It was basically information from a Vista beta tester with a couple of links he posted after some discussion started about his post.
Beta Tester:
I am a registered Beta tester for Microsoft and I beta tested Vista for over a year. We tried to tell Microsoft that Vista was no where close to being ready for release. Probably 80% of software apps available won't work on Vista and about half of the ones that are supposedly Vista ready don't work correctly either. In summary, You won't see vista on my computer any time in the near or far future. If you wan't an os that will give you the media center and the better graphics and good security you might consider Xp Media Edition 2005. It is what I run and it is based on XP pro a very well proven operating system. The Media edition does have some very nice fwatures not found in the regular versions of XP
Here is where it can be found extremely cheap. this is where I get all of my operating systems. They are 100% legal microsoft software.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116171
Reply:
About 5 weeks ago, one of my friends was fed up with their old PC running Win ME, and only weakly capable of that. I was watching the Future Shop ads, and suggested they upgrade to a new Acer duo core, 2 G ram, with Vista home premium complete with 19" LCD monitor. After exercising their Visa to the tune of about $950, they are now into the 21 century and can finally watch video, listen to music, and many other things they couldn't do before.
There were a few glitches, but they were user problems, myself included since I volunteered to help set up but had never used of seen Vista before. The interface is much like XP, but with a few more bells, whistles, and cat calls, also a few new steps to take a restore point or change control panel settings. The video is great, as is some of the features.. but I have to admit that I haven't had the opportunity to even try 10% of them.
The biggest issue in setting up, was trying to get set up online on Telus ADSL. The Telus CD and modem sent out was incompatible, so another had to be installed.. after calling Telus and having to send out a technician. The technician left before it was working (poor service) so had to call their help desk, we finally got the correct settings and the PC was performing as per spec.
After getting online, the next issue was the free Norton antivirus program, this installed OK along with the firewall, but screwed up the Microsoft Mail (the new Outlook express). No amount of coaxing or changing firewall settings would download mail, so another call to the Telus help desk and more setting changes fixed the problem.
I think Vista in it's design probably works OK, but it's the vendors and help desks that aren't up to par yet. I'll give it another couple months and I think I'll be ready to change my old XP P4 for a new Intel Core 2 duo or quad c/w Vista. I feel the sooner I know how it works the better, I will still have my old XP to fall back on in the event of issues. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Beta Tester:
wait till they try to install third party apps like I am sure they are used to useing. I will try to find it and post it but I have a list from microsoft I was given during beta testing of Vista. The list has over 1000 different programs listed that won't work on Vista. But they will all work on XP. then on the borttom of the list there was another column with the programs that Vista was compatable with. There were less that 100 programs on that list. And the really pitiful thing is that about twenty of the programs that wouldn't run on Vista were Microsoft's own programs. We kept trying to tell MS that Vista was not ready for prime time due to all of the incompatabilities with third party software.
The response I got by e-mail from Microsoft was QUOTE "They Will Get Over It." With a response like that I realized that Microsoft doesn't give a crap about their software's users.
Reply:
"I will try to find it and post it but I have a list from microsoft I was given during beta testing of Vista. The list has over 1000 different programs listed that won't work on Vista. But they will all work on XP. then on the borttom of the list there was another column with the programs that Vista was compatable with. There were less that 100 programs on that list."
That would be an interesting list. I probably have a bunch of software that is incompatible, but most of it is just sitting on my CD shelf unloaded even on my XP computer. I have over 15 different photo programs but just stick to my favourite 3 for various imaging tasks. Same goes for audio and video editing programs.
Fortunately for my friends that just purchased the new Vista PC, they are retired and very novice users, so don't have any 3rd party software from their old PC to install. Anything bought or downloaded in the future (for them) will be Vista compatible.
Beta Tester:
Lets hope they have nothing but great experiences with Vista. Here is a little story to read.
Shallow Thoughts : Weblog
and one more
iTWire - Facing the full horror of Windows Vista
For sale:
) but the truth is, Vista is a turkey. I'm amazed that a company like MS with all their money and brain power can't compete with Apple on the OS front. And what happened with WinFS?!? That was suppose to be standard with Vista. Don't get me started... 
Linear Mode
