Vista - is it really worth it?

Mark · 18-06-2007, 13:11

I've been playing with Vista for a day or two, and I'm not overly taken by it, yet.

To be fair though, I had a bad start - running Vista in a VM on a five year old PC. That was awful. I now have it installed on a brand new C2D box, so that's no longer a problem. However, I've not yet got much beyond the install/setup - so having to stumble my way around the new control panel (long-winded doesn't quite do that justice) and getting UAC prompts for pretty much everything I do. I therefore can't do it justice. I also admit to being very change-phobic (e.g. I only got around to upgrading my main home PC to Windows XP SP2 this month).

So, is it really worth it? Please give reasons.

PS - I know I'll have to go to Vista someday, but I could very easily reinstall Windows XP and use it. It's supported until 2009 (with security updates until 2014) after all.

Daz · 18-06-2007, 13:26

Is it worth it? Over all, from my experience, not really. I'm gaining nothing from Vista that I cant already get in XP. However, I do like it very much.

UAC got on my tits while I was poking around, but when you're done messing, you dont see it a great deal. In fact I only normally push the button when installing updates or pulling up computer management. The integrated search is, for me, the most useful addition, but you can replicate that functionality on any modern platform so it's not a deal sealer.

I've had no problems compatibility wise, ethernet router, ethernet printers have helped there. In fact installation wise Vista has been the most smooth install of any doze operating system I've ever used. it even recognises all the camera's we have without any third party drivers.

It's not a mature platform yet, and that'll limit it's use for anything other than a basic end users needs (web, email, IM etc), so it's out from a workstation point of view, but for my home machines? It's staying until any deal breakers come up, so fingers crossed.

Mark · 18-06-2007, 13:40

Just to be clear for Daz's benefit mainly - it's going to be on my main development PC at work. That probably counts as a workstation. To be fair though I have a work colleague who uses Vista exclusively on the same projects I work on.

I can easily go back to XP as that's what it came with, though I wish I'd imaged it before wiping it as you can never get it back to the way it came from the factory. Minor and unimportant D'oh I guess.

Daz · 18-06-2007, 13:43

Comes down to the development tools I guess. If you're happy they're all working ok, then Vista itself wont get in your way.

It's out for me at work mainly because it's not a mature virtualisation platform yet. We're putting an ESX farm in at the end of the year, so I could re-evaluate the situation then, but I probably wont have any reason to make the change from a work point of view.

Robert · 18-06-2007, 13:46

I like it - but on old computers it'd be a pain. Compat wise it has been fine for me - though I hope NV get a move on in the driver dept.

Mark · 18-06-2007, 13:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daz

It's out for me at work mainly because it's not a mature virtualisation platform yet. We're putting an ESX farm in at the end of the year, so I could re-evaluate the situation then, but I probably wont have any reason to make the change from a work point of view.

That's a particularly salient point as I will definitely be virtualising on it sooner rather than later - I have VMWare Workstation V6 at the ready for that job.

Daz · 18-06-2007, 13:53

Is that still in beta? I used the beta, and while it was stable, the forced debug options made my VM's too slow to bear :/

Feek · 18-06-2007, 14:04

Yes. It's quick, it's smooth, it looks nice and it works well.

In previous versions of Windows I've always turned off all the eye candy. With Vista and a DX10 graphics card where all the work is done by the card, I've left it all on with no performance hit.

It works, it works well. I like it. A lot.

Daz · 18-06-2007, 14:06

Other than the eye candy, could you name any tangible benefits over XP Feek?

Feek · 18-06-2007, 14:10

It's noticably quicker.

Admittedly I've got better hardware, but it's just a lot smoother than XP and my XP was on hardware well in excess of what's recommended for it.

18-06-2007, 13:11	#1
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	Vista - is it really worth it? I've been playing with Vista for a day or two, and I'm not overly taken by it, yet. To be fair though, I had a bad start - running Vista in a VM on a five year old PC. That was awful. I now have it installed on a brand new C2D box, so that's no longer a problem. However, I've not yet got much beyond the install/setup - so having to stumble my way around the new control panel (long-winded doesn't quite do that justice) and getting UAC prompts for pretty much everything I do. I therefore can't do it justice. I also admit to being very change-phobic (e.g. I only got around to upgrading my main home PC to Windows XP SP2 this month). So, is it really worth it? Please give reasons. PS - I know I'll have to go to Vista someday, but I could very easily reinstall Windows XP and use it. It's supported until 2009 (with security updates until 2014) after all.

18-06-2007, 13:26	#2
Daz The Stig Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Swad! Posts: 10,713	Is it worth it? Over all, from my experience, not really. I'm gaining nothing from Vista that I cant already get in XP. However, I do like it very much. UAC got on my tits while I was poking around, but when you're done messing, you dont see it a great deal. In fact I only normally push the button when installing updates or pulling up computer management. The integrated search is, for me, the most useful addition, but you can replicate that functionality on any modern platform so it's not a deal sealer. I've had no problems compatibility wise, ethernet router, ethernet printers have helped there. In fact installation wise Vista has been the most smooth install of any doze operating system I've ever used. it even recognises all the camera's we have without any third party drivers. It's not a mature platform yet, and that'll limit it's use for anything other than a basic end users needs (web, email, IM etc), so it's out from a workstation point of view, but for my home machines? It's staying until any deal breakers come up, so fingers crossed. __________________ apt-get moo

18-06-2007, 13:43	#4
Daz The Stig Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Swad! Posts: 10,713	Comes down to the development tools I guess. If you're happy they're all working ok, then Vista itself wont get in your way. It's out for me at work mainly because it's not a mature virtualisation platform yet. We're putting an ESX farm in at the end of the year, so I could re-evaluate the situation then, but I probably wont have any reason to make the change from a work point of view. __________________ apt-get moo

18-06-2007, 13:53	#7
Daz The Stig Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Swad! Posts: 10,713	Is that still in beta? I used the beta, and while it was stable, the forced debug options made my VM's too slow to bear :/ __________________ apt-get moo

18-06-2007, 14:04	#8
Feek ex SAS Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: JO01ou Posts: 10,062	Yes. It's quick, it's smooth, it looks nice and it works well. In previous versions of Windows I've always turned off all the eye candy. With Vista and a DX10 graphics card where all the work is done by the card, I've left it all on with no performance hit. It works, it works well. I like it. A lot. __________________

18-06-2007, 13:40	#3
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	Just to be clear for Daz's benefit mainly - it's going to be on my main development PC at work. That probably counts as a workstation. To be fair though I have a work colleague who uses Vista exclusively on the same projects I work on. I can easily go back to XP as that's what it came with, though I wish I'd imaged it before wiping it as you can never get it back to the way it came from the factory. Minor and unimportant D'oh I guess.

18-06-2007, 13:46	#5
Robert Chump!!! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: North West Posts: 993	I like it - but on old computers it'd be a pain. Compat wise it has been fine for me - though I hope NV get a move on in the driver dept.

18-06-2007, 14:06	#9
Daz The Stig Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Swad! Posts: 10,713	Other than the eye candy, could you name any tangible benefits over XP Feek? __________________ apt-get moo

18-06-2007, 14:10	#10
Feek ex SAS Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: JO01ou Posts: 10,062	It's noticably quicker. Admittedly I've got better hardware, but it's just a lot smoother than XP and my XP was on hardware well in excess of what's recommended for it. __________________