Version: 2008

Comments on: Vista prices fall even further

In a weekend promotion, Vista Home Premium was selling for as little as $99 at OfficeMax. That's the same as the suggested price for Vista Home Basic.

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You're Sheep
by celticbrewer March 3, 2008 7:00 AM PST
You people whining about Vista probably don't have it or never learned to use it properly. You're just repeating what other people post on these blogs like sheep.

Of all the people I know who have Vista (most computer illiterates), they've had FAR fewer problems with Vista (actually- NO problems) versus Windows XP. Their systems run faster and they don't ever call me with stupid questions or problems anymore.

Maybe it's the computer techies who like to spread the vista-sucks rumour because they're losing business to the more robust OS.
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Dear Aunt...
by ColdMast March 3, 2008 7:45 AM PST
go back to channel9 where you Microsoft zombies belong.

I'm using XP for gaming, DX10 is nothing more than a marketing scheme.
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Steve, that you?
by ewoychowsky March 3, 2008 10:20 AM PST
:)
Sheep huh? Who's fleecing who?
by Darcrist March 3, 2008 10:53 AM PST
It may be a bit hypocritical to make assumptions about those complaining about Vista, much less calling people sheep. I happen to agree that Vista is trash. I've been using Vista since the Beta release, and I'm a 15 year veteran of the networking & computer business.

Most of the people I know in IS/IT have looked at it, tried it for extended periods of time, and thrown it aside for XP; - just as capable, and without the ludicrous hardware needs. I've yet to see something it does better than XP.

Ok, fine it's pretty. Yay, I'm excited now (sarc).
With some 3rd party apps, I can make my XP system look as good or better than my Vista system does, without needing new hardware, and without spending even $100+ to get 'the latest Windows' to do so, or spending $2K on a Mac with sufficient capabilities and software to duplicate my windows capabilities.

I make a good living working in this business, and believe me, my appointments calendar has filled right up with home service calls since this past holiday season, when most uninformed consumers couldn't buy anything *BUT* Vista.

Most of it is existing software incompatibilities, driver issues with hardware less than a year old, and in some cases, consumers getting sold "Vista Capable" PC's that are so underpowered and unexpandable as to be worthless.

Of course, from my personal business viewpoint, Vista isn't so bad - I make more money, supporting a product that has no meaningful purpose except to support the monopoly machine. Keep it up M$!
Oh really?
by close5828 March 3, 2008 4:52 PM PST
I've got a few pics I've taken of BSODs and WGA Violation errors from running Vista Ultimate 64-bit on a brand-new HP DV6500t Santa Rosa 2.4Ghz.

Explain to me how "I" am to blame for this crap when I've been using Windows since v3.1 and DOS 5?

You're probably one of the several hundred people who actually bought a retail box copy of Vista and get pissed when people crab your OS of choice. I understand that; I also understand that peoples' opinions are often times biased in their own self-interest.

Perhaps if you took into account that 90-plus-percent of the people who are griping about Vista (or problems w/ it) are having honest problems w/ it and at least half of them "know what they're doing".

Windows Vista
R.I.P.
2007 - 2009
ahem....
by trd1282 March 3, 2008 8:12 PM PST
Word of the day from a man who calls others sheep...probably.
Perhaps if MS refrained from using this word in such contexts as,
"users will PROBABLY adopt Vista", "your computer can PROBABLY
run Vista", and my personal favorite "people PROBABLY won't mind
paying different prices for multiple versions" they wouldn't be in
this mess to begin with. What kind of egotistical nerd gets off
calling the regular user "you people". Oh yea I forgot, the same
corporation that created Vista :)
There is no precieved end user benefit for Vista
by k2dave March 3, 2008 7:55 AM PST
Vista is bloated and requires a lot of resources, and it's slow, and it doesn't work well, and it is not intuitive to use either, but that is only half of the equation.

People don't see any benefit to Vista except that is is a new OS and may have a longer support from M$ then XP. This is also faulty logic, Today's computer can barely run Vista today, over time the system requirements will grow due to service packs and updates (OS bloat), and programs will also grow in system requirements, So yeah Vista may have a longer support window (and thats still to be seen), but your computer today with Vista will be too slow to last till XP support is discontinued, so a computer bought today with XP will IMHO be useful for a longer time the a Vista box. So when you really look into it there is no advantage to Vista except the initial convenience of not having to search for a XP computer (or go to a alternative to M$ OS)
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DO NOT GET VISTA!
by vertical2010 March 3, 2008 10:17 AM PST
I made the mistake of putting it on one machine (stuck with XP on others). VISTA SUCKS! Zero benefits and MANY drawbacks. Mainly: Slow, annoying, incompatabile or NO drivers, annoying, slow, annoying, incompatible.. I think you get it. But don't get this bloated pig operating system, even if it's free.
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No I Don't Get It!
by cross platform March 3, 2008 7:28 PM PST
What are your problems exactly? Because I've used it since October and really no big problems!
You people act like you've never seen an OS launch before...
by oscrogo March 3, 2008 10:39 AM PST
Seriously, do any of you remember when '95, NT4, win2k, and XP came out? Christ, the problems Vista is having at this point in it's life is nothing compared to what early adopters had to go through with their previous 4-5 OS rewrites. You guys act like everythings been hunky dory every time a new MS OS was released.

There's always going to be driver issues (the hardware vendors' fault, not MS's), there's always going to be hardware that's left by the wayside, the system requirements are always going to be higher, and you'll always have software compatibility issues. If you don't want these issues, go use a *NIX operating system...but with MS it's been a fact of life for a couple decades now and everyone acts like it's never happened before.

Give vista till SP2 like everyone did with winXP (I used win2k til winXPSP2 came out) and it will be a rock solid OS that will run fine on the hardware of the day. Until then, stop complaining, live with the growing pains, or go back to winXP. Those that say Vista is terrible, haven't used it, and those with problems like not having Vista drivers need to stop blaming MS. Hell, I was able to find Vista PCL5E drivers for a Canon ImageRunner 2200i a few months after release..so driver issues aren't on MS at all.
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I think there's a difference.
by Imalittleteapot March 3, 2008 11:49 AM PST
With the other OS's I've never seen people complain this bad for this long. Then again maybe I just don't remember.

In the past people have upgraded hardware, but I think Vista requires so much this time they can't simply upgrade to make it all better.

Vista launched when most new computers couldn't run it right. Usually most new computers can run their installed OS in a usable way. With Vista, sometimes it ships on a computer slow enough that Vista is just plain unusable.

Part of that is because the market has changed from when XP was launched. People know if they stay away from software bloat their $500 budget PC can run just fine for them. Now people just want a Internet Kiosk.

There isn't as much incentive to upgrade this time either. Windows 95 offered people the Internet, and Windows NT/XP offered them an Internet that didn't crash every half hour. Vista doesn't offer them anything like that.

Except maybe security if you believe the myth. However, UAC just annoys a lot of people.

People don't care about security. They just care about having their 45 IE tool bars installed. If people really cared about security then *NIX OSs would already be the most popular don't you think? So, what does Vista offer people that just want an Internet Kiosk?
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Actually, Yes Win2kPro Was Pulled Together By DEC Programmers
by Sumatra-Bosch March 3, 2008 7:01 PM PST
Windows was such a disaster, MSFT hired a bunch of guys from Digital Equipment Corporation to organize a real operating system for the company - WinNT. MSFT had nothing but lawyers, salespeople, marketing drones and a some guys who could play around in C and assembly. When Cutler and the DEC guys got there, they discovered MSFT's engineering crew was so inept the urinals in their building came with pictorial instructions.

Windows 3.11 was a horror - something that allowed you to type a few words between BSODs. Windows 95 was no more stable but more colorful. WindowsMe was practically a set-up line and a punch line all in one. MSFT was desperate to actually produce working code, although no one expected it from them.

When Cutler saw the drooling incompetence of the MSFT engineers, (called Wintards by the DEC guys) he asked that they be completely separated from the project, less they screw up everything just by being around.

Steve Ballmer complied and kept them busy with pick-up basketball games that ran all day, which mostly consisted of Ballmer putting players into head locks, shouting obscenities at them and dragging them around the court.

WinNT was released as a stable, usable operating system that can be seen actually running critical applications in hospitals - right down to the recovery room. Its kernel is the basis of Windows 2000 and XP, both considered stable OSes. The next time MSFT's Wintards tried to build an operating system without the assistance of real engineers, they ended up with another catastrophe on their hands.
$0 is too much for this junk
by jhenager1 March 3, 2008 12:18 PM PST
I will accept a copy for free on the condition that it has the license and the shrinkwrap is not broken, and only then because I would be able to sell it to some unsuspecting fool.
The overwhelming concensus I have heard agrees with my personal experience - it is bloated, slow, difficult to work with, and Ubuntu outshines it a hundred to one.
Keep your junk, Micromind.
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No, Vista really does suck
by k2dave March 3, 2008 2:29 PM PST
There is no denying it. Never before has M$ had to hold on to a former OS so long after the launch of a new OS, make available downgrades to the former OS on any scale like this.

There are problems & there are major issues. Sure some people will find that Vista suits their needs, but many have found that it does not.
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It came with the computer...
by fightingmad01 March 3, 2008 6:13 PM PST
Vista came pre-loaded on my new computer. It's cumbersome even with a dual processor system with 3 gig of RAM! The ONLY thing I like about Vista is the Aero interface. If they could have the "panes of glass" thing on Windows XP, I'd happily step back to that. I've run Mac OS at work and OS/2 on my previous computers, so I know what I'm doing when it comes to operating systems. This one just is NOT ready for prime time. Does it have POTENTIAL? You bet! All Microsoft really had to do was keep this in the oven a little longer until everything was worked out. Using the buying public as Beta testers is NOT the wisest move!
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So Tell Me
by cross platform March 3, 2008 7:25 PM PST
What just exactly are your problems?

Because I've used Vista since October with really very little to straighten out. And I do A lot of things with my computer Play games, Burn DVDs, Type documents which go print onto my printer with no problems. All on a 4 year old come=puter tha I upgraded from XP To Home premium! So what is it exactly you're talkiing about? Hmmmm?
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Be realistic people, use your brains.
by brass2themax March 3, 2008 5:24 PM PST
Vista is not that bad, but XP isn't bad either with the Service Packs. But I do like Vista more than XP.

But please people, do your research before you take a side. Try Vista out. Just because it's MicroSUX doesn't mean their product sucks.
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What Do You Call A Vista User? A Vistard !
by Sumatra-Bosch March 3, 2008 6:41 PM PST
Are you a Super Home Premium Vistard or a Business Supreme Vistard?
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check out the big brain on Brad
by SeizeCTRL March 5, 2008 2:19 PM PST
you think that up all by yourself? hope your mom gives you a pat on the back for all the hard work and effort you put in to coming up with something so witty.

do you also call OSX users Macintards?
Vista - Win or No Win
by mabradford March 3, 2008 6:52 PM PST
Vista is the greatest looking OS since God put man on Earth. Like man - no matter how freaking great looking we are - it fails at least once a week at something in meeting up to even the lowest standards. Just like mankind - we look good, eat, sleep and crap all the time. In man we find ways to kill each other or destroy each others families - in Microsoft we find it finding ways to destroy our days and wash our dreams down the drain with its crashes. Man = Microsoft
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I'am a happy Windows Vista user
by yolarry March 3, 2008 7:38 PM PST
I only went back to xp once from that but other then that when I updated it from Windows Updates, it's always been smooth but just the darn printer keeps messing up and windows sidebar sometimes lost out of place. other then that Vista is great but I have xp on my laptop so its all good and gravy to me. My home network just got stronger because now if I wanna view share files, it ask me for my password unlike xp.


It's best when you have a dual/quad core, 2gb 800mhz ram, SATA, DX10 supported graphics card.
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Just that?
by The_Decider March 4, 2008 12:49 PM PST
To run an operating system? Something that should just hide in the background?

Laughable and pathetic.
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Microsoft - reward Vista early adopters w/ upgrade
by justusderdv March 3, 2008 7:54 PM PST
All of us who have born the slings and arrows of the Vista OS as early adopters should be given special recognition from Microsoft. Why not upgrade all Vista faithfuls with an upgrade to the next level? Home Premium gets boosted to Ultimate, for example. Microsoft could sure use the loyalty right now. If you want loyalty, reward loyalty.
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reward?
by The_Decider March 4, 2008 4:15 PM PST
For what? Being shortsighted at best?

For overpaying for a bloated OS that gives you nothing for the bloat?

An OS that gets in your way and stays there?

I think buying Vista is reward enough.
To Vista or Not to Vista
by ozidigga March 3, 2008 10:11 PM PST
OK, to anyone saying 'Buy a Macbook' obviously doesn't support an enterprise environment. Like any new OS it takes time to figure out how to turn off the annoying features which inhibit productivity. It's easy to say M$ are evil etc, but unlike Mac - Microsoft don't restrict users to vendor only hardware like apple do - if I want to upgrade my graphics or various other peripherals I like to have choice that Apple does not provide.
OK I will never buy Vista - there are enough hacked versions out there now that I don't really have to. But anyone who thinks that apple are the good guys are seriously kidding themselves - if you like to run with the latest hardware Apple is just not even an option. Granted Vista is/can initially be frustrating to use and most 'users' I will not even go there, but UAC can be disabled in about 2secs if you know how to use google - not to mention is alot of information out there to tweak it to your satisfaction.
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No news here...
by tfosorcim March 4, 2008 8:12 PM PST
The laws of supply and demand will determine how far the price of Vista ultimately drops. How much would YOU pay for a pile of crap?
Just for fun, maybe you should start an informal poll, c|net, to find out what people think Vista is really worth. No, no, no, NO! I didn't mean that. EVERYBODY knows what Vista is worth. What I meant to suggest is for your informal poll to ask people what they think they should PAY for Vista. I'll be your first data point:
I'll haul it away for $25.00 per copy, regardless of the version.
Because this probably will have to be explained to all the MicroSoft-In-the-Heads, this means I would be willing to pay -$25 per copy (ie, Microsoft would have to pay me $25 to take it), but provided only the volume was high enough.
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People wanted Vista to cost less
by Andy kaufman March 5, 2008 6:27 AM PST
and Microsoft is happy to grant that wish. Now we have cheaper Vista prices.
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Yeah cheaper...
by The_happy_switcher March 5, 2008 9:39 AM PST
and still nobody wants it. ROTFLOL
Price is irrelevant.
by ralfthedog March 5, 2008 10:27 AM PST
I would pay far more for BSD or Linux. If a product solves my problems I will pay what I am charged. If I was offered a very slimmed down 64 bit OS that used very few resources, addressed a great deal of memory, and supported very large RAID drives, I would think that a few thousand would be cheep (Just cut out every scrap of fluff and bloat).

If an OS uses more memory and eats more clock cycles, I will not use it no matter how cheep it is.

For people who think that Vista is a more secure OS, Please remember that the first rule of designing secure software is to strip out every service and feature you can. Each little clanging bell or flashing light that you add is just another potential vulnerability.

Start with a command prompt based shell and a text based script that lets the user decide what to turn on (Or permanently remove). :)
This is too funny (to the trolls)
by whizkid454 March 5, 2008 3:45 PM PST
It is A M A Z I N G. It truly is that so many people actually jump on the bandwagon. Maybe if people would open the book before judging it, they might actually come to a different conclusion. Ignorance is bliss.

Vista works fine for people who use a computer for its intended purpose. I've used it for 1 year and couldn't have been more satisfied. Everything works as expected with few bugs. If people would actually take care of their computer, they wouldn't be having all of the said problems.
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Please enlighten us.
by Imalittleteapot March 7, 2008 6:23 PM PST
What exactly is a computers intended purpose? What if I decide I want to do something that's not intended and XP does it fine but Vista does not? I guess that doesn't matter because all that's important is that Vista does what's intended just fine.

Is a computers intended purpose to enrage all these people that don't like Vista? If that's its intended purpose, then yes, I would say Vista works just dandy.

What if Vista runs just fine but XP runs better than just fine. Are we supposed to just shut up because Vista runs just fine?

Even if something works, that doesn't mandate that everyone must love it. I have lots of things around my house that work just fine but that bore the crap out of me, and eventually I'll get around to swapping it all for something else.

Just working isn't enough. If it were the IPod would have never sold because there are a lot cheaper mp3 players that work just fine. Obviously people want more than just fine. You should want more to.

Also, Vista doesn't work just fine fore everyone. The computer makers sold more than one model of computer. Some of those computers do not have what it takes to run Vista correctly, yet they were sold with Vista and Vista capable stickers and marketing that said they could just Vista just fine when they could not. People were lied to, but as long as whizkid454 doesn't mind wasting eight times as much ram to get the exact same work done I guess we should just shut up huh?

Guess what? I've used XP since the first week it launched and it always worked just fine for me. Why don't you use that instead? After all, it works just fine.
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