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Windows Vista: Test Drive (Read 4185 times)

Pleonasm

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Windows Vista: Test Drive
Apr 1^st, 2007 at 3:53pm

Want to see Windows Vista in action? Run Microsoft's free test drive, which executes Vista inside of an Internet Explorer 'virtual machine' (and does not require the installation of any Vista files onto the PC).

Readers of this forum may be especially interested in test driving the Windows Vista Backup and Restore Center functions.

This is a very cool way to get a real 'hands-on' look at Windows Vista (as well as the new Microsoft Office 2007 applications)!

Please post your observations into this thread.

ple • o • nasm n. “The use of more words than are required to express an idea”

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MrMagoo

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Re: Windows Vista: Test Drive
Reply #1 - Apr 1^st, 2007 at 4:14pm

I've been using Vista on one computer at work just to learn it. It has some cool visuals and a few neat features, but nothing to force me to upgrade. My plan is to wait at least until Service Pack 1 and all the bugs and security holes get worked out before rolling out to the entire network or using it at home.

It does seem to like a LOT of memory. 1GB is minimum for good performance. 2 GB is better. 4 GB doesn't hurt. If you are used to how Windows XP performs with 512 MB, you'll need about 2GB to equal that performance. You can turn a lot of the visuals off and get better performance, but then it takes out all the fun of running a shiny new OS.

Most programs work on Vista that I've tired, although I haven't tried Ghost 10 yet. There are still a few that don't work. The kernel is all new, so if you have a critical application, make sure to test compatibility before you find yourself in a crunch.

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Pleonasm

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Re: Windows Vista: Test Drive
Reply #2 - Apr 1^st, 2007 at 4:50pm

MrMagoo, my plan is similar: wait until about late 2007 / early 2008 before upgrading to Vista.

Symantec intends to release Norton Ghost 12 later this month, which will be compatible with Vista.

For those who don't have a spare PC on which to experiment with Windows Vista, the "test drive" feature described in the initial post is a nice way to see the operating system running in a quasi-virtual machine via Internet Explorer. (Give it a try!)

ple • o • nasm n. “The use of more words than are required to express an idea”

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MrMagoo

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Re: Windows Vista: Test Drive
Reply #3 - Apr 4^th, 2007 at 6:31pm

For those interested in the results of someone else's test drive, HardOCP did a 30 day trial with Vista:

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTMxOCwxLCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==

The final conclusion was sad. I was hoping for more from Vista. From the article:

I really did want to like Vista. Yes, it is possible to enjoy both Windows and Linux - but unfortunately this product is unfit for any user. I still intend to keep a Windows XP partition on my computer for gaming and some multimedia editing, but as of the time of this publication, I have removed Vista entirely.

I hope some of these issues can be addressed in the near future.

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Pleonasm

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Re: Windows Vista: Test Drive
Reply #4 - Apr 5^th, 2007 at 8:31am

For another viewpoint on Windows Vista, read the article “Real-World Vista” (PC World, May, 2007) which documents and categorizes the challenges that the “early adopter” users have had with the operating system.

Quote:

Vendors say Vista’s real benefits will start to appear after the familiar, awkward transition period is over (say, about the time SP1 comes out).

“In a few months’ time, all of this will be a distant memory, and users will enjoy exciting games and features in Vista that redefine computing and entertainment on the PC,” says nVidia’s Diercks.

In fairness to Microsoft, many (but not all) of the issues users are now reporting with Windows Vista are unrelated to the operating system proper, but rather are a consequence of the lack of Vista-compatible hardware drivers and software applications that are not yet well-tuned for the new environment.

Unless you are anxious to get started with Windows Vista, the best advice seems to be to wait at least a few months. Rumor says that Vista SP1 will be released in about October, 2007 - to help PC sales during the holiday season.

ple • o • nasm n. “The use of more words than are required to express an idea”

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