Windows Vista

**Winston001** · 4th December 2006, 20:11

Everything you ever wanted to know about Windows Vista (Australia). http://stuffucanuse.com/j_windowspg/j_windows.htm

**BuFfY** · 5th December 2006, 13:22

Pyro has the test version on his computer, I think it is awesome! It comes with really cool games (well cool for kids anyway!)

**scracha** · 9th January 2007, 19:40

Well...for what they're worth. My thoughts on Vista RC1. I've been using it for a few weeks now and been letting the girlfriend play on it (thought it'd be interesting to see how the "average" XP user got on).

Installation is nice but why the hell do I have to create a username halfway through. Stupid stupid stupid. I want to setup the options at the start (as per Suse Linux) and then piss off and have lunch while it's installing.

Complete bitch getting my soundcard to work. My bluetooth dongless just don't have Vista drivers either.

I love the extra large icons view for thumbnails.

Spent ages trying to figure out how to view hidden files as the "folder options" appears to now just be in the control panel.

The sidebar and it's gadgets are a worthwhile addition...but again XP can have this and pretty much every other OS has had it for ages. Cripes..I think my Mac had it in 1998? Of course I've got kiwibikers RSS feed (as well as Tearoha's) on my sidebar.

Dunno if I like the "start search" area doubling as a the old "run" command. The semantics of it are all wrong.

I added "startup" tools like the narrator (useless) and the magnifier (also useless) and I'm buggered if I could find an "official" way of stopping them starting up. Tried the usual registry and start menu places. Also tried msconfig (it's still there). Ended up searching the registry. 3 or 4 places it's in so I just hacked the values to remove references to them. Doesn't seem to have killed it but this isn't the point.
HKCU\software\microsoft\windows nt\currentversion\accessibility
HKCU\software\microsoft\windows nt\currentversion\accessibilityTemp
HKCU\software\microsoft\windows nt\currentversion\session1

The "windows defaults" options screen is now very useful.

I wish the sidebar could be made larger.

I wish it had proper DPI scaling so that I could just zoom in and out.

Windows Help seems miles better (and quicker) than the old version.

IE7 seems a step backwards IMHO. I'll keep using Firefox.

The "mail" program that ships with Vista is MILES better than Outlook Express. Note sure if it's as good
as Thunderbird but time will tell. Certainly it's a lot happier with IMAP folders than either
Outlook or Outlook express. Unticking "check for new mail in all folders" helps a lot as
does telling it to only download headers for most folders.

The "a program needs your permission" dialogue is a complete PITA. Maybe there should be a hidden
registry hack to disable it. Joe Public wouldn't know how to do this so it would stop them
screwing up their PC but for advanced users it's a real annoyance.

I also noticed that IE7 appears to be "sandboxed". If I download an app and then try to execute it while logged in as an Admin it doesn't give this installation app Admin priviledges. This is probably a good thing.

The ALT Tab thingie is now much much nicer too.

Overall, it's nice but I just can't see how the hell it took them so many years. It's not the leaps
and bounds advance that Win3.1 -> Win95 -> winNT -> WinXP (ok..last one is debatable) was.

**RantyDave** · 9th January 2007, 19:49

Originally Posted by scracha

I just can't see how the hell it took them so many years. It's not the leaps and bounds advance that Win3.1 -> Win95 -> winNT -> WinXP (ok..last one is debatable) was.

The explaination for both is the same: They set off on a more ambitious track (Longhorn), had to ditch it, and restarted a couple of years back on a "so, let's just modify XP then" plan.

Dave

**Flyingpony** · 10th January 2007, 07:13

How many MB of ram and GB of disk space does Vista require?

**Flyingpony** · 10th January 2007, 07:18

Originally Posted by scracha

Ended up searching the registry. 3 or 4 places it's in so I just hacked the values to remove references to them. Doesn't seem to have killed it but this isn't the point.
HKCU\software\microsoft\windows nt\currentversion\accessibility
HKCU\software\microsoft\windows nt\currentversion\accessibilityTemp
HKCU\software\microsoft\windows nt\currentversion\session1

I think you should be looking in the "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Run" section where applications are listed for starting up with Windows. It's also quite possible they're a service. Take a look in Control panel Administrative Tools services.

Note: The above is based upon Windows 2000/XP knowledge.

**GR81** · 10th January 2007, 09:19

Originally Posted by Flyingpony

How many MB of ram and GB of disk space does Vista require?

it says 512 but 1Gb is needed to run it nicely.
as for hdd, it'll take up about 10gb from memory on install.

its definitely worth it tho, i was running the x64 for a while and loved it.
id almost be tempted to pay for it when its released *gasp*

**ArcherWC** · 10th January 2007, 09:27

Originally Posted by GR81

id almost be tempted to pay for it when its released *gasp*

You are soooooo full of it

**GR81** · 10th January 2007, 09:31

Originally Posted by ArcherWC

You are soooooo full of it

i learn from the best!

**James Deuce** · 10th January 2007, 09:38

Originally Posted by GR81

it says 512 but 1Gb is needed to run it nicely.
as for hdd, it'll take up about 10gb from memory on install.

its definitely worth it tho, i was running the x64 for a while and loved it.
id almost be tempted to pay for it when its released *gasp*

2GB of RAM if you don't want to run into the memory contention issues we've experienced when trying to run it as a business machine. Also it's really needs a 7000 series Nvidia PCI-X video card or equivalent when things get busy or it becomes an utter dog.

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 10th January 2007, 09:57

Originally Posted by GR81

it says 512 but 1Gb is needed to run it nicely.
as for hdd, it'll take up about 10gb from memory on install.

its definitely worth it tho, i was running the x64 for a while and loved it.
id almost be tempted to pay for it when its released *gasp*

kewl...

I can run Vista no problem... just can't run any other problem else it will run like my commodore 64 on tape drive

I might go an pre book it then

**GR81** · 10th January 2007, 09:59

there are quite a few different versions available.

**SPman** · 10th January 2007, 12:12

Some more stuff on Vista - sounds ominous.
http://www.publicaddress.net/default,3836.sm#post3836

**Fub@r** · 10th January 2007, 12:42

Originally Posted by GR81

its definitely worth it tho, i was running the x64 for a while and loved it.
id almost be tempted to pay for it when its released *gasp*

I thought about installing the 64bit version with a view to trying it and maybe for the forst time in life actually buying Windows until..................I read that with the 64bit version you can only install Microsft approved and digitally signed drivers.

In the past you would get a window saying it was Microsoft signed continue anyway......with 64bit Vista you will not get this option. Based on my previous experience with Windows and signing drivers I don't want to be stuck running 3 yr old drivers because they haven't bothered to approve any others.

I have Vista running on my old machine a 2600XP with 768MB ram. Runs mint as although at idle Windows is consuming over half the available ram