Vista - Advantages and Disadvantages

[Pinchy]

Note: Please dont flame guys...just make suggestions.

These are the advantages and disadvantages i got with Vista from XP: (so far)

Advantages:
Really fast response time
Support for a lot of drivers automatically installed (LAN/Audio/Scanner/Printer)
Internet got faster (Ping on speedtest went from 18ms to 10ms)
Aero looks pretty cool (Not a stat, but my opinion)
Has its own security
Partitioning tool!!!
Sidebar has many features and clock is very handy
Windows Calender and Windows media center
Fast sleep and resume
Enhanced Video Quality
Live taskbar thumbnails
Parental controls
Encryption fearures
Flip and flip 3d window switching (I personally love this )
Games explorer
Windows search, Welcome center, Photo gallery, Sync center and Self-healing system

Disadvantages:
Not as many applications supported as XP, but generally ok (and will get better)
Cant use Visual Styles i.e. Msstyles

Neutral
The frequent popups asking you whether you should allow stuff or not. It isnt that annoying, and you can always disable it.
DirectX 10 (Neutral because it hasnt had any perf. increase yet)

Tested rigs:
1 - e6400, ASUS P5B deluxe, 2GB PC6400, X1950 PRO 512mb, 500GB HDD in RAID (full specs to left)
2 - (Laptop) PM 2Ghz, Dell 9300, 1.2GB PC4200, nVidia 6800 Go 256mb, 100GB HDD.

Problems
1 - Only problem is WMP not playing sound on more than two speakers, and that cant partiton more than 200 of the 500GB hard disk.
2 - Bluetooth driver has a bit of trouble (FIXED - Download latest driver from Dell site), and only can partition 45 of the 100GB hard drive.

Will test on:
1 - P4 2.6Ghz, Abit IS-50, 1GB PC3200, 9800 PRO 128mb/X800PRO to XT PE 256mb, 80GB IDE HDD.

Note - im using Vista Ultimate with all latest updates installed.


I, personally, HIGHLY recommend Vista. I have not had any major problems with it, and it has been fine so far.

Comment as much as you want, and let me add to my list


Now my first question - what security are you guys using?

 

[BXtreme]

Dis- U CAN't use visual styles i.e msstyles ( i think they're either trying to make something new or they're allowing other 3rd party companies to build some for them),
adv-the next os for 3 yrs, has been easily cracked it's a gd thing really! , 1 click at the clock show a beautiful clock , sidebar is a LOT useful ( i never look at my real clock lol) and sidebar apps are widely available.
EDIT: Security- NONE! I have enough experience about viral sites, trust me but if you want av go4 NOD32

 

[Pinchy]

I didnt wanna add the crack thing because im not promoting it

Ive added everything else tho

I should have re-worded my question

I meant, do you guys reckon 3rd party anti virus is worth it, or is the Vista stuff good enough?

 

[BXtreme]

3rd party is a MUST, sry but vista will get severe virus not too far from now, vista's own security can't stop it. Even XP and it's av's can't stop it, i think i mentioned it earlier in a thread " attention vista users".

 

[Pinchy]

Ah ok, thanks for that. Id better get an anti virus ASAP then

 

[BXtreme]

sure avg is fine for vista
some more adv- windows calender, Windows media center, Fast sleep and resume, live taskbar thumbnails, Parental controls, esp. DirectX10 not to forget, encryption fearures, flip and flip 3d window switching, Games explorer, windows search, welcome center, photo gallery, sync center, self- healing system and more info on ms site

 

[Pinchy]

lol, I havent used half of them but ill add em in

 

[BXtreme]

except sync center i've tested all of 'em, and some dis - the inkball which substitutes the pinball sucks arses, and mahjong isn't my taste, imo the built in games are worse than even xp ones, but the solitaire is really gd

 

[Pinchy]

The Chess was pretty good too...but the pinball --> inkball did suck!

You guys know any programs to partition on Vista?

 

[mandelore]

u can disable the annoying prompts asking to allow this and that, the media center works ok too, for some reason it brings up some adult channels on my freeview usb dongle, tho i cant watch them, at least its trying! hahaha

 

[BXtreme]

Vista has an in-built one used to shrink a volume and then create a new one I didin't need another one

 

[Pinchy]

whats it called?

 

[BXtreme]

er..inside computer management, 'Disk Management'.More improved

 

[Easy Rhino]

it is a lot faster after using it a bit. at first vista was slow as crap but it seemed the more i accessed files and what not it sped up. dx 10 will be worth the switch alone once games come out for it!

 

[Pinchy]

Cheers BX

You reckon i should get Zone Alarm, or should Vista firewall and NOD32 be fine?

EDIT - installing Vista on laptop now

 

[mandelore]

Avast antivirus works sweet ass for vista, never had any problems with it

 

[Pinchy]

*A little off from the antivirus*

That formatting tool is DEFINATELY a great advantage! No restart required to create an entire new partition and install the drive. Took 30 seconds!


EDIT - Whats with the avaialbe shrink size It wont let me Shrink more than 200GB of my 500GB Hard drive...

 

[BXtreme]

I have a 250 gb hdd (i'm working on it), i never did partitioning over 100gb cuz i didn't ever need to. My whole data of 600+games, 170+ movies and other crap are on blu-ray discs i burned using my friends laptop. But, you're saying you can't shrink more than 200gb on a 500gb ? How much space is used and free, it depends on it.
Oh, and Vista's inbuilt firewall isn't BAD, but er..I think w8 for a better firewall for Vista. i somehow feel, something better is coming If za runs on it, then use it Otherwise i would really w8 for a better firewall to come...
and, btw Kaspersky's 7.0 version is running in beta, WHICH means we'll see a better av than nod32 in a month or two.

 

[Pinchy]

Ive used 16GB on the primary drive (Which is now 350GB; already partitioned 150 off it), and used nothing on the 150GB partition. Now, on the 350GB, it wont let me partition any more than 66GB.

 

[BXtreme]

You or somebody made a thread for that....somebody had the same error

 

[Pinchy]

Nup, i havent made a thread on it

 

[BXtreme]

Then maybe it's your hdd or raid problem or Vista doesn't like your hdd or 200gb is the limit for disk management on your hdd.
P.s=> Try defragmenting, may work...
1 more adv- better video quality

 

[Pinchy]

Even on the laptop; only 45/100GB can be shrinked

BTW - laptop works great with Vista

 

[BXtreme]

looks like shrink doesn't want to completely SHRINK, but shrink out some space out of the drive.
btw specs of the lappie ? and how much time did it take you to install vista on both desktop and laptops ?

 

[Pinchy]

Laptop specs:

Dell Inspiron 9300
2Ghz Pentium M processor, 533FSB
1.2GB PC4200 RAM
100GB hard disk
256mb nvidia 6800 go
8x Dual layer DVD burner

The video and audio drivers automatically updated and installed in windows update ...bluetooth installed but had to get a newer driver off the Dell site. So far, so good. Not a trace of lag, very good performance.

In regards to installing...it took about the same time, but im pretty sure my computer was faster in decompressing the files, and copying the files (8x DVD Reader vs 16x DVD reader)