Vista is a Dog
I just got update:returned a new laptop. It has Windows Vista, mostly because getting Windows XP via Dell would have cost $200 EXTRA. Though I heard last night from Rick L that if you call them on the phone and tell them, “I’m not buying a computer from you if it has Vista”, you can get XP at no additional charge.
I’ve been using Vista for about 1 hr and I’m just about ready to go back to XP. Vista is very pretty. Performance-wise, it makes my 1.9 Ghz dual core processor feel like a 400Mhz PII. It’ll often show you a screen but actually it’s not ready for you to click on it for 3 or 5 or 8 seconds. It’s very frustrating.
And for the security… this is how I feel:
local version:
2-12-08 Followup: I returned the Vista Laptop. Here’s another humorous video on the subject:
“I switched back to XP 3 weeks ago. …So much happier.”
local version:
.
Alienware actually told me that if I install Vista on my 2-year-old laptop, then I void my warranty. Evidently this is pretty common. I did try to install it on a dual-boot partition (shhhh) – twice, even. Both times it worked fine for a few days, then completely corrupted the partition after installing unapproved updates.
This is the OS that will finally get me to switch to a Mac.
I spent 1 1/2 hrs on the phone with Dell and I’m returning the laptop. I’m going to get a Windows XP computer. What a PITA.
They were all nice enough on the phone. My only issue is that the customer service people would say, “Here’s the phone number and case number in case you get disconnected while I transfer you to Returns.” and then I’d get disconnected. It took 3 times before I got connected with Returns. And 1 hr “in line” on the online tech support chat… and 15 minutes on telephone hold with Returns. And 15 minutes waiting for the Returns guy to plug in all the numbers correctly and…. … But it’s done.
Now what laptop do I buy?
An eeePC (with Linux… can run XP)
15″ widescreen Dell Inspiron laptop with XP?
Funny video, but oh-so true. I got an in-warranty replacement for a defective Compaq Presario laptop about a year ago, and was forced to accept it with Microsoft Vista pre-installed. That lasted about six weeks, whereupon I ordered the Windows XP recovery disc from HP and wiped out Vista, with no regrets. The constant security nagging was just one of many reasons I came to hate Vista. It’s a non-starter product, as far as I’m concerned. Unfortunately for later purchasers, Windows XP may not be available as a fallback position, as Microsoft gives computer vendors a limited number of licenses for producing recovery discs on demand, and when the XP licenses have been used up, that’s all, folks.
[…] is a dog, isn’t it. February 14, 2008 at 2:35 pm | In technology | A friend of mine has blogged his nightmare with Vista. Apple picked up on this trend with one of their, “Hi, I’m a […]
Hey, Lee. Out of curiousity, how automated is your blog putting a snippet of my blog in your comments and putting a snippet of your blog in my comments? It looks automated, but surely it doesn’t do that for everyone who links to you, does it? Just other wordpress blogs?
It’s pretty cool, regardless. :)
Your blog automatically does a pingback to mine when you write a post that links to me. And my blog does the same when I write a post that links to you. Most blogging software does it.
Interestingly, your initial pingback got held in my moderation queue; Spam Karma thought it might be spam. I allowed your pingback, took a look at it and then edited my post.
After working on my first Vista computer for a Neighbor I can say this is true
It is dogie dog slooooooooooooooowwwwwwwww even after tuning …
the user interface is cranky .. and not intuitive
the AVG Virus protection will make the copy of Vista not be Geninue (http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/) and the Control Panel, Windows updates and printing will no work with no error, Thank goodness Windows defender gave an abscure error code to 0x80070426 to indicate the issue
This seems somehow appropriate here (via)
![Windows 7 according to XKCD](http://lee.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/windows_7.png)
Since my last post on this topic 11 months ago, I’ve been getting cozy with Ubuntu Linux on an old, no-name cast-off 2.4 GHz Intel Celeron laptop computer that used to have Windows XP on it. I’m getting to like it. The learning curve is a little steeper than when I got into Windows 95, but not too bad. I’m prepared to say that I’m a “Linux defector”; even Windows 7 isn’t going to bring me back into the Microsoft fold. Blame it on Vista.