Dan Greene

VISTA 3 Month Ownership Review

VISTA 3 Month Ownership Review

Was it worth it? Answer.... no

First let me say I'm not joking when I say I'd love to reply to your posts, but I am seemingly unable to reply only edit the original post, does anybody have any suggestions, I'm using Vista lol and firefox. Is my brower missing the reply functionality?

I purchased an OEM copy of Vista, when I was given the dilemma by Microsoft of either purchasing a OEM XP License for about $10 less than getting an OEM copy of Vista via newegg.

What I can tell you is that I have been a computer user since the 80's and have a history of OS usage, dating back to whatever they called the OS on the Apple IIGS, DOS 5.0, Windows 3.1, Win 95/98/98SE/2000/XP and of course OEM VISTA ULTIMATE 64 bit.

I have finally settled down with Vista, but I am left looking for the new and improved features which really give me the feeling that they are all that (sorta) without the bag of chips.

I don't understand why Vista wasn't packaged as saleable service pack to XP because Vista truly offers an almost immeasurable benefit per dollar over XP.

One of the major downsides of Vista, is the necessity to upgrade hardware on older rigs to achieve performance standards easily obtainable with 2 or 3 or 4 year old hardware on XP. Also, with only 2GB of ram in the sytem, it is smooth, but it would be equally smooth with XP, so while there is intelligent (supposedly) buffering of the RAM by Vista, perhaps reducing the load time on programs you use consistently at certain times of the day, in Vista over XP I don't see that it is a major advantage over XP. I use XP at work daily, Windows 2000 weekly, and Vista at home.

At this point I am pretty comfy with Vista, I have totally disabled the UAC, and I am left to wonder if I am really safer with Vista vs XP. I did have a virus or nasty bit of malware at one time, with Vista, which I was able to safely dispose of using System Restore. On my old single core rig, System Restore no longer works for unknown reasoning, also I cannot reformat the drive, and install a clean OS, because I no longer have the activation code which I'll have to call up Dell TSupport and spend more hours of my life than it is worth to deal with that, while having a protected computer readily available should there be a problem.

However, with Vista Ultimate, no update to the speech recognition system, no word processor which interfaces with the speech recognition, and no real surviving feature that I get excited by.

At this point I would have preferred to get OEM XP and a cheap or bootleg copy of Office, just for the fact that I have spell check and compatibility with work computers, Excel files.

There are a few visual things but nothing to justify 5 years of development, nothing to justify the price, and certainly nothing to want me to invest any money in upcoming Windows 7 or go Microsoft in the future. Unfortunately they have damaged their company image, going from the evil almost monopoly to the exploiter of that power to release drab OS software that lacks completeness and robustness.

There is nothing that truly bothers me about Vista Ultimate, if you forget about, No MS WORD, No OS integrated Microsoft Virus Protection, and lack of incompatibility of the Vista Speech Recognition Engine with Open Office.

I believe that Vista, really does deserve the half assed product award. At this point.



How does one make a reply in ones' own post? JU must have changed since I was last here since I can no longer reply to users in the forum which is kinda stupid in my opinion.
46,135 views 125 replies
Reply #101 Top
I have been a computer user since the 80's and have a history of OS usage

So, basically, you don't know s**t.


I loved that line too. Because, you know, the rest of us that have been using computers the last two decades have never seen an OS before... :LOL: 

I think the Masons are involved in this conspiracy too, Don. Let's not forget that they have their hands stirring ALL the pots. After reading some of the other forum posts, I'm surprised that no one has accused SD of being part of the conspiracy (I think Brad and Neil are members of the Illuminati/Masons/your choice ofany secret society here).....


Do NOT reveal the secrets of the society, Brother Josh! ;) 
Reply #102 Top
The OS on the Apple IIGs was called ProDOS. If you ever used this OS, you'll never forget the name.

Another issue: I don't know where the fairy tale comes from that new hardware is needed to run Vista. My wife is running Windows Vista Ultimate on a 6 years old motherboard, an Asus P4B533 with a 6 years old Pentium 4 2.4 Ghz (overclocked to 2.7 Ghz) with 6 years old Seagate Barracuda HDD's. The only additional investment was a Geforce VGA card with 256 Mb for 50 Euro. This system is running fine and fast even with WindowBlinds and the other Stardock stuff on it. The Vista rating is 3.9, which is not bad at all.
Reply #103 Top
who ultimately take orders from the Illuminati and Thirteen Swiss Rabbis (or was it twenty-one?


:SURPRISED: 13 Swiss Rabbis? I didn't even know there were that many here in Switzerland! :SURPRISED:

.... clearly this is an indication of yet another conspiracy! ;p
Reply #104 Top
Of course. It's all a conspiracy -


it's all a conspiracy: the software corps. like MS are in cahoots with PC manufacturers and parts suppliers to bleed the common folks dry.


this is TOP SECRETE but check out
The conspiracy

Reply #105 Top
Of course. It's all a conspiracy -


Yup...Dan Greene and Kona are Apple/Mac and/or Linux plants. They will never admit to it (maybe because they were brainwashed to react only when seeing the word 'Vista"), but they were sent with the express intention of undermining public confidence in MS' flagship OS... to divert sales to Apple/extol the virtues of Linux, which one day hopes to conquer the OS world with its paid for versions of Ultimately Lista.

Yes, they will each praise XP as being 'up' there... but Apple and Linux do not mind this... in fact they encourage it because its 'old hat' and will pale in comparison to their modern day Oses with all the whistles and bells, bibs and bobs. So long as Vista is dead in the water, they don't mind... their stiffest competition is eliminated and Kona and Dan Greene will have been instrumental in its premature demise, and thus, XP's also because PC geeks will flock to snap up Apple's and Linux' new doodads.

Actually, I don't buy the bit about Kona being unaware of his complicity in the Linux conspiracy... he's too darned passionate... animated about hating Vista to be under some
hypnotic spell Linux concocted. Nope, I believe he be a willing participant n' us Vista luvvers should oughta 'ave 'im keel'auled 'neath tha Twisted Sister....AARRGGHH.

Reply #106 Top
Starkers -

Please refrain from including me in this conspiracy crap or anything to do with Dan.

You probably haven't heard yet but I bought a new PC some time ago and have been running Vista since then.

Unlike Dan I've only had a few small problems and I'm enjoying Vista.

I haven't installed Linux in any form on any machine in some time.

So you may want to apologize or at least edit your post and take my name out of it.
Reply #107 Top

Vista works great here.

I've come to the conclusion that anyone who has problems/issues with Vista must be a complete knob.

Reply #108 Top

I've come to the conclusion that anyone who has problems/issues with Vista must be a complete knob.



I Like Vista, Had it for a bit

Just did not like the 54 to 60 Processes running Calling me a Criminal, using up all my CPU to do so.

Thats wrong for MS to call everyone who uses Vista a criminal. at lest let me pirate a software first...

that would be like the law stating you are going to be a criminal Just because someone(s)
in your family or friend(s)or worst because of your race have been to prison.

so now instead of you, may or may not do a criminal act we, will sent you to prison...


that's WRONG!!!



off topic:
this is TOP SECRETE but check out
The conspiracy




Reply #109 Top
Starkers -

Please refrain from including me in this conspiracy crap or anything to do with Dan.

You probably haven't heard yet but I bought a new PC some time ago and have been running Vista since then.

Unlike Dan I've only had a few small problems and I'm enjoying Vista.

I haven't installed Linux in any form on any machine in some time.

So you may want to apologize or at least edit your post and take my name out of it.


Kona, as much time as you spent bitching about Vista and saying how much better Linux is, I think a lil bit o' jestin' at yer expense is good for ya.

Tha cap'n be abs'lutly right, mind ye. Thas why he be tha capn'n, and we naught but tha crew.
Reply #110 Top
Best. Widget. Ever.



IlluminatiBy d3adz0mbie
Updated Nov 19, 2004


 :SURPRISED:

 :CONGRAT:  :CONGRAT: 

Reply #111 Top
Starkers -

Please refrain from including me in this conspiracy crap or anything to do with Dan.


Kona... please take it in the spirit it was written/intended... a harmless bit of tongue in cheek to lighten up the mood/this thread, which at times has been too heavy, over-critical and not much fun at all... and you did leave yourself wide open for it with your earlier Vista comments, then getting it.

If you take a look at Disturbed Computer's conspiracy thread over in the "General Comments area, you will see that I've written a similar kind of thing about Stardock and MS, which was also done in fun to show how the conspiracy theorist goes from the sublime to the ridiculous to prove his/her point. OK?

BTW, I'm glad that you're finding Vista to be relatively trouble free and enjoy its use. :)
Reply #112 Top
Oh, BTW Kona, did Linux slip you a few bucks to give Vista a bad rap... and now that you've got it, Vista, that is, have they asked for a refund???? :d

***sorry, but I forgot to ask at #107 :LOL: ***
Reply #114 Top
I've got an invite to one of the Microsoft Windows 2008 Server Launch parties and I get a free copy of the OS and some other goodies. I'm going to give it a run on my home PC's to see how it goes in comparison with Vista  :) 
Reply #115 Top
I've got an invite to one of the Microsoft Windows 2008 Server Launch parties and I get a free copy of the OS and some other goodies.


Orright, so what devious conspiracy did you engage in to land that nice package? Or was it some kinda bribe? More to the point, who is it we gotta blackmail or to score a similar type deal?
Reply #117 Top
Cool thanks. I registered for that event. :)
Reply #118 Top
Starkers, check this out but you'll have to be quick


Thanks for the heads up, Leo... unfortunately, I wouldn't have the $200 spare for an event close to me (Brisbane Aust)... and then, of course, that'd be double cos I'd have to take mrs starkers.

What?? Well you don't think she's gonna allow/trust me out by myself, do ya??? :d

Reply #119 Top
$200  :SURPRISED: The event I'm attending in the US is free with cheese and wine chucked in with your bag of software goodies - 2008 server and Visio 2008 as well..Should be a great evening and a good learning experience  :) 
Reply #120 Top
$200 The event I'm attending in the US is free with cheese and wine chucked in with your bag of software goodies - 2008 server and Visio 2008 as well..


That'd be right... point me in the right direction, but not at who I gotta bribe/blackmail. :LOL:

Yeeup... it's all part of the conspiracy, Aussies, yet again, having to foot the bill for all the US freebies/extravegance. :( Again, we get the shitty end of the stick cos the powers that be think because we're from down-under, we're oblivious to the conspiracy going on under our very noses.

And yet again, it's the 'Evil Empirate' who's short changing us! First it was making some good stuff available to the US but unavailable to us, then charging an arm and a leg for Vista... and now making us pay for freebies the US enjoys for gratis. Well no more!! The conspiracy stops here! I'm gonna prompt a Senate inquiry and a Royal Commission into these anomalies/deliberate snubs.

It says in the Bible that all men were created equal, and I'm tired of the US being more equal than us... well me anyway, so I'm gonna put Bill Gates on my Christmas card list/ring him on his birthday and see it that improves matters/gets me a few MS handouts.



Reply #121 Top
and I found out today that in addition to 2008 Server and 2008 Visio, if you complete an evaluation at the event you get a free copy of Vista Ultimate. Wooooooot!!!! So I get another coffee mug coaster.............

Plus a 1GB Microsoft Office Flash Drive.........

And more goodies..........***drooooools***  :LOL:

These boyz at Microsoft at generous  ;)  
Reply #122 Top
and I found out today that in addition to 2008 Server and 2008 Visio, if you complete an evaluation at the event you get a free copy of Vista Ultimate. Wooooooot!!!!


Plus a 1GB Microsoft Office Flash Drive........


And more goodies..........*


Yup, those boyz at MS are generous, alright.... giving all that stuff away, and geez I'm jealous you USians get a free lunch plus software/OSes to boot. It just positively stinks that MS is stiffing Aussies $200 pp before they get in the door.... and the cheese and wine 'll probably be (repackaged/re-bottled) left-overs from some US function. X-(

It just not bloody right ***droooools*** that you ***droools*** get lunch, ***droools*** PC goodies ***droooools*** and wine ***drooools**** to wash it all down with/get a bit piddly.

Oh well, good luck to you.... and please think of me ***drooooling*** every now and then while you're playing with a that luvverly software. :)
Reply #123 Top
Well have you guys and gals heard of the windows vista drm scheme ??
Well microsoft havent turned it on yet( in 2010 according to the wiki) and even the system requires that ALL Graphics cards be "signed" by microsoft for the computer to work (what the hell is with that):(
well this info came from the wikipedia(WWW Link)
Digital rights management
Another common criticism concerns the integration of new forms of digital rights management into the operating system, specifically the introduction of the Protected Video Path. This architecture is designed such that "premium content" from HD DVD or Blu-ray discs may mandate that the connections between PC components be encrypted. Devices such as graphic cards must be approved by Microsoft. Depending on what the content demands, the devices may not pass premium content over non-encrypted outputs, or they must artificially degrade the quality of the signal on such outputs or not display it all. There is also a revocation mechanism that allows Microsoft to disable drivers of compromised devices in end-user PCs over the Internet.[78] Peter Gutmann, security researcher and author of the open source cryptlib library, claims that these mechanisms violate fundamental rights of the user (such as fair use) , unnecessarily increase the cost of hardware, and make systems less reliable, (the "tilt bit" is a particular worry; if triggered, the entire graphic subsystem performs a reset) and vulnerable to denial-of-service attacks.[79] Proponents have claimed that Microsoft had no choice but to follow the demands of the movie studios, and that the technology will not actually be enabled until after 2010;[80][81] Microsoft also noted that content protection mechanisms have existed in Windows as far back as Windows Me, and that the new protections will not apply to any existing content (only future content).
Reply #124 Top
I wouldn't trust everything read on Wiki, anyone can come along and magiclly change it. Hell I could edit it right now and make it say that January 1st 2009 everyone using Windows Vista will have a mandatory upgrade that involves a payment to Microsoft of $100 in order to regain access to your computer.
Anyone can come along and put whatever they want in there, I would like to see more light shed on this though, if it's true.
Reply #125 Top
I'm thinking BS on that one. MS plan to have Windows 7 out by 2010 in any case.