webmasterbob
The Webmaster
Hey everyone! Now that I've upgraded to Windows Vista and played with it for some time, I'm ready to give a general overview of the system. Before I begin I would like to remind everyone that I am a proud owner and user of both a PC and a Mac *running OS X Tiger*.
Now, let's start things off with upgrading. In theory, a normal upgrade should involve inserting the Vista upgrade disk, typing the product key, the disc running a system check, and then four hours of moving files around. Of course, this did not happen for me. The system diagnostics stated that my Intel RAID driver was out of date and must be updated prior to upgrading to Vista. The upgrader is nice however in that it saves an HTML file to your desktop with a list of everything you must do prior to upgrading, which is great for quick reference and printing. Of course, when I went searching for a driver and downloaded this "new driver" the upgrader still said my computer was incomputable. Long story short, after several attempts I read a suggestion to simply turn off RAID, which after doing so allowed the upgrade to commence. Every part of the upgrade itself from that point on was smooth sailing.
Once upgraded and after logging in *which like when you create a new account and log into it for the first time, takes about 4 minutes to set up for the first login* all was well, however I had no sound whatsoever. However, my first HUGE thank you to Microsft was this nice little message that popped up on screen saying my audio card driver needed to be updated. With two clicks Microsoft Update found the driver and installed it for me prompting to restart the computer. After the second login *this time taking about 5 seconds* I had sound! Now that everything was set, it was time to explore. The first thing I noticed was that Vista was not using the new Aero desktop design. So, after poking around a bit I found this was due to my low 512mb of ram. However, Vista has a wonderful feature called "Readyboost". With Readyboost, you can plug in a USB flash drive and use it as RAM. I should note that Readyboost ram will not count towards your system's total RAM in system properties, however I was able to juice my computer up to 1.5 GB of RAM for less then $25
. So, I turned on Windows Aero and I must say it is a huge improvement.
Windows Aero using "Flip 3D" to change windows *ctrl+window+tab*
Now, let's start things off with upgrading. In theory, a normal upgrade should involve inserting the Vista upgrade disk, typing the product key, the disc running a system check, and then four hours of moving files around. Of course, this did not happen for me. The system diagnostics stated that my Intel RAID driver was out of date and must be updated prior to upgrading to Vista. The upgrader is nice however in that it saves an HTML file to your desktop with a list of everything you must do prior to upgrading, which is great for quick reference and printing. Of course, when I went searching for a driver and downloaded this "new driver" the upgrader still said my computer was incomputable. Long story short, after several attempts I read a suggestion to simply turn off RAID, which after doing so allowed the upgrade to commence. Every part of the upgrade itself from that point on was smooth sailing.
Once upgraded and after logging in *which like when you create a new account and log into it for the first time, takes about 4 minutes to set up for the first login* all was well, however I had no sound whatsoever. However, my first HUGE thank you to Microsft was this nice little message that popped up on screen saying my audio card driver needed to be updated. With two clicks Microsoft Update found the driver and installed it for me prompting to restart the computer. After the second login *this time taking about 5 seconds* I had sound! Now that everything was set, it was time to explore. The first thing I noticed was that Vista was not using the new Aero desktop design. So, after poking around a bit I found this was due to my low 512mb of ram. However, Vista has a wonderful feature called "Readyboost". With Readyboost, you can plug in a USB flash drive and use it as RAM. I should note that Readyboost ram will not count towards your system's total RAM in system properties, however I was able to juice my computer up to 1.5 GB of RAM for less then $25
. So, I turned on Windows Aero and I must say it is a huge improvement. Windows Aero using "Flip 3D" to change windows *ctrl+window+tab*
This is all fine and dandy, but there's more. To go down the entire list would be fruitless and probably bore you all to death. So, I'll cover what I see as important improvements. As you have already seen, the interface has become something that we will enjoy looking at when we start up our computers. The entire file interface is far more intuitive and informational. As you will see in the next photo below, Microsoft has designed Vista to easily take you to your user folder to manage what appears on your desktop, documents, etc. Vista also feels far more secure then previous Microsoft operating systems. Prior to performing any action which could harm your computer, or an outside application trys to alter your computer, you will be presented with a message allowing you to continue or cancel in the operation. In the case of an application taking control, the options will be to cancel or allow. This time around Microsoft also easily provides every form of computer protection for you with the exception of virus protection software. A spyware program, firewall, etc are all built into Vista, manageable through the security center first introduced in Windows XP SP2 last year. Along with all this, applications have received a major overhaul. Vista provides more advanced versions mail, system tools, Movie Maker, and provides newer applications such as a calender and DVD maker. 
The Interface
The Interface
Now, there are far more features such as LiveSearch and a "Gadgets Panel", however these will take far too long to list. Besides, it's time to make fun of Vista . Despite all the improvements, there are a few problems. Earlier I praised how secure Vista feels with prompts asking for approval prior to editing functions which could change the computers operation. However, at times these notices can come up at the most intrusive times. I should not have re-allow the computer to enter the user accounts page. Another issue you'll find is that, at least for now, many devices are not compatible with Vista. My printer is a fine example of this, however Dell will be releasing a driver for it in early April. Just as a side note, if you have a Dell printer you can look at this page to see when or if your printer's Vista driver will be released. Along with this, I believe some application have received a bit of a downgrade. Take Disk Defragmater; there is no longer a visual progress system to show how much time remains to defragmate your hardrive. Now, you can auto-schedule defragmation which will take place behind the scenes when you specify, but I really do miss the visualization.
Yup, that's all you get
As a final gripe, I feel like I've seen this operating system before. Of course, I have, Window Vista is probably the biggest knock-off of Mac OS X available on the market. Virtually every feature and design implementation, with the exception of Readyboost and a few others, can all be found from the Mac. Now, with that out of the way, this is not necessarily a bad thing. In many cases, such as parental controls which operate far better in Vista, Microsoft has improved on the features of OS X. Of course, with some features such as the Gadget Sidebar, Microsoft really needs to rethink their implementation tactics.
Now, here's the question you're all thinking about, should I upgrade to Vista? In my opinion, if you know what you are doing and have a decent computer *2Ghz procesor, 128mb graphics card, etc*, and are willing to wait about a month or so for some drivers to come in, go for it. You need to do your homework early in the game to make certain your hardware is compatible though. I don't believe anything can be worse then inserting the Vista upgrade disc and finding out you have a hardware problem. If you can upgrade although you do not feel conferrable yet, I would wait a few more months for more drivers and patches to be released. If you are in the large percentage of people with low end computers, the best way to get Vista is simply buy a new computer. Overall, Vista is truly a huge step from XP and should be used.
. Despite all the improvements, there are a few problems. Earlier I praised how secure Vista feels with prompts asking for approval prior to editing functions which could change the computers operation. However, at times these notices can come up at the most intrusive times. I should not have re-allow the computer to enter the user accounts page. Another issue you'll find is that, at least for now, many devices are not compatible with Vista. My printer is a fine example of this, however Dell will be releasing a driver for it in early April. Just as a side note, if you have a Dell printer you can look at this page to see when or if your printer's Vista driver will be released. Along with this, I believe some application have received a bit of a downgrade. Take Disk Defragmater; there is no longer a visual progress system to show how much time remains to defragmate your hardrive. Now, you can auto-schedule defragmation which will take place behind the scenes when you specify, but I really do miss the visualization.Yup, that's all you get
As a final gripe, I feel like I've seen this operating system before. Of course, I have, Window Vista is probably the biggest knock-off of Mac OS X available on the market. Virtually every feature and design implementation, with the exception of Readyboost and a few others, can all be found from the Mac. Now, with that out of the way, this is not necessarily a bad thing. In many cases, such as parental controls which operate far better in Vista, Microsoft has improved on the features of OS X. Of course, with some features such as the Gadget Sidebar, Microsoft really needs to rethink their implementation tactics.
Now, here's the question you're all thinking about, should I upgrade to Vista? In my opinion, if you know what you are doing and have a decent computer *2Ghz procesor, 128mb graphics card, etc*, and are willing to wait about a month or so for some drivers to come in, go for it. You need to do your homework early in the game to make certain your hardware is compatible though. I don't believe anything can be worse then inserting the Vista upgrade disc and finding out you have a hardware problem. If you can upgrade although you do not feel conferrable yet, I would wait a few more months for more drivers and patches to be released. If you are in the large percentage of people with low end computers, the best way to get Vista is simply buy a new computer. Overall, Vista is truly a huge step from XP and should be used
.
