!VISTA ALERT!

Microsoft’s much ballyhooed release of the VISTA Operating System has come up against a wall of problems. From its delayed release (which in Micro-speak is normal procedure) last January through the early months of summer, there have been so many complaints about Vista that even Microsoft has decided to stop pretending everything is fine. They have extended the sales of the ancient XP into June of 2008. If you have built a better mouse-trap you don’t keep selling the old mouse trap. So what does this all mean? Why should you or anyone care?
Well, here is the gist. If you or someone in your family is planning on buying a new computer this week, this month, this fall odds are you will end up with Vista OS on your new machine. There are compatibility problems. Translation = your old printer, DVD player/recorder, scanner to name but a few may not have drivers available for Vista which means you cannot use them until Vista’s next upgrade called Service Pack 1 SP1. Some items will not work even then. Certain programmes will not work or run on Vista without a.) complicated upgrades/downloads b.) endless hours on the phone with tech support in Bangladesh-India and beyond.
Since January, I have had any number of requests from clients with brand new machines, often with premium razzle-dazzle specifications (a heck of a lot of money for stuff you’ll never use), complaining that their faithful printer, scanner or what-ever peripheral no longer works. DELL which pushed VISTA and a bunch of extras on a number of unsuspecting clients eventually decided to relent around late spring and told those who bought their machines with VISTA Upgrades, to revert to XP. Why? Often even brand new DELL Printers would not work with the brand new VISTA OS on brand new DELL computers.
When a major computer company’s tech department tells you that the solution to your tech problem is to get rid of the new operating system so its own equipment will run, you know things have gotten a bit out of hand. I have advised all my friends, relatives, clients and most people I do not seriously dislike NOT to buy a VISTA upgrade or a new computer with VISTA pre-installed. Why? Experience from almost 20 years with Microsoft’s concepts of new operating systems, especially in the past 12 years. ‘New’ since the new Windows and Windows 95 operating systems has come to mean, not quite ready for prime-time. VISTA brings back post-traumatic flash backs of once useful software, hardware suddenly rendered seemingly useless.
Though eventually all the hype and hyperbole about VISTA will die down and Microsoft will provide the necessary fixes, repair bugs and solve/resolve hardware compatibility problems, and VISTA will be a decent OS solution, that time has NOT arrived.
From two particularly egregious examples in the past week of little or no service from the OEM (computer speak for the company that sold you the computer, i.e., Toshiba, DELL, ACER etc.) and confusing information from Microsoft itself, I felt compelled to ask our fearless leader/editor/publisher for some emergency space in our on-line version of the Daily Bulldog.
I strongly recommend that if you are planning on buying a new PC computer that comes with VISTA preinstalled, WAIT. If you absolutely need the new computer now and between the Holidays make sure it is VISTA ready but buy it with XP installed with a VISTA upgrade included in the price. I have seen and tested the beta version of SP1 for VISTA and it resolves some but certainly not all issues, but even that is not yet available for the general public. Beta in computer-speak means test product. So, the final version will not be available for download until sometime early in 2008. Notice the qualifier I used, ‘sometime’. The original time frame for a Service Pack 1 release for VISTA was October/November, that is not going to happen.
Eventually VISTA will actually run well on most of the new machines and to be fair there are improved and long over-due security improvements and some other useful features. It is potentially more stable and has other nice features. BUT, I emphasise that time is not now.
THE SOLUTION:
If you are going to buy a machine between now and the year end Holidays here is what I recommend. Make sure the computer has at least 2 GB (Giga-bits) of RAM memory, a multi-core 64-bit processor from AMD or Intel with a clock speed of 1.8 GHz (gigahertz) or better, a separate video card with at least 128 MB (mega-bits) preferably 256 MB and DVD Super/Multi-Drive + CD-Writer.
This is more than enough computer for the foreseeable future. It will run RAM and graphic hungry VISTA programmes well and efficiently. It will run future software efficiently as well as your favourite old stand-bys. If you must buy VISTA, buy the Ultimate or Business version because they come with a free Vista-to-XP downgrade direct from Microsoft. That is right folks you read it correctly. Microsoft offers ‘official’ downgrades to XP ‘free of charge’ but only with their high end versions. Since XP sales have been extended until June of 2008 by Microsoft – the closest to an admission that VISTA was released before it was ready you will ever see from Microsoft – I would recommend you stick with XP until then.
If you do not absolutely need to upgrade your current machines, wait until around July of 2008. You will spend much less money for your new computer, since cutting edge in October 2007 will be ho-hum by July of 2008. The bugs, plagues and hassles in VISTA will be worked out by then and most likely you will have a reasonably hassle free transfer.
A Special Note for dial-up Internet users: If you have dial-up Internet services definitely WAIT before you buy VISTA. Even without the litany of complaints outlined, your phone line will be in near constant use connected – if you are lucky - with a near steady stream of up-dates that will take up and waste endless hours of your time. A friend recently spent an entire day from 9 in the morning until 11pm at night to do a ‘regular’ VISTA up-date. Enough said.

In the meantime, unless you are directly and immediately related to Bill Gates, or Michael DELL or the Hewlett and/or Packard families or have relatives with lots of Toshiba/Lenovo stock, or simply have too much extra cash lying around, save yourself endless hours of frustration, angst and fury – WAIT before you buy a XP to VISTA upgrade.
If you absolutely must have that new machine, then follow the guidelines and suggestions above. You will be very glad you did. For those of you who have written and called and messaged me about your problems with VISTA, I am trying to get Microsoft to extend their VISTA-to-XP downgrade to the more humble VISTA Home Premium, but do not hold your breath. I will do my best to provide work-arounds but I cannot guarantee I can resolve all your issues.
For the happier souls who have not bought a VISTA OS machine, you may feel like you are behind the crest of the tech wave, but I assure you, your lives will be easier and less complicated and you will end up with the best of the best of technology, to wit; Technology that works at an affordable price.

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