My Vista Experience

Wow, I didn't realize how long it's been since my last post.

Today I thought I'd cover my experience so far with Windows Vista. Ever since Microsoft delivered the death knell to Windows XP, I figured it was high time to make the switch and try to get comfortable with the latest and greatest from Bill Gates. As it turns out, it's really not so bad. Now, don't think for an instant that I'm a Microsoft fanboy or anything. I just think it's strange how people forget about the growing pains of Windows XP over the years. I seem to remember a time when the naysayers were harping about the same problems with XP as they are now with Vista. I'm sure when Windows 7 makes it debut, there will be considerable fussing about that as well. Let's get back on topic though, shall we?

Just so you know the animal I'm dealing with (e.g., my computer), I will give you a general overview of my system.

Athlon 64 X2 4400+ (2.2 Ghz. dual core)
Nvidia nForce 4 SLI X16 based mother board
4GB of PC3200 memory running in dual channel
320GB SATA II hard drive
GeForce 8800GT graphics card
SATA DVD/RW drive

Now, this particular configuration is certainly not the bleeding edge of computer hardware, but it's no slouch either. It has served me well over the last 2 years. When I decided to make the swich to Vista, I was expecting some minor headaches and problems, but really had none to speak of. One thing I made sure of though, and that's to do a clean install of Vista, not an in place upgrade.

Since then, I've found out that Vista is not too much different from XP. I'm not going into a full blown review of all the features and knicknacks. That's been done enough on other websites. I will say that there is somewhat of a learning curve with Vista, but nothing that can't be tackled with regular use and a visit to google every now and then. I've played games such as Call Of Duty 4, downloaded and edited photos and video, browsed the web and read/written e-mail. Pretty much everything the average user would do. With all of that, I'd have to say it's been a smooth transition so far. The only thing I had to do was upgrade my printer, because sadly, my trusty HP photosmart 7660 was not fully compatible with Vista. I think that's a small price to pay for a major OS upgrade.

In my opinion, if the average customer is willing to spend the money on a system that's not considered a "budget" computer, their overall experience will be a pleasant one. They should keep in mind that if they have aging peripherals (think older than 2 years), then it shouldn't be expected to be fully compatible with Vista. I think the major OEMs have done a decent job in providing low to mid range systems that can handle Vista out of the box. It's not uncommon now to find off the shelf systems with 2-3 GB of system memory and dual core processors for a price that's not hard to swallow. The only upgrade I might suggest is the video card, only because on board video might not get you the whole "Vista Experience".

So, if you're looking to buy a new system, but were a little worried about all the bad things you were hearing about Vista, I think you can safely put them aside. With the release of Service Pack 1 and manufacturers putting out decent hardware, software and drivers, go ahead and buy that new computer. I think you'll be pleasently surprised.