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I just had to buy a new laptop. My old one is over the magic age of 3 and will die soon. So it has been decreed by the minions of Round Rock. The new one is blessed, they say, with the latest and greatest OS ever to breathe. I have attempted to install all 9 of my business programs into Vista and I have only been totally successful with only one. It looks like I am going to have to replace at least 3 with Vista compatible upgrades at a cost of $600+, not to forget the little $120 hardware piece. I remember when I was forced into the XP world I had the same problems. They've got us by the short hairs boys and they are causing a lot of pain. I remember when a new computer was an exciting adventure, well maybe it still is ..... just not any fun anymore.

I've been pleased with Vista...

My HP has XP Media Center. They sent a free upgrade CD for Vista, which has been relegated to Frisbee status. I've learned from experience with proprietary OS's - HP, Dell, etc., to leave well enough alone. Back in the day when I built PC's and used store-bought OS's, upgrading and adding software was much easier and worked 99% of the time.

I love my MacBook Pro

Back to the original topic...I haven't tried this yet (everything has transferred fine so far), but I recall reading that Vista has a "compatibility mode" that you can use when installing and running older programs.

Probably a stupid question, but have you tried using that to install the ones that won't work?

Doug@GT wrote:Back to the original topic...I haven't tried this yet (everything has transferred fine so far), but I recall reading that Vista has a "compatibility mode" that you can use when installing and running older programs.

Probably a stupid question, but have you tried using that to install the ones that won't work?

When I tried to install a non-compatible program, a box came up indicating non-compatibility and allowed me to proceed anyway. I assume this is a portal into what you described. I was able to successfully install my old version of office this way. Some of the issues I have are propietary software issues which I just have to work through with my company. There seems to be no way around the purchase of a new Acrobat Vesrion 8 and Sierra wireless data card. I haven't tried Sibelius yet but I fear the worst. At least this will force me to upgrade some old programs. Who knows what modern miracles of programming I might find. I have yet to see any real benefit from Vista. What do you get for taking up an additional 20 gigs of hard drive. It seems to be a somewhat superficial upgrade.

I can imagine the glee in Redmond when some marketing exec snaps his fingers and says, "Windows getting too stable!? I know! We'll change the operating system, and everybody'll have to migrate *again*, and we'll keeping them tearing their hair out into the twenty-second century®!!!"

Besson983 wrote:

"compatibility mode"

One would think that since it's Windows, it would already be compatible. It's a dark day even for Microsoft when it needs a compatibility mode to work their own software...

Guess you never had the pleasure of WOW in NT4.

(WOW= Windows On Windows. For running Windows9x apps under NT)

I have finally managed, after nearly a week in purgatory, to get the new computer configured and 90% functional. The only casualties seem to be the Winfax server, Acrobat Elements and my Cingular wireless PCIMCA card. Mcrosoft no longer supports a fax server in the Home Premium version. You must upgrade to Vista Pro to get a fax server. I bought a cheapy off the web which looks better anyway. Acrobat has decided rather than support Vista to just pull Elements. I had to buy the full Standard version 8. I had to buy another wireless card because Dell put an express card slot rather than a PCIMCA slot in my new computer. So it's not all Microsoft that is profiting form the upgrade. I got up and running with only an additional $325, which is beter than my first estimate. But as bloke says, I replaced some stuff that was working fine with new stuff that also works fine. I also had to disable some functions in Vista to get my company propietary software to work.

I hear another Trumpet Labor Day out there, waiting to be downloaded...

Besson983 wrote:I love my Mac...

I ♥ mine too...

vista is amazingly crappy



ONCE YOU GO MAC, YOU NEVER GO BACK!


go Apple Inc.!