Reviews Written by Lina

I HATE Windows Vista

Pros: I like the preview windows on the taskbar

Cons: Everything! Numerous errors, various software incompatabilities, "easy transfer" not so easy, have to multi approve every application!

You know, I did my best to go into Vista with an open mind. I had no choice, really, buying a new laptop through Dell and needing a built in camera, but I'm reasonably intelligent, I figured, "How bad could it be?"

Bad.

From the first day, I have had little more than headaches with this operating system. First off, it's a pain in the butt to have to relocate every stinking program and utility that I use because category titles have changed, lists of programs are "reorganized" to supposedly make it easier to find, actually making it harder because I was used to the setup in XP. Why do the icons and programs have to change pictures or titles or both? It truly just makes my life with a new computer more difficult.

So, installing my trusty favorite software onto my shiny new laptop, I discovered that 80% of my favorite games no longer work with my computer. :-( Seriously, tears. Some of these I've loved for years! What am I supposed to do now? And so begins the ever so lovely process of tracking down patches (if available), trying to get some tech support that I don't have to pay for (since this machine is less than a week out of the box!), and serious angst over not being able to run programs that should just work on my new computer! I can't even describe the joy. :-p

Then, there are all the lovely pecadillos of learning how all the hardware on the new computer works and interfaces with the provided software through Vista. I got the built in webcam option thinking to make my life easer, but lo, the finicky thing doesn't want to work with its own microphone. I tried many different tactics to try and get it to work, and I know it does because I accidentally recorded some sound once ... it was a convoluted path that I was unable to rediscover (I'm no programmer, you know) ... though I eventually got sound to work by using an external connected microphone, which was also a simple, easy joy to set up and get working (please note dripping sarcasm). Other hardware issues include difficulties with having to set up and re-set up and re-set up the bluetooth full size keyboard that I purchased as an accessory, which is fine, now that I got the hang of how it's done ... but I really would have liked not having to learn it 4 times already. Why can't it just continue to recognize this particular device? It's not like I moved it anywhere ...

Seriously, I know it's nicer to say nothing at all, but the truth needs to be told! I'm seriously upset that this garbage operating system was thrust on me. I've had more system and program errors in the last week of using this brand new computer with Vista on it than I have had in the last three months with my trusty XP PC. I didn't love XP at first either, but at least XP doesn't bing at me every time I try to start a program. "Do you want to run this?" * click click * YES! *bing* "We don't recognize blah, do you still want to run this program?" Umm ... that's Mozilla Firefox ... yesss!!! Just run the program already! Gosh, I appreciate that it's an extra level of security, but OMG, as if the hacker couldn't just click yes too already! It is so gosh darned annoying ... every time I start some of the programs I use daily!

I have to say at least one good thing. I can think of one ... I guess I like that I can get a preview of the various open windows when I'm navigating on the taskbar. I appreciate that little feature.

As far as I'm concerned, I really don't like Vista at all. In fact, hate is pretty close to my level of frustration. I'm going to try to get Dell to take this laptop back and install XP on it for me instead... I hear it's a pain to do it yourself, and often people are having difficulty with no sound after making the switch. I'm shooting to get Dell to do it free of charge ... after all, they forced th ...