Vista gaming will be 10 to 15% slower than XP

[alanschu]

How exactly did Microsoft alter read only media to be uninstallable? Or did you have to validate it online?

 

Also, what version of Microsoft Works was it? I didn't know they still made Microsoft Works, but rather referred to it as Microsoft Office.

[Gorth]

How exactly did Microsoft alter read only media to be uninstallable?  Or did you have to validate it online?

 

Also, what version of Microsoft Works was it?  I didn't know they still made Microsoft Works, but rather referred to it as Microsoft Office.

Didn't some of that old software come on floppy disks? It could have refused to install if the disk had had it's read/write tap covered (i.e. read-only). Just guessing though, never had a MS Works.

[roshan]

Microsoft Works is like a crap version of office. Dell laptops have it preinstalled so the stuff is still around.

Edited October 14, 2006 by roshan

[metadigital]

I have MS Works, it is a proprietary Office-type suite of packages (though it also contains Word); can't say I've ever tried to install it more than once and only kept it on my old (Dell) laptop because it came pre-installed and I installed Office on top (and I feared that uninstalling Works would clobber Word).

[alanschu]

I know what Microsoft Works is. How is it different than Office though, which is a suite of packages that includes Word as well.

 

It's been a while since I used Works (High School). I vaguely remember some drawing programs...or maybe that was ClarisWorks for the Mac.

[Surreptishus]

Works: Word, a stripped down spreadsheet app and a stripped down database app. The latter two's file formats aren't fully compatible with Excel and Access and vice versa IIRC. Works might also include some other stuff like a roadmap or Atlas. It usually depends where you buy your PC.

[metadigital]

Yeah, the main beef I had with Works is that it was different and gimped and incompatible with Office. Don't confuse it with any of the many other "Works" suites, like AppleWorks, etc.

[mkreku]

A few tidbits about Windows Vista and DRM:

 

A Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection:

http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.html

 

Microsoft explains DRM in Vista:

http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsv...nd-answers.aspx

 

 

 

Scary.

[Wistrik]

I have always waited two or more years before I decided to 'upgrade' Windows. This allowed me to 'miss out' on Windows prior to 3.1, and Windows ME, and usually gets me into a newer version of the OS sometime after SP2 (or its equivalent) has been released. I ran 98SE until autumn of 2004 when I got a new computer, but by then I had time to compare flavors of XP so I knew what I was getting in to.

 

Most of the hubbub seems to be centered on commercial media, which doesn't concern me one bit. I play movies and CDs on my standalone DVD player, and use the computer for games, programming, documentation, and so on. I have a 'lousy' 32" TV with s-video hookup to the DVD player, and it produces very nice images. I don't care as much about high resolution in movies as I do in computer games, where I'm typically sitting much closer to the screen.

 

It will be interesting to read the reviews, blogs, etc., that are produced in the months and years to come. Perhaps I'll skip Vista too, or maybe Linux will grow up enough that I'll decide to make the switch. Mac? No, not now that they've switched to using Intel chips.

 

I had to chuckle at Nick White's "About" line at the bottom of the Microsoft article. Not only is he young and inexperienced, but typically arrogant as well. He describes his job and assumes the reader must be jealous. No thanks, I'll take my job over his any day.

[Hurlshort]

I use SP1, and have no problems whatsoever because of it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

SP2 is pretty awesome, actually. The first time I tried to install it, I had to reformat my hard drive, but after they worked the bugs out it installed easily. It makes network setup a complete breeze, and I've had better connectivity to my wireless router for some reason. I'd highly recommend you upgrade to SP2 ASAP.

[Dark Moth]

Well this is all a real letdown. I was holding out on buying Windows XP for my Macintosh simply because Vista was coming out so soon. Seems I may have to rethink my strategy now...

[Pidesco]

I usually only upgrade my OS when I'm forced to do it.

 

For example, I only left Win98 SE when it stopped me from connecting to a network at a LAN party.

[metadigital]

So if you design a new security system, you can't get it supported in Windows Vista until well-known computer security experts like MGM, 20th Century-Fox, and Disney give you the go-ahead (this gives a whole new meaning to the term "Mickey-Mouse security"). It's absolutely astonishing to find paragraphs like this in what are supposed to be Windows technical documents, since it gives Hollywood studios veto rights over Windows security mechanisms.

That sounds completely ludicrous.

The document reveals that movie studios will have explicit veto power over what is included in some parts of Vista. For example, pages 22-24 describe the

[Diamond]

A further example of external meddling in hardware vendors' product development and distribution can be found in the document that specifies what happens when a product is compromised in some way even though it's previously been found to be fully compliant with the robustness requirements:

"Company shall promptly redesign the affected product [...] if such redesign is not possible or practical, cease manufacturing and selling such product"

That is not going to work: sooner or later manufacturers are going to start looking elsewhere for an OS ... until this, I didn't think Linux would have a chance as an alternative OS for the mainstream industry ...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

More likely Apple will seize on the opportunity.

[metadigital]

Well, OSX is just Apple's GUI on a Linux distro.

 

But I agree, Apple must be licking their lips here.

 

I was thinking more about the countries around the world who aren't particularly happy about having their infrastructure run by a US company (Microsoft).

[Surreptishus]

What would prompt game developers to start producing games for Linux or Macs en masse?

[Gfted1]

Only a mass exodus of Windows users.

[Gorth]

What would prompt game developers to start producing games for Linux or Macs en masse?

A Mac or Linux game console?

 

It's not like you can get them to produce games for pc's en masse anymore.

 

That being said, I think I'll go out and buy myself an extra Windows XP Pro next payday for my current WIP computer. Better grab them while they are still there. I'll wait a few years before seriously considering Vista.

[metadigital]

What would prompt game developers to start producing games for Linux or Macs en masse?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Only a mass exodus of Windows users.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, it would only be from market forces.

 

My observation was that Microsoft are leveraging their hegemony to create this wholly-owned digital delivery channel (I agree with Gutman's conclusion).

 

This may be a brilliant strategic manu

[mkreku]

The Playstation 3 unfortunately does not allow secondary OS's to interact directly with its GPU. The Playstation 3 itself uses some kind of custom libraries (PSGL) for rendering, which is based on OpenGL ES 1.0 and some Nvidia shader libraries combined.

[Dark Moth]

Proof that Windows Vista did NOT copy off of Mac OS X!

 

[karka]

The real proof:

 

[Dark Moth]

Yeah, I saw that. He uses 3 examples (compared with what, 6 in the other video?) The Longhorn screen shot showed no gadgets. As for time machine, such an ability was already available in previous Mac systems, but the Time Machine reworked it and made it easier. Copying a basic concept is one thing, but Microsoft made things that were virtual duplicates of the examples shown in OS X! He also conveniently ignores the fact that Apple has a lot shorter of an release cycle than Microsoft.

Edited January 24, 2007 by Dark Moth

[alanschu]

Oh god please don't tell me you are Psychomoth....

[Kaftan Barlast]

We tried to watch a DivX film on a friends computer the other day and Vista made it all pixelated, like a VGA-effect. My friend claimed it was due to the ATI drivers but I havent seen anything like it before, and Vista has an image-degradation as part of its many DRM schemes