the OEM System builders have installed Vista SP1 as a clean, preinstalled OS despite the fact that M$ already have released it to them earlier this year.
i_Xp/VistaUser
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Well you can have vista plus the sp1 which is suppose to fix quite a few issues with the operating system and make it a little more resposive, or you can stick with xp, which is all the rave because people want something that doesn't take up much resources. Vista has come a long way since the release date. It will take you a hour or so to get vista installed and going since the SP takes the longest to install.
Jim R
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From one entrepreneur to another I finally bit the bullet and bought an HP Pavillion with Vista in January. I read everything you're reading and decided I would rather go through the learning pains now than get XP and have an obsolete operating system in two years. I could be wrong.
Theres a little learning curve but Vista does have some nice features if you have the memory and space to run it. Setting up a network is easier in Vista than XP for instance.
My biggest complaint is software compatibility Now I can load an '04 version of Dreamweaver MX Studio and it works perfect. And just about any non-Microsoft software works just fine.
It's the three year old Microsoft software they haven't seen fit to make compatible with their new Microsoft operating system. Even something as simple as my seven disc set of Microsoft Encarta encyclopedia is not compatible and they don't seem to be in any hurry to fix the problem. You can always buy their updated versions of software for Vista which seems to be the point. Pay them now and pay them later.
I do like the new Office suite for Vista. I just get irritated when every time I turn around Bill wants another thousand dollars of my money. MAC is looking better and better.
Jerry
www.greatplans.us
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With a drastic transition from 98SE to Vista, you should take the time to ensure a preparedness for compatibility issues, both with hardware and software.
Unfortunately, no amount of research is going to fully insulate you from those compatibility related issues, so expect a little angst at some point.
But as we all know, an upgrade is inevitable & the sooner you bite the bullet the better. For example, Vista's successor -- Windows Seven, formerly, Windows Vienna -- is already scheduled to debut sometime around late 2009 or early 2010.
Go figure!
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"My largest requirement is to plug into stock market data (real time)and run speciality software for charting, etc. "
Then your solution is to get the OS that works best on that application.
Don't know why more people don't use compatibility mode.I read it wrong and answer it wrong too. So get off my case you peanut.
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Hi Everyone,
Thanks for all the great insight.
I've been doing a bit more research, namely querrying my neighbor that works for a very large global software firm. Short answer is that they're not adopting vista as yet - they're not convinced with it's stability.More disturbingly, he told me that VISTA is a global "FAILURE" and everyone but M$ is admitting it.
XP on the otherhand seems to be just fine, and everyone I've spoken to would recommend that if I need to get going quick.
Seems as though VISTA is a resource hog, and I think I can get around this will 3G of Ram and a seperate graphics card with mem. At this point, I'm more concerned with the "compatability" issues for both H/W and S/W, especially because I have and old legacy HP Laserjet 4+ network printer that works great, and would like 1 printer for the household. Anybody have an idea if VISTA can handle this? or is it purely an network issue?
Thx.
EPL
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The only one thing I hate Vista for is that now BACKSPACE button works as BACK in Explorer not LEVEL UP as in XP :(
But I'm on Vista anyway :-)Sincerely,
Jeff.
My autologon tool for Win
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"Short answer is that they're not adopting vista as yet - they're not convinced with it's stability."
While his specific global software firm may be reluctant to switch to Vista, there are many other -- both large & small -- that have already done so. And many more will follow suit with the recent release of Vista SP1.
It is no secret that traditionally, corporate clients aren't early adopters emerging software or bleeding edge hardware technology. They do this for various reasons that may have sometimes have everything or nothing to do with prudence. Although, where the OS platform is concerned, the release of Service Packs tends to nudge them into making an informed decision rather than speculating.
"More disturbingly, he told me that VISTA is a global "FAILURE" and everyone but M$ is admitting it."
Every OS sucks at something & at some point, I would think your neighbor being that he works for a very large global software firm should & would know that from experience: this isn't as cut & dried as he is making it out to be. If you have the time & interest I sincerely suggest that you do a quick (Google) search for people's opinion of XP circa four-to-five years ago -- notice any similarity in those sentiments? Now go figure!
"XP on the otherhand seems to be just fine, and everyone I've spoken to would recommend that if I need to get going quick. "
No doubt, but don't forget XP didn't attain its level of success overnight & even with the arguable success there are sincerely things that Vista has to offer that XP is unable to. The fact that opinions are going to differ on the importance or usefulness of these feature is however another cup of tea.
If you are interested in what these features are, do some quantitative research even as you absorb the angry crowd rhetoric.
"Seems as though VISTA is a resource hog, and I think I can get around this will 3G of Ram and a seperate graphics card with mem."
It is no more a resource hog compared to XP as XP was compared to Win9X. There is an order of progression here & you need to keep that in mind. I have an old notebook here with 64MB of RAM (maxed out) that is running windows 98, I would love to put XP on it, but then again that will result in a significant performance trade-off for me that such an action would defeat its purpose.
"At this point, I'm more concerned with the "compatability" issues for both H/W and S/W, especially because I have and old legacy HP Laserjet 4+ network printer that works great, and would like 1 printer for the household."
I have an HP Laserjet 4L in a closet here that did not work for me in Vista. I am not really disappointed because that printer pre-dates Vista by quite a bit & it was a gift to me from a friend who had finally upgraded to something newer. I did have an AIO X125 from Lexmark that I got rid of because it was incompatible with Vista, I wasn't really happy about the obsolescing, but I wasn't seriously hacked either.
I fully understood that while a lot of components that I plug into the Vista machine installs effortlessly, the blame for the AIO driver issue can be credited to Lexmark & not so much Vista.
Ironically, very rarely do people (myself included) extend any form of gratitude to M$ for anything -- no thanks probably to the software giant's sinisterlike MO. But I am not too naive to realize that the seamless hardware detection & connection is because of the courtesy driver commitment from M$. Even with that, there are those cases where component upgrades are going to be inevitable -- good timing or otherwise.
"Anybody have an idea if VISTA can handle this? or is it purely an network issue?"
You may have to stick with your Windows 98 if you aren't willing to embrace the drastic change & unintended consequences of migrating to Windows Vista.
Good luck!
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 Can't connect to wireless...
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working offline!
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