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[Ceej]

Just got a new Laptop with Vista, wasted a weekend trying to get it working with my home network that is XP based and with one of the few HP printers (2000C) that will not be Vista supported. I did get it to work with the network but it was a challenge. Thought I would start a thread for tips, tricks, and advice re: Vista.

[SOKOOLJ]

And I thought I was mechanically challenged with a wrench, sorry brother, I can't help here.   

[EGUC7]

Caution, caution, smart Alec reply coming up...
Ready - Get a Mac.

OK, ok, here is the real reply.  I have been a Mac user since the beginning of time and have always looked down my nose at the PC world.  Last April my sister asked me to buy her a PC so she could travel with it and do Geocatching (a "sport" where you locate stuff with GPS coordinates).  I could not convince her to buy a Mac, so we set out and wound up with a HP running Vista.  I asked the Best Buy guys to set it up for simple, simple web browser and email applications.  They did, but it was a real struggle to get the printer and her DSL working.  I asked the BB guys about it and they said they are telling folks to hold on for the first and second updates which are supposed to solve hundreds of the driver problems.  After we got it going, I was really impressed with its graphics and ease of use.  Really impressed.  I would not want to try and add stuff to it, but I sure would find out from the supplier if the product is Vista ready.  I know there must be hundreds of BB's to go to for help, its just a problem of finding them.  Do you know of a local user group?  It seems Mr. Gates expects the world to gut it out until the first of the service pac's or updates.

Ride Safe.
Walt

[iski]

Just got a new Laptop with Vista, wasted a weekend trying to get it working with my home network that is XP based and with one of the few HP printers (2000C) that will not be Vista supported. I did get it to work with the network but it was a challenge. Thought I would start a thread for tips, tricks, and advice re: Vista.

Ceej - my son - late 20's - works on computers.  One of his regular jobs at present is switching out his customer's new computers from Vista to XP.  No help on Vista from me - he had 1 of the original beta copies and several since.  He uses Linux on his own PC, and he is no Vista fan.

Anything I read here worthwhile I will pass along.

[SOKOOLJ]

Caution, caution, smart Alec reply coming up...
Ready - Get a Mac.

OK, ok, here is the real reply.  I have been a Mac user since the beginning of time and have always looked down my nose at the PC world.  Last April my sister asked me to buy her a PC so she could travel with it and do Geocatching (a "sport" where you locate stuff with GPS coordinates).  I could not convince her to buy a Mac, so we set out and wound up with a HP running Vista.  I asked the Best Buy guys to set it up for simple, simple web browser and email applications.  They did, but it was a real struggle to get the printer and her DSL working.  I asked the BB guys about it and they said they are telling folks to hold on for the first and second updates which are supposed to solve hundreds of the driver problems.  After we got it going, I was really impressed with its graphics and ease of use.  Really impressed.  I would not want to try and add stuff to it, but I sure would find out from the supplier if the product is Vista ready.  I know there must be hundreds of BB's to go to for help, its just a problem of finding them.  Do you know of a local user group?  It seems Mr. Gates expects the world to gut it out until the first of the service pac's or updates.

Ride Safe.
Walt

I attribute my lack of computer skills to having a MAC. It is like having a vehicle that never breaks down, and you don't need to spend OCD money on tools.

[Ceej]

I have been intruiged by the Mac Powerbook, However I have two very important programs I depend on. One is a GPS program called Copilot Truck - GPS That is commercial truck specific - unfortunately no Garmin or anything is yet made with Truck restrictions (Height and weight specific), and Hammerlane - a trucking bookkeeping program that is actually written as a Superbase progam - basically DOS based. This leaves me with little options. I also depend on online faxing as I need permits for most of the loads I haul, they are oversize, so I use K7.net works great - I get faxes in email as .tif files. So, the MAC is away off for now. I must say though as I get a week into this, I think this Vista thing might be alright...still learning it but I think its a nice step up from XP. Once I got past the driver problems, I am enjoying the integration and smoothness it seems to offer.

[REGGAB]

The computer I'm on now is running Vista.  3 others in the house are XP.  Wireless network.  No challenges.  All computers and the print server have static IPs set up in the router.  Works like a champ.  BTW, Vista and MS Office 2007 are awesome when it comes to writing research papers.  Take your pick.  Word will format MLA or APA.  Great stuff.

[Seegarsmkr]

Those that use PCs have a love/hate relationship with Microsoft in general and Vista specifically.  Companies realize that it is the up coming product and once the bugs are worked out is a very smooth interface and will do a lot of things for you.  It is the most mac like of all MS products so far.  The best piece of advice is to go to the manufacturers web site of the device that is giving you trouble and 90% of the time they have drivers specific to the device.  A word of caution Vista has 2 formats 32 bit and 64 bit...the drivers are not usually interchangeable.  I have been very fortunate in that all of the drivers that I need have been updated.  I am a little-bit of a geek so update my computer often.  I have Vista on my desk top and Xp on all of my other computers.  Now that I have Vista I really like it despite what everyone says in the magazines.  The service packs usually update drivers as a massive group and usually have some MS specific fixes/upgrades.  I am not super-savvy but usually can fix my issues...though it usually is preceded by a day or two of 4-letter expletives and lots of frustration breaks.

Seegarz

[EGUC7]

I have been intruiged by the Mac Powerbook, However I have two very important programs I depend on. One is a GPS program called Copilot Truck - GPS That is commercial truck specific - unfortunately no Garmin or anything is yet made with Truck restrictions (Height and weight specific), and Hammerlane - a trucking bookkeeping program that is actually written as a Superbase progam - basically DOS based. This leaves me with little options. I also depend on online faxing as I need permits for most of the loads I haul, they are oversize, so I use K7.net works great - I get faxes in email as .tif files. So, the MAC is away off for now. I must say though as I get a week into this, I think this Vista thing might be alright...still learning it but I think its a nice step up from XP. Once I got past the driver problems, I am enjoying the integration and smoothness it seems to offer.

I have been using MAC portables for many years (the first MAC portable was a 26 pound "luggable").  The current one is a 17" MacBook Pro with the Intel duo processor.  It runs a program called Parallels which makes the MAC think its a PC.  I run my Garmin GPS updates and map on the Parallels program and had my SERT stuff for my old Trike on it also.  BUT, before you think seriously about it, try it at a dealer to be sure it will run those programs that are critical to you.

Ride Safe.
Walt

[Ceej]

I have been using MAC portables for many years (the first MAC portable was a 26 pound "luggable"). 

Man I remember the "Luggables" I had a Kaypro and then a Sanyo - that one was the first "portable" that had a color screen - I think it was like 9" with a big azz floppy alongside and the keyboard latched on to the front to become the bottom of what was about the size of a samsonite! I remember begging my parents for a 1200 baud modem, they said get the money and you can get it. Delivered a lot of papers for that baby and paid big bucks for it too! also remember having one of the first add on hard drives - it was a 10mb "Hard Card" took a couple of slots and cost a grand, but I was one bad Zork player! I also wrote my dad a stock tracking program long before there was E-trade and crap. Went on to write PMS tracking programs in PASCAL for the U.S. Navy, home dinner delivery business software in SQL, and a few other gems. Glad to be out of that racket though, about drove me insane.

[REGGAB]

Man I remember the "Luggables" I had a Kaypro and then a Sanyo - that one was the first "portable" that had a color screen - I think it was like 9" with a big azz floppy alongside and the keyboard latched on to the front to become the bottom of what was about the size of a samsonite! I remember begging my parents for a 1200 baud modem, they said get the money and you can get it. Delivered a lot of papers for that baby and paid big bucks for it too! also remember having one of the first add on hard drives - it was a 10mb "Hard Card" took a couple of slots and cost a grand, but I was one bad Zork player! I also wrote my dad a stock tracking program long before there was E-trade and crap. Went on to write PMS tracking programs in PASCAL for the U.S. Navy, home dinner delivery business software in SQL, and a few other gems. Glad to be out of that racket though, about drove me insane.

WOW Dewd!  You're diggin' up bones.  My first computer was a Tandy 1000SX with one 5.25" floppy drive and one 3.5" floppy drive, 8088 processor and 340kb RAM, which I upgaded to 764kb by installing those 6 or 8 IC chips on the MB.  Then I bought a 20mb hardcard that had a Seagate HD on it.  Then they came out with an 80286 upgrade that had a daughterboard that plugged into an expansion slot with a cable that plugged into the 8088 processor IC socket.  I also bought the chip that kept the date and time of day, so I didn't have to enter that info each time I booted MSDOS.  I ran Prowrite for word processing, Lotus 1-2-3 for spreadsheet, and Harvard Graphics for presentations.  I had alot to do with figuring out how to track aircraft status and reporting using Lotus 1-2-3.  Did all my technical inspector orders in Prowrite when the Army went away from the Disposition Form and started using memorandums.  I even had a 14" CRT 256 color monitor.  I remember when Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards was the craze during lunch hour in the late 80s.  And then there was Tandy Deskmate.  WOW, have we ever come a long way.  During my last tour in Korea, I built two desktop machines, both are P4s, and they are now sitting in our storage room.  Can't imagine life without my laptops.  Between work, school, and this forum, I spend most of my waking hours with a laptop.  Makes me wonder how I've found the time to ride 17K miles in the past year.   

Does anyone have an 8086 or older story?

[Ceej]

Oh yeah, memories - I also had a Trash-80

....remember the beginning of internet ...i mean BBS porn???
on old daisy wheel printers??



   8888M:::::888MM::::::::8:::::::::::M::::8888::::M::::M
    88888M:::::88:M::::::::::8:::::::::::M:::8888::::::M::M
   88 888MM:::888:M:::::::::::::::::::::::M:8888:::::::::M:
   8 88888M:::88::M:::::::::::::::::::::::MM:88::::::::::::M
     88888M:::88::M::::::::::*88*::::::::::M:88::::::::::::::M
    888888M:::88::M:::::::::88@@88:::::::::M::88::::::::::::::M
    888888MM::88::MM::::::::88@@88:::::::::M:::8::::::::::::::*8
    88888  M:::8::MM:::::::::*88*::::::::::M:::::::::::::::::88@@
    8888   MM::::::MM:::::::::::::::::::::MM:::::::::::::::::88@@
     888    M:::::::MM:::::::::::::::::::MM::M:::::::::::::::::::*8
     888    MM:::::::MMM::::::::::::::::MM:::MM:::::::::::::::M
      88     M::::::::MMMM:::::::::::MMMM:::::MM::::::::::::MM
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         88   8MM::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::MMMMMM
          8   88MM::::::::::::::::::::::M:::M::::::::MM
              888MM::::::::::::::::::MM::::::MM::::::MM
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            88888888MM:::::::::::MMM:::::::::::MM:::M
           88 8888888M:::::::::MMM::::::::::::::M:::M
           8  888888 M:::::::MM:::::::::::::::::M:::M:
              888888 M::::::M:::::::::::::::::::M:::MM
             888888  M:::::M::::::::::::::::::::::::M:M
             888888  M:::::M:::::::::@::::::::::::::M::M
             88888   M::::::::::::::@@:::::::::::::::M::M
            88888   M::::::::::::::@@@::::::::::::::::M::M
           88888   M:::::::::::::::@@::::::::::::::::::M::M
          88888   M:::::m::::::::::@::::::::::Mm:::::::M:::M
          8888   M:::::M:::::::::::::::::::::::MM:::::::M:::M
         8888   M:::::M:::::::::::::::::::::::MMM::::::::M:::M
        888    M:::::Mm::::::::::::::::::::::MMM:::::::::M::::M
      8888    MM::::Mm:::::::::::::::::::::MMMM:::::::::m::m:::M
     888      M:::::M::::::::::::::::::::MMM::::::::::::M::mm:::M
  8888       MM:::::::::::::::::::::::::MM:::::::::::::mM::MM:::M:
             M:::::::::::::::::::::::::M:::::::::::::::mM::MM:::Mm
            MM::::::m:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::M::MM:::MM
            M::::::::M:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::M::M:::MM
           MM:::::::::M:::::::::::::M:::::::::::::::::::::M:M:::MM
           M:::::::::::M88:::::::::M:::::::::::::::::::::::MM::MMM
           M::::::::::::8888888888M::::::::::::::::::::::::MM::MM
           M:::::::::::::88888888M:::::::::::::::::::::::::M::MM

[REGGAB]

Oh yeah, memories - I also had a Trash-80

....remember the beginning of internet ...i mean BBS porn???
on old daisy wheel printers??



   8888M:::::888MM::::::::8:::::::::::M::::8888::::M::::M
    88888M:::::88:M::::::::::8:::::::::::M:::8888::::::M::M
   88 888MM:::888:M:::::::::::::::::::::::M:8888:::::::::M:
   8 88888M:::88::M:::::::::::::::::::::::MM:88::::::::::::M
     88888M:::88::M::::::::::*88*::::::::::M:88::::::::::::::M
    888888M:::88::M:::::::::88@@88:::::::::M::88::::::::::::::M
    888888MM::88::MM::::::::88@@88:::::::::M:::8::::::::::::::*8
    88888  M:::8::MM:::::::::*88*::::::::::M:::::::::::::::::88@@
    8888   MM::::::MM:::::::::::::::::::::MM:::::::::::::::::88@@
     888    M:::::::MM:::::::::::::::::::MM::M:::::::::::::::::::*8
     888    MM:::::::MMM::::::::::::::::MM:::MM:::::::::::::::M
      88     M::::::::MMMM:::::::::::MMMM:::::MM::::::::::::MM
       88    MM:::::::::MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM::::::::::MMM
        88    MM::::::::::::MMMMMMM::::::::::::MMMMMMM
         88   8MM::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::MMMMMM
          8   88MM::::::::::::::::::::::M:::M::::::::MM
              888MM::::::::::::::::::MM::::::MM::::::MM
             88888MM:::::::::::::::MMM:::::::mM:::::MM
             888888MM:::::::::::::MMM:::::::::MMM:::M
            88888888MM:::::::::::MMM:::::::::::MM:::M
           88 8888888M:::::::::MMM::::::::::::::M:::M
           8  888888 M:::::::MM:::::::::::::::::M:::M:
              888888 M::::::M:::::::::::::::::::M:::MM
             888888  M:::::M::::::::::::::::::::::::M:M
             888888  M:::::M:::::::::@::::::::::::::M::M
             88888   M::::::::::::::@@:::::::::::::::M::M
            88888   M::::::::::::::@@@::::::::::::::::M::M
           88888   M:::::::::::::::@@::::::::::::::::::M::M
          88888   M:::::m::::::::::@::::::::::Mm:::::::M:::M
          8888   M:::::M:::::::::::::::::::::::MM:::::::M:::M
         8888   M:::::M:::::::::::::::::::::::MMM::::::::M:::M
        888    M:::::Mm::::::::::::::::::::::MMM:::::::::M::::M
      8888    MM::::Mm:::::::::::::::::::::MMMM:::::::::m::m:::M
     888      M:::::M::::::::::::::::::::MMM::::::::::::M::mm:::M
  8888       MM:::::::::::::::::::::::::MM:::::::::::::mM::MM:::M:
             M:::::::::::::::::::::::::M:::::::::::::::mM::MM:::Mm
            MM::::::m:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::M::MM:::MM
            M::::::::M:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::M::M:::MM
           MM:::::::::M:::::::::::::M:::::::::::::::::::::M:M:::MM
           M:::::::::::M88:::::::::M:::::::::::::::::::::::MM::MMM
           M::::::::::::8888888888M::::::::::::::::::::::::MM::MM
           M:::::::::::::88888888M:::::::::::::::::::::::::M::MM

OH YEAH...........now you're talking.  Wish I still had all that stuff.......like the "e moon."   

[theslash]

Mac all the way. Turn it on and 10 seconds later your ready to go (thats full boot) turn it off 8 seconds later it's off/ No virus crap 

[RedDevil]

Hmmmmm, let's see my first computer was an Atari 800, then I upgraded to an Atari 1200XL with 64 whopping kBs of memory and added on a 5 1/4" floppy storage drive to replace the slow cassette drive.  Finally moved up to a 16MHz 286 with a 20 mb hard drive, then to a blazing 33MHz 386 with Windows , then to a screaming 233MHz Pentium II w/windows 95, then to a smashing 500 MHz Pentium III with Windows 95/98/Me, to a 2.56GHz Pentium IV with Windows 98/Me/XP, which is my spare computer down in the basement, to my current desktop, a 3.2GHz Pentium IV with HyperThread Technology with XP, and now added my wife's laptop to the wireless LAN, a 2.0GHz Centrino duo-core w/Vista.  Vista's pretty cool.  Downloaded all the associated Vista drivers for my equipment and everything works fine on it.  Supposedly MS is releasing the Beta Vista Service Pack 1 this month and the public release version will be available some time this fall.  That usually fixes a lot of the initial issues as manufacturers catch up on their driver development.

Cheers ,