Re: Vista Cost?
- From: "Cher Bosch" <Cher.Bosch@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2007 09:53:48 -0600
There are 2 levels of home, and one reviewer said you definitely don't want the
$100 basic upgrade, so the cost would be $200. Have you checked out the
hardware specs though? I doubt that most folks are going to meet them.
Have you checked out the following?
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128669-page,1/article.html
Wait! Don't Buy Microsoft Windows Vista
Here's a well-considered list of reasons to wait on buying Windows Vista.
Mike Elgan, Computerworld
Monday, January 29, 2007 08:00 AM PST
Over the next few weeks, NBA star
LeBron James
will try to convince you to move to Windows Vista as part of Microsoft's
massive ad campaign.
This is not a review of the Windows Vista operating system. I'm not here to
tell you about Vista or what's wrong with it. For an opposing viewpoint, read
Windows Vista: 15 Reasons to Switch.
And to help you make up your own mind, here's a list of other informative PC
World Windows Vista stories and video:
list of 3 items
* A
video tour of Windows Vista's features
with Senior Editor Yardena Arar.
* Exclusive: First Vista PC Lab Tests
* Windows Vista FAQ
list end
This article is key reading for those of you who are about to download or
purchase Windows Vista and install it on a PC. I'm here to talk you out of it.
Just say no to LeBron James and Windows Vista--for now. Here's why.
1. Vista Is Incomplete
Microsoft is already planning its
first service pack
and seeking input from users on what to include. Vista probably won't be truly
ready for prime time until that first service pack version, possibly later
this year.
The hardware and software companies that make compatible products for Vista
aren't all ready for the new OS. Many of those companies are scrambling to
complete
Vista drivers and updates. Most important, not all video and sound card
companies are ready.
Audio and peripheral maker Creative publishes a list detailing the status of
drivers for each of its many products. Most of their Sound Blaster Internal
products already have Vista drivers available. Two of them have only a "beta 2"
version of the drivers. Three of their older products say "No Development
Planned." Most of their cameras and other peripherals have no Vista-specific
drivers available.
On the Advanced Micro Devices site, you can find information about Vista
readiness of ATI graphics cards (AMD and ATI merged last year). Most are
supported
by a Catalyst Vista Software Driver, which is in beta, and are plagued by a
long list of published "known issues." It also comes with the following warning:
"ATI does NOT recommend installing these drivers in systems used for mission
critical operations or where productivity of any kind is a concern."
These two companies are on the leading edge of supporting Vista. Their partial
readiness for Vista is symptomatic of the larger companies. Many smaller
peripheral makers simply have no Vista support at all.
Some PC vendors, such as Alienware and Polywell, are aggressively pushing XP
over Vista, because both say graphics and other drivers for Vista
aren't quite ready
for prime time.
Software, such as the security suites you may have already paid for, may not
run on Vista, and some require updates that aren't ready yet.
Trend Micro, Panda, Computer Associates, and Symantec have all announced that
they'll ship updated suites on Tuesday--just in time for the consumer
availability
of Vista.
Microsoft claims McAfee will support Vista, but hasn't said when. The company
itself has not announced Vista support. And some, but not all, ZoneAlarm
products
will support Vista by next week. The smaller the company, the longer it will
generally take for them to support Vista.
Gaming on Vista--and Vista's DirectX 10 graphics support--is awesome for
gamers. But that's something you'll be able to fully take advantage of only
later.
The full gaming potential of DirectX 10 requires three elements: an operating
system, supporting graphics hardware, and supporting games. The operating
system is ready, the graphics hardware is partly ready, and the games are
nowhere. Eventually, Vista will be the ultimate PC gaming platform. But there's
simply no reason for gamers to rush out and buy Vista next week.
2. Vista Is Expensive
Microsoft offers three versions of Vista to home users in the United States:
Home Basic, Home Premium, and Ultimate. You can buy any of these in the upgrade
version with a discount, or the stand-alone version without the discount.
The cheapest way for current Windows XP users to get a legal copy of Vista is
to buy the upgrade version of Home Basic, which is $99. But you don't want
the cheapest version.
First, the upgrade version will require you to keep your Windows XP CD for
years. You do have a Windows XP CD handy, don't you? Second, Home Basic just
won't cut it for most people. It lacks the Aero UI and Media Center
capabilities. Plus, you can't connect Xbox peripherals to Home Basic. For many,
including
yours truly, those are the three best reasons to upgrade to Vista in the first
place.
Home Premium ($239 for the full and $159 for the upgrade version) is roughly
equivalent to Windows XP Home. It's for nontechnical, nonpower users who employ
their system for lightweight, personal purposes only. But if you're the kind of
user who runs Windows XP Pro at home, you'll be happiest with Windows Vista
Ultimate. It's got all the fun and goodies of Home Premium, plus the power-user
features in the business version of Vista.
Are you sitting down? The full version of Windows Vista Ultimate costs $399. If
you have an XP CD, and don't mind the hassle, the upgrade version of Vista
Ultimate costs $259. Ouch!
(If you buy the Ultimate Edition, you'll be able to buy additional copies of
Vista Home Premium at a cost of $49.99. For technical users, the ideal scenario
for many will be Ultimate for you and Home Premium for the spouse and kids.)
The cheapest Vista is the copy that comes with a new PC because you get in on
the reseller's steep discount.
Next page:
3. Vista Wants a New PC
To get full value from Vista, you're probably going to want to buy a new,
Vista-optimized PC. Many of the benefits of Vista require hardware your current
PC doesn't have. ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive, for example, require special hybrid
or flash drives. Windows Aero looks awesome, but only if your graphics
card supports Pixel Shader 2.0. You can record high-definition cable TV, but
only with a tuner card designed to take advantage of that Vista feature. You
can enjoy DirectX 10 games, but only with a compatible video card.
Vista's new indexed searching is great, but you'll need extra hard disk space
for the index--and extra storage for the operating system itself. Don't even
think about running Vista on a system with less than 1GB of RAM; 2GB is
reasonable, and 4GB is the sweet spot. And if you want to really enjoy the Aero
eye candy, you'll want a 20-inch or larger flat-panel LCD display.
Sure, you can buy Vista and install it on an old PC. But that's like
subscribing to HD cable, but not buying an HD TV. You're paying for the HD
experience
but not actually experiencing it.
4. Vista Is Time-Consuming
Installing any new operating system is time-consuming. You have to configure
everything, load your data, install your applications, and get your peripherals
working. Then, in the case of Vista, you have to figure out where Microsoft
buried all the options, menus, and features, and get used to the ubiquitous
Search boxes. Anytime you want to do anything in Vista, it seems, the software
asks, "Are you sure?" You'll want to figure out how to turn that off and
customize Vista to get rid of all its annoying "user-friendly" hand-holding
features.
But buying Vista now, and installing it on old hardware, means doing
additional, time-consuming tasks--possibly an additional day or two. Why?
Chances are,
you'll have to hunt down, install, and troubleshoot new drivers for your old
peripherals and system components.
You may have heard about Windows Easy Transfer, which moves files and settings
from XP to Vista. But don't get too excited about this. It works only after
you've reinstalled all your applications; it doesn't actually move installed
applications, just settings and data.
By waiting, and getting Vista on your next PC, you'll save yourself the pain
and hassle of trying to retrofit your old PC with the new operating system.
Next page:
5. Windows XP Isn't Obsolete
Vista adds new benefits and, in the long run, will make computing easier,
faster, and a lot more fun. But it doesn't really solve any existing problem.
Windows XP--after years of service patches and strong, industrywide support--is
a solid, well-understood, and highly functional operating system. And it
will continue to be well supported. Microsoft itself has committed to at least
seven more years of XP support, and even plans a Service Pack 3 next year.
Gartner says that by the end of this year, XP will be installed on 77.1 percent
of all PCs worldwide, and Vista on just 12.3 percent. That means the industry
will make sure their new products still work great on XP.
6. Vista May be the Best Reason Yet to Buy a Mac
That's right. I said it.
Years ago, switching from Windows to a Mac was nearly impossible for most
people. We relied entirely on desktop applications, many of which had no
equivalents
on the Mac platform. Today, so much of what we do is online--and Apple has done
such a good job of making the transition easier--that leaving Windows and
moving to a Mac is perfectly doable for most people. It's a real choice now,
and mostly a matter of preference.
With Windows Vista as the default operating system on any new PC you buy, it
makes sense to consider moving to a Mac. After all, Vista will force you to
learn a new operating system anyway, and--in the short term--one less supported
than XP. In either case, you'll be using a 3D interface, widgets, and other
goodies.
Apple will start selling the
next version
of OS X, code-named Leopard, this spring. The details of this operating system
are secret, but it's likely that it will be spectacular. All may be revealed
as soon as next month. If you're going to buy a new PC this spring, you might
as well check out Leopard before making your choice.
Under what circumstances should you switch to a Mac? Apple fans will tell you
that the answer is obvious: If you want your system to crash less and run
with fewer hassles and fewer security breaches, then buy a Mac. But that's the
Mac user's world view.
If you're looking to make that decision from a PC user's world view, here's a
more practical checklist.
Consider switching to a Mac if:
list of 4 items
* You're not into PC gaming.
* You don't have any Windows-only applications you'd still like to run without
emulation.
* You don't have a major PC hardware investment--such as expensive flat-screen
LCD displays--to take advantage of.
* You don't have non-Mac applications that are required by your employer for
working at home.
list end
Most Windows users won't make that choice, however. For most of us, resistance
is futile--and unnecessary and undesirable. Windows Vista is a truly great
version of Windows with enormous benefits and will be a lot of fun to use.
LeBron James will tell you that upgrading to Windows Vista is a slam dunk. But
before you upgrade the hard way--and on the wrong hardware and before the
industry is fully ready to support it--take a moment and consider: What's the
rush?
>>> "Bruce Toews" <dogriver@xxxxxxxx> 02/01/07 10:37 AM >>>
I paid $180 Canadian for the upgrade disk. So I'm guessing $150
American.
On Thu, 1 Feb 2007 08:21:49 -0700, "Dave Mitchell" <mitch44@xxxxxxxxx>
said:
> What is the current market price for taking XP Home up to Vista Home
> Premium, if anyone knows.
>
> Thanks, Mitch
> " I'm not getting my kids an encyclopedia. Let 'em walk to school like I
> did. " Yogi Berra
>
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