[philthomas]

Ther other thing I just picked up from a colleaugue is .... it takes an hour to install SP1 from disk.

So for the record it takes approx 15-20 mins to install Vista and another hour to patch it up, with over 300 fixes/additions, assuming you are not unlucky and end up in a loop.

There also does not seem to be a way of slipstreaming SP1 with Vista, M$ say it cannot be done, so it's 1 hour and 20 mins minimum to install, assuming a fast PC.

I might be missing something here, but XP with SP2 slipstreamed took approx 39 mins .... approx half the time. It makes a bit of a mockery of M$ claims of a faster installation

It can only get better

[evilfantasy]

Reminds me of programs that free up resources but in turn they use extra resources to run.

On another note they did release this yesterday.

Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3 RC2 Script (BETA)

[philthomas]

Yep ..... I grabbed that and installed it on my Laptop and it worked fine first time, without a hitch ..... dont you just love XP

[Jase123]

I'll be doing some testing on my test machines. There's also a few fixes about for the continuous loop users have since they installed Vista SP1.

Regards Jason

[philthomas]

Originally Posted by Jase123

There's also a few fixes about for the continuous loop users have since they installed Vista SP1.

Regards Jason

A safer fix is ...... dont install it, until M$ have thoroughly tested it

Nothing surprises me with M$ anymore, but it's discraceful that they release such a buggy beta to Manufacturers. It's not as thought they have rushed it is it ?

If M$ didn't enjoy the monopoly position that they do, they would soon be out of business, producing such junk.

Rant over

[Jase123]

Well, I agree yes.

For all updates, I usually vista the "Vista Blog" HERE.

Microsoft also today announce price reductions for retail copies of Windows Vista. Microsoft hope this will incentive users to upgrade now, rather than waiting to get a new computer, in which case will probably come pre-installed with Vista on it.

The price reductions are as follows; Vista Ultimate version will get a discount from $299 to $219, while Home Premium edition falls to $129, from $159. The price cuts vary by country.

Microsoft also said it would continue to sell Windows XP until June 2008, delaying a scheduled transition to Vista.

Regards Jason.

[serverguy]

TBH, I have been testing SP1 for Vista for a while now and have mixed feelings about it... Yes, copying speeds are better.

But it still takes way to long to resume from sleep which they said they were fixing...

Most of the stuff is going on behind the scenes, you notice very little change except for the Start Menu Search Bar that disappears.

It does take a while to install. But that is because it has lots of code etc.

The first couple of versions killed all my Windows Live Services but that is fixed now.

There is more program support which is nice..

There are some problems I had that after I installed the latest RC it killed my firewall and AV but these issues are being addressed.

It does IPv6 networking now...


SP3 for XP is also on it's way but I still find it too problematic to use it on my main computer... It still won't play with Windows Live so I have no mail and don't feel like changing to Outlook.

There is virtually no difference you notice though as it is more just a combination of previous fixes with a few new ones.

It has been RC publicly since Christmas but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone at the moment...

[philthomas]

This article tells two stories. I particularly identified with these comments :

In separate news Microsoft has reduced the price of Vista. Is this a Microsoft concession for Vista ills? How about a Vista pain and suffering rebate of $100 for Vista buyers?

Yet again greed & profit before consumer's interests.

[Jase123]

No, this is actually good, just look around the net. Personally I think the reduced prices may encourage users to upgrade their PC.

"We anticipate these changed will provide greater opportunities ... to sell more stand-alone copies of Windows," said Brad Brooks, a Microsoft corporate vice president.

Nonetheless, some consumers have complained about Vistas performance, stringent hardware requirement and lack of support for other software and devices, such as printers. Microsoft said it would continue to sell Windows XP until June 2008, delaying a scheduled transition to Vista.

I run both Vista and XP, and I'm happy with both, basically because I haven't had too many problems, especially Vista, since most problems I've ran in have been fairly easy to fix -- a google search goes a long way. However, I do agree with you that Vista does lack performance in certain areas, and there is definite room for improvement.

@ PhilThomas: Do you participate in MS beta testing, via MS Connect?

Regards Jason.

[evilfantasy]

They may market the idea well but if you think about it selling software CDs is a near 100% profit for MS. Pre-installed copies don't generate near as much because they split profits with the PC manufacturer. But yes, I do agree it is a good idea.