Comments on: Limited choices for Windows XP holdouts

If you're hesitant about making the leap to Windows Vista, expect a hassle trying to find an XP computer on store shelves.

[Seaspray0]

Drivers - They will still be there

I've read several replies concerning drivers. Most are claiming drivers will no soon no longer be available for XP. Wrong! Microsoft does not write the drivers, the hardware manufacturers write them. How long will they write drivers for older OS's? I can still find new hardware and make it work with Windows NT and depending on the hardware, even with DOS (most notably network cards). Given that I can find drivers all the way back to 15 years ago, I'm not all too concerned. Just how long are you going to own your computer before replacing it?

[cross platform]

The Thing About Vista

Well as a prior OS X user who switched to have more games XP for me has been a bit of a trial. Overall it seems older and more primative than OS X. So I've been waiting for Vista hopeing for something similar. I upped my RAM to 2 gigs and bought a new graphics card in preparation for my Gateway 700XL 3.2 ghz. Now it sems that not only is it not quite the same thing but it also has trouble with some recent games ( ie. Battlefield, 2142, Fear etc. ) in using their 3D surround sound ( EAX ). My friend's daughter also uses her ipod ( iTunes ) with my machine which I understand doesn't work yet with Vista. So I'm frustated and hesitant to proceed. I know that the drivers for my 3 year old sound card will get out of beta ( for Vista ) sometime and that generally the games will either grow old or they will have a fix for them. But this is frustrating! A new OS that isn't really ready for primetime. OS X handled this very well with it's OS 9 layer. MS should have come up with a better scheme for backward support. The thing is I notice that Vista users who don't play a lot of games or use applications that are affected are saying " What's the problem ? " Where as if you use your computer for stuff that will run into these issues people are saying " Not so finished is it? ".

[rklrkl]

Vista Express Upgrade ends 15th March

I'm surprised the most obvious reason for XP rapidly becoming scarce since the launch of Vista is that the Vista Express Upgrade offer ends 15th March (in the UK at least), so retailers will be keen to ditch remaining XP-running machines and not re-order new machines with XP.

This is simply because after 15th March, they can't offer a cheap upgrade path to Vista any more, so the value to the customer of any XP machines sold after that date will drop sharply compared to ones with Vista pre-installed.

How the article missed this is utterly beyond me, but there again, it is C|Net with their lazy journos, so I shouldn't have expected any better really.

[eriknorcal]

Returned my first Vista HP desktop

My hard drive died last week, so I needed to buy a new computer. Since my MS Natural Keyboard is almost new and my Kensington Expert Mouse (Trackball), Gateway monitor and HP printer are all functioning, I thought I'd just replace the CPU. Couldn't find destktops with anything but Vista. The monitor was fine and I was able to get an updated MS driver for the keyboard, but Kensington doesn't have a Vista driver for the trackball yet. The real problem was the printer. I found a spot at the HP Website that hinted that I would find a driver for my printer to work with Vista, but that was a red herring. Had an interactive chat with HP Tech Support, who said that there is not a Vista-ready driver for my printer, but they have a workaround. I followed his instructions and was able to print (but not scan) with my all-in-one. I soon realized, however, that my CD/DVD drive has no longer recognized. So 72 hours after purchase, I took the machine back to Best Buy. They verified that the drive did not work and plugged in a drive from another PC. That one didn't work either. They figured the driver on the hard drive had gotten corrupted - probably by the HP printer work around. They took the machine back. At first, they were going to charge me the 15% restocking fee - I didn't care; I wanted it gone! - but they relented and gave me a full refund. As the article indicates, there are limited options for people who don't want to go to Vista yet but need a new computer. As if it weren't bad enough that my hard drive died; now I have to figure out how to get everything working again, not just the hard drive.

[the1kingarthur]

Limited only by our Imagination Hope everyone reads this

Americans have become prisoners of their own apathy and ignorance of history. And I blame many senseless deaths, injuries, and the monopoly of Microsoft on THEM!

What has injuries and death have to do with Microsoft?s monopoly? At times technology has presented measures if used could have save lives and prevent injuries, but due to politics, intimidation, and people?s refusal to stand up and take action. The technology that could save lives and prevent injuries is tossed aside for fads, trends, and what is forced upon the population by the ruling forces. Remember those in power are given that power by the people.

These actions are the very cause as to why Microsoft has a monopoly, and why there is no choice. We have a choice, and we have technology and the means by which it can be implemented. The only thing stopping us is the division and apathy of the general population. Wake up people. Get mad. Do something now. Would it kill a lot of you to pick up a piece of paper and pen? Would it kill you to make a telephone call? How long does it take to send a few dozen e-mails out? Start thinking for yourselves.

And for those who say ?My vote don?t count? or ?It doesn?t matter how the people vote.? You better think again. In Michigan there was a law that passed that allowed 18 year olds to drink for trial period to determine what effect it would have on the population. When it came up for referendum and to make the law permanent, it failed and the drinking age returned to 21.

Because of the enormous outcry, demonstrations, and a few riots at universities across Michigan, an independent study was conducted that found less than I believe it was 18% of those 20 and younger voted and if only 25% of those age 20 and younger had voted they would have retained the right to drink. 25%!!!!!!!!! Not an enormous number. So wake up and get out there and voice your concerns before it?s too late and we loose all of our rights to free speech, to vote, and the rest of our freedoms.

[Fil0403]

Limited only by your ignorance Hope you read this

Google -> "define monopoly" -> Search -> "(economics) a market in which there are many buyers but only one seller."

Last time I checked, you could buy Linux or a Mac.

[the1kingarthur]

Last Post should have read- Hope everyone reads this post

Thank You

[howardbrown1]

Kensington says they won't be making a Vista MouseWorks

When I found out that there wasn't a Vista specific verions of MouseWorks, I wrote them to see what they were going to do. I got back a response saying that Vista performs all of the functions that MouseWorks did, so they weren't going to offer a Vista compatible version. They also said that the top two buttons would work with Vista and that there was no way in Vista to program the buttons using application profiles like you could in XP. Oh, and that you weren't to even try using MW v6.22 in Vista. I guess Kensigington.

However, I did find an artical when I searched for "Kensington ExpertMouse Vista" indicating that after the software was installed that the person was able to point the mouse driver software to the directory that the download file was expanded into, and "all" of the trackball's functions worked, but I haven't tried this. When I tried to install the software all I got was a Rundll32 error.

I guess if you want a fully functional four button trackball that is able to emulate keystrokes you need to look to someone other than Kensington, as they no longer want to compete with Microsoft in the Vista areana.

Good luck.

[howardbrown1]

Correction.

Make that the top two buttons would NOT function.

It looks to me that Kensington doesn't think the top two buttons or the keystroke emulation features are important.

[mikeyww]

Workaround for Kensington Expert Mouse under Windows Vista

A workaround is at least possible. Install Microsoft IntelliPoint 6.1 driver for XP <http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/Download.mspx>. Indicate that you have a Microsoft Trackball Optical. Next, install X-Mouse Button Control tool <http://www.highrez.co.uk/downloads/XMouseButtonControl.htm>. This will allow remapping of the Expert Mouse buttons. The top left Expert Mouse button is seen by X-Mouse Button Control as
the middle button. The top right Expert Mouse button is seen as the "left x" button. I found part of this solution elsewhere on the Web. --Mike <mailto:[e-mail]>

[jlees]

Ubuntu

Ubuntu dosen't do much good if you can't get drivers for your printer. Canon has no drivers avalible for the Pixma MP 160 I bought for printing or scanning.

[PCUSER2000]

Don't believe the Vista hype. I have never been so upset or frustrated with software in my life (and I was writing in assembly language since the days of the 4k 4-bit processors). I have a master's in electrical engineering and I have had to jump through incredible hoops to get the simplest of applications to work right on Vista (things that the average Joe would have no hope of getting to work). Even apps that are supposed to be Vista compatible crash frequently. What a joke. It makes me even madder that Microsoft is holding the world hostage now and pushing their trash onto everyone by bribing their sales channels to push this garbage. I have disliked Macs all my life, but it's hard to support a company like Microsoft with such poor products and shady business practices. For the first time ever, I'm considering switching.

[adamament]

"I had been using Windows XP for a long time at home and at work. I have an older model Dell with it that does neeed to be re-installed and I am working tht angle too. I recently had to rent a computer for the things I have to do at home, i.e. write my novels and research on the internet. It came with vista and I do not like it a little bit. It also has that light scribe and that is horrible. I will get my old dell up and runnign and when I do this HP with Vista goes back--one way or the other! Vista is horrible to say the least."!!!!!!!!!

[kayco923]

I will change to Vista when I need a new computer. I bought a new tower last November and was able to get one with XP already loaded. I know I will someday have to upgrade, but as for now I am waiting to see if Windows 7 is better than Vista