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Lindsey
March 11th, 2008, 06:17 PM
Interesting feature in the NY Times a few days ago:

Here’s one story of a Vista upgrade early last year that did not go well. Jon, let’s call him, (bear with me — I’ll reveal his full identity later) upgrades two XP machines to Vista. Then he discovers that his printer, regular scanner and film scanner lack Vista drivers. He has to stick with XP on one machine just so he can continue to use the peripherals.

Did Jon simply have bad luck? Apparently not. When another person, Steven, hears about Jon’s woes, he says drivers are missing in every category — “this is the same across the whole ecosystem.”

Then there’s Mike, who buys a laptop that has a reassuring “Windows Vista Capable” logo affixed. He thinks that he will be able to run Vista in all of its glory, as well as favorite Microsoft programs like Movie Maker. His report: “I personally got burned.” His new laptop — logo or no logo — lacks the necessary graphics chip and can run neither his favorite video-editing software nor anything but a hobbled version of Vista. “I now have a $2,100 e-mail machine,” he says.

It turns out that Mike is clearly not a naďf. He’s Mike Nash, a Microsoft vice president who oversees Windows product management. And Jon, who is dismayed to learn that the drivers he needs don’t exist? That’s Jon A. Shirley, a Microsoft board member and former president and chief operating officer. And Steven, who reports that missing drivers are anything but exceptional, is in a good position to know: he’s Steven Sinofsky, the company’s senior vice president responsible for Windows.

Well worth reading (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/business/09digi.html?ei=5087&em=&en=89901eb2917ab280&ex=1205380800&pagewanted=print).

A class action suit was certified against Microsoft last month contending that the "Vista Capable" stickers Microsoft allowed to be attached to underpowered machines were deliberately misleading. Kick back and enjoy a cup of schadenfreude.

--Lindsey

Judy G. Russell
March 11th, 2008, 07:53 PM
Interesting feature in the NY Times a few days ago... A class action suit was certified against Microsoft last month contending that the "Vista Capable" stickers Microsoft allowed to be attached to underpowered machines were deliberately misleading. Kick back and enjoy a cup of schadenfreude.I read that only hours after having my favorite computer shop say never never never go with Vista until I have no choice whatsoever!

Lindsey
March 11th, 2008, 11:15 PM
I read that only hours after having my favorite computer shop say never never never go with Vista until I have no choice whatsoever!
Sounds like your favorite computer shop was right on the money!

--Lindsey

Judy G. Russell
March 12th, 2008, 10:35 AM
Sounds like your favorite computer shop was right on the money!They always are. This is the shop Frank and I both think so highly of, and they're just terrific.

Guerri Stevens
March 12th, 2008, 11:10 AM
I read that only hours after having my favorite computer shop say never never never go with Vista until I have no choice whatsoever!My usual attitude to operating systems is that a newer one never becomes desirable until it's about to be obsolete. Thus, XP is now desirable (well, it became desirable as soon as Vista was introduced). I still yearn for the days of DOS: simple, uncluttered, didn't get in your way.

I am stuck with Vista, although I suppose I could return my machine. I have read a few messages on CompuServe's Laptop Computing forum (http://tinyurl.com/2ses3c and I hope that's right). People would say they'd bought a machine with Vista and want to install XP instead. The answers are that they will be lucky to find XP drivers for all the equipment, that the computer's manufacturer will not help them with this, and finally, if they want a machine with XP, take back the Vista machine and get one with XP.

dgermann
March 12th, 2008, 12:52 PM
Guerri--

Never be stuck. Go with Ubuntu. ;)

ndebord
March 13th, 2008, 03:55 PM
My usual attitude to operating systems is that a newer one never becomes desirable until it's about to be obsolete. Thus, XP is now desirable (well, it became desirable as soon as Vista was introduced). I still yearn for the days of DOS: simple, uncluttered, didn't get in your way.

I am stuck with Vista, although I suppose I could return my machine. I have read a few messages on CompuServe's Laptop Computing forum (http://tinyurl.com/2ses3c and I hope that's right). People would say they'd bought a machine with Vista and want to install XP instead. The answers are that they will be lucky to find XP drivers for all the equipment, that the computer's manufacturer will not help them with this, and finally, if they want a machine with XP, take back the Vista machine and get one with XP.

Guerri,

Run, don't walk back to the dealer and tell him you are joining the class action suit against MS for false advertising. Repeat endlessly the refrain that your peripherals don't work with this Vista machine and that you are considering including them (fill in the blank) in a lawsuit. Ask if they can replace (at their cost) Vista with XP Pro on your machine if they refuse to take it back. Make a scene if necessary. You will not be the first person they've had to deal with who is unhappy with their Vista machines.