I'm done with Vista

[AntonyF]

I wanted to like it. Fresh lick of pain, better search. But I'm done.

I want to use my PC as a media PC as well, outputting to my TV.

To do that, I have to right click the desktop, select Nvidia Control Panel, select Profiles > Load then double click my profile. Confirm twice. So that's EIGHT clicks, because Nvidia doesn't support macros in Vista.

Then for the audio right click the taskbar icon, then audio devices, then my digital output then set default, then OK. FIVE clicks.

I have to reverse all of the above to be able to use my PC again.

Then if I use Media Center, there's loads of junk I can't turn off and, the biggest problem it only shows you partial file titles. Great if you're watching TV as you can't tell the episode number of name on shows with long titles.

Add to that, no end of programs don't even work on Vista, I'm done.

XP back tomorrow. Trouble is I've upgraded my computer so much I fear the license will be invalid.

 

[Chindogu]

Can't you just call Microsoft if the authorization doesn't work? I've installed XP several times, most recently onto an entirely new computer after my old one died, and never had any problems.

As for Vista, which I've never used, can't you just keep the 2nd video and audio outputs always on, like an extended desktop? That's how I do it, so when I switch my video receiver to the input my computer outs are plugged into there it appears on my TV. Of course I am using XP.

What Media Centre are you going to be using in XP? I have XP Pro so I'm looking around for a decent Media Centre program. At the moment I am trying out J.River Media Centre 12, which is Ok but far from what I would like in a program.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Interesting...just this week, I watched a TV news story about how a large number of users are downgrading from Vista back to XP...

 

[Brolan]

Vista may be stepping stone skipped by many computer users. As an IT consultant I see a lot of computer systems in large corporations. I haven't seen one yet that converted to Vista from XP.

 

[Deks]

Vista may be stepping stone skipped by many computer users. As an IT consultant I see a lot of computer systems in large corporations. I haven't seen one yet that converted to Vista from XP.

I don't see Vista as a particularly viable option because the things that are new in it aren't that big of an improvement over XP and are in low quantities, plus you virtually need state of the art computer in order to gain XP performance.

I also don't see it as relevant/important/viable enough to have over XP when it comes to not just everyday tasks but other aspects as well.

If Microsoft wanted Vista to be a success then they should have lowered the resource requirements first (because most of the UI could have been improved without resorting to insane hardware demands), and introduce A LOT of new features in it that would really put XP to shame.

Alas, they haven't done such a thing and voila.
If they release a SP 2 for Vista that will transform it into an OS worth upgrading to, then I might consider it.
Right now ... not really.

 

[AntonyF]

Can't you just call Microsoft if the authorization doesn't work? I've installed XP several times, most recently onto an entirely new computer after my old one died, and never had any problems.

It activated fine, so I'm very happy.

As for Vista, which I've never used, can't you just keep the 2nd video and audio outputs always on, like an extended desktop? That's how I do it, so when I switch my video receiver to the input my computer outs are plugged into there it appears on my TV. Of course I am using XP.

No, because I need to switch between my second monitor and TV output. This is actually Nvidia's fault rather than MS's. Back on XP I now have their NView software, so I can easily switch between profiles. As to audio, with Vista you have to switch to one sound device or the other. You can't put it out both. I think the belief is the program should choose which sound device to set, but Media Center doesn't even support that. So you have to keep setting the default device every time you want to switch.

What Media Centre are you going to be using in XP? I have XP Pro so I'm looking around for a decent Media Centre program. At the moment I am trying out J.River Media Centre 12, which is Ok but far from what I would like in a program.

I love(d) Meedio, by far the best but now obsolete. You can still download it though. Also a new open source version is available called Meedios.

Both are here:

http://www.meedios.com/

They wouldn't run on Vista, so I can use them now I'm on XP again. Woot.

http://www.team-mediaportal.com/ also has potential, but I've not dug around in it too extensively.

 

[CaptainStoner]

It seems like it's always rough between MS operating systems. I remember a lot of people holding onto Win98 when XP proved to be a hog.
Seems a Vista PC is going to be a different animal than one based in XP - a gig of RAM doesn't have the headroom it once had.
I agree that perhaps a lot of us will skip Vista - there is just such a backlog of technology right now.
Like in weighing going from 939 to AM2+ - the tech isn't that much different, it's just that the better 939 chips are scarce and cost 2-3 times what an AM2 chip costs. An AM2 motherboard has PCIe 2.0, but by the time that bandwidth becomes standard, AM2 will be long gone.

 

[CorporalClegg]

This thread reminds me of This Video.

 

[Venardhi]

I'm not willing to take the performance hit right now to upgrade.

MS needs to hire an office full of guys who spend all day streamlining windows code BEFORE IT COMES OUT. I have no doubt that Vista could run on a much older system just fine if they would just clean it the fuck up. I used 2000 until XP SP2 because XP was a pile of shit at launch (and Me was much the same). Even to this day XP takes up way more resources than it should.

Every time MS talks about a new operating system they talk about offering a bare bones stripped-down version for people who need to make the most of their PCs for games, graphics, etc. and yet every time it seems to vanish like a fart in the wind and out comes the next bloated OS and more plans that will never come to fruition.

 

[Iasius]

By the way, I have a related question:
I receive TV via IPTV. That means I own a router that is connected to both a Media Center X 301 courtesy of my ISP and a network card in my PC.

I don't have a HMDI switch so I have to manually connect my primary monitor (a 22" LCD), that is usually connected via DVI to my computer, to the Media Center thingie with a DVI->HMDI adapter whenever I actually want to watch (German) TV.

Now when I unplug the primary LCD Windows XP switches my primary monitor to my second LCD (a 19" monitor) that is basically permanently connected to my PC and should serve as the second monitor whether I use IPTV or not. Ie it should stay being the 2nd monitor and set up to be to the right of my primary monitor.

I'd like to keep my monitor configuration when I disconnect the 22" LCD though. As it is, every time I unplug or replug that cable from the 22" LCD I have to rearrange my monitor setup. Anyone know how I can keep my setup while unplugging the primary LCD? I guess basically I want to keep Windows XP from automatically noticing that I disconnected the primary LCD.

I have a ATI X1950 Pro graphics card if it's a driver issue ...

 

[AntonyF]

I have a powerful PC, so wasn't worried about system requirements of Vista. It's just damn plain unusable.

I just installed Medio, and it's a joy. Loaded a profile to turn on the TV, and no changes needed for sound. And with Meedio I can -- shock horror, see the entire file name so I know what I'm actually loading!

Ooh, must go see if XP will sleep... Vista used to go into a coma if I put it into sleep.

 

[AntonyF]

Confirmed, it sleeps and wakes up great. No sleep of death.

Vista is officially dead to me now.

 

[AntonyF]

IN YOUR FACE VISTA!

I found the thing I miss most is the search box in the start menu. It's much easier to quickly type what I want than faff around in menus.

Enter ViStart!

http://lee-soft.com/

It offers Vista style start menu in XP. It works extremely well. Of course I can notice a very slight delay in the start menu opening, but the search is lightening fast and works in the same was as Vista.

Also for shits and giggles I installed this:
http://www.crystalxp.net/galerie/en.id.130.htm

It does a very reasonable job of making XP look like Vista. Okay I know it's needless overhead, but my system is fast and I don't think it impacts it too much. So I may just leave this one on.

 

[Galactus]

I wish I had a copy of XP to swith back to. I never bought one. I have to get something Windows for the kids.

 

[Candlelight]

Bring on Vienna...

Incidentally, the builds that were released prior to Microsoft going public with operating systems are legal to download, and don't cost you much iirc.

You might be able to find an early version of XP, or even Neptune, if you're lucky (I have an image file for Neptune but haven't used it yet).

There's also a Longhorn (Vista Beta #1) available for download somewhere, but again not sure of the legality. Unfortunately my favourites got bollocksed yesterday...

 

[jeff lebowski]

I actually think Vista is better than XP.

Once you neuter all the "PC for dummies stuff", it's actually a very powerful OS.

 

[Brolan]

I'm not willing to take the performance hit right now to upgrade.

MS needs to hire an office full of guys who spend all day streamlining windows code BEFORE IT COMES OUT. I have no doubt that Vista could run on a much older system just fine if they would just clean it the fuck up. I used 2000 until XP SP2 because XP was a pile of shit at launch (and Me was much the same). Even to this day XP takes up way more resources than it should.

Every time MS talks about a new operating system they talk about offering a bare bones stripped-down version for people who need to make the most of their PCs for games, graphics, etc. and yet every time it seems to vanish like a fart in the wind and out comes the next bloated OS and more plans that will never come to fruition.

That's because the stripped down version already exists in the various flavors of Linux.

My friend is always pushing Ubuntu Linux install disks my way and it is fun to mess with from time to time.

 

[jeff lebowski]

I'm not willing to take the performance hit right now to upgrade.

MS needs to hire an office full of guys who spend all day streamlining windows code BEFORE IT COMES OUT. I have no doubt that Vista could run on a much older system just fine if they would just clean it the fuck up. I used 2000 until XP SP2 because XP was a pile of shit at launch (and Me was much the same). Even to this day XP takes up way more resources than it should.

Every time MS talks about a new operating system they talk about offering a bare bones stripped-down version for people who need to make the most of their PCs for games, graphics, etc. and yet every time it seems to vanish like a fart in the wind and out comes the next bloated OS and more plans that will never come to fruition.

That's because the stripped down version already exists in the various flavors of Linux.

My friend is always pushing Ubuntu Linux install disks my way and it is fun to mess with from time to time.

Ubuntu is kinda of a resource hog actually.

 

[Brolan]

I'm not willing to take the performance hit right now to upgrade.

MS needs to hire an office full of guys who spend all day streamlining windows code BEFORE IT COMES OUT. I have no doubt that Vista could run on a much older system just fine if they would just clean it the fuck up. I used 2000 until XP SP2 because XP was a pile of shit at launch (and Me was much the same). Even to this day XP takes up way more resources than it should.

Every time MS talks about a new operating system they talk about offering a bare bones stripped-down version for people who need to make the most of their PCs for games, graphics, etc. and yet every time it seems to vanish like a fart in the wind and out comes the next bloated OS and more plans that will never come to fruition.

That's because the stripped down version already exists in the various flavors of Linux.

My friend is always pushing Ubuntu Linux install disks my way and it is fun to mess with from time to time.

Ubuntu is kinda of a resource hog actually.

Really? It runs lightning fast on my aging, but not obsolete, computer.

 

[Venardhi]

Oh, I've messed with various forms of Linux and gone back and forth and dual-booted and all manner of fun, don't get me wrong.

What I want is to not have to. What I want is to be able to use windows for everything, and not be tempted to restart and boot into gentoo for a little extra performance in something. There is no reason for them to not make every damn chunk of windows able to shut down and go the hell away if I have no use for it, either at the moment or just in general.