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General discussion

Will you be installing Windows Vista on your system?

Feb 1, 2006 8:32AM PST

Will you be installing Windows Vista on your system this year?

Yes, as soon as the final version is released.
I'm already on the beta version. (How do you like it?)
After it's been out for a few months. (How long will you wait?)
No way! (Why not?)
I will buy a new system with it already installed.
I don't even have XP yet!
I'm on a Mac and will never go to the dark side.
Don't know yet.

Discussion is locked

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Still smarting from that SP2 installation...
Feb 3, 2006 7:09AM PST

I finally got my desktop working properly again after installing XP SP2 last fall. Yes, I followed all of the directions, did all the preparation, waited till the kinks were worked out of SP2, backed up my hard drive, then installed SP2 ... and my computer was buggy for months. Although I could've reverted to a pre-SP2 state, I was determined to make things work, and it took quite awhile for me to figure out how to fix all of the problems (there were many of them). Now my PC is working perfectly, so I'm not about to mess with it again.

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No. switching to Linux.
Feb 2, 2006 7:01PM PST

I have no plans to install Windows Vista on any of my desktops or notebooks. Windows is way to expensivo for what it has to offer. I'm slowely but surely coverting all my computers to run Linux (I'm using Mandriva and Kubuntu). I'll left Windows XP installed on one desktop and one laptop just in case I need to run any legacy Windows application. And Windows XP is more then enough for this. No need to upgrade it.

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Total Agreement
Feb 2, 2006 7:48PM PST

XP is 90% Linux/Unix code anyway, so what MS has to offer for the investment is even less than the "window" dressing. I don't need my computer to waste my time (or that of the CPU) fading in menus, sliding in options, and running pretty little animations. If I wanted that, I'ld go rent a movie.

Computers don't need to go faster, they just need to get on with the job. Get the data on the screen by the fastest, leanest code possible. A flashing cursor so that I know the system hasn't crashed is adequate, and for longer tasks (huge file copies, video compilation etc.), a simple time count does the job without the need for a "lack of progress" bar.

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why wasn't 'no, linux is already installed' on the poll ?
Feb 2, 2006 10:21PM PST

first of all, there are many distributions of linux.

i haven't tried all the distributions, but want to. why wait for microsoft ? linux already supports my 64 bit processor, the AMD 4400 (x2) and my nvidia 7800gtx. my system is faster than greased lighning.

my recommendation is SUSE 10 linux, wich you can download from:

http://www.novell.com/products/suselinux/

http://en.opensuse.org/Mirrors_Released_Version#USA

fedora core 4 is also a great operating system. you can peruse different distributions of linux from

http://distrowatch.com/

finally, i want to try mandriva, kubunto, opensource, etc., and i do want to try the next m.s. release, but it's because i'm a computer tech.

TIP
although i downloaded my two linux distros, you can purchase a bundle of distros to save you time - not only with the download, but checking the cd for content, defects, etc. it's a little bit of work.

LINUX IS FREE AND DOESN'T NEED TO BE ACTIVATED. AND IT KICKS ***. LINUS AUTOMATIC UPDATES ITSELF. IT SUPPORTS MY AMD 64 X2 PROCESSOR, WHICH M.S. DOESN'T (yet.)

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Because there is no Linux ad money
Feb 3, 2006 12:17AM PST

The trade media has become a Windows mall. That's where the money is, so it makes perfect business sense to focus on Windoze.

After all, patching the faults in Windoze keeps a LOT of people employed. Talking about the faults in Windoze keeps a lot of media folks employed. Thus, the only question on most of those folks' minds is when you will start buying the latest version of Windoze and provide them with another four years of job security.

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Amen + 3 reasons to shove it
Feb 4, 2006 4:52PM PST

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Three little reasons MS can stick Vista up its ****:
1. DRM (probably enough all by itself)
2. resource-appetite (hitting a tack-sized job with a mallet-sized background service)
3. the empty aesthetic flourishes of XP are good enough, thank you

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I won't be going M$
Feb 3, 2006 12:19AM PST

I have been thinking about Linux for a while now, I have installed and used a few version but was unhappy due to Red Hat 6.0 not talking to my modem and Mandrak 8.x not being able to update.

And now I don't know how to create a new partition on my drive with XP, I used Presizer from DOS days to 98 but it stopped with FAT32.

So I want a new HD for Linux, Novel SUSE 10.0 or 10.1.

System MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum, AMD 64 3000+ 512 MB, 120 GB, FX5600 video with 128 MB.

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SuSE GNU/Linux should resize a Win XP disk.
Feb 3, 2006 8:11AM PST

Hiya,

Just thinking aloud but if you already have a SuSE 10 disk i understand that its installer includes the Parted utility which will resize (shrink) an XP partition.

Ive nothing against MS or its new Vista OS,good luck to them but i run Ubuntu GNU/Linux and think its great.

Modems on dial up where a prob with Linux since many where Winmodems and used propriety hardware and code under patents.That gave the GNU/Linux distro's a tough time.

If ever you give GNU/Linux a long term trial then good luck to you.I find Ubuntu great as also its Wicki and the community support forums for any probs that do arise real helpfull.

Whatever OS is prefered;Good luck all,Chris.

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Now thats the right idea!
Feb 3, 2006 1:28AM PST

I don't really even need Windows XP any more, so I don't see any reason to fork out the money for a product I don't need. For the last three years I have been running linux on my primary desktop computer, and my primary laptop. I have an older desktop and older laptop that are test machines, so I don't necessarily have any specific OS on them for more than a week or so. I have migrated through a few linux distributions over the years, but have stuck with mandrake/mandriva. It does everything I need and more. And with a lot less cost, too. I have a spare machine and XP cd laying around, so if the time should arrive that I HAVE TO USE XP for something, I can get by.

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I completly agree.
Feb 3, 2006 2:53PM PST

You have choosen 2 of the most, complete & friendly Linux Distros available, Excellent choice.

I've already switched to Linux, I'm Using Debian, just great Distro, KDE... wow, KDE is a little heavy if don't have a fast processor, but it has great applications and integration.

I'll never return to the dark side.

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too disappointed to invest on Micro$oft
Feb 2, 2006 7:12PM PST

I am so disappointed with the Windows world. I had been 'hit' by the worms, spywares, virus, and trojan several times. I lost my projects several times when my Windows crashed, lost my essay(s) when the word processor hung without any reason, and lost my photos, music, and other files when the Windows was re-installed because of the virus attack. Enough...

I am too disappointed to continue investing in Micro$oft. I used Windows since Win 98. Upgraded to Win2000 with the promise of better stability. And upgraded to XP with the promise of better security. But still, I lost my files, dealing with crawling systems, and many other disappointment.

I have no trust in Microsoft, even with its latest Vista main features such as stability and security. I won't upgrade to Vista. I will (very soon) leave Windows world and switch to Mac.

I might consider going back to Windows only when I hear lots of people opinions on the new bright era of Windows.

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I'm on a Mac but.....
Feb 2, 2006 7:17PM PST

OK, although I'm on a Mac and there will be NO ''darkside'' for me, I'm living directly next to my sisters' in the same domicile which means maintaining and very often using their Dell laptop -- all 8 GB of hard drive, all 600 MHz of a Pentium III, all 512 MBs of physical RAM. Now why would I go out and grab the first ''blessed'' version of Vista? How many people with similar set-ups would bite a new OS? Windows 2000 Pro is a tolerable mess, the best since Windows98SE, so it's still just fine for me. (Incidentally, my sisters do not consider a ''Mac'' a *real computer.*)

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I feel you my brother....
Feb 2, 2006 8:20PM PST

I've been a Mac guy since system 7.5. I've got two desktops. One is an old G3 blue& white my 12 year old plays on 2-3 hours a day. The other is a Quicksilver G4 I've hot-rodded with every upgrade I can afford. I also have a 867Mhz Tibook. All these Macs runs OSX v. 10.4.4 FLAWLESSLY.
I spend about 2 minutes a month to mantain the OS on ALL these computers. The upgrades to the next version of OSX might add 30 minutes to this total.
Windows Vista is the next 'bright, shining lie' from Bill '' Sorry...I'll give you yet another software Patch'' Gates on his way to the bank with your hard-earned jack!
I guarantee you, the new system has flaws, holes, and will make Mr. Gates even richer while his paid flunkies and apologists try to make Mr. average user feel good about buying his POS Operating system.
Bill Gates can build something as stable as OSX but he won't until the PC buying public forces his hand.
Buyer beware!

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OS X - OS 9 Questions
Feb 3, 2006 1:05AM PST

To "gwats1957:"
Question for you. I just installed OSX Tiger and lost OS 9. I have no OS 9 files on my system now, thus I can access many older apps and files that I really need. You sound like to you do a lot of technical stuff on your systems, thus, can you offer some advice on what I need to do to get my OS 9 back? I have tried the Apple discussion site buthave receuved noo answers. Thanks in adavance.

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Try the Mac forum...
Feb 3, 2006 4:14AM PST

I'd suggest reposting your question on Cnet's Mac forum by clicking here. Moderator MrMacFixIt or one of the other Mac gurus should be along shortly to help you out.

John

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OS X "Classic Mode"
Feb 6, 2006 9:58AM PST

Install disc 2, containg "Classic." After that, your computer will automatically go into the classic mode, if the application you are running, requires it.

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Sisters 'IN' the dark
Feb 3, 2006 1:00AM PST

I always have to grin when people make the statement that Mac is not a real computer. The OS and hardware for Mac has always been a cleaner, thus better performing computing environment. Windows has always caused great pain for users, though most of those users have very short memories. The real difference is that the Mac is a true productivity tool, where a machine with Windows is a computer that requires a great deal of patience and attention. Steve is trying to help us, always has. Bill is trying sell us, always has.

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Well said
Feb 3, 2006 1:27PM PST

Made me think, yes the glitches, the blue screens of death, the incompatibility issues, the memory hog o/s, I had forgotten all of that now that I use a Mac.

Biggest revalation was for me, When I ordered the mac I bought a 23"
Apple hd monitor. I hooked it up to my pc because it arrived first before the Mac. The pc with an ATI 256mb video card could not keep the monitor refreshed. I panicked, the Apple only came with a 32mb ATI video card, and I had all ready ordered it. What did Apple sell me? Junk? Well the Apple did fine with 32mb.
Hardcore graphics, no problem. Never a half open window stuck on top of another, like in Windows. To me that says volumes about the O/S.

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nope...
Feb 11, 2006 10:21AM PST

Mac doesn't even have a graphics editing tool. My god. It is true that it is not a real computer with its compatibilty problems and its outdated hardware!

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Problem isn't Windows
Feb 3, 2006 1:06AM PST

You're problems with your sisters computer aren't because it runs windows, they're because you bought a piece of **** dell. That thing would never be able to handle vista anyway.

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I dissagree.
Feb 3, 2006 3:06PM PST

The troubles all Windows users have, are because they installed a piece of **** Windows. That thing would never be able to handle any computer.

Try OSX, Linux, Solaris or any other Unix Operating system.

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Yes, ''Dell Hell'' for sure!
Feb 20, 2006 8:15AM PST

Yep, I try, try, try to think of Dell machines as ''fun, little, entertaining challengers'' that each time you boot them up will give you yet another *challenging mess* to dig out of. By now I wouldn't know what to do if it just booted up and did what is was supposed to -- it just likes to complain a lot. Well, no one was interested in my recommendation to go with an HP if they insisted on a *real (Windoze) computer* -- not a ''Mac Toy''. (And who grumbled about ''no graphics editing apps'' on Macs? Whaaaa??? Where've they been the last 15 to 20 years?!)

--Batchain

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My 'outlook' on Vista
Feb 2, 2006 7:27PM PST

I'll wait 'till Service Pack 6!

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Goig to wait
Feb 2, 2006 7:40PM PST

I always wait 3 to 6 months to by any new hardware or software to see how it will hold up and get some feed back from people who are using them.

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I switched to OSX in 2005
Feb 2, 2006 7:47PM PST

And I am not looking back. From what I have read Vista is just another service pack for XP. OSX is a generation ahead already and will have a new release out before Vista vaporware makes its first bug ridden appearance. Good luck with all that, I have moved on.

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Will you be installing Windows Vista on your system this ye
Feb 2, 2006 8:25PM PST

I'll wait for at least a year. Microsoft OS's have a well deserved reputation for putting out half-ready products. They usually are still in beta condition for the first year of general public distribution. After that, they've figured out how to fix the most obvious bugs. My XP, Service Pack 2, is finally (after 4-yrs of fixes)a product ready for prime time;so, I'm not in a hurry to join Microsoft's Pay to Join the Beta Effort Team.

David Cook
Columbia, Maryland, USA

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I'll install Vista...
Feb 5, 2006 3:10AM PST

...when I can get it free from the trashcan at work, still shrink-wrapped and labeled "for distribution with a new PC only", like I've gotten Win95, WinME and XP Home. I'm still looking for a Win2K installation pack, maybe after Vista rolls out...

This is the same way I get my PCs. I welcome bloated, resource-hungry Vista. I know that nearby, some idiot will install it, his system will grind to a halt, and he'll go out and buy a new pc, putting his old system out at the curb where I'll find it. If its an upgrade from what I'm using I'll either mix and match components, part the rest out on ebay. I'm currently showing a gross profit $3400 over what I'd paid for ALL the computers combined that I owned before 2001 (7), so its a win-win situation for me. So g'wan, upgrade soon, and frequently.

All you Apple fanatics should read up on what Stevie did to the Apple II and Newton users and developers. If he did that to his loyalists, what'll you think he'll do if the opportunity to gain a huge market share comes along? He'll dump the Mackintosh minority in a heartbeat. He's the same creature as Gates, a soul-less capitalist.

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hi
Feb 5, 2006 5:23PM PST

why u wan`t istall win Vista befor u see it workink or what is it have new .....

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I operate a Tracking and Mixing Studio..
Feb 2, 2006 9:17PM PST

Hi Today:
In the studio inviroment I operate, I have audio Hardware that have drivers that were only written for '98SE and before. The Hardware works fine so I'm hesitant to drop it because of Desk incompatibilities. So, to handle this, I've opted to create Dual Boot computers.. I have two Dual Boot computers running two different Desks, at the same time.. It becomes tough on the mental resolve, at times..

I'd like to see an Operating system that contains a Cross compatibility for drivers that were written for any Operating System..

How difficult would that idea be to CODE and what would be wrong with that Idea?

There are times that I have to post or mail my Product. To do that, I only have to know the Extension of the file(s) that the End User needs IT to be in..

So.. I'd like to see a NEW Operating System be compliant with any "Written Drivers and File Extensions"..

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Just say no to Vista
Feb 2, 2006 9:32PM PST

Sorry, but after years of promises to "Trust us, we will fix everything, and security will be designed in the next version of Windoze, REAL SOON NOW", I will no longer buy or recommend M$ products. I'm just so sick and tired of the lies, bullying, and quest for world domination, that I'm moving to Linux. Anyone who buys a computer will have two choices for and OS, XP (while it's still available) or Linux. XP is bad enough, Vista will be another order of magnitude worse.

For any MS advocate out there, I have a question: As the codebase expands and changes as fast as it does with Microsoft, and the sheer inertia of an organization their size only get worse, how can it possibly get better?

It's a simple fact that as the amount of source code grows, the number of flaws grows, how will the security and reliablity get better?

Until MS stops writing all this bloated sloppy code, and starts writing tight compact code that is easier to maintain, it will only get worse.

Sad, really sad.

And don't even get me started on their antics in MA regarding that states adoption of the ODF standard.