Windows Vista

[Trumpetmaster]

To those of you who are planning to purchase a new computer....
Be aware of Vista.....

We told the sales rep that we use our current computer heavily with Faxing and Scanning
So...We bought a HP Pavillion computer that had Vista Home Premium on it.

Not being a computer geek.... we tried to fax yesterday and it did not work.

What I found out is that Faxing and Scanning is not supported in Vista Basic or
Vista Home Premium.

It is supported in Vista Business and Vista Ultimate.

We now have to go back to Best Buy and get them to upgrade our BRAND NEW computer
to Ultimate as the computer is a "Media Center" and Media center stuff is not supported
in the Vista Business OS.

Here is the URL to compare Vista versions.
You will need to pick the correct OS that will support what you do....

also be careful about purchasing Vista 32bit vs. Vista 64bit.
Your old programs may not run on Vista 64bit but will run on Vista 32bit system.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/produc ... hoose.mspx

[jamiebk]

Thanks TM...Vista is a total disater and really a piece of ill-conceived crap thrust upon computer users thanks to Mr.Gates lust for profit. When we bought a new laptop this Xmas for our daughter we ordered it through Dell and specified Windows XP because of the issues with Vista. Dell still sells XP-loaded gear, but you have to "design" your computer to get it. As you found out, there are huge compatbility problems with Vista.

[Trumpetmaster]

Thanks TM...Vista is a total disater and really a piece of ill-conceived crap thrust upon computer users thanks to Mr.Gates lust for profit. When we bought a new laptop this Xmas for our daughter we ordered it through Dell and specified Windows XP because of the issues with Vista. Dell still sells XP-loaded gear, but you have to "design" your computer to get it. As you found out, there are huge compatbility problems with Vista.

Jamie,

I did some research on Dell and found they have had problems with the hardware in
their computers. Dell makes good on the equipment that fails but we decided to
go with HP for better reliability.

The thing that gets me mad is we told the sales rep what we use the computer for...
In fact, why would they sell a computer with a 56K fax modem included in your cost
but is not supported by the operating system.

We will be going back to Best Buy and ask them to upgrade our Vista Home Premium
to Vista Ultimate at no cost to us....

If they don't agree.... then we will return the computer and buy another computer from
another company...

I think for the $$$ to upgrade, they will give it to us for free versus losing the sale.

Regards,
TM

[jamiebk]

Good luck to you TM. I hope that they take care of your problems.

I have had three Dell computers now and can't say that I have had any real problems with them. I did have a R/W DVD drive go out on me, but it was a component that Dell stuck in there. I have heard a number of people had trouble with such drives. There are 2 lasers in them and the DVD laser went out. Anyway, your choices become pretty limited if you are looking for an XP system.

[EricP]

Good luck to you TM. I hope that they take care of your problems.

I have had three Dell computers now and can't say that I have had any real problems with them. I did have a R/W DVD drive go out on me, but it was a component that Dell stuck in there. I have heard a number of people had trouble with such drives. There are 2 lasers in them and the DVD laser went out. Anyway, your choices become pretty limited if you are looking for an XP system.

Nothing to do with Vista, as I use XP, but I have had two burners just stop on me - one a CD burner, one a DVD burner. My CD burner stopped working right in the middle of my ripping my CDs to iTunes to put on my first iPod. My DVD burner just plain quit. So I just installed another burner. Glad they're cheap, though I now have a Blu Ray player...

[BigJon@Work]

I have a Dell NT workstation that has now reached its 10th birthday! I mostly just use it for email, so viruses won't infect my good computer. The only thing I’ve replaced is a bad fan, and I added a larger secondary disk to it. Just about everything that rotates makes a noise, including the tiny, little fan on the GPU, so it is a noisy beast. I’m working to replace it, but I’m loath to throw out something that has worked for so long and so well. This has been the most trouble-free computer I’ve ever dealt with and Dell support has always been top-notch. I’ve been looking at quad-core workstations (with XP, of course, my CAD program doesn’t run on Vista.) from Dell that now go for under $2000. My 10-year-old box was almost $5000.

[barfle]

I'm one of those geeks who always builds his own computers. I have a big tower that is running XP Pro, with DVD and CD burners in it, as well as two SATA drives and one IDE drive (not to mention a floppy drive).

My goal has always been to have as versatile a machine as possible. If I can find an 8-track player, I will install it.

[jamiebk]

I'm one of those geeks who always builds his own computers. I have a big tower that is running XP Pro, with DVD and CD burners in it, as well as two SATA drives and one IDE drive (not to mention a floppy drive).

My goal has always been to have as versatile a machine as possible. If I can find an 8-track player, I will install it.

I have an old Victrola up in the attic somewhere...perhaps you could plug that in too?

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Is anyone else picturing a computer straight out of Rube Goldberg's fondest dreams. Or a "Mousetrap" game...

[barfle]

Well, I HAVE plugged my Hifi SVHS deck into it, and transferred several records to .wav files (then .wma files after tidying up).

I am running out of USB ports, however. Two printers, a scanner, a UPS and a camera card reader are about to require a hub.

With that much stuff, there's always something that's not quite right. Last week the wall-wart power supply for my scanner croaked. I should be getting the replacement tomorrow or Thursday.

Now if I could just remember my ftp password...

No project pictures until I figger that on out, along with no ebay auctions.

[Trumpetmaster]

BestBuy is picking up the cost of Fax Software to be installed on our new computer.

My concern is scanning... been told the printer they gave us with the new computer
(when it was installed) should handle scanning...

anyone familiar????

thnx,
TM

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

...My concern is scanning... been told the printer they gave us with the new computer (when it was installed) should handle scanning...anyone familiar???

Omnipage. It does a good job with text, tables, and images. If you just want to get the occasional photo off the scanner, you can tell Word to get an image from the scanner and it'll go do that but if you want to actually get usable recognized copy from dead-tree format you'll probably be happy with Omnipage.

[barfle]

Not directly. I have a scanner, but with the FIOS connection, I no longer have a phone line hookup and modem for faxing. There is a fax button on the scanner (I've had it for 7-8 years) but I've never used it. I have made copies from it through the computer to the printer, but faxing is soooooo last century.

Many printers include scanners these days. I'm sure it needs a program to run, as well as a driver, though. They should have been part of the printer package.

[Trumpetmaster]

Not directly. I have a scanner, but with the FIOS connection, I no longer have a phone line hookup and modem for faxing. There is a fax button on the scanner (I've had it for 7-8 years) but I've never used it. I have made copies from it through the computer to the printer, but faxing is soooooo last century.

Many printers include scanners these days. I'm sure it needs a program to run, as well as a driver, though. They should have been part of the printer package.

Yes.... I will have to check the printer docs to see if the printer software that was installed took care of the scanning...

What I am disappointed in Best Buy is they were not aware the Faxing and Scanning
is not supported by Vista Basic or Vista Home Premium. IF you want this functionality
without purchasing 3rd party software.. then you have to buy Vista Business or Vista Ultimate.

[Trumpetmaster]

What a great experience I just had...

With all the issues found with Windows Vista Home Premium.....

I had an online chat with an HP Tech!

He understood and instructed me on everything I need to do to
ensure faxing and scanning works on the new computer.

I just have to purchase (best buy will be paying for this)
3rd party fax software.

the tech gave me the path etc... where to go to scan... what a relief.....

Geek Squad couldn't even do that for me yesterday....

thanks to HP's tech support....

[Trumpetmaster]

Thumbs up to HP Tech support.
I just logged into my email account and they
sent me the entire chat conversation.

no that's nice customer relations!

[Shapley]

That sounds promising. I've never owned an HP computer. We have Dells at work and at home. I've only used their Tech Support once, and was not amused...

[Trumpetmaster]

That sounds promising. I've never owned an HP computer. We have Dells at work and at home. I've only used their Tech Support once, and was not amused...

I spoke to Dells support once and they did not understand English....

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

My printer/scanner/copier/fax is a HP, came with drivers on a CD and configured itself very nicely on my exceedingly amateur computer (running XP). I've never had to call HP for help or support to get things to run well. The Fish's computer is a HP - it came preconfigured for media work - and I don't think he's ever had to contact the help desk, either.

The Omnipage stuff I talked about earlier is what we use at work, and would qualify as "third party software".

[barfle]

I'm certainly singing the praises of Verizon FIOS's tech support. When my router died, they sent me a new one, and when that didn't work, they had a few clues and my network is back and running.

Now, if I could only remember my username and password for my personal web pages... Maybe next week.