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Windows Vista review
Author: Wil HarrisPublished: 30th January 2007
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Comments 76 to 101 of 147
The game would be running much slower because there are no vista drivers for the 7900 Go yet. My laptop has the same problem (I have a 7900GTX Go).
* Vista's kernel lockout is either a good thing or a bad thing. It's a good thing, providing it's effective, in so far as it keeps out the nasties. And it's OK as long as expert users can get around it when they explicitly want to, e.g. by modifying startup arguments etc. Why would you want to get around it? It's a matter of control: you own the hardware, you've bought the software, so who owns your computer? There may be any reason, from tweaking the keyboard driver (e.g. low-level Dvorak remapping for games that ignore the control panel) to permitting raw socket access (e.g. packet sniffing is essential for certain debugging situations). (It's a bad thing if either of these two things are not true.)
* From my perspective, DRM is about Microsoft enticing Hollywood to see the PC as a distribution platform. MS is in no way under the thumb of Hollywood - if they didn't do DRM, all it would mean is that Hollywood wouldn't target it. Hollywood doesn't have any leverage over MS, and nor does MS necessarily have any leverage over Hollywood.
What is in MS's interest is to create a DRM-enforced monopoly. Apple have successfully done this with iTunes + iPod for music, and MS wants to do the same with movies, via a two-pronged approach of Xbox and PC. In order to get Hollywood to distribute on the PC and thus get the lock-in, they need to bend over backwards to convince Hollywood that their content is secure. That's about the size of it. It's monopoly extension, the same way MS have always worked Windows.
What I really resent is what I see of the various monitors and redundant encryption going on, from what I understand it, even in situations where non-DRM content is being played back. How bad all this is remains to be seen.
The only Vista I'd consider getting is the x64 Ultimate edition. I could buy it tomorrow if I found a shop selling it (money isn't a problem for the software engineer ;) ), but it'll likely be 6 months to a year before I consider doing that. There's a lot more evidence needed before any kind of quality verdict is in. Any rating of Vista before it's widespread is extremely premature.
I upgraded from Win95 OS2 to Win98SE because Win95 was a pain to install and had extremely poor networking and USB support.
I upgraded from win98SE to XP because XP offered native USB device support and more convenient networking.
I have yet to see any functional improvements offered in Vista that would warrant me adopting it.
If I want a more secure network, I'll install a more secure switch and router.
If I want a more organized file system I'll organize my files into folders.
If I wanted a more attractive interface (which I don't because it's pointless) I'd install something like windowblinds
If I wanted a TV OS I'd go with GB-PVR on-top of XP, or use MythTV
I want my operating system to be bland, fast, and functional. I don't play with or operate my operating system, that's what I do with all of the other software. The OS is just a facilitating system between your hardware and the software you use for play or work. I don't want a swiss army knife OS because I know I'm never going to use the corkscrew, or the kneedle, or the pathetically small saw, or the can opener. I can get by with just the basics.
Isn't that what happens at the moment? In effect, you're charged for the type of serial key you buy?
Yup, tough titties. The only other way is through file-sharing and for some insane reason, the sue-happy lawyers don't want people sharing stuff. At all.
I think all the improvements to Vista are worth the money, look at XP, what did we think of it to start with? No we won't upgrade to it, I will stick with 98/2000 switch to Linux. But now XP is great, the same thing will happen with Vista. It has its bugs and non desirable things. But it is overall going to be a better operating system than XP.
Also I am a gamer, which is the main reason for not running Linux, sure I could learn how to use Linux and use things like WINE, but the extra hassle is just not worth it when I can just pop the game into the DVD drive, install it and any patches it needs and go.
I am not a MS love or hater. It is an OS that works, that is what I am concerned about. The review was a good one, showed that yes, Vista is more heavy than XP, but makes things easier and better in other areas. Also think of nLite, trims XP down. I am sure you can do the same thing to Vista, but the first thing to go would be aero.
Sorry for the long ramble, but hey.
But I have a serious question about 32-bit vs 64-bit. Is it true that you cannot install any 32-bit app on the 64-bit version of Vista (or even XP for that matter)? Do you predict that there will be wide enough support for 64-bit apps within the lifespan of Vista to make it worthwhile to have 64-bit over 32-bit? What am I not getting here? :( :(
The first is the AMD Cool & Quiet driver do not support Vista yet. Is this correct at this moment?
The second is concerning the DRM issue. Many people worried about the introduction of HDCP, I think most of the worries comes from the fact that their display card or monitor did not support HDCP yet. And there is no point to upgrade a 7900GT (if w/o HDCP) at this moment solely for those rare supply of HD content.
In fact, the e-zone magazine at HK reported that there is no need to have a HDCP display card or monitor to output the HD content, as you can output it through RGB port. They claimed there was no major quality degrade using the RGB, and the distributor of movies intended to lock the output of content through RGB in the coming 1-3 yrs, which means you could upgrade the HDCP display / monitor when they become available to all. Meanwhile, considering the limited supply of content, I think finding out your RGB cable in your storage is a better choice than upgrading all related hardwares.
No, that's not true. A majority of apps should work fine, but there may be compatibility problems with some. Drivers are the biggest issue: you 100% need 64-bit drivers.
The primary thing is addressable memory. 32-bit flat address space is limited to 4GB (32 bits can address up to 2^32 bytes, calc.exe will tell you that's 4294967296 bytes, aka 4GB), and the OS normally takes 2GB of that, though it can be reduced to 1GB with possible driver compatibility issues. (2 or 1 GB of address space that is, not memory). x86 architecture in 32-bit mode does support segments to increase that address space (up to 36 bits IIRC), but segments are a pain to deal with. There are other ways of getting access to more memory in 32-bit mode, akin to the old days of page flipping (my old Amstrad CPC6128 had 128KB of memory, but used 16-bit addressing, and 2^16 is only 64K - it used page flipping to swap different 16KB chunks in and out).
In short, 64-bit solves the address space problem, once the code has been ported. That means that software can more easily use extra memory, and we can transition to 8GB and 16GB home systems with ease.
but on the plus side, it shows you what is in the pictures folder if you mouse over the tab, in case you forgot. (TBH, I can't say I've had much difficulty in remembering what is behind each tab in my taskbar, I must be gifted or something *shrug*)
Making the OS prettier or adding security suited for people who have difficulty holding a spoon, aren't 'features', they are bloat.
So somthing slower then XP, less compatable, more bloated, more restrictive, pretty much only adding features that could be achived by a few minutes at google.com, is a steal at £115 - £75 and worth a 9/10?
I've seriously missed somthing.
*BARF*
Jaz_knos
Then there is this one,this one, this one and this one. If we include Mac OS's before OSX, we tally up about 200 threats...
Even someone who vehemently defends OSX' virus-free status recently pointed out:
Ubuntu is relatively easy for a noob (and I say relatively; it still uses terms like "partition tables", "mount points" and "initialising devices", and "root accounts". You and I may know what all that means, but the average noob who just wants to e-mail his family in New Zealand, write some letters and keep his digital family picture album does not), but Red Hat, if I recall, was a bit more tricky. And I can't help but thinking that in attempting to become more user friendly, develop a better GUI, etc. Linux has been, well, copying aspects of Windows quite a lot. Obviously Windows is not all bad. ;)
Don't get me wrong: I really like Linux. It is powerful, has a certain elegance and is good value for money. I think open source is the way for OS development to go. But I also know that my opinion is just that, and that a review is an opinion piece as well, and moreover the two don't have to agree. That doesn't make either of them less valid than the other.
It's highly unlikely that many people need Ultimate. Home Premium will be fine unless you're connection to a domain or running software that requies it (Visual Studio Pro, SQL Server etc).
Of couse many copies will be bought for vanity....
or http://www.microsoft.com/uk/technet/abouttn/subscriptions.mspx
I have too many machines and want a couple of copies of office so the annual subscription doesn't seem the end of the world for a whole lot of convenience.
You deliberately chose to give the impression the entire article was just a big bunch of unfounded assumptions or educated guesses, which it is not.
If I can see a biased and unfounded opinion in this context it is yours.
To finish this, I didn't post personal insults. If I had called you an idiot, I would have, but I didn't do that. You seem to have problems with your perception of reality, son. You seem to have a real habit here of distorting everything you encounter and don't like so much that it turns into something you can use against the author.
Here is the 2nd link again:
http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/archive/2007/01/20/windows-vista-content-protection-twenty-questions-and-answers.aspx
haha ironically i stuck in the ubuntu livecd i had lying around from messing around with ubunto on a laptop and wanted to see it on a proper res screen
it got as far as loading gnome and froze up :p
Is that convenient for a long term installation that you'd use in your home, though? I.e. Does it constantly need validating, etc?
If not, that's a friggin bargain!
Sorry, but I disagree. Taking into consideration the context, there are a few scenarios the author bases on assumptions. I.e:
Not a definite yes, in my book.
I'm allowed to have an opinion. Just as you are. You can believe all the assumptions made by someone, I choose to hedge my bets. Instead of giving a detailed run down of the faults I found with the piece, I chose to give my overall opinion of what I'd read. And having read some more of it, I can expand on my opinion.
Yes, it does pick up on a few important points that may or may not be anything to worry about. If you don't want the built-in opportunity to play HD-DVD or Blu-Ray discs, fine, use another OS. Simple as that.
The last sentence is particularly untrue. And don't call me son, I find it condescending when people I don't know start to be demeaning. I'm finding the reproachful way you seem to be replying to anything I post some kind of personal vendetta to force me and my opinions elsewhere.
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Thanks. Now, that was a better read.