Vista SP2

[Trumpetmaster]

OK.
I was having my computer serviced last night..
You know... the Quad Core Processor with 3 GIG Memory that is slower than...... with Vista....

Well, the tech said Vista SP2 is out and has almost all the fixes in it to resolve the numerous issues people have been having with Vista. He said it was close to operating like Windows 7 due out next year. Of course Window 7 is in BETA....

I will check this out over the weekend and see if the slowness, freezing, and
system shutdown issues are finally resolved....

Fingers Crossed..............

[dai bread]

Problems is putting it mildly. My computer has sent hundreds of problems back to Microsoft, along with a few caustic comments from me.

I'll have to buy Windows 7 when it comes out. It's either that or buy a new computer, and this one's only 14 months old. Mind you, with Microsoft's enthusiastic pricing, it might be cheaper to buy a new computer.

[piqaboo]

Hah! Due to IT issues during my vacation, I just got upgraded to Windows 2003.
Call me curmudgeon. I've yet to find the advantage, as I wander thru it trying to figure out how to perform tasks that were routine.
Strange little changes, like losing the 'accept all' choice in Track Changes, having to turn off the "reading" pane, and not being able to keep the d&@#$(#@$# "task" pane closed.
Every time it opens, it resizes the rest of the screen which takes me a moment to adjust to.
Yup, call me curmudgeon!

[Shapley]

Yup, call me curmudgeon!

Okay, if you insist... Curmudgeon!

[jamiebk]

Problems is putting it mildly. My computer has sent hundreds of problems back to Microsoft, along with a few caustic comments from me.

I'll have to buy Windows 7 when it comes out. It's either that or buy a new computer, and this one's only 14 months old. Mind you, with Microsoft's enthusiastic pricing, it might be cheaper to buy a new computer.

My wife and I are doing exactly that Dai....we are waiting to buy our MUCH needed new computer until the new OS is out.

[Trumpetmaster]

I must say that since installing Vista SP2 we have had very few problems... Hmmmnnn.... Fingers Crossed....

[dai bread]

My latest beef is that I've found that Microsoft doesn't support the AVCHD format for high definition video that my Panasonic video camera uses. Not in Vista, not anywhere else. This means I can't use Moviemaker, which is quite a decent program. Moviemaker works with the little movies I've taken with my Canon still camera, but it won't handle the Panasonic. I have to shop around for something else, preferably a bit less money-hungry than Adobe.

The editing software that came with the camera is basic. It won't do any more than add titles and transitions. Presumably there's an upgrade somewhere, but I haven't found it yet. Panasonic's U.S. site, which I have to use as it's more comprehensive than the N.Z. one, either hasn't got one or it's well hidden.

[Trumpetmaster]

My latest beef is that I've found that Microsoft doesn't support the AVCHD format for high definition video that my Panasonic video camera uses. Not in Vista, not anywhere else. This means I can't use Moviemaker, which is quite a decent program. Moviemaker works with the little movies I've taken with my Canon still camera, but it won't handle the Panasonic. I have to shop around for something else, preferably a bit less money-hungry than Adobe.

The editing software that came with the camera is basic. It won't do any more than add titles and transitions. Presumably there's an upgrade somewhere, but I haven't found it yet. Panasonic's U.S. site, which I have to use as it's more comprehensive than the N.Z. one, either hasn't got one or it's well hidden.

Dai,

Which Vista do you have and are you running on SP2? Perhaps they have it included in the service pack upgrade.

We have Home Premium and found out that version did not support Faxing.
We had to either upgrade to Ultimate or purchase third party
fax software. We chose the third party fax software and convinced Best Buy to pay for it
as one of the criteria required when we bought the machine was Fax capability.
The sales rep did not know Home Premium did not support Faxing. Ugh....

I am looking at a MAC Laptop. Very interested in testing that out.
Does anyone out there have a MAC? If yes... what is your experience?

Regards,
TM

[Shapley]

I am looking at a MAC Laptop. Very interested in testing that out.
Does anyone out there have a MAC? If yes... what is your experience?

Regards,
TM

My son has one. He loves the reliability, hates the software limitations. We know there are platforms that allow you to run Windows on the Mac, but that sort of defeats the reason for buying a Mac in the first place - getting rid of Windows. I've only met one person running Windows on his Mac, and he says it imports all of the problems we've come to know and love from Microsoft...

[Trumpetmaster]

I am looking at a MAC Laptop. Very interested in testing that out.
Does anyone out there have a MAC? If yes... what is your experience?

Regards,
TM

My son has one. He loves the reliability, hates the software limitations. We know there are platforms that allow you to run Windows on the Mac, but that sort of defeats the reason for buying a Mac in the first place - getting rid of Windows. I've only met one person running Windows on his Mac, and he says it imports all of the problems we've come to know and love from Microsoft...

Shapley,
Sounds to me like I may start fresh with a MAC and go from there.... Even with the software limitations....
Regards,
TM

[Shapley]

That has always been a problem with Microsoft, IMHO. Anyone can write and package software as 'Windows compatible'. As long as it runs on Windows, it technically is. However, that does not mean that the 'Windows compatible' software is necessarily compatible with other 'Windows compatible' software.

I bought a new computer several years ago. Everything ran fine, right out of the box. Then I installed AutoCAd for Windows. It ran okay, but the DVD player would no longer work, and everything else ran slower, even when AutoCAD was not running. I usually get the 'lack of resources' message when I try to run things. The usual help-desk solution is always the same - install the latest updates, remove some software. Every update leads to new problems, and new updates from all my other software.

Apple maintains more control over their software, which means fewer choices but fewer problems with the choices you have, again IMHO.

I have few problems with my Windows laptop (running XP), but I have installed few additional softwares, and do not run AutoCAD on it. AutoCAD is a resource hog. I have installed trial versions of a couple of 3D drafting packages, with no major problems. I have noticed some degradation of the performance of Internet Explorer since installing them, but I cannot say the two are linked. While on vacation, IE quite altogether, which I blame on a virus or malware attack. Removal tools did not help, and I finally reinstalled Windows to get rid of the problem, after spending approximately 16 hours on the phone with Dell trying to fix it otherwise. It works now, but IE locks up from time to time, and I have to use the ctrl-alt-del function to 'bail out' and start it over. I now wish my laptop was a Mac. The 3D software offers Mac versions...

[dai bread]

Everyone I have ever met who does serious video and graphic work uses Mac.

[dai bread]

My latest beef is that I've found that Microsoft doesn't support the AVCHD format for high definition video that my Panasonic video camera uses. Not in Vista, not anywhere else. This means I can't use Moviemaker, which is quite a decent program. Moviemaker works with the little movies I've taken with my Canon still camera, but it won't handle the Panasonic. I have to shop around for something else, preferably a bit less money-hungry than Adobe.

The editing software that came with the camera is basic. It won't do any more than add titles and transitions. Presumably there's an upgrade somewhere, but I haven't found it yet. Panasonic's U.S. site, which I have to use as it's more comprehensive than the N.Z. one, either hasn't got one or it's well hidden.

Dai,

Which Vista do you have and are you running on SP2? Perhaps they have it included in the service pack upgrade.

Regards,
TM

I'm not sure, TM. It had SP1 when I bought the machine. The latest update, which Microsoft, in its usual informative way, says is "important" is KB970653. I can't find anything in the recent update history that says "SP2". I suspect KB970653 is another copyright protector.

[Trumpetmaster]

My latest beef is that I've found that Microsoft doesn't support the AVCHD format for high definition video that my Panasonic video camera uses. Not in Vista, not anywhere else. This means I can't use Moviemaker, which is quite a decent program. Moviemaker works with the little movies I've taken with my Canon still camera, but it won't handle the Panasonic. I have to shop around for something else, preferably a bit less money-hungry than Adobe.

The editing software that came with the camera is basic. It won't do any more than add titles and transitions. Presumably there's an upgrade somewhere, but I haven't found it yet. Panasonic's U.S. site, which I have to use as it's more comprehensive than the N.Z. one, either hasn't got one or it's well hidden.

Dai,

Which Vista do you have and are you running on SP2? Perhaps they have it included in the service pack upgrade.

Regards,
TM

I'm not sure, TM. It had SP1 when I bought the machine. The latest update, which Microsoft, in its usual informative way, says is "important" is KB970653. I can't find anything in the recent update history that says "SP2". I suspect KB970653 is another copyright protector.

Dai,
We had to go to the Microsoft website to download SP2

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en

Hope this helps.

TM

[dai bread]

thanks TM. SP2 is now installed. I'll now have to see what difference it makes.

[Trumpetmaster]

Dai,
We are on SP2.
Bought the machine before SP1 was out so we have gone through 2 of the service pack upgrades.