Liverpool FC Forum

by **RUSHIE#9** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 10:57 pm

Okay computer techies(nerds

) among us I'd like some advice.
I bought a new laptop a couple of months ago that's got XP media centre on it. Like many new computers I've got the chance to upgrade to the new Vista system but I don't know what advantages there'd be if any to upgrading. The laptop isn't anything super dooper and I just use it for playing a bit of Fifa '07, Tiger Woods '06 and editing the adverts out of programmes and movies I've recorded onto DVD from the old telebox and of course coming on here.

I've checked and my computer is capable of running the version that is equivalent to XP media centre. What I'm concerned about is the fooking thing slowing my whole computer right down.

So the question basically is - do I upgrade or just continue happily with XP?

by **Woollyback** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:09 pm

i'm no techie but i'm avoiding it like the plague - let some other buggers be the guineapigs and experience all the teething problem nightmares, then jump on board 6-12 months down the line when they've fixed all the glitches

by **RUSHIE#9** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:14 pm

I know what you mean Woolly. The only reason I'm considering it at the moment is because all I'll have to pay is the shipping cost of the Dvd, whereas after March unless I get it by 5finger discount (which with this sort of thing I don't wanna do) I'll have to fork out whatever the proper price is gonna be.

by **Woollyback** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:17 pm

so they're giving it away free now? how much will it cost after march?

by **Sabre** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:26 pm

I'm a computer scientist and I was going to advice the same thing Woollyback has said. But I'd wait not only 6-9 months but to the first service pack.

Vista is Spanish for View, but the name comes from

Virus, Infections, Spyware, Trojans, Adware, that's what you're gonna get if you try it now. Just as the XP in it's beginning.

Don't be afraid of being obsolete with XP, bear in mind that Microsoft stop supporting Windows 2000 just about one or two years ago, so I'd stick to XP.

by **RUSHIE#9** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:27 pm

Woollyback wrote:so they're giving it away free now? how much will it cost after march?

Haven't a clue what it's gonna cost in March, but at the mo if you've bought a computer since the end of October '06 I think then in most cases you're entitled to a free upgrade (you just have to pay the postage & packaging for the DVD). If you've bought a new computer since then you're best checking the manufacturers website for details.

(Bloody 'ell I sound like some ponce off Watchdog or somethin').

by **account deleted by request** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:29 pm

Problem is he has to decide before the end of March (at least I do) It looks better than XP and they will be stopping support for XP in a couple of years. I will get my copy (while its free) But I may wait awhile before I install it.

by **Sabre** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:31 pm

If you care about it's look try one of those "skins" that emulate most of Vista interface. Saint two years is a short stimation of time supporting XP, most enterprises won't change their systems in that time!

by **RUSHIE#9** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:34 pm

Sabre wrote:I'm a computer scientist and I was going to advice the same thing Woollyback has said. But I'd wait not only 6-9 months but to the first service pack.

Vista is Spanish for View, but the name comes from

Virus, Infections, Spyware, Trojans, Adware, that's what you're gonna get if you try it now. Just as the XP in it's beginning.

Don't be afraid of being obsolete with XP, bear in mind that Microsoft stop supporting Windows 2000 just about one or two years ago, so I'd stick to XP.

Sabre matey, is it worth getting the Vista upgrade disc from my computer manufacturer now and hanging onto it until Microsoft release the first srvice pack for it in a few months time when they've fixed all of the bugs in it and then upgrading my computer?
Like I've said I'm not that desperate to have Vista just yet but if I can get it at a cheap price now I'd sooner take advantage than find in a couple of years time that any new software I want to put on my computer isn't gonna work with XP, I know that's a long way off and not much software is going to be like that but you never know.

by **account deleted by request** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:35 pm

Sabre wrote:If you care about it's look try one of those "skins" that emulate most of Vista interface. Saint two years is a short stimation of time supporting XP, most enterprises won't change their systems in that time!

Its the free part that concerns me Sabre, I don't want to be paying £70 in 12months for something I can get for £11 now.

by **Sabre** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:45 pm

That scenario of most software not running in XP won't happen in the next 4 years, IMO.People at Microsoft are not stupid, they didn't leak Longhorn first in the piracy world and then Vista just because they're careless but because they want their product massively tested -for free-, and that's the reason they offer it cheap now. It's cheaper than contracting more testing staff.

Of course that's a prediction, I can assure you that won't happen in less than 4 years, with a 90% of possibilities (it depends also on the hardware tech it's going to be developed). I should research a bit about the issue and how the core is implemented and how they're going to deal with compatibilty issues before I give you a better guess. But in a first glance, and for what I've read so far, stick to XP. That's what I'm going to do. If you buy it now anyway, I'll be here to help you if something goes wrong

Saint: 11 pounds is not much, I must admit...

by **RUSHIE#9** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:47 pm

Sabre wrote:If you care about it's look try one of those "skins" that emulate most of Vista interface. Saint two years is a short stimation of time supporting XP, most enterprises won't change their systems in that time!

They are a good thing for people who are more concerned about the look of Vista than what's behind it. I tried one last year on me old laptop and they do give a very good representation of the look of Vista (from what I've seen anyway) but I would warn people thinking of using them about a couple of points; these 'skinning' applications have to alter the computers 'REGISTRY' file which is very important component of Windows (if I understand it correctly). If that gets fooked up in anyway your system is basically buggered and you can lose everything on there (I might be wrong tho

). I decided to uninstall the vista skin and after that my system still worked but it just never seemed to be the same. I've got no concrete evidence it was caused by this but that is the main culprit as far as I can tell.
If you're gonna use the skinning programs make sure you back up all your important data - INCLUDING THE REGISTRY FILES.

Do I sound like a nerd or what?? :down:

by **Sabre** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:51 pm

Yeh you are correctly informed, but there are better skins now and for instance the one "Universal Vista Inspirat Brico Pack" I installed it in a friend's house and gave him no troubles. I saw how it created a restoration point before installing so unistalling is not a trouble. Plus, if you do it from Service Pack 2 computer, you could always make a repair with the XP cd and coming back to the point of SP2 just installed.

by **account deleted by request** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:56 pm

RUSHIE#9 wrote:
Sabre wrote:If you care about it's look try one of those "skins" that emulate most of Vista interface. Saint two years is a short stimation of time supporting XP, most enterprises won't change their systems in that time!

They are a good thing for people who are more concerned about the look of Vista than what's behind it. I tried one last year on me old laptop and they do give a very good representation of the look of Vista (from what I've seen anyway) but I would warn people thinking of using them about a couple of points; these 'skinning' applications have to alter the computers 'REGISTRY' file which is very important component of Windows (if I understand it correctly). If that gets fooked up in anyway your system is basically buggered and you can lose everything on there (I might be wrong tho ). I decided to uninstall the vista skin and after that my system still worked but it just never seemed to be the same. I've got no concrete evidence it was caused by this but that is the main culprit as far as I can tell.
If you're gonna use the skinning programs make sure you back up all your important data - INCLUDING THE REGISTRY FILES.

Do I sound like a nerd or what??

Been there and done it as well Rushie I had to do a system restore to get back to normal after I tried it. I still kept getting a message at start up that something couldnt find something and would have to close. I finished up sorting it with reg mechanic.

by **RUSHIE#9** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:59 pm

Sabre wrote:Yeh you are correctly informed, but there are better skins now and for instance the one "Universal Vista Inspirat Brico Pack" I installed it in a friend's house and gave him no troubles. I saw how it created a restoration point before installing so unistalling is not a trouble. Plus, if you do it from Service Pack 2 computer, you could always make a repair with the XP cd and coming back to the point of SP2 just installed.

Is that easy to do Sabre?
I've passed the old laptop on to my old fella to use. He's totally useless when it comes to computers and if even the smallest thing goes wrong or he doesn't understand what to do I have to try and sort it for him. I tried using the Windows restore utility but for some reason that seems to be doing nothing. I've checked that it's still making the restore points which it is but when going through the restore process it gets to the end and says unsuccessful. It's no real problem at the moment as the computer is still working well enough but every now and again it is having some funny moments that result in having to do a restart which is a bit of a pain in the as$!

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Computer techies - I need some advice on windows vista

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