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I'll mention again that I'm running Windows Vista beta 2 on a Acer TravelMate 8200 laptop. This model includes a 2GHz Intel Core Duo T2500 processor, 2GB of 533MHz RAM, a discrete ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics card with 256MB of dedicated GDDR3 VRAM, and a 120GBhard drive. This laptop certainly qualifies under Microsoft's Premium recommendations for installing Vista.
Once installed, I used the new Windows Vista Welcome Center to orient myself and install additional drivers. Missing were drivers for my IPMI, my PCI serial port, and my USB 2.0 Web Camera; attempts to download drivers from Microsoft failed, but none of these components are crucial for my work.
What is crucial is the Internet. While I had instant Internet access, I didn't have Firefox nor the various Flash and Shockwave components that are required today. Firefox 1.5 installed on Vista without incident, however, viewing CNET requires Macromedia Flash, and I had trouble getting that to work. For some reason, it took multiple attempts to install before Flash would operate properly within Firefox. My experience was worse using Vista's default browser, Internet Explorer 7. In IE, the Adobe site was inaccessible for some reason. Once Flash did install on both browsers, I was surprised when my chosen video still didn't play properly.
I had a new set of postinstallation problems: although the device manager shows that the Acer TravelMate High Definition Audio Device driver installed (version 6.0.5384.4, dated 6/21/06), it would not run. I had no sound on my laptop. When I queried Vista for solutions, it said there were none.
Being clever, I asked the Vista Device Manager to search my Windows XP partition (I strongly recommend dual-booting your test Windows Vista machine; you'll be much happier). From the XP partition I was able to install a working driver from Realtek Semiconductor (driver version 5.10.0.5191, dated 11/17/05). Giddy with success, I then asked Vista to search the Windows XP partition for the USB 2.0 Webcam driver, and again it found one (Logitech, version 9.4.0.1111, dated 11/18/05). No such luck repairing my IPMI or PCI serial port this way, however.
Using Vista's new "Performance rating and tools" diagnostic tool, I discovered that my installed Vista drivers (the ones that came native with the Vista operating system, not the ones I added manually) are also causing problems. According to the diagnostic tool, several drivers are not performing correctly and therefore are preventing my laptop from going to sleep or hibernating properly. At this juncture, I don't plan on "contacting the vendors or updating them," as Microsoft advises.
My final task for this first day is to install Trillian, the multiparty instant-messaging application. Trillian also installed QuickTime 6, which blanked my desktop display a few times before asking for a reboot. This happened again when I tried to launch and configure Trillian. Vista has a built-in display defense, and I noticed several times it tried to warn me that some app was causing a disturbance, but the message came and went too fast. As configured, Trillian won't load. I'll continue to hack away at this.
Final observation, as I load new apps, Vista seems slower to reboot.
All in all, my experiences today were about average for a first day with a new OS. No matter how hard Microsoft tries to make things simple, there will be drivers that won't install correctly and other minor glitches. That said, it really wasn't a productive day, so expect to spend some downtime with your new operating system. Check back tomorrow to see what I discover next.
TalkBack
8 messages
Upgrading from XP (not a wise thing to do )
I've the exact same configuration. After Vista miserably failed to boot from USB harddrive i made the mad move and upgraded Win XP to Vista...
Upgrade wasn't very smooth. A lot of problems with Bluetooth (bthprops.cpl not found etc..), PCI Serial, Smart card drivers and utilities caused problems.
Clean install to an older Dell D800 went without a fuss. Next time i'll uninstall a lot more old applications
One of the major problems is the new(?) sandbox security model. This prevented me from uninstalling couple of programs because the uninstaller failed to work.
by jarkko23 (See profile) - June 12, 2006 5:33 AM PDT
Windows Vesta
by topflight555 (See profile) - May 30, 2006 7:22 PM PDT
Getting More Free Time
As an professional analist and programmer in .NET my day is filled with finding solutions and make them work on Microsoft products.
After a long day @ work, I just want to check my personal E-mails @ home.
Knowing that me and my team have to program aroud windows faults practicly every day, I start my laptop and cross my fingers. 20 minutes before I can check my E-mails.
This review of "Longhorn", "Vista" or "Next Trash OS" I've made up my mind.
To gain back my free time and being able to relax when computing @ home, I'm going to buy a MacBook.
For serveral years I've been following multiple OS and this is the result.
What I'll be able of doing:
Reading Emails with no warnings or any anoying feature.
Playing a DVD without the cost of a extra software packet.
Being able to trust the spects of software, If it says it can be run on you mac, it CAN be run on your mac.
And last but not least, the next version of OSX will not demand an upgrade of my computer, even the version after.
See the light, feel the power, get a Mac, saving hours.
by jonathannxtg (See profile) - May 28, 2006 5:39 AM PDT
windows vista
by apnsatish (See profile) - May 27, 2006 9:30 PM PDT
Windows Vista Beta 2
by nexgen90 (See profile) - May 27, 2006 8:34 PM PDT
Definitivelly not an average new os day for me
Second thing that bugs me, is the video protection, if i buy vista, i'm gonna have to get a whole lot of new software that runs on this, while on XP runs great (currently i use winXP for graphic design / development tasks). I've gotta point out, that finally, after 6 years, windows has become finally stable (at least for me). Based on experience, i would say we would have a stable Vista around 2012.
I'm definitelly not gonna be buying this software until average computers have 8 Gigs on ram... i preffer to use my resources for doing my jobs, not for having pretty windows, nor cool effects.
by x7c (See profile) - May 27, 2006 2:11 PM PDT
WOW, I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE...
I also tried out Windows Vista, I really don't know what version it was since I downloaded mine from the internet. My PC is not the best but I know I have a good enough computer for it to work properly. I got my computer last year. The problem I experienced with Vista was almost the same. I didn't keep that garbage on my computer long enough to experience more problems. But the number 1 thing that really ticked me off was the fact that I couldnt install any version of AIM. I'd install 5.9 and it would say that the OS I'm running is not compatible and same goes for the crappy Triton. Yahoo worked. I didn't really bother with MSN. Through out the whole day that I had Vista I discovered that the more applications I try to use, the greater the chance of me restarting my computer. I had a problem taking off Vista because I have an HP and it is partitioned into 2 partitions (as you know)... one for the C drive, and one for the D (aka. Recovery)... my recovery files would not run. The error message said that some files are missing, but the file it self is locked and I never really took the time to mess with it and it has worked fine before I installed Vista aka "The Windows From Hell." BTW My sound driver was missing too, among other things. So then I had to re-install Windows Xp from a CD I had, then re-install from the D drive. I work with computers a lot and I sit infront of one everyday for over 10 hours. When I first used Xp upgrating from 98, I have never had any problems with figuring out how to do simple tasks. With Windows Vista It was like I was working on a never ending puzzle. All in all, I think Vista is one of the worst (if not THE worst) version of Windows. Too slow, and its missing lots of important things. Internet Explorer really threw me off. I like IE 6 better, even with all the security loop holes. But just like you, I preffer Fire Fox myself. The only thing I liked about Vista, was Windows Media Player 11. How sad. I think I'm going to stick with Xp for a while.
- Natalli
by qu33nofdrama (See profile) - May 26, 2006 11:36 PM PDT
