Originally Posted by
SgtMac2
ok. i got vista on my laptop which i have had for 5 months now. decided to try it and see what really a gwaan with this vista thing. besides, i could spot the problems that vista brings so that when customers call me, i have a frame of reference to work with.
ok, so this is Vista on a Toshiba Satellite A135 -Sxxxx with 512mb ram, 80gb HDD 1.73ghz dual core, wireless, bla bla bla. straight from the factory, should just work right out the box.
512mb of ram makes start up and shut down major events. everything takes forever. ok fine. upgrade by 1gb of corsair memory. so now i am running at 1.5gb minus whatever shared memory for video. startup and shutdown are now faster.
Wireless access is a big part of the laptop deal for me, being a connected netizen wherever you happen to be. i noticed vista has this cute trick. it appears to try to store every network connection for future reference (home, office, public location, etc) and if you happen to run ipconfig in dos, it lists all the various connections. i do not know why it does that... but it does. the annoying part comes where the vista cannot connect to the existing wireless connection, but everyone else can. you check dos and dos sees the connection just fine, but vista does not and proceeds to make all sorts of suggestions as to what you should try to make it happen for you. very annoying. XP gives no problems in this regard. if there is wireless, XP connects. simple. it doesnt need to know who you are and where you are from, if it can connect, it will.
then there is the matter of software. yes, i am talking about drivers. i know vista is new(ish). why exactly should i be inconvenienced for that? imagine downloading software to help a customer and at the end of the massive download, the install program initiates just long enough to inform you that the OS you are using is not supported. so my laptop as a tool of business is made less efficient by vista. thats just one example, but it has happened in many instances. Nero anyone?
i quail whenever someone asks me to order a laptop for them. why? laptops come with vista now. you are no longer given a choice of OS or a blank hardrive from most retailers. Vista is your choice. period. and what happens if you decide to DIY and go back to XP? ok, lets see.
i decided i had had enough when my machine would pick and choose what networks it would connect to. (wouldnt work on my friends home or office networks for love or money, try as we might to get it to behave)so i decided to format and go xp. a quick search of Toshiba's support site show 2 drivers for my laptop in XP. the dvd software and the trackpad. cute. so no drivers from the manufacturer. cuter still.
i format anyways and try to get the drivers one by one from the manufacturers of the individual components. that journey i will refer to as Hell Week. if there was a problem, i experienced it. during that time i was crawling the web seeking drivers and learning from people and forums who shared my dilemma. what i learned is
1. lots of consumers are dissatisfied with Vista.
2. Most manufacturers are not supporting XP, in effect forcing you to go Vista.
3. there is strength in numbers and if you are diligent, you can get what you want for your money.
i had to format again after finding a proper set of drivers online. since then i have been installing my programs one by one, and monitoring the system to ensure that none of the programs cause problems. so far all is well. my wireless works flawlessly. if there is a network, it connects. simple as that. the wired and wireless networks that Vista was unable to connect to are embraced by xp.
my now XP machine is very grateful for the 1.5gb of memory and startup and shutdown are quick and painless affairs, as they should be.
All my programs run. ALL of them. i have ZERO (0) driver issues or conflicts. i have a working laptop and since thats what i paid for, i am happy.
you know what the latest thing is now? ppl go to pc stores and buy a laptop(with vista) and XP CD on the spot and have the tech format and install right there. the reason it happens is because if you are gonna use the laptop for work or school, most of the programs in use now are for XP, not Vista.
i delivered an HP laptop to a customer on monday. he has home wireless and he is very happy. i am counting the days til he calls me fed up with vista and i format and return him to xp. the wireless issues have already started.
i am not a MS hater. i use windows XP. i was a great fan of Windows ME. also win2k, 95 and 98. there are things i like about vista, but the reason we use windows is for convenience. Vista will be convenient one day i am sure. today aint that day.