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Ed
   
    I could not have said it better myself. I have been working in the computer 
industry for 20 plus years and you where right on (as usual)....
   
  Chuck
  N94191

Ed Burkhead <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
  
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      st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }                 
  Don,
   
  Thanks for posting that message on FLYIN.  (The right place for such a 
discussion.)  This is important to all of our computer-using community.
   
  I think about 2/3rds of the points in the message are bunk or hoaxes but some 
of those points have some validity.
   
  Me, I’m not planning to upgrade any of my current computers to Vista.  Heck, 
only my best one could even handle it at all and I’d need a couple of upgrades 
on that.
   
  I think XP will keep me happy for quite a while.  Comments interspersed below.
   
  Don’s friend wrote:
  Ok, here is the vista update as many of you are writing to me with 
suggestions...
  1) as of January 30th all computers with XP were ordered back to manfg to get 
Vista on them
   
  I think he must have meant the new computers in the stores.  Indeed, many 
manufacturers keep selling with the old operating system for years because 
knowledgeable buyers often won’t buy a new operating system in the first year 
it’s out.  Very few businesses will change their computers over to the new 
operating system in that first year.
   
  XP has tome time left to go.
   
  2) I took my vista computer back to Walmart as did many other customers, we 
were told that
      Since the machine was basically working they would not take them back and 
they had no
      More computers with XP on them
   
  Apparently, this guy was dissatisfied with his cheapie machine loaded down 
with a heavy operating system and way too little RAM memory.  Perhaps it would 
have been fine with a bunch more RAM.  Whenever you are short on RAM, your 
computer will be a dog.  This affects performance more than speed, in my 
experience.
   
  I got bit by this when I upgraded my laptop and my daughter’s computer to XP 
Home.  The memory on both those computers is insufficient for XP which really 
needs 512 MB RAM.  My laptop is limited by its hardware to 256 (and it’s full) 
and my daughter’s computer had an old motherboard which was limited to 196 MB.  
They run pretty well after they finish loading but it takes forever to load XP 
Home and for it to settle down ready to run.
   
  With XP, 512 isn’t bad but it’s happier with 1 GB.  With Vista, I’d at least 
double those numbers.
   
  If you buy a computer with Vista, you can go out and buy a consumer copy of 
XP and I’d be mighty surprised if you had any problems running XP on your new 
machine – at least for quite a while.  Remember, 99.9% of all computers out 
there are running XP or something older.
   
  If you are buying a new computer and want XP, I’d buy from a vendor that 
offers it with a choice of operating system.
   
  3) called emachine and they are not allowed to sell or put XP on anymore 
machines after Jan 30th
   
  That’d be a strange contract with Microsoft.  That’s what happens when you go 
with a bottom feeder manufacturer.
   
  4) even though Microsoft says a minimum of 1GB RAM, eMachine (Gateway) can 
sell the computer
       With 512MB because the vista version on the computer is an abbrviated 
version called BASIC and I would have
       To pay $239.00 more  for the PREMIUM VERSION or $399.00 more for the 
ULTIMATE VERSION.    
   
  When you buy a computer with an operating system already installed, you’re 
usually getting Windows at a reduced OEM price – sometimes a really reduced 
price.  But that’s true too if you buy the computer from a company that offers 
options for the operating system.
   
  If you buy from a consumer vendor that only sells Vista (at the discount 
price), you’ll have to pay full consumer price to get one of the better Vista 
options.
   
   
  5) print drivers will only be upgrade by each printer mfg going back 18 
months so if your printer is
      Older than that, you will have to purchase a new printer to work on Vista.
   
  This might be a real bite for some Vista buyers.  I have an older wide 
carriage photo printer that works perfectly and I’m not planning to replace it 
in the near (couple of years) future.
   
  But my scanner has driver problems with XP because it’s too old.  It does 
work with the XP built in scanning functions, but not with as nice of software 
as came with it, originally.
   
   
  6) digital camera users will have to go thru the same thing waiting for new 
drivers to become available
     From your camera mfg.. And depending on the camera, mine is two years old 
and will not get new
     Drivers so I will have to replace my camera
   
  This may be one of the least important worries.  Unless you have a really old 
camera or a really cheap one, you have a memory card.  Just put your card into 
the new computer’s card reader and it’s treated like a hard drive – just copy 
the pictures up to your real hard drive then clean off the card.  Be happy.
   
  True, some image manipulating software may not run on future computers.  This 
is mostly only a problem for hyper-perfectionists who shoot in RAW format.  RAW 
format needs special software to be understood, edited and converted.  If you 
get to the point where you can’t get conversion software, you may loose the use 
of old formats which are in a camera’s RAW format or any proprietary format.  
(I’m still looking for software to convert some of my very old Kodak DCS 
proprietary format pictures.)  Files in JPEG (.jpg) format should be safe for 
the long term.
   
   
  7) getting thru to any of the tech supports for any computer related product 
is almost impossible I am
      So frustrated about holding two and 1/2 hours only to get hung up on....
   
  You pay for tech support with every purchase.  If you buy cheap, you’re 
buying cheap or no tech support, says the guy who has done years of computer 
manufacturer call-in tech support.  I recommend pre-made computers from 
companies who get good ratings for their tech support.  (Sorry, I haven’t been 
watching the ratings in the last few years – I assemble my own from parts 
now-a-days.)
   
   
  And lastly, if your new computer comes with vista you cannot format it and 
use a copy of XP
  Because all the chips and video cards, sound cards etc will only work with 
Vista installed so that
  Is definetly not an option...   So I guess we all have to dig deep in our 
pockets this next year to
  Upgrade everything we own to Vistas specifications... Thankyou very much bill 
gates, your jerk
   
  This, I think, is mostly bunk.  It’s possible that some manufacturer will 
include some parts that won’t be supported with XP.  These will be either 
bottom-feeder companies or good companies where you have an operating system 
choice and you choose a Vista optimized machine.  I think it’ll be a while 
before this becomes a real problem.
   
  But, if you buy factory made, buy it with the operating system you want and 
make sure it works with any essential accessories before you buy.  If you buy 
from a computer integrator local company, be sure you pick a competent one and 
be sure you’re not buying the first build of any package.
   
  For now, you get what you pay for.  If you buy cheap, you get cheap.
   
  Ed
   
   
   


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