PSX5Central
Non Gaming Discussions => Off-Topic => Topic started by: Evi on June 08, 2006, 09:48:07 PM
-
In a surprise move, Microsoft today made Windows Vista Beta 2 available to pretty much anybody who wants it. If you\'re interested, head to the Windows Vista Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/preview.mspx). Make sure, however, that you check out system requirements (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/capable.mspx) first--they\'re also on the Windows Vista site.
The beta, available in English, German or Japanese and in both 32- and 64-bit editions, is for Windows Vista Ultimate, the most full-featured version of the OS. The code is available either as a free download of an ISO file (an image of the installation DVD that you must burn onto a blank recordable DVD), or you can get it on DVD, in which case you\'ll have to pay Microsoft for production, shipping, handling and sales tax (for me in California the total came to $10.85).
If you opt for the ISO download, be prepared to wait: The 32-bit version is a 3.5GB file, the 64-bit version takes up 4.4GB. Microsoft estimates that with a "fast" cable or DSL connection, you\'re still looking at 4.5 hours to download the 32-bit version and 5.5 hours for the 64-bit edition. Also, a Microsoft spokeswoman sent me e-mail saying demand is already so high that when you try to sign up (which involves filling out a little questionnaire) you might be asked to try again later in the day. But don\'t dawdle--Microsoft says it\'s only making the beta available in a "limited quantity," and once the unspecified magic number of orders have been received, no new ones will be accepted.
The beta is being offered under the new Windows Vista Customer Preview Program, and if you get it you\'ll also get Release Candidate 1 (RC1) when it\'s ready "later this year," Microsoft says. RC1 is basically the final version of the OS--any changes after that are supposed to be bug fixes only.
Microsoft is urging people thinking of getting the beta to install it only on test machines, and as someone who upgraded from XP to the Vista beta a couple of weeks ago, I have to second the warning. At least a couple of applications I\'d been using regularly, Adobe\'s Photoshop Elements 4 and Rhapsody, no longer work thanks to compatibility issues.
And if you do install the beta, I\'d be cautious about installing Computer Associates\' beta eTrust EZ Antivirus software for Vista (http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/002138.html): It made my PC basically unusable last week because of constant freezes and crashes. On the other hand, if you\'re upgrading from XP, you\'ll probably want to uninstall your current AV software, which could leave you vulnerable to attacks. (For the time being, I\'m counting on PC World\'s corporate defenses to keep me safe.)
LINKY LINK (http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/002226.html)
It\'s a free download for those who want to try it. :toilet:
-
Good to see we\'re closer to its release. When does it officially come out, or has that not been announced yet?
To be honest, I don\'t care about a new Windows OS. I just want this to play Crysis. :)
-
The beta is being offered under the new Windows Vista Customer Preview Program, and if you get it you\'ll also get Release Candidate 1 (RC1) when it\'s ready "later this year," Microsoft says. RC1 is basically the final version of the OS--any changes after that are supposed to be bug fixes only.
Does that mean a free copy of vista later this year? Wait, what am I thinking... I don\'t want that anyways :D
-
I\'m very content with Windows XP Media Center Edition right now. Plus I want to see how it works throughout a year or two to see what bugs there are before upgrading. I don\'t wanna download it and find out its like Windows ME or 98.
-
It\'s not going to be like Windows ME or 98...
-
It\'s not going to be like Windows ME or 98...
That\'s what they said about ME and 98 ;) They made it seem stable but weren\'t. I\'m just saying. I wanna play it safe :)
-
They said Windows ME won\'t be like Windows ME and Windows 98 won\'t be like Windows 98? That makes sense... :stick:
I know what you mean though. ;) See how it goes for the first year or so before you step into Vista waters.
-
They said Windows ME won\'t be like Windows ME and Windows 98 won\'t be like Windows 98? That makes sense... :stick:
*another joke flys over Evi\'s head.....again* :fryingpan:
-
I was bored and looking on Wikipedia. Found a great article. It looks pretty sweet. Again, I\'m gonna wait for a bit before I decide whether to upgrade or not. I know I could stick it out until the end of college, see where I end up jobwise and decide to buy a new awesome computer with Vista on it or if they come out with another windows. Who knows. We\'ll see in a year or so.
EDIT: Shit, forgot the article :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Vista
-
*another joke flys over Evi\'s head.....again* :fryingpan:
I understood it...but it just wasn\'t funny. :shy:
-
I understood it...but it just wasn\'t funny. :shy:
:liar:
-
:fu:
-
(https://psx5central.com/community/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebaumsworld.com%2Fforumfun%2Fnegative14.jpg&hash=4b9c2ea440cd8781676424803106e66418341206)
-
I installed Vista Beta2 last friday. Installation went perfectly without a bruise. It is installed on a secondary partition, so I can boot in Xp or Vista. After 1st boot was done, I had to troubleshoot 2 devices that werent properly installed. My onboard ethernet card and soundcard. I just override the Vista driver with the one on my motherboard CD-rom and both devices have been working fine since.
My computer isnt the lastest of the bomb thing but it\'s good enough to handle the whole "aero" experience at is fullest (P4 2.8HT, 1gig ram, ATI x850XT). It\'s really hard to explain, but unless you see the thing in motion you cant really say you\'ll go back to your win2k/ME feel. Windows draw and move without a glitch or blurry movement. Program and window when called arent build pieces by piece (frame, menu, button and window content) Instead they appear as if they were launched at you a ball. The start menu is really nice to. Program list do not fold/unfold anymore in long listing. Instead they are shown directly embebed in the start menu and you double click directories to go in them. Left side menu always show you "top accessed program".
Every component / program I have isntall since work. Nero, adobe reader, winamp, office, imgburn.. I cant really say if they work better or worst. however I can say that I didnt encouter any crash or bugtype thing. I do belive everything is working faster.
All in all, I really appreciate the new Windows. The gadget sidebar didnt proove much usefullness for now, but when people\'s creativity got into it, it\'ll will probably be very interesting.
-
It partitions it for you? The hard drive I mean.
-
I think he made the partition himself. Unless Microsoft made some convenient new feature in Vista.
-
Made it myself before I launched the installation. I also loaded the ISO on a virtual drive (Daemon Tool)
-
Daemon Tools rocks. And it\'s free. :thumb:
-
I decided to give it go on my other drive. Gonna install here in abit. Doin\' the 64bit edition./
-
you get a new machine Lic?
I miss the days when people used to make posts when they got new computers... :(
-
Had this one for over two years now, I would imagine. It\'s the one I built.
-
you get a new machine Lic?
I miss the days when people used to make posts when they got new computers... :(
hehe yea, I remember when me & no-one both got almost identical p3 800 setups ;)
I just keep upgrading the current one I have so it feels like I\'m cheating if I post a "Just got a new PC" thread
-
I think I may have posted getting my laptop one year. Some else can search if htey\'re interested becasue I\'m sure as hell not interested in my own thread :)
-
I\'ll be getting myself one of these badboys when the kinks have been worked out, only with 2 gigs of RAM and a 80 or 100 gb harddrive.
-
Sammy, I\'d get as big a hard drive as possible. They fill up pretty fast if you download movies and music and porn. Mine is pretty much full and I have an 80 :(
-
Sammy, I\'d get as big a hard drive as possible. They fill up pretty fast if you download movies and music and porn. Mine is pretty much full and I have an 80 :(
The only thing I download is (legal) music and that\'s not even in the gigabytes yet. If anything I\'ll just buy an external drive. :)
-
The only thing I download is (legal) music and that\'s not even in the gigabytes yet. If anything I\'ll just buy an external drive. :)
That\'s what I think I\'m gonna get so my computer runs a bit faster. I think I may just buy a hard drive and enclosure case on ebay. Should save me some money ;)
-
I\'ll be getting myself one of these badboys when the kinks have been worked out, only with 2 gigs of RAM and a 80 or 100 gb harddrive.
The MacBooks are great. A few people in my program have them and I haven\'t heard a single complaint about it.
-
Except of course the price.
-
broken powerbook + warranty= macbook
-
Except of course the price.
Yeah, because like 1k for dual 1.83 GHz is very expensive...
Actually the Macbooks provice excellent value for money. And you can run XP on them if you so wish - both through dual booting and (more interesting) through virtualization.