Vista round 3
 

I'll start off by saying - "What was I thinking?". I bought a Vista machine from Best Buy for the third time. Like the 2 before it, it will be returned. I thought that my needs for this particular computer were so basic, that Vista would work. Nope. I can't use my printers on my home network, I can't open Word.docs e-mailed by clients, Real time chat sessions with my cable provider are not Vista friendly, and Adobe photoshop still won't even load onto the computer despite the large memory spec'd on this unit.

I just can't comprehend how they could produce an operating system this bad. It certainly puts to bed any arguments as to which is better - Mac or Windows. Unfortunately, I just need a cheap travel laptop. The Macbook bottoms out well over a grand. Once again my interim solution is to order a new Dell loaded with XP at half the price of a Macbook. Get 'em while you can I say.

I recently ordered a Dell Latitude with XP. For me Vista was not even an option. Everything works beautifully and I'm quite content with XP.

I think the writing is/has been on the wall. If Dell and other manufacturers are still offering an choice of OSs that says alot.

The key to Vista is the Administrator account.

Photoshop
Install the program as normal. Before starting for the first time, right click on C:Programs/Photoshop.exe - Properties. Under Properties, select the compatability tab. At the bottom is a check box for 'run as administrator' - check it. Close out and double click on the Photoshop.exe file. A security window will open - choose Allow.

All should be fine.

Word
I assume you have Word installed on this computer? Without it the files will not open. Also, Office 2007 has changed. The files are now called .docx. Windows has a download on their site to allow Office 2007 to be compatible with the previous versions.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=941B3470-3AE9-4AEE-8F43-C6BB74CD1466&displaylang=en

If you do not have Word - download OpenOffice.org 2.3 for free software to read Office documents without Office.

Your cable provider needs to get to work and get your chat-line updated. No excuse for the delay. Vista has been in beta for years.

As a user not a programmer, I have never met a Vista roadblock yet that cannot be crossed. Even itunes works with Vista finally - I think Apple delayed the update to make MS look bad and it worked.
But I do understand people's frustrations that a new OS has such a big learning curve.

Mac.

Or go with the Penguin. Either one is awesome.

XP isn't bad, but my next computer will almost certainly be a Mac.

Why in the world would you buy a PC from best buy? I can't imagine it was a good deal...

XP is a very good and stable OS - I haven't even considered changing to Vista. I've downgraded friends computers to XP for them (at their begging requests).

I run Vista at home, but I'm not your average user. As a geek, it works fine for me, and I pretty much can make it do what I need.

There are some quirks and I think the whole security implementation stinks. Also, they moved all of the important control stuff around, which makes it that much harder to deal with.

I do not recommend Vista for non-geeks. Or for guys with broken head studs. ;)

Hmm, Macbooks start (bottom out) at $1099. I'd hardly call that well over a grand.

Can you show me the Dell that is $500 and matches the base MacBook specs?

When I bought my HP desktop last year, it shipped with XP and included a free upgrade to Vista. When I received VIsta and installed it, I found it went smoothly. The only things that went wrong were my doing. I'll agree that some hardware and software were incompatible; but they were old versions that should have been updated anyway. The only complaint I have is that XP had extra features tha aren't present in Vista.

I guess I'm in the minority, I have no problems with Vista.

I appreciate your help. While that might take care of one problem, I still have the network printer issue. The Dell XP unit is already on it's way so I guess I'm going to stick with XP for now and not do any more "learning". Right now I just don't want to fix anything.

I installed Office 2003. It seemed to work, but I couldn't open a Word doc. sent to me today. The client was using XP and Office 2003. I opened it on my desktop no problem.

Again, I appreciate your help. I wasn't so much looking for advice as complaining. I solved the problem by avoidance rather than intellect. :)

The local Apple store only has the $1400 and up Macbooks displayed. I didn't realize There was a "cheaper" option.

As far as comparing specs - Okay, if by specs you mean runs Office 2003, goes on the internet, connects to my home network, and recognizes my printer, for $600, my new Dell will do all the things I want it to do just as well - maybe better - than the Macbook. Anything beyond that is fine print that makes my brain hurt and doesn't factor in my real world usage.

We have argued this many times. That said, Mac OS is getting better and Windows is getting worse - something I think we can both agree on. It's the reason I walked into the Apple store the other day, setting aside my permanent boycott of all things Apple. If I needed something beyond the basics, I would buy a Macbook Pro.

You can find plenty of good Macbooks on ebay and elsewhere for under $1,000.

Actually by specs I meant the hardware which is the basis for a direct cost comparison.

I would never advocate spending $1,000 for a machine when a $500 box will suffice for the application for which it is being deployed.

It's simply not fair to imply the Dell with a lower hardware spec is half the price of an Apple or even another Dell with a higher hardware spec.

You are in the business so people take stock in what you say.SmileWavy

:D I'm not in "the" business as much as in business. Either way, no one listens to me anyway.:)

What was that, Bob? ;)

Let me attempt to help. Apples are the best computer ever invented. They are more functional, more reliable and faster than any of their competition, and they do it at a comparable price.


The entire world is too stupid to get it. Only the 3 or 4% most intelligent humans have figured this out.

Vista is the MotorMeister of the computer world.

I'm reporting this post as a personal attack.

SmileWavy

Debatable


They run more native OS's so yes, more functional.


"The fastest Windows Vista notebook we've tested this year (through 10/25/07) is a Mac. Try that again: The fastest Windows Vista notebook we've tested this year--or for that matter, ever--is a Mac. Not a Dell, not a Toshiba, not even an Alienware. The $2419 (plus the price of a copy of Windows Vista, of course) MacBook Pro's PC WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 88 beats Gateway's E-265M by a single point, but the MacBook's score is far more impressive simply because Apple couldn't care less whether you run Windows."

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136649-page,3-c,notebooks/article.html

Same article has comparative PC laptops in the same price range and also north of $3k.

Thanks for the compliment.

Is it hard being that much smarter than everybody?