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Windows Vista Ultimate with SP1 Review (continued)
More User Submitted Windows Vista Ultimate with SP1 Reviews
Date: 2008-06-19
Very high cool factor, lots of nice xtras
I installed VISTA with the upgrade option. While it was relatively straightforward to install (loved the fact it installed off of one DVD rather than 5-8 discs), it still took 5 hours (not counting the 5 hours it took to wrestle the disc out of the packaging :) To make upgrade run more smoothly, I moved my data files to another drive to make room for VISTA on the C drive.
I really love VISTA. I love the added security (the parental controls in particular) and back-up features, I actually like user authentication, I like the little bells and whistles (I am very attached to my wonderful sidebar, and the Windows Media Center is pretty cool and intuitive to use), but mostly I just like the way it looks -- I'm a very visual person, and I love Aero, and the way things fade in and out, the new colors, everything.
Perhaps I could have gotten by with the HomePremium version rather than Ultimate, but Ultimate does have extra security and back-up features which I appreciate.
I've been using VISTA for about two months, and I'm sure I've just barely scratched the surface of what VISTA is capable of, but overall my impression is highly favorable, and I haven't had any weird problems or quirky computer behavior as a result of my upgrade.
Date: 2008-06-19
Whole New Vistas! ("Vista" Meaning "View")
I wish I had the technological prowess to go into the minute details of a system like this. I've had Windows Vista for about a month, now, and although I've tried to give it a thorough working over, I'm sure there are many features and aspects I've yet to examine. Or even discover. If you're of above average proficiency with computers and OS's in general, I'm sure you've probably found plenty of information to keep you occupied in trade journals, consumer watchdog websites, and other, much more technically elegant reviews on this very page.
However, if you have what might be called a working knowledge of your computer, and only limited necessity for its functions, then we have something in common. And here's the best I can tell you:
It's called "Vista" for a reason. It looks beautiful. The DreamScene Destop program, which loops gorgeous running footage as a desktop, always elicits "oohs" from visitors who catch a glimpse (the program, however, crashes from time to time). The special aero "glass" window design is certainly eye-catching. The side-bar gizmos, the slick media/gaming options, and the clever functionality of the system as a whole, it is all just very gorgeous stuff.
Aside from its notorious ability to chew up memory, and its buggy incompatibility with some programs (it really hates my Roxio Media Suite), there's not much that I've found to complain about. A common complaint is the Administrative Warnings that pop up for even the most common of tasks (I found it humorous that I have to click "yes" to three "are you sure?" buffers in order to change a file name on the hard drive, but when I click "shut down," the thing turns itself off in two seconds; I am far more likely to accidentally shut down my computer than I am to mistitle a file). This nuisance is easily remedied, as are many of the other security fences that may or may not get in the way of your average consumer interface.
However, in spite of its handsome facelift, Windows' new OS offers very little that seems of much use to your Average Joe/Jane consumer. At least, to this Average Joe. For instance, the three-D multi-page scrolling function seems specifically designed for no other reason than to impress your friends. It is hardly any more or less easier than to simply find and click on the program/page you want at the bottom of the screen.
I'm glad I have Windows Vista, because it's sexy, like me. But unfortunately, it doesn't stand out in many other ways. Like me, as well.
Date: 2008-06-17
good stuff for newer hardware
Microsoft Vista is not unlike XP when it 1st came out; everyone wanted to stay with windows 98 or 2000; XP wasn't kind to older hardware; due to it's design, some really old games and such wouldn't run; it needs more memory - it needs more this and that ... Vista is as revolutionary as XP was in its day; Vista's enhancements are in the security arena ; the most boring part of the system. I would strongly recommend it for new pc purchases ; look - you need to embrace change - it's our only constant. Vista does a lot of good for security; some good for graphics, and is a paver stone for the future. Give it a honest try - you'll love it on new hardware!
Date: 2008-06-13
Vista is poor
I see very little improvement over XP. Microsoft rushed this product and the quanity of updates proves it. It's not worth the 300 bucks it costs and you're going to have even more problems than you had with XP - just different ones. A prime example of " not ready for prime time".
Date: 2008-06-12
If it ain't broke...
Windows Vista Ultimate with Service Pack 1 is the OS that Microsoft created for people who want to work and play on the same machine using Windows based software. Games take up a lot of memory and space and cause a lot of crashes, and Vista is supposed to have addressed this.
The first issue is whether or not to install over your existing OS - which I won't. I have an external hard drive where I do a backup - or a copy - of my hard drive in case I a.) don't like Vista or b.) lose my data and need something. Then I wiped my internal drive and installed Vista clean.
I use a lot of Microsoft Office functions and media & entertainment software, not to mention surf the internet and shop online, so the anti-theft and safeguard features were big pluses for me. I liked the back-up and restore once I got it installed, too. But I found that beyond the gloss, there weren't a lot of big differences from XP. It used a lot more memory and resources to run, which is one major reason a clean install works best.
The best advice I can recommend is that if is isn't broken, don't fix it. If your computer is running on its OS without problems, then don't upgrade. If you need something new, start over and just get a new unit with Vista already installed, so that you won't have any previous data to complicate the installation.
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