Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Vista

Actually, I've had many a computer where I've reinstalled a WinXP copy on HD crash, after the 4 months, and never have had a genuine activation issues.

After reading the article that I cited, I'm now in the process of inventorying everything (pain in the neck!).

Thanks to all for responding to my rather confusing question....I was thinking processor speed and wrote RAM speed...but in spite of that, the answers you gave me really help. I probably will have to replace or upgrade all my work stations in order to have RAM and processor speeds adequate to run AC on each one rather than relying on the server/main to do all the processing. Probably better to replace with newer technology...we have some old but trusty dogs..... Helpful concept, thanks.

I think I can can get some "barebones PCs" without OS and install XP Pro...

But, if not, I have gathered that networking Vista machines need to be Ultimate or Business versions...is this true for each WS or just the Main? And to top it off, I have a brand new Dell 1520 with VHP...upgrade to VU or VB?

All the PCs in the office run XP Pro now except one ME holdout (Horrors!) but are too slow to run AC.

Thanks again to all of you...

It is true for all PCs. There are six versions for Vista (in my opinion a marketing calamity). Why they don't just go with one like Mac, or maybe Home and Business and leave it at that. There is Start (for 3rd world nations), Home Basic ($40 cheaper than Home Premium and missing much of Premium's functionality), Vista Home Premium, Vista Ultimate, Vista Business and Vista Enterprise. ALL can do P2P, only the latter three can connect to a domain or Active Directory. If you want to do any type of networking such as RDC or domain, etc., you will want to at least have Vista Business.

If you have 10 workstations and 1 server, whichever is not the latter three will NOT be able to connect to a domain. But, if you are peer to peer, it doesn't really matter.

The big difference is that a good deal of the RAM you install goes to the Vista OS. With just 1GB of RAM, you will spend a lot of time watching that "cool" blue circle rotate clockwise on your PC.

The real solution to the Windows problem is to get good versions of programs for the Mac. This includes games! Then we can go upgrade to Macs.

I for one have always strongly preferred Macs to Windows. It broke my achi'n heart when I had to buy a new home computer and I broke down an bought a PC. Oh, the pain, the pain.

"Oh Will Robinson, the pain, the pain!!!"

Hang in there Wayne, OK? We feel your Pain...

I say all professional users should stick to XP Pro for their peers if and until MS ownes up to this mess and either fixes Vista or finally releases a new OS worthy of our hard earned dollars.

"I'm exercising my rights as an American consumer."

Vista ultimate is a the grand daddy of them all. It includes the Vista Home premium multimedia stuff and the Vista Business networking like accessing a domain. There are some additional features in Ultimate like bit locker for encrypting your hard drive but that can kill performance.
I am not sure what the advantage would be to use Ultimate over Business in a work environment unless you want to watch movies, record TV, etc. Of course you can install all of those multimedia features via a third party application, one that actually works correctly.
Vista Enterprise is not an option for someone unless they are buying large volume licenses (I do not know the magic number).

Remember you can purchase a Vista Business lic and downgrade it to Win Pro as long is it is installed with the OEM version. Unfortunately that is becoming the only option to still use Vista Business but there are Windows XP machines out there. I saw a whole bunch of Win XP home machine, new at walmart today (of course they are single proc systems).

I really hate this Franken-Vista mess of different OS versions with different features. I can not recall an example of where a business actually removed from the market a product that customers wanted (win XP) in order to force a product they did not want (Vista). Vista has done more to sell Macs than any marketing that Apple could come up with.

"Well I'm glad to report that I have been error free for over a week... Well I'm glad to report that I have been error free for over a week... "

"Will someone please restart him?"

Nothing like a little "General Hospital" streaming into the exam rooms to remind me of the way my life would have been if I had skipped med school and just decided to play a doctor on TV.

@thomgeo1

I couldn't agree with you more. It seems weird second guessing Microsoft. But, it never amazes me what they do. I guess it's like leading the Indy 500 by 30 laps with five laps to go. You can cruise in and make many mistakes and still win. Microsoft would have to continue to do many more stupid mistakes to fall behind MAC.

But, what were they thinking when they made six OS? Why not just Vista Home and Vista Pro (I think that worked well with another operating system called...hmm XP). Better yet, just have one OS with everything. I would think that once you make one DVD with everything on it, it wouldn't cost you anymore.

I do not use Mac, so please correct me if I am missing something about their strategy. It just seems like they come out with more upgrades more often. Why not have XP Pro 5.0, then a year later 5.7, then maybe 6.0 a little like Windows Mobile does with 6.1. It is exciting when a brand new OS comes out after six years, and I couldn't wait to see Vista. But, the learning curve is so daunting it is scary. I don't even think hyperterminal came with it. Those who were used to hyperterminal suddenly had to go out and download it.

Also, stick to your basics: Office and OS. Quite worrying about being the best in System Restore, Backups, WMP, browsers, et. al. It would be like family practitioners trying to do heart surgery and vice versa.

Even now, Microsoft could dumb it down and go to two OS and just donate the DVDs to the 3rd world nations rather than giving the Vista Starter. Hell, they should have just called it Vista 3WN.

The Vista strategy is very simple, attempt to make a second sell of their product after you have purchased it from the reseller. Most computers are sold with Home Prem or Business but few have Ultimate. Microsoft expects the user to want to upgrade their home prem when they figure out that they want to take it to work (or more likely a school environment) where they need the domain features to connect. A lot of campuses require Windows Pro for domain access and stuff.

Microsoft wants to itemize the OS where you pay for each of the features you want. Supposedly Windows 7 will be available in a basic install then each component you want will have to be purchased and installed separately but that is rumor.

The business version still has most of the multimedia WMPlayer just not able to decode DVD movies. Of course most computers sold with DVD drives on the computer have a separate DVD player installed. You really could not tell the difference between home and premium until you attempted to start the media center app. I always tell people to just purchase the Business Vista. If you want a media center experience install Beyond TV, Sage TV, etc.

A more sinister feature of Vista is the capitulation of the OS to media content providers. Apparently media center enables the dreaded broadcast flag and other right restrictions to record TV. Also music and other video files will fall victim to these restrictions to prevent "Sharing" to your friends and via peer to peer networking.

I could go on and on...

So, is that why Microsoft has so many friends? And, is that why I am wearing a Microsoft shirt right now?

You evil man you. And all along I thought you were our hero...

"Here I Come to Save the Daaaayyyyyy!"

Bert,

You did not mention if your shirt was the basic, home, business or ultimate edition.

I'd say home, he wrote this at 3 o'clock on a Saturday. Must be wearing his schlumpy clothes... Slummin' it with MS, dude?

LOL Thomas (I'm guessing that is your first name).

It would have to be Home version. It only has Microsoft on the front in a small font and a larger Microsoft in the back. Tried to get a Monotype Corsiva font, but they only gave me Arial.

Home Edition, I knew it!

Hockeyref sees all and knows all.... hee, hee, hee

Yes, you do homey. That's an affectionate term I believe. At least it is from me. LOL

BTW, is that actually your picture in your Avatar?

Yes indeedly doooo!!!

Here I come to save the daaaayyyyy, Hockeyref is on the waaaayyy!!!

Well it certainly isn't Paul Stwart or Kerry Frazer now is it? Oh you would actually have to really know something about hockey to actually know the officials now wouldn't you.

Are you sure you are really from Maine??? "Go Brown Bears?"

Hey, you're not a bad looking guy. OK, for my penalty, I will make you my wallpaper for the day. But, then the beautiful Bahama's water is back.

And, it's the Black Bears.

Ya know my wife gives me enough CCHIT already about you and I spending way too much time together as it is... If she finds out I'm your wallpaper I'm doomed!

Not that there's anything wrong with that....

And what would Adam have to say about all this???