MSP* and Vista

[neonbob]

I run Vista on my video editing machine, its a good machine, but by no means cutting edge anymore, being 3ghz P4, 2gb ram, 128mb video card. In fact I could do with upgrading the video card to make use of gpu functionality in some of the latest media products, as these tend to need 256mb or more.

If you're running video editors, then vista is the LAST thing you should be using.

Tom's Hardware did benchmarks and the video editing world to a rather huge hit in terms of speed. I was thinking about vista until I saw this:

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/01/29/xp-vs-vista/

[skier-hughes]

Well real life doesn't seem to have made any difference that I can say I have noticed, but I am doing some testing of an actual project I'm doing for a customer to see if I can find a difference.

I've been using Vista for some time, being a Microsoft MVP means I've had it since early beta versions for checking media components.

[htchien]

That reminds me the first Xeon processor benchmark with Pentium 4 on 32 bit Windows.

Now softwares are not been optimized for Vista yet. Maybe one year later the situation will be changed (and everyone might be using a new and faster system for Vista at that time so you will not notice the difference....)

H.T.

[neonbob]

Now softwares are not been optimized for Vista yet. Maybe one year later the situation will be changed (and everyone might be using a new and faster system for Vista at that time so you will not notice the difference....)

H.T.

I suspect you're right.... but for the moment.... YYYUUUKKK!!

[sjj1805]

I see you have some fairly large hard drives.
If you want Vista but are having problems using MSP with it, why not set up a Dual Boot System.

Here's how I set up my multi-boot systems, somewhat different to the traditional method but in my opinion has several advantages to the traditional method.
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... 7194#57194

Now you can have Vista on one hard drive and XP on another.

[neonbob]

I see you have some fairly large hard drives.
If you want Vista but are having problems using MSP with it, why not set up a Dual Boot System.

Here's how I set up my multi-boot systems, somewhat different to the traditional method but in my opinion has several advantages to the traditional method.
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... 7194#57194

Now you can have Vista on one hard drive and XP on another.

Yeah.... I'm toying wiht the idea of picking up vista tomorrow and running dual boot. Apperently there is a bit of an "OOPS" in these first versions of vista upgrade that will allow you to treat them as full version disks. So if you get vista now you can save yourself a few bucks in the long run.

Here's the link if anybody's interested:

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=5932

[zook]

Of course you could pick up a full oem version for 65 quid. As long as you've got a spare drive, if you put the dvd in under your old o/s vista will sort the dual boot out for you automatically.

Am alittle cheesed off though that from a company that talks the talk:

"At Ulead, we have been following the development of Windows Vista from the days when it was called Longhorn. We are actively engaged in the Microsoft Windows Vista Certification Program."

MSP8.0 is still the only app out of many I have that wont run!

[Terry Stetler]

More "good" news about Vista, this time from ComputerWorld. Basically it sounds like we'll need body armor when upgrading

ComputerWorld article...

Microsoft is confusing everyone with its new OS; here's what you need to know

Mike Elgan

February 02, 2007 (Computerworld) -- Microsoft is losing consumer operating system market share to Apple for many reasons, but most of those reasons can be oversimplified thus: Mac OS is simple, and Windows is complicated.

That's why it may be such a costly error for Microsoft to make the Vista upgrade such a confusing mess.

Until today, even experts couldn't tell you off the top of their heads the differences between each of the many Vista versions -- or even how many versions there are -- or what the basic requirements are for the Upgrade versions. Ordinary consumers are baffled to the point of paralysis.

I'm going to clear all this up in a minute. First, however, let's recall the fiasco that is the Windows Vista launch.
>
Meanwhile, the Upgrade versions are poison:

* Windows power users know that if you want Windows to work well over the long haul, it helps to reformat and perform a clean install once in a while. The Upgrade version requires you to install both XP/2000 and Vista every time, doubling the already massive amount of time it takes to do a reformat/reinstall.

* The Upgrade versions require you to keep track of your original Windows XP/2000 disks. Most people have these in the form of "recovery CDs" from the PC vendor, which can include multiple disks full of junk applications.

* Using a copy of XP or 2000 as proof for the Upgrade version of Vista invalidates the XP key, according to Vista's End User License Agreement (EULA). The EULA states, in part: "Upon upgrade, this agreement takes the place of the agreement for the software you upgraded from. After you upgrade, you may no longer use the software you upgraded from."
>
* Many users have lost, or were never provided with, installation disks with their PC. Because they have XP or 2000 installed, they may decide to save money and buy an Upgrade version. If their disk later dies, or they need for whatever reason to reformat, they will then have to buy a second copy of Vista, this time, the full version. Ouch!
>
Fast forward to this week. Windows Vista launched with 10 -- count 'em, 10 -- versions. Instead of giving us a simple new upgrade path to the future, they instead gave us a homework assignment. Here are the versions:

1. Windows Vista Starter Edition
2. Windows Vista Home Basic
3. Windows Vista Home Basic Upgrade
4. Windows Vista Home Premium
5. Windows Vista Home Premium Upgrade
6. Windows Vista Business
7. Windows Vista Business Upgrade
8. Windows Vista Ultimate
9. Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade
10. Windows Vista Enterprise Edition
>
It's obvious that Microsoft decided to extract maximum cash from consumers by micro-segmenting the market and trying to provide a different version for each. But they may end up with the opposite result. All this confusion over versions and upgrade policies will motivate unknown millions of consumers to simply stick with Windows XP or move to a Mac.

When you consider how important it is to Microsoft for Windows Vista to feel like a simple upgrade, and you consider how unnecessarily confusing and complex they have made the move to Vista, you can only respond with one word:

Wow!

[WesleyS]

How to clean install Vista using upgrade version. It is legal!

http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/Art ... .html?Ad=1
It take little more time but works!!

WesleyS

[Devil]

Link broken!

Note also that if you have one version of Vista installed, you cannot install another version as an upgrade. You have to do a reformat full version reinstall. XP is the same. I have 3 version disks of XP and it is impossible to swap the product keys or do a reinstall with a different version.

One computer I bought came with a pirated XP Pro. I hadn't particularly noticed it didn't have an OEM sticker until I tried to add SP1. I then remonstrated with my supplier and, after much argument (and threats of police action), he eventually gave me an OEM disk and sticker. I could not install it or change the key. Had to wipe the HDD clean and start from scratch. I informed MS of this problem: all they wanted was the name of the vendor (which I didn't give). They were not interested in the fact that anyone wanting to go legit could not do so easily.

Re Terry's list of 10 versions, this is incomplete: there are probably OEM versions of 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8, as well, and maybe several sub-versions of these, tailored to the needs of the likes of Dell, HP-Compaq etc. And, yes, OEM versions are different from the full versions.

[Ron P.]

More "good" news about Vista, this time from ComputerWorld. Basically it sounds like we'll need body armor when upgrading

ComputerWorld article...

Good thing I'm not considering on purchasing Vista for sometime, as I got rid of my Kevlar a long time ago

[skier-hughes]

How to clean install Vista using upgrade version. It is legal!

http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/Art ... .html?Ad=1
It take little more time but works!!

WesleyS

Not legal in the slightest.

May as well get a copy from a local computer fair and not bother with the work around.

[sjj1805]

Terry,
Good article and says it all.
If we try to streamline the available systems by disregarding upgrades and OEM etc there still remain 6 versions

1. Windows Vista Starter Edition
2. Windows Vista Home Basic
3. Windows Vista Home Premium
4. Windows Vista Business
5. Windows Vista Ultimate
6. Windows Vista Enterprise Edition

At least XP had clearly defined audiences
1. Home User
2. Business User (Pro)

Looking logically at the above list I would anticipate that 1, 2 & 3 are different versions of what equates to XP Home, 4, 5 & 6 are different versions of what equates to XP Pro. That's just my guess and someone is now going to tell me I'm wrong.

This situation occurred once before and I heard of several people buying the wrong system. Let us go back in time to when we had

1. Windows 98 (equates to Home User)
2. Windows NT4 (Business User)

So Microsoft brought out two New Operating Systems.
Windows M.E.
Windows 2000

Guess how many people thought that 2000 was the upgrade to 98
and that ME was the upgrade to NT.

[skier-hughes]

But the shops selling these things should hold some responsibility for not advising customers on what they are buying?

Why say MS are causing trouble by giving people the option to buy vista at various price points, with various options?

You don't go to a car showroom and are given the option of one model of car, they have several, starting from a basic one and movcing up to the one with all the bells and whistles. The good car salesman will run through what you get with each model and help you to decide on buying the most expensive one he's got (ha ha)

Anyway Steve, you've missed out the European 'N' models which are supplied at the same price but omit WMP.

[Ron P.]

I agree with your logic Skier, however the "Home" user is going to be able to play card games, and check email, that's about all. For me to be able to do the same things that I can currently do with XP Home, I would probably need the Home Premium, (price too.. ). So I have the bottom of the rung XP, OS, and they think that I have to spend much more to do the same??? Talk about inflation.

Steve,
What about Windows 3.0 and 3.11? I thought that 3.11 was an upgrade from 3.1, when the difference was the same as Home and Business...