talkmagic.co.uk

Vista really does suck ass. For no apparent reason, it will periodically say "Windows Vista is downloading update 1 of 32". It remains suspended in this state like an unwelcoming and unsolicited fart that will not seem to disappear. It really is infuriating. Drivers will often have to be downloaded, even for seemingly new hardware. I would "downgrade" (it will be more of an "upgrade" in my eyes) to XP, but at £50 on Ebay it seems a bit too steep for one's current financial predicament.

Replicant wrote:Eh? You been on the shandy with Mandrake again? I've never heard of this multiple OS thing before. Sounds intriguing.

You get a shed load of RAM, install something like VM Server (free!), and create a virtual machine, which actually boots from the BIOs in a window. You install the second operating system on the virtual machine. When you want access to that second OS, you simply run the virtual machine while the host OS is still running. Here's the best bit: if you get a virus, the VM is infected, not the host operating system! You can simply kill it and create a new one.

Good, eh?

Rufio wrote:Vista really does suck ass. For no apparent reason, it will periodically say "Windows Vista is downloading update 1 of 32". It remains suspended in this state like an unwelcoming and unsolicited fart that will not seem to disappear. It really is infuriating. Drivers will often have to be downloaded, even for seemingly new hardware. I would "downgrade" (it will be more of an "upgrade" in my eyes) to XP, but at £50 on Ebay it seems a bit too steep for one's current financial predicament.

Have done with it all and install Linux, then access your Windows apps using the free, bundled and rather good Wine compatibility package?

Hmm... Tomo i checked out Linux on Ebay and it's pretty damn cheap. However, I'll prob ask around if any of my friends or family are able to loan me an XP installation disc beforehand, but if computer or person says no, i'll prob bid Microsoft Windows a fond if somewhat grudging arriverdechi and be on my Linux way. Obviously piracy is not to be condoned. One quick question: would all of the usual programs work? E.g. Windows Explorer, Media Player, etc? OR would you have to use the Linux equivalents? Also, would there be a plethora of compatability issues as with Windows Vista? The included Windows compatability package you mention: is this included in all Linux operating systems, e.g. Linux XP Professional 2007? In any case, the Linux equivalents: if they are fairly aesthetically similar in how Windows usually works and feels, then that'll be fine. In any case I would be wanting to reformat and reinstall with Linux / XP, thus wiping out the despicable remnants of Vista like a much welcome purge. Questions, questions, questions!

Linux is open source, you shouldn't have to pay for it.

Rufio wrote:Hmm... Tomo i checked out Linux on Ebay and it's pretty damn cheap.

Buy Linux? Are you crazy? You're legally allowed to download it, cut the ISO to disk and install it. It's open source. That's the point. As of a press release issued this week, Linux now also has more drivers than Windows.

Ah Ha! I had no idea. I always just asumed it was simply an alternative OS that you had to pay for! Well, that's completely fantastic. Cheers for the pointers guys!

Tomo wrote:

Replicant wrote:Eh? You been on the shandy with Mandrake again? I've never heard of this multiple OS thing before. Sounds intriguing.

You get a shed load of RAM, install something like VM Server (free!), and create a virtual machine, which actually boots from the BIOs in a window. You install the second operating system on the virtual machine. When you want access to that second OS, you simply run the virtual machine while the host OS is still running. Here's the best bit: if you get a virus, the VM is infected, not the host operating system! You can simply kill it and create a new one.

Good, eh?

Good? That's magic, that is. I might have to try that.

If you're going to go Linux I'd go slackware... an *rse to install but once running it has solid stability

http://www.slackware.com/

Now I have to disagree with a lot of you. I started computing in the very early 1980's with a Commadore. Then I went on to an Amiga 600 followed by an Amiga 1200. I custom upgraded it, fitting a tower case with a HD and external modem. I bought 8meg expansion to the 2meg internal memory and paid more for that 8meg than you pay for a new PC today.

I moved onto PC when all the Amiga developers were bought up by Gates and built my first 4 PC's from scratch before prices started dropping and have bought store built since.

I've used Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT, XP and Vista. My PC and Laptop have Vista and my Netbook has the latest version of XP with SP's 1 to 3 installed.

I am exceedingly happy with Vista although I admit it took a while to get used to it and it is memory and storage intensive. However, on the plus side, they are as cheap as chips nowadays.

I wouldn't swap Vista for anything and would have it on the Netbook if it would cope with it, but its little and small and I'll accept XP on it because of its limitations.

If you buy a store built machine with Vista pre-installed, don't bin it, get used to it.

I also started in those days and I stand by the fact that Vista sucks ass!!

I seem to be stuck with Vista... on the advice of this thread i actually downloaded Linux, burned it to a CD - for the first time doing stuff to do with ISOs and hashes and whatnot, all pretty nifty stuff for me personally as I am not really a tech wizz... and booted it from CD and it all went horribly wrong. In any case, it is a pain with certain compatability issues, plus I can't seem to get a copy of Nero to work, but it aint all bad. At least a reformat seems to have done the trick speed wise. it's running quite nicely now.

Linux is a bu**er if you don't understand it, you need to research it and make sure you are competent enough for it. Vista may be running fast now but imagine how fast a new install of xp would be lol!!

in linux u burn cd's via command line or using xroast
that's if you need a GUI

http://www.linuxquestions.org/ - regular visits to here will help a new linux user become a very advanced user in no time, and with it being such a large community questions are answered pretty fast - and theres no question too silly... u dont get teased or bullied if u make a fool of urself...

Def beyond me... I did follow all the instructions for the ubunta version of Linux... to no avail... the installation was about to roll and then it stuck and the screen froze. I made sure the hash thingy matched... I have Windows Vista Home Basic but it's a bit cack since it states you need to upgrade to Premium to be able to play DVDs on it. This strikes me as strange as I'm pretty sure when I bought this computer a year ago DVDs worked, but now it doesn't. What I need is a free MPEG-2 decoder from online somewhere... If I sort that out at least then I'd be happy to continue to use Vista. Cheers for the pointer tho, if Vista continues to infuriate me I may have to do a take 2 on Linux