Windows Vista?

[arlene6]

Anyone else using Windows Vista? We just got our new Dell on Friday and I finally stopped pulling my hair out around midday today. I feel like I'm visiting an alien landscape. They've changed so much. Some I like, a little more I don't like. The computer's fast, though. I burned a 2 hour DVD today in 6 minutes! I still have many programs to download and it's going to take me a loooong time to get it the way I want it. I was so out of sorts and cranky all weekend. I don't do change well.

[Debb Cozzi]

Oh Arlene, you will have to let me know what you think in a few weeks. I've been contemplating getting myself a new laptop but have hesitated because I've heard mixed reviews about Vista. The one thing that had me most concerned is that I had read that Photoshop and Paintshop are not yet compatible with Vista....I think you run Photoshop don't you? Have you run into any problems?

[Sandersmr]

thank goodness I got my new laptop before Vista came out - I'm definitely going to wait to upgrade - heard too many bad things about it.

[TiffanyJewel]

I wish I knew exactly what he said but I will have to call my brother and get his real review. I know he works for a company where he had to test it out for months and I'm pretty sure he didn't really like it. or at least parts of it!

[Frani_54]

Okay thats not good....I'm going to be getting a laptop, but if Vista is having problems can I request Windows XP loaded instead???? Or should I wait awhile longer for the bugs to be worked out?

[arlene6]

Oh Arlene, you will have to let me know what you think in a few weeks. I've been contemplating getting myself a new laptop but have hesitated because I've heard mixed reviews about Vista. The one thing that had me most concerned is that I had read that Photoshop and Paintshop are not yet compatible with Vista....I think you run Photoshop don't you? Have you run into any problems?


Debbie, I know PSP XI has an update patch for Windows Vista. I use PSP XI.

[Linda Paulson]

I am so frustrated with Vista!!
Bob and I were blessed to receive a brand new laptop from his sister and two of his brothers while we were in the hospital for the past 5 months. We didn't have a laptop and I was trying to get email updates out on the shared family computer at the hospital, which was very difficult. So they bought us a lovely Acer Aspire (wiht Vista) It has a 17 inch gorgeous screen, perfect for watching DVDs which helped keep Bob sane, and great for me to stay in email contact and check on this site when things were quiet (which kept me sane).

But I really wanted to scrap a little - so my lovely DIL brought me an unused version of PE2.0 which she had received bundled with something. I was thrilled, even though I use PSCS2 now...I used PE2.0 exclusively prior to that. Perfect! Or so I thought....

First I had problems installing it, had to delete it and try again. Then when I finally got it working I found many problems...weird things like not being able to use text or shapes and stuff. So I started searching the net for answers and was shocked to find this...
http://www.adobe.com/support/products/pdfs/adobe_products_and_windows_vista.pdf

Since many of us use Adobe products this is bad news!
If you have PE5.0 you can get a patch...for the rest of PE users, forget it.
You'll have to buy the next new version, or patch up 5.0
Even PSCS2 has some issues...and NO patch to fix them!!

They won't even be developing patches for many of the major products, they jjust expect you to upgrade to the newer versions due out soon. Really makes me mad! I'm not big on spending money to upgrade routinely. (I used PE2.0 until I had wrung every bit of juice out of it I could before moving on to CS2)

Anyway...long post to rant...but I think this info needs to out there! Think very carefully about compatability issues before getting Vista!

(Oh...and in case you're wondering why I didn't put PSCS2 on the laptop....It doesn't have enough RAM....)

[arlene6]

I wish I knew exactly what he said but I will have to call my brother and get his real review. I know he works for a company where he had to test it out for months and I'm pretty sure he didn't really like it. or at least parts of it!


Tiffany, I'm anxious to hear what your brother said since he's been using it for awhile.

[Stephanie]

Oh Arlene, you will have to let me know what you think in a few weeks. I've been contemplating getting myself a new laptop but have hesitated because I've heard mixed reviews about Vista. The one thing that had me most concerned is that I had read that Photoshop and Paintshop are not yet compatible with Vista....I think you run Photoshop don't you? Have you run into any problems?

WHAT!
And they call themselves microsoft!

[arlene6]

I am so frustrated with Vista!!
Bob and I were blessed to receive a brand new laptop from his sister and two of his brothers while we were in the hospital for the past 5 months. We didn't have a laptop and I was trying to get email updates out on the shared family computer at the hospital, which was very difficult. So they bought us a lovely Acer Aspire (wiht Vista) It has a 17 inch gorgeous screen, perfect for watching DVDs which helped keep Bob sane, and great for me to stay in email contact and check on this site when things were quiet (which kept me sane).

But I really wanted to scrap a little - so my lovely DIL brought me an unused version of PE2.0 which she had received bundled with something. I was thrilled, even though I use PSCS2 now...I used PE2.0 exclusively prior to that. Perfect! Or so I thought....

First I had problems installing it, had to delete it and try again. Then when I finally got it working I found many problems...weird things like not being able to use text or shapes and stuff. So I started searching the net for answers and was shocked to find this...
http://www.adobe.com/support/products/pdfs/adobe_products_and_windows_vista.pdf

Since many of us use Adobe products this is bad news!
If you have PE5.0 you can get a patch...for the rest of PE users, forget it.
You'll have to buy the next new version, or patch up 5.0
Even PSCS2 has some issues...and NO patch to fix them!!

They won't even be developing patches for many of the major products, they jjust expect you to upgrade to the newer versions due out soon. Really makes me mad! I'm not big on spending money to upgrade routinely. (I used PE2.0 until I had wrung every bit of juice out of it I could before moving on to CS2)

Anyway...long post to rant...but I think this info needs to out there! Think very carefully about compatability issues before getting Vista!

(Oh...and in case you're wondering why I didn't put PSCS2 on the laptop....It doesn't have enough RAM....)

Linda, I still have CS PS2 and PE3 to download. Now I'm wondering if I should bother....

[Stephanie]

You would think that microsoft would want to continue to promote Adobe...

[arlene6]

Okay thats not good....I'm going to be getting a laptop, but if Vista is having problems can I request Windows XP loaded instead???? Or should I wait awhile longer for the bugs to be worked out?

According to Mary, if you have one built for you, you can request them to put anything on.

[MommySpice]

Okay, I have had Vista for months and months now, as my husband, the computer geek got in on the Beta version. He loved it so much that he put it on my laptop...to which I was mad at first...but after using it, I have fallen in love. PS CS 2 works perfectly...I have not had a single issue with it. Not one.

It makes me a little frusterated when people blame Vista for the problems that some software has with Vista. Vista was available to developers for at least 2 years before it became available to the public. Microsoft does NOT run Adobe, they cannot FORCE Adobe to make their stuff compatible with Vista..that responsibility lies with Adobe. Besides the fact that many of the things that people say "don't work at all" do work, because I use them on a daily basis. The annoying thing with the requesting to register is annoying, yes...but eventually my dear husband Chris found how to switch that off. If someone is still having that problem, I'll ask him for the website, and link that to you.

I am not trying to discount people who HAVE actually used it for any significant amount of time and still had problems. There probably are valid problems that do exist. Unfortunately, anytime I see these threads, the people who jump on the "We hate Vista" bandwagon are people who haven't used it, or saw their cousin use it once when it came right out of the box. Yes, everything new takes some getting used to...but give it a chance. Most people who gave it a chance, found their issues weren't really issues and ended up liking it.

I will tell you that I haven't come across anything for Windows that doesn't work on Vista. In fact, I've not even had to use the "run in compatibility mode" for any of it...and some if it was created for OLD OS's like Windows 95/98. Everything is backwards compatible...I was even able to run my students powerpoint presentations that were created on the old Apples that our school uses on my laptop today.

Sorry, obviously this has been building up in me for awhile, and I guess this is the only place I feel safe enough voicing my opinion. ;) Don't hate me for it please!!!! *lol*

BTW...my husband put it on his 3 year old laptop...mine is on my 1.5 year old laptop...running 1.25 GB of RAM, and PS CS2. Its just as fast as when I had XP. We have the Ultimate version, which may make a difference on what problems people encounter.

[Debb Cozzi]

Kara honey you can vent all you like and we LOVE you and could never even be mildly annoyed, let alone hate you!! :D :D

You are probably right about just getting used to something new...personally I do not like change....makes my palms itch! :p That is why, even though my son has let me play with his student version of PS I'm still plugging away with my old familiar PSP...it is like my favorite blanket....just can't give it up!!:D

[Linda Paulson]

Kara, I think you made a really good point. What I was ranting about really isn't a Vista problem....I should have said that I'm very frustrated with Adobe!

Thanks hon for setting that straight...I love reading computer advice from you - you really understand these things. You are a jewel to have around here! And you've got a super smart husband too!

[MommySpice]

awww, you ladies rock! I must admit that even though I thought I could say what I felt here, I was a little nervous hitting post! *lol* ;)

Debb...I hate change too...which is why I was so mad at Chris when he first did it. But now I love him for it. ;) I love how easy it is to use any version of microsoft programs...much easier than before, which is very helpful as a teacher not knowing what version the kiddos at school are going to use.

[wen2tap]

Kara, totally with you girl about hubbies being geeks that force change. Geoff has BUILT his super duper puter (nicknamed HAL!:D ) He rushed out as soon as I turned my back to get Vista , me I wanted to wait and get a verdict on it first....LOL anyway he has it on his computer, I like the interface, Geoff runs Abode Premier Pro for his videos with no issues, he also has PsCS on which I have used a couple times with no issues. Very easy to use...
I havnt plucked up the courage to put on my trusty lappie yet, as I had heard some rumblings & didnt want to risk it....But after your comments I just may do so!! my lappie needs to have everything wiped and reloaded, getting a little bogged down lately...

cheers wen

Ps I wish I could pinch his screen 19" lcd, niceeeeeeeeee- damn him!!

[TiffanyJewel]

I'm not good with change so I won't be getting it!

My brother still hasn't sent me his *review* but this is what i can kinda remember him telling me!

He is a Beta tester for Microsoft and feels that the software isn't ready yet and microsoft is pretty much letting the companies of the products not working properly change their software to be compatable. Like Adobe Photoshop, and they are going to have a new version soon and have to buy the upgrade or full version. It takes 512 mg of RAM for Windows xp to run good, for vista you need at least a gig of ram and an updated videocard (higerend directX9 or better) PCI does not help so if your mother board doesn't support it then you need a new board. You can't run it on a computer that is like 4 years old so you would need a new computer. and he said a lot more stuff I just don't understand LOL and he said most offices haven't switched and won't for a while.

He did say that It's made to look a lot nicer and he really does like the way that it looks. I don't understand the stuff he told me about it though lol! He fixes the high school computers in his area, and he builds and sells them too so I guess this is just his preference, He said some people really like the program and others really don't it's just your preference I guess!

[vanillalatte]

****SOAPBOX ALERT****

OK, I have to weigh in here. As some of you already know, I have a bit of a vested interested in this particular discussion ;)

First, I will preface this by saying that I'm not currently running Vista. I had it on my laptop for about 4 months, but unfortunately, my laptop doesn't have enough RAM or hard drive space to support Vista. Yes, it's a bit of a space hog.

BUT, as soon as I can get a new laptop (which won't be for awhile) I will be putting Vista right back on it. I love the new UI (user interface) and the overall look and feel of it. The new security features are incredibly robust and the update process is practically seamless. It also has GREAT multimedia integration. Pretty much all of the features of Windows XP Media Edition have been pulled into Vista. That may not mean much to some, but for techno-junkies like me, it makes streaming audio and video throughout my house over wireless network from a single server much easier. If your machine has enough horse-power, you shouldn't have any problems with it.

As far as Vista not being ready, I have to disagree heartily with this statement. Vista is THE most tested operating system Microsoft has ever released. Microsoft took alot of flack for delaying the release several times, but did not want to put it out to the public before the developers felt they had addressed every major customer concern. That's why they allowed so many beta testers for it.

I will tell you that you may find that many products that are not created by Microsoft do not run well in native mode. This is through no fault of Microsoft. Microsoft gave those companies every opportunity to be a part of hte beta process which would have given them more than a year to adjust their products so that they were Vista-compatible at release. Most (including Adobe) did not take advantage of this. I've also found that many companies did not update their drivers prior to Vista release so not all hardware was immediately compatible with Vista. It's now six months after release and most of those companies have finally released their drivers.

I understand that many people are not good with change and would rather stick with what they know. That's certainly your right and I have no problem with that. As I said, I myself am still running XP. But Vista is a great operating system and I personally can't wait until I can put it on my laptop.

Next stop: LONGHORN SERVER!

****END SOAPBOX ALERT****

I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming. ;)

[MommySpice]

LaDonna, you are a woman after my husband's own heart! I could swear that he wrote your post! *lol* We were using media center before...in fact, that is the ONLY reason we have an xbox 360...we certainly haven't been playing games on it (though we do have some). This was the big reason he jumped in on the Beta. I don't think we watch a single tv show at the "real" time anymore...they all get recorded. He brags to everyone that he doesn't have to pay for his DVR. *lol* I love that I can put them on my laptop, and then show them at school (you know, things on the Discovery or Science channels). He is longing for the new server as well. I better hide away some money in our account, because I know that as soon as its available, he'll be ordering it.

Oh...and I got your pm...I'll have to go back through and get that e-mail...maybe I didn't actually send it? Look for pictures this weekend. *lol*

[vanillalatte]

Thanks, Kara! I guess my mouth (or in this case, my fingers) runneth over. :)

Microsoft does get blamed for alot of stuff that they really have nothing to do with. The reason alot of programs by other companies don't work is because of the new security features. Microsoft built them in to resist against virus attacks. But that means the other companies have to build their products according to the Vista specs that allow their programs to run. In most cases, this is really not a difficult process and they can fix their products by releasing a patch that allows them to run on Vista. But as I said before, most companies didn't bother testing with the beta.

So it's really a case of darn'd if they do and darn'd if they don't. If they don't build in the security features, they get panned for poor OS security. If they do build them in, they get panned because other company's software doesn't run well on it.

It really is a great OS. It's just going to take some time for the adoption rate improve. But Microsoft had the same issue when they switched from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95. Does anyone even miss 3.1 anymore? Nope.