I finally decided to do it. Years I have used it and always had the latest model. I knew it, I really did with what I wanted. This wasn’t going to change soon, I was sure I’ld switch but not yet. Now it will happen sooner. As soon as 2000GBP are available.
Windows. Windows Vista. A disaster, an effing disaster. Last night I finally installed Windows Vista Beta 2. The last version I had played with was Build 5371 some years ago. I can only say this post couldn’t be better. I am one of those users who immediately dig into the control panel, taskbar properties to get my start menu decently configured and then we pop into the computer management and services. I wish I were drunk. I would have forgotten everything that had happened.
I have never seen something this … … … Words don’t fail me but I won’t let any Microsoft product change my newest resolution, swear less here or at least censor it. Windows Vista (Beta 2) is the worst mainstream product Microsoft has ever released. Even the Beta Release is surely the one who beats all the previous ones as negative experience. Hardly anything works the way it is supposed.
So lets have a look at it a little more in detail. When I wanted to install I couldn’t use the upgrade version. Why? My Her laptop has all the required specs?
Windows effing Vista installer doesn’t recognize the system partition, but needs a C:/ partition instead. Now I am a security specialist and I have no C:/. But I am willing, so we create one. Of course to avoid disasters, although I had backed up everything, the new C:/ [sic] partition comes at the end of the drive. Nah Windows doesn’t want this. Ahum, is a clean install procedure not the first needed thing for software?
But no problem I can live with this [sic]. So we install it directly from disk. Although the procedure recognizes all set partitions, it doesn’t want to install on a clean, new partition. It doesn’t want to install on a single partition of only 10GB. Actually this was the reason why I didn’t install last 4 builds. But I had carefully backed up everything and decided to give Vista the full drive [sic].
The installation goes smoothly. Only thing that really bothered me after the partition disaster were the network configuration options. Why can’t I just set up this client in a work group. Why DO I have to accept DHCP as default? It slows down my boot and in my home network fix IP addresses are totally OK.
Conclusion 1 :: Installation procedure is below standard. But therefore it didn’t crash.
First boot. [Windows-button] + [Pause] and configure the network settings. Become member of a group. Reboot required. Works fine. As I want to log in to my server, which was exceptionally set to allow everyone (you never know with Windows) I must log in as a user. Uhm, didn’t I set the server authorize anonymous/authorize work group? OK no problem, we create user Vista.
WTF?!?!
Vista blocks (after many clicks why do I always have to authorize, will there be a Geek Vista without this) .exe’s remotely stored. Even after Vistas security center was told to proceed/accept this .exe. So I have to copy all the files to the Vista client. New surprise, only one connection simultaneously [sic].
Obviously several programs don’t work, one of them is my mail client. Hilariously enough MS Office 12 Beta froze during the first installation procedure.
When I wanted to deactivate some services I got shocked again. This thing is exactly the same as Windows XP, except for some dumb new processes. And why don’t you give me the option to deactivate all those Are you sure? poppers?
The navigation through Windows is disastrous. Glass doesn’t really work on slow systems (P4 2.8Ghz, 512MB graphic chip on board). Even software like Nero can’t get installed properly. Sure it is a Beta version, but the worst ever. The newly advertised partition manager is not new at all. Is still as hidden as before. And surely didn’t become any more user-friendly.
Conclusion 2 :: Windows Vista seems as hard as Windows NT to wade through. Wait, I quite quickly found my way in Windows NT and all software worked.
Security. Vista tries as much as possible to prevent itself from you. Actually knowing all the n00bs using Windows that is no such bad thing, but I don’t have the option to deactivate it easily. Security center (as long as it is activated). 3 of the most usest anti-virus platforms didn’t work. Screw Windows firewall, older firewalls don’t work either. Windows anti-spyware. Why don’t you tell me if there is an Alexa in Vista as well?
Conclusion 3 :: Get rid of this. No change compared to Windows XP SP2. It still is a service annoying as hell, offering hardly any configuration options and just is fadly (like fugly, but bbbbbbBBBBad). Sadly deactivation of the service doesn’t help you get rid of the icon. So several services are still running.
Interface. Pretty cute for Windows but you need a great system, a system which you actually don’t need as home user and it is only visual. I surely do like the possibility to set a higher screen resolution than your screen actually allows you. The GUI sucks memory away at every side. Lots of memory. Btw, don’t try the Windows Classic look, what MS did with pixel saver lovers is a shame. Appearance settings are not in one popper anymore, one popper with multi-tabs, but need to get started all separately from the appearance control panel.
Vistas pretty sidebar ? Is a disaster. No a shame. Desktop sidebar has thousands more features. Build after first screenshots of Longhorn Sidebar were released. Distributed freely and just a lot better, actually you’ll hate Vista sidebar.
General conclusion :: I am sure there will be thousands of little registry hacks again for Windows Vista, making the system less resource hungry. MS might actually use his brain and one day even make something like a universal install SDK for software manufacturers. The interface is cute (for Windows users) but a total waste of memory and resources. Vista will be a waste of money, even if it comes with a new computer as OEM build. I surely do know I don’t want to work with this platform professionally.
Now if at least I weren’t scared of switching. I do know to much of and actually have very stable Windows XP clients running. MacOSX surely isn’t THE stable platform and still very limited if you like occasionally new hardware. Also software is still not universally available for whatever you’ld like. This will probably change with the increasing popularity of Universal Binaries, but still as a former Windows System Administrator and certified Security Advisor I am scared of switching. Now I just have to decide if I’ll keep this thing installed. I probably will until the next client arrives.
7 have made me smarter ↓
1 Danalyn // Jun 11, 2006 at 2:21 pm// View all comments by Danalyn//
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Oy..
Microsoft is disappointing me more and more…so is apple, though.
Last night, I wiped my computer and partitioned the drive, got XP and Kubuntu dual booting now…trying to stay away from XP as much as possible…but it’s tough because there is no photoshop equivalent for linux. And Wine sucks.
2 The Rock Bitch // Jun 11, 2006 at 2:44 pm// View all comments by The Rock Bitch//
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My PC has been a piece of shit all weekend thanks to XP and SP2…MOFOs. I want to blow the damn thing up. I hate everyone. I hate Windows. I will not buy into Vista. Microsoft sucks ass and they can kiss mine.
Now after reading your review I’m certain that I will not upgrade after they spend 2 years working out the bugs. And when they put that fucking icon in my task bar telling me they are ending support for XP…well by then let’s hope I’ve found a new OS.
I’m out.
3 Franky // Jun 11, 2006 at 2:46 pm// View all comments by Franky//
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Oh well. XP is actually enough for me. I do know the system and do with what I want. Invisted in lots of software as well. Actually runs smoothly, unimaginable but true.
Vista… they need urgently some designers who know how to wire up. Besides that once released it’ll on ly be 60% of this version anymore.
Office 12. Vut it, when I started it I had the feeling I just booted Suse 10. All those icons. Actually I think MS went with Office 12 and Vista for accissibilty :: the bigger the icons the more accessible. But let’s not speak of the start menu in Vista. Or the navigation through the system to reach the configuration, the in nerd level.
Linux. No idea. I like some distris, but it is all becoming too much windozed. GIMP, yeah if you got 3 months to learn the menu structure. Inkscape, oh well. Reminds me of C64 paint.
Open Office is great, but once you got used to Smart Comments and co. in Office 2003 you can only laugh about Open Office. Worse even if you work(ed) in a company where they used Acces. Open Office Base, yeah Multiplan 3.51 for C64 (on which I wrote my first dbase at the age of 6 or 7).
Mac? They finally lower the costs for their users by offering BootCamp. That is not why I want a Mac, not to run XP. But anyways, I got a Tiger over ebay and wanted to emulate it, just to see how it is build up. Doesn’t work with PearPC without going over 10.3. Well not going to invest twice. I’ll just buy one one day.
4 Franky // Jun 11, 2006 at 2:52 pm// View all comments by Franky//
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RB, Windows XP SP2 will be supported until 2009. Probably they will even release an SP3, which would extend the XP support until at least 2010.
Unless you are redy to invest $1000 at least in new hardware, stay away from Vista. Not worth it and most features you won’t miss them anyway. Unless they build in an A/C.
Of course they will release withing 15 months after release SP1 (at least Beta) and before companies won’t upgrade anyway. So if Vista might reach a certain level of stability it will not be before end 2008 (when released spring 2007, which they will do because the Vista Beta serials are for tagged downloads which expire June 2007).
Now if you read my comment at Dave2, you know that I understand a lot of the problems MS deals with (shit developers making drivers aso), but still I prefer the freedom of hardware and software on the hardware ‘monopoly’ maintained by Apple.
Btw, I got XP back on the notebook. Vista got ‘low-level-formmatted’
5 Franky // Jun 11, 2006 at 3:27 pm// View all comments by Franky//
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LMFAO, I just visited Microsoft.com and the whole page is a Beta. Is it all they offer… betas?
6 Mike // Jun 17, 2006 at 2:06 am// View all comments by Mike//
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There’s a myth about the number of programs available for MacOS X.
Franky says that there’s not enough MacOSX software out there.
That was exactly what I tought a year ago, but I will tell you about my experience in the last 16 months.
I started my computer experience with an Apple II , almost 17 years ago. After a brief period using that, I was forced to start working with PCs, first DOS and then Windows. I worked with windows from 1994 to 2005 without even touching on a Mac on that period. After that time I was tired of crashes, rebooting, virus, adwares, spywares, trojans and tired of wasting time fixing the system problems. I was scared to death to moving, so I give myself an excuse and instead of simply throw the Windows machine alway and buy a Mac, I keep the PC (just in case) and bought a Mac Mini (I invested in the low end machine, just in case I tought it was a crap).
Sixteen months lates, I barely switch my PC on. The only time I switch it on is to store or read data I have stored on an RAID the PC has. Just that.
What I discovered is that, in order to find software for it, you just have to learn where to find. There are tons of software out there and I never saw any software that do not have an equivalent, sometimes better, for a Mac. I have found everything and I am a professional from the cutting edge multimedia world who simply uses lots and lots of programs for everything.
Actually the path is obvious. Apple new machines (intel) can boot Windows and comes with MacOSX. If you are scared, simple buy one of these machines and install both OSes. One day, I can guarantee, you will erase windows from that machine’s disk.
7 Franky // Jun 17, 2006 at 9:22 am// View all comments by Franky//
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Mike, thanks for your info. I surely will switch one of these days. Just the way you did it and buy one. The Intel Macs are surely the best move Apple ever made and will surely improve everything.
My fear is merely a ‘knowledge’ thing. Bluescreens? What are they? Unless I got some faulty hardware I never see any. Virusses? 99.999% of the worldwide and vulnerable virusses using exploits in Windows were patched days before by MS. MSBlaster was patched 4 days before. Otherwise good anti-virus software should yearly be renewed for online freaks.
This need will soon also be standard for MacOSX, with the growing popularity of it virus coders will certainly start to focus Mac as well. There are enough of snobs without brain using a Mac and clicking everything too. And virusses will also be released as UBs.
Reboots? Only after upgrades actually, if I sometimes reboot in other circumstances it is because I want to clean the RAM, but could as well use a script for this.
But I do know how to configure Windows and why first to check if the hardware provider makes WHQL certified drivers.