Not sure where else to post this...so here goes. We are considering purchasing a new computer. We currently have Windows XP. The new Dell computers have Vista. On several forums, I have read of problems with Vista . We would really like to make an informed decision. Please offer any opinions, pro and con, for either operating system. Any advice would be most welcome. Thank you.
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I am only as strong as the martinis I drink and the hairspray I use.
Hey, Teenks. I shared your sense of caution about Vista since I heard so many people had problems with it. // I had to get a new computer the first week of December since ours was 7 years old, small capacity and the disk drives wouldn't work. // I hired a computer technician to "clone" my old pc onto the new one (and also install a wireless router I needed and a second disk drive, better video card...). I had been running XP and wanted to just have my old computer set up on the new one with the larger capacity, etc.
Well.... he couldn't do it for some compatibility reason. So I went with the Vista on my new Gateway and just copied whatever files, games and programs I could over onto the new one. I will say this.... I haven't had a single problem with the Vista. And I had been having trouble with the XP on my old one -- it was starting up soooo slowly, and slow browsing the internet, checking e-mail, etc.
Vista starts up in a flash and you're up and running! I only had one game I was particularly fond of that I can't get to run on Vista -- Creatures 2, a type of sims game. It's a pretty old game.
The only complaint is that I like to run a Disk Check periodically, and because this computer is so big (640 GB HD), it takes 2 hours instead of 20-30 minutes! Also, with Defragmentation, it does it silently without any graphics to tell you how fragmented you were.
Other than that, I thinks Vista is just fine. If you're searching for a file, the search function is without compare. Everything is so much faster on my new computer -- I am really enjoying it.
Best of luck to you with your Dell!
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Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves -- for they shall never cease to be amused.
I have a vista and havent had any problems with any games. Did you know that if you order a computer from Dell you can ask them to put XP on your new computer ? I did not know that till one of my girlfriends told me that is what she did.
The only thing I dont like about Vista is that they have so much junk running on it and its things that you cant go into task manager and shut it off. , but that hasnt slowed down my games or anything like that.
I bought a new Dell last year and decided to stay with XP. This was mainly because I have many craft CD ROMS that are not compatible with Vista. I have just read that Dell's cut-off for supplying XP has been extended until July 2009 in the UK but I don't know about the US. My daughter has Vista and says exactly the same as Steelerfan.
My Dell has Vista and in terms of games I have had no problems running any of them. At first I did not like Vista, but have come to love it.
My only issue that I had was if you have an older scanner, printer etc they may not be compatible with Vista. Most companies make updates you can dowload to fix that problem but I had one company that did not make an update for my scanner because the scanner was "older" (only 2 years old).
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Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you cannot play with it or eat it, just pee on it and walk away.
When I first used Vista, I had done an upgrade on a computer that was running XP, It was too late that I found out there wasn't an uninstall feature. Don't get me wrong, I like Vista, but I'm not in love with it. I hope that the new OS that they are working on and is available in Beta will be even better, I don't have a computer that I am willing to try it on at this time, but is I did I would. From the looks of the informational Videos they have up at Microsoft, it looks even better, and reminds me of the current OS for the Mac. There will even be touchscreen capabilities. I can't wait!
Also, If you have a really large hard drive, did you know that you can make a partition and have the option to run both Vista, and XP? That way you can have a choice of OS depending on the game or program you want to run. If a game runs well on XP but not Vista you would be able to use XP and Vice Versa.
That also works for any USB connected devices such as printers, burners, scanners and such.
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If life throws a brick wall in your way, knock it down and walk the path it makes. You will always succeed!
I was so happy to see this question asked. I also am thinking about a new puter and I was worrried about Vista. The one I have now is about 7yrs old and it just doesn't do it for me anymore, some games won't play, sometimes its slow...etc. About 4 yrs ago I brought it in to my computer guy and had it upgraded but i'm not sure if it will be worth doing that this time. So many things to consider.....
Jen
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I'm in the "snap dragon" phase of life. Part of me has snapped, the rest of me's a draggin'
Vista is the most beautiful OS I've never seen. But the release date is too early, lots of hardware and software aren't ready for this OS. Windows 8 looks so flat.
