[Shop-talk] OT: Windows Vista

[Pat]

Dave,

I am in the process of supporting some new vista home machines on a 
network with some XP machines. I am new to vista, so am pushing the 
learning curve that you will be.
Vista, like each release from Microsoft has things that seem to have 
been changed for the hell of it. Vista is no different. The main 
problems I have with it are that it does not contain support for the FAX 
modem. You either need one of the higher priced versions of vista, or 
buy a 3rd party package to allow for FAXing. We chose to pay $49 for a 
3rd party package.

We also have a couple XPE (XP Embedded) controlled machines that are on 
the net. Vista has chosen to change the file transfer formats it uses, 
which works fine between vista machines, but requires a patch from 
Microsoft to be able to transfer files to XP machines. This patch does 
not work with XPE. Files can be pulled from the vista machines to XP and 
XPE machines, but you can't send them from the vista machines.

Several years ago I had my computer die on a Saturday evening and needed 
to pick up a new one that day to complete a project. Fry's had one on 
sale for $450, about 80 miles round trip and Wal-Mart had an E-systems 
machine for $500 with monitor for $500, 10 miles round trip. I went with 
the e-systems. It forked well for about 3 years, then cratered. 
E-systems doesn't seem to use the highest quality components. The 
warranty on my computer stated that if I installed any upgrade that 
didn't come from them it would void the warranty. I had several hard 
drives to install, along with more memory, so I went ahead and had no 
problems until the motherboard lost its network port. I didn't have a 
spare slot to install another ethernet card, so I replaced the system.

After the E-systems computer died I bought another machine and moved 
everything to it. The E-systems monitor (CRT) was connected as a second 
monitor. It lasted about another year before it died.

Yes, viruses can be sent from computer to computer inbedded in files. I 
use AVG virus software and haven't had it miss a virus that I know 
about. They have a free version, and some other pay versions.

That's my dealings with both vista and E-systems and anti-virus 
software. YMMV

Peace,
Pat


Thusly spake David C.:
<snip>

A few of the on line retailers still sell XP machines for a couple 
hundred bucks, less monitor.  However, the local Fry's has a weekend 
special on an E Machines PC with everything I need for $249 (after the 
inevitable rebate), with Vista.

<snip>

The other question is security.  I run current Norton on my desktop 
machine and I'm pretty sure it's clean, but you never know what kind of 
sneaky malware is hiding on your machine.  If I pull files and 
applications off my Maxtor drive, am I taking a chance that unwanted 
malicious files could also hitchhike?  The alternative would be to load 
the apps on the new machine manually, but for some, like Office, I no 
longer have the disks.  (I do have a DVD for Office 2007; tried it; 
hated it.)

Thanks
Dave C
____________

-- 
Pat Horne, Owner, Horne Systems 
(512) 797-7501 Voice		5026 FM 2001
Pat at HorneSystemsTx.com	Lockhart, TX 78644-4443
www.hornesystemstx.com
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