Ray D said:
I hear you! Unfortunately, I'm stuck with Vista until I give up on it. :
Hi Ray:
My feelings on Vista are somewhat different than I read here. I have 4 networked computers, 2 desktops and now 2 laptops. As a SW developer I had users purchasing new machines with Vista, so I was forced to install Vista on one of my desktops and was initially very discouraged. It took about 2 and 1/2 days by the time I found all the drivers I needed, including one for the MB. But fortunately, I did not give up on Vista.
I then bought a new laptop with Vista Home Premium pre installed. So that gives me machines with XP Pro, XP Home, Vista Home Basic, and Vista Home Premium. Of the 4 machines, I now like the new laptop w/Vista Premium the best. The only reason I keep XP Pro on the one desktop is so I will have OS's matching users with XP -- as I now do w/Vista. After using my Vista laptop, XP is a depressing sight to look at.
The main reason I purchased the laptop (BTW, it's a Fujitsu vs. the Toshiba's I've always had) was because of my hip replacement. I wanted the portability, but needed a strong machine to handle my SW development. I have now installed every piece of SW I have on my main desktop w/XP Pro. Not one package has needed new drivers or any modification to run. Some of the SW is very old -- such as office 97, plus a lot of those $29.95 utilities that I have gathered over the years. And I have tons of graphic packages that have all loaded just fine. Also, none of the peripheral hardware such as my old old laser printer have a problem with Vista. The users of my SW and those evaluating my SW that have Vista all insist that they want my SW to be able to run on Vista because they do not want to go back to XP.
I would agree that someone with an older machine w/XP installed may have a tough time installing Vista because of the older drivers already in place. However, if buying a new computer, my feeling is to go w/Vista Home Premium. Like it or not, that's the way the industry is moving and you will have to learn it anyway, so go ahead and do it now. Most things that are different are also better. And I for sure find networking and internet easier than XP. And, of course, the visual aspects of Vista are far superior to XP.
IMHO, though, to take a new machine w/Vista installed and reformat the hard drive to go back to XP would not be a wise choice. You would just have to go back to Vista one day anyway, so just stay with Vista, enjoy the better ways of doing things, AND the neat new look that most everything has.
Hey, why just go back to XP? Why not go all the way back to DOS? Much less RAM and secondary storage needs, plus writng batch files on a black and white screen is a fun way to spend an afternoon. Sorry, my friends, though I dislike Bill Gates almost as much as I hate Steve Jobs, I "do" love Vista . . .