10 reasons not to get Vista
section: windows, for your questions: KezNews forum, 22.1.2007
It's all too easy to get caught up in the million dollar marketing engine as we approach the consumer release of Windows Vista, so lets not forget that it isn't the second coming, and by all counts is an upgrade you can do without.
There are many lists out there on why to get Vista, so here's ours on why not to.
1. You don't actually need it -- No, think about this. Vista doesn't do anything you can't already do with XP. About the only significant shift requiring Vista is DirextX10, but as no titles support it yet and, according to John Carmack (the godfather of modern gaming) there's no need to yet either.
2. Cost $$ -- It's so blindingly obvious, most people will be blinded to it. You already have XP, and alternatives like Linux are free. If you really want to throw money away, go give it to a local charity.
3. On that note, it's outrageously overpriced -- at least in Australia. As revealed in the current APC, even after taking into account the profit margin Microsoft Australia previously applied to XP (as well as exchange rates, as you would expect), Australians are paying hundreds of dollars more for their copies than in the US. In fact, it's cheaper for Australians to buy Vista direct by mail order from the States. If you think Microsoft Australia is reaming us, vote with your wallet.
4. Upgrading hardware -- XP was demanding at release, but Vista more so. If you have an older machine that struggles with XP at the best of times, Vista is out of your ballpark unless you spend even more money to upgrade. If this is you, see point 1.
5. Driver support -- Key hardware like video and sound is crippled at the moment -- while Nvidia is working furiously to get a stable driver for the 8800 out by the 30th, there's still no SLI support for any of the Nvidia range. And thanks to the removal of hardware accelerated 3D sound in Vista, Creative's popular DirectSound based EAX no longer works at all, muting this feature for just about all gaming titles on the market today. Creative is in the process of coding a layer for its drivers to translate EAX calls to the OpenAL API which is seperate from Vista, but going by past experience with Creative drivers we won't see these any time soon.
6. Applications that don't work -- there's been plenty of coverage about applications that won't work without a vendor update. These include anti-virus, backup and security software such as those from Symantec, Sophos and ilk; CD and DVD burning tools like the suite from Nero need updated versions to work; and even basic disk management and partitioning tools such as Paragon's Hard Disk Manager are awaiting an update for Vista to be compatible. How many more will fail as Vista enters mainstream? Even Firefox has issues with Vista.
7. It's a big fat target -- with a new and untested in the global wild architecture, virus and malware authors are going to work overtime exploiting the holes Microsoft missed. In fact it's already happening. Loath though I am to use the word 'security' and 'Windows' in the same sentence, Windows XP has at least been patched to the hilt and can be used with a plethora of reasonably effective security tools that work now, without waiting for an update down the track.
8. UAC -- Oh yes, the Microsoft solution for an operating system where mutli-user was an afterthought. Sure, you can disable it, but the OS then makes it clear then that the onus is on the user for any damaging programs that got to run with permissions, rather than with Windows in the first place. If you do have it on, it is going to annoy the hell out of you. It pops up far too frequently, and even on a fast PC, the UAC screen takes too long to come up and disappear.
9. DRM -- And to a lesser degree TPM -- were made for the RIAAs and MPAAs of this world, and the even tighter integration of copy protection mechanisms and 'Windows Rights Management' into vista are nothing more than a liability to you, the user. This ComputerWorld piece says is succinctly: 'it's hard to sing the praises of technology designed to make life harder for its users.' As for TPM, this short animated video shows just how far the rabbit hole goes. And to think you pay for the privilege of having the use of media you purchased and own dictated by third parties, even on your own system.
10. The draconian license -- somehow, Microsoft has forgotten that it built its business from products that empowered its customers, not hampered them. Of course, we forget that Microsoft's customers aren't you and I, afterall (see point 9). Aside from the backward thinking that is licensing, and not actually owning, your software new terms with Vista include being able to transfer the license only once; half the limit compared to XP for Home Basic and Premium on how many machines can connect to yours for sharing, printing and accessing the Internet; limits on the number of devices that can use Vista's Media Center features; activation and validation governing your ability to upgrade hardware and use Windows itself; and outlawing the use of Home Basic and Premium with virtualisation software, and Ultimate only if DRM enabled content and applications aren't used. But then again, who reads these anyway?
Related article:
10 reasons you should get Vista source:
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Comments(42)
most of the arguments here apply to any new operating system. the new version will always be more expensive,
more demanding and will suffer from a lag in application and driver compatibility.
bottom line - i am
very happy with vista since i started beta testing it. like with all tech things, if you like being an early
adopter - you'll have fun. otherwise, if you are part of the larger cautious majority - wait until it is
around for a while, the price maybe comes down and you feel confident that it's time.
10 reasons not to get vista...
that is assuming we have a choice :d in the month of february
everyone computer on sale in electrics stores will come preloaded with vista.
don't tell me
someone will actually reformat hard drive and install window xp. they will just learn to use vista.
i still know people that use windows 2000 for things they do.. of course many of them are using it for
business related things and not gaming. still, windows xp will be fine on my home game machine. i got my copy
for $10 through our university's volume licencing agreement and can do so for vista.. i happened across this
page searching for info on vista.. everything i've seen goes along with what i've been thinking that i
really just don't need it, even at $10. i'd rather buy a couple of drinks.
with ms-dos i was in agreement.
with windows 95 i thought that we had reached the top.
with
windows 98 i he could not believe to me.
with windows xp i no longer requested more. and now with
vista windows i am excited. what will be the next thing?
pardon by my english. i am spanish.
to me the very important point is n.9..(and maybe n.10)
you guys should think about it.
...and
also: 'it's hard to sing the praises of technology designed to make life harder for its users'.
ones can download free and it's cracked
yea.. 8 and 9 are pretty annoying...
the only thing vista needs is some place to dissable these
features... other than that its perfect. maybe not my dvd drive driver fits, but what the hell, i barely use
it anyway...
mac os does everything vista does minus the viruses, and has done for ages. 'nuff said
your licensing "facts" are incorrect! i am not a microsoft fan either, but, at least get your facts
right!!!
what we'd say more about...
maybe you don't need it now but let's wait for some time and it will be really necessary, in fact now most
of the software companies are working on having support for this os
inn't reason eleven that most folks on kez have vista allready up 'n running since november??
i used vista for a while and it's just crap. to many things that make me unhappy. windows 98 me was also
crap and microsoft did it again. five years of developing!!!! unbelievable.
think about the 10
reasons not to get vista...... i discover this already, they are right.
i switched back to xp,
never had any problem with that.
cheers
i have been testing vista for about a month now. i am running a stop-timed rtm version (works perfectly by
the way) on my trusty old p4 1.8 ghz. but... the incompatability issues really bite. not even support for
gameports. i have beautiful sidewinder pads and sticks and they want me to buy new usb stuff. to many of my
older, time tested, lovable games will not work-even in compatability mode. my nvidia drivers blue screen
quite often. i run 2 monitors, 1 with 64mb agp, the other with a 32mb pci. they want me to buy a new card.
even many new games i have will not install. for those of you who have lotsa $$$, it may be o.k. to buy all
the new stuff. for the average joe like me ???
p.s. for those that have lotsa $$$. you should be
sharing tech instead of trying to get it free on sites like this !!!
vista is more stable and more secure so far it at least makes the poor uneducated user read do you want to
give program mydoom admin rights hell no. as for drm have you heard of virtual pc with windows 98
quite a few people on this site will be running cracked versions of vista anyway so what is the point in
posting this???
hahahahaha.. man are u sick ro what vista owns.... its mutch better than xp and it finds drivers xp never
could find on windows update...
not on my machine
this list could apply to just about any new operating system. ofcourse the system requirements will be
higher. ofcourse there will be new technology, ofcourse there'll be driver/app compatibility problems.
there's always bitching and moaning whenever microsoft brought out a new os. people complained 9x wasn't
stable enough. everybody whined about compatibility with 2k/xp when those came out. blah blah blah...all
everybody does is complain. my god, vista hasn't even hit shelves yet. be patient and give it some time to
mature before raking it through hot coals. the driver support will come in time and so a lot of the
compatibility problems. uac and the other security techs will iron out as well. you'll see.
top three and enough:
1. price
2. abuse of dominant position (windows media, drm, license
check online aka activation, etc)
3. fat os, hardware requirements are unbelieveable for something that
basically does the same as xp. thumbnails on folders, omg five years for that?
of course if you
choose to stay chained to microsoft, that's your choice and there's no escape. but for the rest of us...
linux does work without the restrictions of drm, license checks, broken browsers that cannot be removed from
the system (ie7) and the like...
first off i think your review is great on rogueremover, however i think your comments landed in the wrong
section as the topic was reasons to not like vista.
anyway microsoft needs to abandon all the
security checks on licensing. adding in these validation prompts only irritates the paying customer. any
newbie can crack vista with the available patches on their own in 10 minutes. give up microsoft before your
paying customers start using cracks instead of buying licenses as your making it easier to crack vista rather
than pay for a license and validate it.
if ms included an xp licence in any vista purchase, for customers to flick between, then vista would sell
alot more.
personally i'm really holding back on purchasing a new laptop as i don't want to be
lumped with vista licence on it yet i want latest 965-gm/santarosa chipset.
vista to me is a winme.
i think it wil take another year and half before a new os will come out that will bring together all that
vista is supposed to be.
rogue remover (rogueremover) by malware bytes - avoid this virus program. this program is a virus as it
deletes pc security programs on a user's pc under false and made-up claims such as this anti virus
program was found to be rogue and should be removed. the user then gets conned into thinking that
the
purchased or free anti virus tool they are running is bad or malicious or rogue, and uses the
rogue
remover to remove their legitimate anti virus program. this makes rogueremover
from gain the ability to
get rid of most (currently more than 300+ antispyware,
anti-adware, anti-virus, anti-trojan, and other
security legitimate programs) from the user's
machine making their machine vulnerable to the
installations of adware, spyware, key loggers,
trojans, worms, viruses and other internet born threats.
rogue remover is
also made by the creators of known hacker tools and viruses on the web.
overpriced from an untrustworthy supplier! all wrapped up in the hype average users are s*ckered into
overpriced bloatedware! take the time to learn linux just as "pretty" and will become stronger faster and
leaner! linux.. the healthy choice! ;)
xp was annoying enough but vista is even more annoying. this article is right. i could care less about
cutesy graphics. design around stability. also, my bet is vista unnecessarily hogs memory. you can do on xp
anything vista can do. so why do vista? reason 11 is right. linux and mac os already had this down. i got xp
stripped down and customized like i need it. i'm not about to start over again.
i agree with the article 100%, but there is something to add at this point. what is with firewalls? i don't
trust to that one build-in sh*ty without options and nothing to see coming in and out. what is that all about?
nothing is "??compatible??"? come on...does ms realy need that much to know about users habits and usage?
shame on you ms! i love my privacy.
p.s.: and that pc-cillin is worth 1/2kg of sh*t...
yea :) - at least 10 :)
there are more than 10... forget the price/it's new and it's expensive/.
'windows' shining - oh how beatufull!! but it is useless, and it si not secure. maybe later, baby ;)
maybe...
why to pay for?
i uses m$ vista just when billy puts some bucks on me for it done - that is - never.
if i paid for something, that thing is mine; if not, i must not pay for it.
what about activations,
and other non-senses included on this os?
hello everyb
i wonder why nobody says a word about the voice recognition in vista...
this litte
jewel is hidden in "accessories,ergonomy...
try it and you'll see it's worth the cost of dragon for a
better result!
i use it since the rc1,and it's better than everything i got before in vocal dictation
vista is the best. you don't spend hours installing it(only a half), you don't wait hours to boot up(my
record was 5 seconds) you don't need to install all kinds of drivers and shit, you don't need any more
programs than those that vista has (media center, burning tool, windows defender, and so an). and on the top
of that it has speech and handwrinting recognition, usefull sidebar and a really nice aero style. so shut your
mouth! you can even costumise his "skins" and you wont get board of that old wheatfield.
dude you are an utter idiot. come on back when you grow a brain and take your vulgar idiocy somewhere else
because no one cares for inanane and brainwashed dribblings.
can you do a downgrade from windows vista to xp. because i instaled vista but it keeps asking me for the key
and it doesn't let me go into my desktop.
you can try but you'll need to delete vista off your partion
without windows...
by billy joe on 12.01.2007 - 11:01
without windows face it we would be all
screwed because macs are crap and are limited to shitty hardware so 'gaming' rigs would not exist and linux
sux too because there are only few programs that are actually good for it! and also windows is easy to use and
one more thing windows vista really does kick ass!! much better than any other version of windows it really
does shoot the balls off the competition well if there was competition lol.
beg pardon?? what's
this shit? windows rips off mac bro, not the other way around. and both rip off unix (linux) not the other way
around. i have 7 linux boxes and 3 macs and all can not only do what they natively do, but they can do
everything a micro$uck windblows box can do while the windblows boxes cannot touch what the bsd, linux and
macs can do. hell, even the military knows you cannot trust micro$uck with nuclear warheads and satellites.
the wntire worlds critical infrastucture is not ran on any redmond va unfinished hacked crap bill gates code,
you frucking no brained shiit eating clueless idiot. the only explanation for the things you write is that you
work for micro$uck or that you are 7 years old. and you are definitely not a computer science professional who
knows shiit from shinola.
an article i just read touting why you should bump xp for vista (on micorsofts own website naturally)
surprised me. first, it called itself a news article, when it is not. if you write something about yourself,
it is not news; it is propaganda. only third impartial parties not receiving kick-backs can write genuine
news. second, all the reasons it listed why they should be allowed to sell a vista license to me i found to be
reasons to avoid vista and save my money.
windows aero - bulky & unnecessary and very, very,
very ugly. it's a computer. it's my computer. it is not a an arena for you or anyone else to shove your
sense of poor style and bad visual taste upon others. graphics drivers and cpu clock cycles are for games and
multi-media apps. just switching your computer on should not require much more than a 32 meg pci card. games
and the rest, now that takes more muscle. but an os that requires it pure nonsense.
windows sidebar
- more meaningless, real estate hogging garbage full of redudant usless matter.
microsoft windows
media player 11 - ms writes pathetically poor apps for nearly everything. they never had thier media players
right and they still don't have it right. even on my test machines we still use third party apps to do what
ms fail to do.
windows search - search? search for what? why is suddenly everyone searching
for.... stuff? all oses have a find feature in them. anyone can code one up. we prefer an older ontrack coded
app that is not integrated into the os. which brings up another point: it is never the oses business to have
so much integrated into it. why do our linux test boxes look better than windows, do more than windows and
with less hardware requirements at more than 15 times the speed? better coding.
windows firewall -
again, poor poor poor. go third party.
an improved user experience - lmao? wtf? they have the nerve
to say a degenerated user experience is an imporved one? lmao. lmao!
the new start menu - again,
more bulk, more inefficient crap. if it isn't broke, don't fix it. well it wasn't broke, but leave it to ms
to break it. and to put a fresh coat of ugly on it.
improved folders - lol? say that agian?
improved you say? since when is a "folder" anything more than a subdivided area of drivespace? what now with
thumbnail this thumbnail that, it's driving our employees and our customers crazy. it's a container. we
don't want the computer to "think" about how to represent what's in the container. the mayo jar holds
mayo. it doesn't put on a big song and dance full of long pauses to show us it has mayo. and "folders"
should take heed from the mayo jar. or, from other operating systems, like win95, bsd, etc.
live
icons - oh frig, more laughs. more wasted clock cycles.
no wonder our most powerful and useful
computers are the ones without this garbage on them.
ok, first of all if you haven't tried vista shut your stupid mouths. vista is far better than xp. the only
way it wouldn't be better than xp is if you live in 1999 and still have a crappy celeron or pentium iii. why
is the aero interface ugly? have you actually used it? to have 20 windows opened up and in the push of a
button to see a view of what each one is is just awesome. and all you losers whining about the activation, oh
the activation, blah, blah, blah. shut up! how the hell would you like it if you created a nice piece of
something and people kept stealing it?? if your not retarded you'd get pretty mad.
and whoever
said windows media player is crap is just a dumbass. compared with apple's crappy quicktime that takes
forever to load a play a video and real's crappy player that also takes forever to load, i'd say windows
media player is by far the best.
vista loads very quickly. it's easy to use, much like all
windows are. the search is very good. no more long searches that scan the entire harddrive; just a quick
search as you type in the keyword. and whoever dogged the sidebar obviously doesn't have anything important
to keep track of. if your a big ebayer then there is a nifty gadget that goes in the sidebar to keep track of
the items you are bidding on. and no, vista doesn't hog memory. i have a gig of ram and with the sidebar
running and a couple programs open i still have about half left over.
the big impovement is
security. ya the uac may be a problem for people who have adhd and can't stay still for a second. the uac
on my machine takes an instant to come up and go away. not that long at all and i enjoy the extra security.
the ultimate extras are also a nice bonus if you got the ultimate edition. they just gave texas
hold'em poker as an extra to download. i can't wait to see what else comes.
the only problems
i've had with compatibility issues are with my crappy ea games and with crappy i-tunes. you know the
software companies have had vista for a while now so why haven't they came out with a compatible version??
don't blame the os on bad stability, blame the crappy software you download.
all-in-all, vista is
by far the best os i have used. with that said, however, i have only used windows as a result i don't want
to try a crappy mac or a crappy linux. say what you will about how great apples and penguins are but i know i
can get far more programs for windows any day.
one last thing to the person who commented about the
government not using windows to fire nuclear rockets. i'm pretty sure any nuclear nation has a special
weapons deployment system with a shitload of security. why the hell would the government use an os where
anyone can a copy of it and just figure out how to bypass it? that's just retared and you sir are a retard
for saying it.
don't get vista!!! i recommend that you take older windows versions (that're not supported anymore) and
make your own os out of them. merge linux+windows=lindows. merge dos+linux=l-dos
oh and check this
out: ever wondered why windows xp/2k/v6 (vista, windows version 6.0) starts soooo fast??? 1 simple answer:
ms-dos (stand alone: dos 1.0-6.22, win95-me: dos 7.0-8.0)
windows-dos (nt: w-dos 3.1,
2k: w-dos 5, xp: w-dos 5.1, v: w-dos 6.0)
get it?!?!?! windows can't live without ms-dos!!!
take ms-dos away... windows dies!!!!!
easy to do. i use windows 2000 and it's more stable
than older versions of windows, same goes for xp. make an unsupported version of windows yours by taking it
apart, sell the source code!! turn it into something of your dreams!!!!
[need help with computer
problems?? send an e-mail to: computerfixer911@aol.com and i'll respond within 24 hours or when i signon.
don't spam me, spammers won't get help.
1 more reason not to get vista, makes it 11 in total:
vista allows microsoft to *disable* any
hardware in your computer if it thinks your using it to violate copyright laws or for pirating software.
that means, if you copy or make a backup of your older software on cd or dvd, vista can disable it to
prevent you from backing it up. same goes for making your own dvd's or copying a dvd.
don't you
think microsoft is restricting you and all of us from doing what the fu** we want with our hardware??? if you
want to avoid that sh**, stick with winxp or win2k and enjoy yourself!!
f*** microsoft!!! live for
freedom!!! join the free software foundation!!!! get a mac if possible!! ya can also run xp on a mac.. don't
4get it!!
well hey, just so you know, i pirate a lot of software and vista has not once shut anything down. has it
ever happened to you?? if not don't say it just because you read it on some tech forum you c_ock smoker.
yea vista is smart stopped me watching porn i downloaded fom pirate bay must have known i wasnt 18 or
something ? asked me to go online to download something called codec ? is this the police trying to trace my
ip ?? ...
hey even knew my name was knick before i typed this fing cool man
get of the fucing crack my friend
i just needed vista for my 3com wireless router , xp suuck managing wireless and connection is lost more than
once , only benefit of vista is wireless managing
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Not quite true...
By YAG on 22.01.2007 - 21:01