Computer & Vista Questions

[ToUtahNow]

I ordered a new Dell computer the other day and I am looking for some advice from any tech savvy guys/gals out there. It of course came with Vista so I am wondering about any issues with it and compatibility with other programs. Most of the programs I use that matter are all Microsoft Office stuff.

This computer is what I call my Media computer as I use it for watching TV in my office when I am not using it for sewer videos and photos. The computer is a Dell XPS 420 with a Intel 2 Q6600 Quad-Core (8MB L2 cache,2.4GHz,1066FSB), a Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Music sound card, a 512MB Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT video card, ATI Theater 650 PRO Combo TV Tuner and Logitech Z-5500 speakers. The computer also comes with a setup Dell calls Xcelerator which is suppose to make it easier for working with MPEG 4 files. The computer will be mated to an existing dell 24”WS monitor.

So besides the Vista questions and the fact this may overwhelm my little office do you see any compatibility problems or things I should prepare for?

Thanks-Mark :withstupid:

[MrsSeatDown]

Thanks-Mark :withstupid:

Ummm. . .did you just call Brenda stupid?:p (just teasing ya)

You can order the dell with XP still:clapping:

[ToUtahNow]

Ummm. . .did you just call Brenda stupid?:p (just teasing ya)

You can order the dell with XP still:clapping:

LOL-I would not dare as she is my rock. Today is our 37th Wedding Anniversary and she thinks we are still in High School. I'm sure our next 37-years will be just as exciting.

As for XP it is only available on certain Dell computers and it was not available on this model. Besides this is my least critical computer and I figured I will have to transition to Vista some day so why not today. They also say most of what I want to do (video & photo editing) is really enhanced under Vista so I guess it's time to set my fears aside and go for it.

Mark

[MrsSeatDown]

LOL-I would not dare as she is my rock. Today is our 37th Wedding Anniversary and she thinks we are still in High School. I'm sure our next 37-years will be just as exciting.

As for XP it is only available on certain Dell computers and it was not available on this model. Besides this is my least critical computer and I figured I will have to transition to Vista some day so why not today. They also say most of what I want to do (video & photo editing) is really enhanced under Vista so I guess it's time to set my fears aside and go for it.

Mark

I know-that is why I was teasing you. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!:hug:

Besides with dell you can get a pink computer!

Leap into new technology;)

[ToUtahNow]

Thank you Joey :dance:

Mark

[mrs. westcoast]

pink one???

Doubt they have it..maybe on backorder..Robert got the last one:)

[PLUMBER RICK]

pink one???

Doubt they have it..maybe on backorder..Robert got the last one:)


that's the one he uses to watch oprah:ignore:

rick.

[TOD]

Runnig Vista on 3 computers here and no problems other than the learning curve of a new OS. What version of Vista will it have and how much ram? It needs to have at least 2 gig and Ultimate is the way to go. Also as long as it is the 32 bit version of Vista you should have no problems with your software.

[Newman]

I recently got a Dell system with Windows Vista for my parents. Office XP that they already had is not compatible as I found out the hard way, as well as a few other programs they were using. Windows XP worked much better and faster!

[Josh]

I am sticking with XP for the time being. The biggest deterrent for me upgrading is that vista is a power hog. If this is your media computer then vista is probably the right choice. I don't have any experience with Vista yet I just know you don't buy a Microsoft product for 1.5 years after its been out so they can take care of the bugs.

The computer you listed the specs for is pretty kick butt. Very powerful machine so it should handle vista easily as long as there is enough ram. Not sure on the compatibility issues. I would have thought office xp would still run. Shame on Microsoft if it doesn't.

Josh

[TOD]

I am running Office 2000 on my Vista computer with no problems. I also find it hard to believe that Office XP won't run.

[VASandy]

I've worked with and uninstalled Vista on a number of systems. Vista Business will eventually crash when using Office XP. I haven't used Office 2000 on Vista, so it's possible there aren't problems. The more Office XP is used on Vista Business, it seems to kind of build up some problems that lead to complete system failures. I've had one system with Vista Home/Media that had multiple issues with Office XP. Keep in mind that the new version of Office (Office 2007) defaults to an INCOMPATIBLE file format. Files written in Office 2007 CANNOT be read with Office XP. Please, if you're using Office 2007, pay attention when you save a file and choose a file format that is compatible with the older versions!!

The most vexing issues with Vista are hardware. Printers may or may not work. There's issues with some external hard drives, cameras, etc. Be very careful on the peripherals you choose for your system.

Currently, I am telling my customers to avoid Vista as the cost of ownership skyrockets quickly. For a small business with a couple computers, the cost of even ONE Vista system can be prohibitive when faced with having to replace printers and upgrade software.

[ToUtahNow]

Okay here is a little more background. The computer has 3 GB of ram and will have Vista home ultimate with digital cable support. It will be preloaded with a vista compatible office so I am more concerned as to whether I will have any problems editing or reading files created on XP on the new Vista Office.

The computer this is replacing is tied into a couple of printers via my network but I cannot ever remember sending anything to the printers from that computer. To better explain my desk has three monitors and three separate CPUs. When I am doing photo or sewer logs I will review photos on the "media" computer and then input the information into an Excel spreadsheet on my "forensic" computer and my inspection log onto the "black" computer. I know I could do this with one computer and multiple windows but when I am doing thousands of photos this makes it much faster.

VASandy brings up a concern I had not even thought of. I'm not sure if my current cameras are Vista compatible which could be a bad thing. Would it make a difference that I use card readers rather than the devise to download the data? As storage media I am currently using SD, SDHC and CF cards.

As a fail-safe I recently found out the 14-month old Dell this is replacing (fried motherboard after a power outage) is out of warranty with Dell but has a one year extended warranty with Costco. So if I end up with too many compatibility issues Brenda will get a new computer and I will reinstall the one which Costco is suppose to come repair.

Thanks again for all of the help.

Mark

I just checked and the Office is Office 2007 so if I edit I guess I will have to save to an Office 2003 format. This will be interesting when receiving and or sending attachments to different Law Firms.

[TOD]

Office 2007 should be backwards compatable with Office XP. You need to see if you can get Vista drivers for the printers. File and print sharing will be a learning curve with Vista.

[ToUtahNow]

Wow I ordered this thing the night of 12/28 and was given an estimated ship date of 1/8. Today is 1/2, I just walked out front and the thing was sitting at my door. That seems pretty fast to build and ship a computer considering this is a holiday week. Now the question is do I swap it out now or wait until Costco comes and fixes the other Dell. Maybe I had better wait.

Mark

[Frankiarmz]

Asked the computer geeks at my local Best Buys store if they would install windows xp on a new computer they sold with vista? The answer was no, but one of the guys slipped me a piece of paper with "newegg.com" written on it. Obviously you can install and run windows xp on these computers and from most of the feedback I've heard vista is not better than xp. Why did they have to change the operating system? Why not give you a choice?

[Woussko]

Some companies selling "customized" computers for business users still offer Windows XP Professional as an option. If you have a full version of Windows XP Professional on CD and with service pack 2 or a CD with SP 2 on it, you can do a hard drive cleaning and install it.

As for the Microsoft Office 2007 files and trying to open them with Office 2003 or Office XP there's a special file that can be downloaded. I don't think you can edit and save it as the newer format but you can save it as an older type which should open with Office 2007.

There is a big issue with printers, scanners, digital cameras and more not having drivers. This even includes some wild monitor and graphics card issues.

Bottom line: You might inquire with DELL tech support about installing XP Professional for now if that's what's on your other PCs. I would not even think of networking computers without all having the same operating system.

I'm not the expert here. VASandy is much better at this than I am. I have asked several other techs and they are holding back on Vista. It's new and needs time. I remember cussing when I upgraded to Windows XP Professional on my current PC only to find some of my older software had to be run on a DOS platform which ended with Windows 98SE. I kept my older PC to for some time until I was able to purchase newer software.

[ToUtahNow]

All right I broke down and decided to set the thing up. All I can say so far is WOW is this thing fast. I'm sure it will take me a while to figure it all out but it is like one big shortcut which anticipates your wants.

Mark

[TOD]

All right I broke down and decided to set the thing up. All I can say so far is WOW is this thing fast. I'm sure it will take me a while to figure it all out but it is like one big shortcut which anticipates your wants.

Mark
Part of the learning curve I was talking about.

[DuckButter]

All that VaSandy has to say is pretty much what I'd heard as well about Vista.
Woussko asked why they keep changing..um...money.
I seriously am thinking of trying a MAC, unless Mark has encouraging things to say regarding software/hardware compatibility.

[TOD]

All that VaSandy has to say is pretty much what I'd heard as well about Vista.
Woussko asked why they keep changing..um...money.
I seriously am thinking of trying a MAC, unless Mark has encouraging things to say regarding software/hardware compatibility.Lets not turn this into a what I heard about Vista thread. I am running it on 3 computers 3 different versions. It is by far the best OS M$ has released. If you are not running it you have no opinion here.

[drtyhands]

Let's see here...Yep,Open dicsussion.I'm in the right place.

What was that TOD.This place smells like burnt hair.A Little thick eh?.

[jbergstrom]

Let's see here...Yep,Open dicsussion.I'm in the right place.

What was that TOD.This place smells like burnt hair.A Little thick eh?.

:eek::D I hate that smell.... :p

I always thought opinions were free... :rolleyes:

I,ve heard that the newest Mac OS isn't all it's cracked up to be either...

A big part of the problem is consumerism... it's what makes the world go round.
I think that to the general masses even Win98 machines from a few years ago are capable of more then the average guy knows (or cares) about.
People just want to read their email and share pics with granny etc. and they don't want to spend one or two grand every other year to update their hardware in order to use the latest chunk of bloatware that has to be churned out in order to keep the wheels of industry turning and everyone employed...

[DuckButter]

Lets not turn this into a what I heard about Vista thread. I am running it on 3 computers 3 different versions. It is by far the best OS M$ has released. If you are not running it you have no opinion here.

I seriously am thinking of trying a MAC, unless Mark has encouraging things to say regarding software/hardware compatibility.
I still have an opinion, I'm entitled to take inventory from others experience.
I'm allowed.

[DuckButter]

:eek::D I hate that smell.... :p

I always thought opinions were free... :rolleyes:

I,ve heard that the newest Mac OS isn't all it's cracked up to be either...

A big part of the problem is consumerism... it's what makes the world go round.
I think that to the general masses even Win98 machines from a few years ago are capable of more then the average guy knows (or cares) about.
People just want to read their email and share pics with granny etc. and they don't want to spend one or two grand every other year to update their hardware in order to use the latest chunk of bloatware that has to be churned out in order to keep the wheels of industry turning and everyone employed...
Wouldn't it be just peachy if couple more OS's popped into the scene..I don't mean linux either...a couple of user friendly competitors would certainly shake things up a bit.

[VASandy]

I have installed, used, uninstalled, and fixed every type of PC out there. Vista has it's good points, but there are compatibility issues that must be considered before jumping into it. I have customers with Vista, and for the most part their experience is not what I'd call satisfactory. In a year or 2, it'll be better.

I have and use a Mac. Mostly, the Mac does all the business end of things (pictures, spreadsheets, documents, etc) and email. I like the Mac for doing documentation, as the software is much easier than Office for incorporating pictures and editing them. The Mac's iWork applications are great. The Spreadsheet is one of the most user-friendly I've ever used. For the most part, I use the PC mostly for gaming and such. I play CoD4 and a few other online games, and the PC is the platform I prefer. I hate consoles, personally.

I keep a few PC's around to play with customer configurations and software. It's important to be able to duplicate customer issues.

For your information, by the way, the new HP computers with Vista can't be "uninstalled". By this I mean, you can't remove Vista and install XP without going through a LOT of trouble. HP has made the computers proprietary to Vista. If you buy an HP from Costco assuming you can just install XP on it, don't bother. It's just not worth the hassle and problems. Dell Vostro line of PC's and laptops can be ordered with XP Pro instead of Vista.

There was, some time ago, an OS called BeOS. It was a really friendly graphical-based OS that was compatible, easy, and intuitive. BeOS went out of business shortly after the US DOJ wrapped up the suit against M$. BeOS could no longer afford to do business with Microsoft's marketing relationships. In that M$ will give the OS to manufacturer's (especially considering the likes of HP's newest marketing paradigm and proprietary OS) with the agreement that ONLY MICROSOFT be offered and other non-competitive arrangements, other OS manufacturers face a very difficult path to market. If Linux wasn't a free OS, it would have died out when BeOS did.

[Velosapien]

Vista is overall the best OS from MS so far. If you are buying a new PC you might as well bite the bullet now rather than having to respend money on new OS later, unless you have some known compatibility issues or hardware requirements it's not worth hopping back to XP. It will always take time while every bug is squashed, all hardware and software providers catch up and get into the swing of things and people start getting the feel for it, but all things considered Vista has been the smoothest transition to a new MS operating system ever. Over 5 years ago when XP was introduced it was considered an overall disaster which offered nothing substantial over Win2k, but now is considered a fine OS. Win2000 was by far the most painfull since it was the first to make the jump for a mainstream OS from the Windows 9X core to the NT core. It took years for driver and software support to fully catch up but in the end it was probably MS' finest system.

[Velosapien]

I am running Office 2000 on my Vista computer with no problems. I also find it hard to believe that Office XP won't run.

Office XP and 2000 do work with Vista but they are past their mainstream support period. Right now they are in extended support which basically means mostly only updates relating to security will be adressed. Any other problems that may arise will no longer be resolved.

[Frankiarmz]

Okay, I won't change this into a "what I heard about vista" discussion. I would like to talk about change and what we consider progress. As a retired Telephone man I've seen what progress can do and if it were up to me we would go back to operators placing our calls, no cell phones, pagers, no computers or internet. No power accessories on cars, no microwaves! All our plumbing would be sweated and all our electrical panels would use fuses. You blow a fuse, either replace it or stick a penny in there and hope for the best. All this technology has not helped us, just made us lazy and more dependant. We need to toughen up, you check'in for gas? Carry a canary in a cage. You check'in for electricity? Lick your first two fingers and hold on! Now let's be real men and stop all this foolishness about computers and operating systems. What are we girlie men?:killingme:

[joe_d]

I give Vista (Vista Business) a thumbs up and I have been running it on my laptop since last July. The only issue I have had is with MS Office. I was running Office 2003 and had to upgrade to Office 2007 because of incompatibility. Other than that, it's been great.

[wwsmith]

All this from a guy who has been dreaming of a better battery & cordless drill for months... :eek:

:lol: :lol:

Okay, I won't change this into a "what I heard about vista" discussion. I would like to talk about change and what we consider progress. As a retired Telephone man I've seen what progress can do and if it were up to me we would go back to operators placing our calls, no cell phones, pagers, no computers or internet. No power accessories on cars, no microwaves! All our plumbing would be sweated and all our electrical panels would use fuses. You blow a fuse, either replace it or stick a penny in there and hope for the best. All this technology has not helped us, just made us lazy and more dependant. We need to toughen up, you check'in for gas? Carry a canary in a cage. You check'in for electricity? Lick your first two fingers and hold on! Now let's be real men and stop all this foolishness about computers and operating systems. What are we girlie men?:killingme:

[Frankiarmz]

All this from a guy who has been dreaming of a better battery & cordless drill for months... :eek:

:lol: :lol:

I have to admit the thumbs do make a world of difference. Oh, and I'll take it all back once I get that Battery!:D

[Bob D.]

I have added two HP laptops both with Vista Home Premium and have had no issues so far with any hardware. I have not loaded any software on them yet except for that which specifically says it is Vista compatible. I have Office XP but will probably leave that on my desktop running XP Pro.

No problems so far with any of the LAN printers here at home, my network storage is working OK and file and print sharing between all computers is OK so far (it's been 10 days).

The file compatibility issues were the same with earlier versions of Office and people cried then too. When Office 2000 was launched the same issues came up. You can choose to save in the older format (OfficeXP/2003 format).