New Vista laptop. So far, I'm surprised.

But not a whole lot of applications are compatible with x64.

 

After exploring the features for a while, things are quite easy to find in Windows Vista. In fact, I like the organization of the control panel in Vista.

I don't use the start menu search that often, but an average user will find it really helpful (especially those that are not organized).

Sidebar is useless for me.

About the only thing I dislike about Vista (really, Windows in general) is the registry and incomplete uninstallation of applications.

 

But the Vista registry is better at self maintenance than any of the other windows versions. Vista seldom if ever needs to be defragged. Over all an excellent OS. Been useing it for a couple of years or so and I would never go back to XP.

 

I'm just now getting deeper into Vista. This week has been play and learn. I haven't found the registry, or figured out how to uninstall a program. No need to know where either is right now.

Vista has a great Help file, or the couple of things I looked up were quite well explained. Vista is pretty user friendly. My wife is actually finding things faster than me, which surprised me but she's been loading more stuff on hers and putting it into this or that file.

 

Chuck, there are two ways to get to where you uninstall programs. First is in Control Panel under Programs and Features. The second (which I use most of) is to double click on Computer on the desktop (if you put one there) and in the blue bar under the address bar you will see some options, one of which is Uninstall or Change a Program.

To bring up Regedit quickly, just type it into the search bar. However it is no different from XP's version so nothing new to learn there. The Search bar is my favorite feature in Vista. No more hunting around menus to find anything anymore.

If your wife keeps up she will be a Vista Guru soon

 

My wife took to it immediately. While I hunted for things, she was already using it. She's way ahead of me.

Thanks for the info on regedit and uninstall. I found both without a problem. That search bar will be well used.

 

While thats true in some cases i've been quite surprised at how much software does work just fine. I haven't always been able to use my favourite software but i've been able to find working replacements for most of it.

 

A few tips :-

- In Vista, try and use the search box built into the start menu as well as every explorer window, control panel etc. Its a lot easier to type a few letters than digging through menus.

- Office 2007 has an addin to let you find what you want. It was an internal tool but is now public and I find it incredibly useful. http://www.officelabs.com/projects/searchcommands/Pages/default.aspx

- Did your laptops come with Vista SP1? If not you should install it, it fixes a lot of problems.

- Install Windiws Search 4.0 if you haven't done so. Both SP1 and WDS 4 should be in Widnows update.

- I would also recommend following Ed bott's guide for Vista - google 'ed bott vista tips' and http://computerhelpers.wordpress.com/2008/06/08/fixing-windows-vista-advice-from-ed-bott/. They are both no-nonsense and do not contain the many wrong hacks and registry tweaks floating around.

 

Apart from HIPS due to patchguard issues, every old and new x32 programs I have thrown at x64 XP and Vista have worked and worked well. Windows implements WoW which is an emulation layer and it makes it a breeze to run x32 programs under x64.

 

Speed:
I can't really directly compare XP to Vista, because I always had them on different computers.
VISTA is lightning fast on a 2.8 GHz dual-cre with 4 Gigs of RAM.
I also have everything set for "optimize for performance", with all the AERO graphics off.

I have another user account set up for myself with the full AERO graphcs on, and it does look very cool and doesn't slow things down noticeably.

 

Interesting to hear how people who are actually using Vista on a daily basis are finding it. As many have said it took a lot of bashing early on, some no doubt justified, but a lot I think just recycled by people who nevr took the time to try it.
For me personally it's not fully compatible with the software I use the most so I stay with XP and will possibly skip Vista all together depending on what the next windows is like and when it surfaces. XP is tried and tested and works fine, that's all I really need, but it's good to see folks finding Vista works well for them. My sister bought a Vista laptop a few months back and afaik is very happy with it.

 

Are games compatible too? If 32-bit applications run as well as they do in Vista 32-bit, then that is really awesome! However, not being able to run HIPS is a show-stopper for me. I don't use real-time scanners anymore, so HIPS is my only choice.

 

Most games work fine, Call of Duty etc, although I am not a gamer, this is the feedback I get from my younger friends who do games on x64 Vista. You don't need HIPS as patch guard with DEP and UAC blocks all, since Defender is pre-installed, just join Sprynet under the Defender options and you have a full time HIPS for free.

 

These laptops came with Windows Defender. It's turned off since we got McAfee SS. Had I known about Defender I'd have passed on the McAfee.

No complaints about McAfee. I ran a scan out of curiosity and opened Word and surfed the Internet at the same time with only a slight slowdown. That's about as much as this computer will ever have to do. Still, had I known about WD, I could have saved a few bucks on the 2 laptops by not getting McAfee. Water under the bridge now, so no sense in whining.

I don't know about games. As for older software, my wife has loaded quite a few of her very old, like only compatible to Win ME or 2000 paint and graphics type programs on her machine. Every one runs well, and so far all facets of them seem to work. Some are pretty RAM and graphics heavy.

I'm still thinking about my MS Flight Simulator 2004. Haven't tried it yet. That's about as close to gaming I get, and I'd never dare call FS a game.

 

If you find a program that won't run (or install correctly) under Vista, and it is not a "close-to-the-metal" utility type program, you can usually run in it compatibility mode. I have not found any of the programs I have that need that, though.

 

First Vista problem, but not a stability problem.

My wife is doing some writing for a site. Last night she finished an article. Today, she opened the site, went into controls, and tried to put her article on the site. She has permission, of course. The site owners gave her the controls to do this.

Vista wouldn't let her paste the article that she wrote. A box, saying something about it being illegal to Copy things off the Internet (according to her. I didn't see it)appeared. In any case, it wouldn't let her paste her article. She's emailing it to the site's owners, but is a bit ... umm ... perturbed.

 

I have my doubts about that being Vista telling her that.

 

There is a difference. Please see https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=1284309&postcount=25.

 

I don't know, as I said. I didn't see the warning that popped up. She said it was from Vista. Hopefully, she'll try again and if it happens, I'll be in the room and quick enough to tell her to leave it until I see it.

 

But i guess that 32 bit app. can't take advantage of the 64 bit such as extended memory allocation. To have full blown use of it,you have to have 64 bit applications.I'l wait until adobe throw out x64 PS.

PS in regard to memory sucks,complains all over the place,never found a tweak that was really helpfull.

 

So refreshing to read so many positive experiences about Vista. I think Vista is the best Windows so far, visually appealing, very safe compared to XP to the extent that its own default security is enough if one uses it with Firefox or Opera.

As far as laptops are concerned, they have become my desktops. I can't see any point (even from a design perspective) to buy a traditional desktop. I have 2 GB of memory on my Vista laptop, and even with Photoshop and a few more programs it never goes over 1 GB.

 

I agree with you. Now, everyone should make it standard to have interchangeable graphics card. There's only a handful of laptops out there that have the ability to swap graphics card.

 

I've noticed that, as the days pass, I'm using the desktop less and less. My wife hasn't turned hers on at all since moving files over to the laptop a couple of days ago. The laptop is much more convenient and portable. Plus, with a wireless router, we can set them up anywhere and either work, surf, or both. I'm sitting in my favorite easy chair, alternately typing away on a project and goofing off online. She's on the back porch talking via instant messenger with friends we have in Virginia.

This post didn't have much to say about Vista, but I figure it's my thread.

 

My last desktop PC was a Compaq Presario 7234. I've been using laptops exclusively since then. I'm on my 4th or 5th laptop now.

 

Chuck57,

The warning is not from Vista, it's because the web site has the code embedded in the page to keep people from copying content. You see this type of thing a lot at college web sites during online test taking (i.e., it prevents students from copying the tests, although you can still take screen shots).