Windows Vista Rant: two weeks and counting

[Ryan]

http://www.pcper.com/weblog.php

Check out my latest blog post about using Windows Vista so far...

However, one of them is attached to a Linksys WPS54G wireless print server device that allows it to act as a local printer in another room on our wireless network. I've had it almost a FULL YEAR and it was working fine under Windows XP. However, looking for a driver for the print server for Vista on Linksys' website, I came up empty

[jimzinsocal]

Brother. Now you understand why I say sometimes that situation "xyz" makes me want to stick pencils in my eyes. Support for a common device should be an easy deal. Not like a launch at NASA.
You would think MS with all its brains could devise a simple program that could run prior and alert to any driver being unavailable...for a particular device.

[Ezzo]

What can I say but this, Help

[Dramd]

I jumped right in on the XP boat, and remember a large number of issues then too. So I pretty much have the attitude that I'm happy with XP. Until something forces the upgrade. Halo 2 maybe.

[mtb]

That sucks...well, that's what you get for adopting early...

[highoctane]

After installing & tinkering with Vista64 today I really don't see any reason for anybody to move from XP yet other than wanting to tinker with Vista. Yeah Vista64 see's a full 4gb of ram which is nice but too bad its looking like some of my applications won't even run with Vista64 which kills it for me.

I thought Vista64 was suppose to have some kind of compatibility mode, windows on windows or something like that to run 32bit apps.

Anyways I haven't tinkered with it a heck of allot yet but so far it just seems like a flashy XP with lost compatibility, I don't see any stand out advantages yet.

Maybe when DX10 games come out I might change my mind but for now I'm really not impressed at all.

[Ryan]

Yeah, that looks like the mindset for now really.

[Ryan]

And just a note from my blog post -- i am actually more annoyed with Linksys over that particular issue really.

[Dramd]

And just a note from my blog post -- i am actually more annoyed with Linksys over that particular issue really.

Yeah, I worked for a retail chain doing computer service when XP hit. We used to get people coming in all the time, mad at us because manufactures didn't want to go back three generations of product and write drivers. Like it was our fault the manufacture didn't want to spend money on printers long out of their support system. This usually only affected equipment several generations old. But in the tighter profit margins of tech companies today, it looks like it’s getting even worse.

[Gator650]

I had actually thought about installing Vista on a box since I have a bunch of licenses laying around... However after my MS developer meeting last night... in which in the 1.5 hour presentation only one thing worked in Vista, I decided I really can't afford to upgrade and debug my code along with Vista.

Maybe when Visual Studio 2007 comes out I can re-consider.

I'm really trying to not be a hater, as MS does put a roof over my head... however at the Vista launch event, the presenters had a fair number of problems also. After sitting through about 5 hours of other peoples vista problems... I don't want to sit through another 5 hours of my own.

[BIGDADDY51]

I had actually thought about installing Vista on a box since I have a bunch of licenses laying around... However after my MS developer meeting last night... in which in the 1.5 hour presentation only one thing worked in Vista, I decided I really can't afford to upgrade and debug my code along with Vista.

Maybe when Visual Studio 2007 comes out I can re-consider.

I'm really trying to not be a hater, as MS does put a roof over my head... however at the Vista launch event, the presenters had a fair number of problems also. After sitting through about 5 hours of other peoples vista problems... I don't want to sit through another 5 hours of my own.

`Care to enlighten us on what kinda problems were being encountered?

[3dfxrain]

theres a bug with the computer sitting idle with default settings, it might be an nvidia driver bug with the 8800 drivers although I think it wont happen when I use the setting so that it doesnt sleep, the bug is that the computer wont wake up from idle

[Gator650]

`Care to enlighten us on what kinda problems were being encountered?

At the launch event: 'process explorer' wouldn't launch, The entire Sharepoint 2007 demo (yes, I know that is office 2007 and not just Vista) wouldn't run, and various 'click here to view this feature' and no response. nothing major. Nearly everything in Powerpoint worked, I believe everything in Outlook worked, and I believe only one feature in Word acted 'funny'.

At the Dev meeting (With Visual Studio 2005): ASP.NET application building in general doesn't appear to be possible without a special Vista patch and some other tweaks. From there, everything deployed to IIS7 running locally wasn't reachable (note, everything running through Visual Studio 2005 IIS-ish web host worked), and of course, all the 'allow to run' prompts. Long story short, 90 minute presentation, only one thing worked.

Now, I can not tell you how much of that was actually Vista, and how much of it was the Microsoft guy running the presentation not knowing what he was doing. But, when time is money I can't be really be bothered trying to figure out if it is my OS/compatibility issue, or if it is my code. I imagine it would also be a bomb with a short fuse on the whole 'do you want to allow me to run the program you want me to run?' when the pressure is on.

My bosses, who don't code but just check email and web browse, they all run Vista now and have zero issues. Of course, they had zero issues before also.

Visual Studio 2007 should be much more native to Vista and I imagine be very fluid. It will also run Framework 3.0 out of the box. At that time, I believe I can consider using Vista... assuming we will be upgrading to that Dev. Environment.

That is just my situation though, and I imagine that 95% of the rest of you don't have to deal with such things. I hope that answers your question BD51. It has been a pleasure reading all the information/insight presented by you and Ryan with regards to this new OS.

[Gator650]

Big Daddy, I know this is kind of off the wall.... but what is the deal with the 'anti-phishing' stuff in IE7 ? According to the launch event... you cant report a site as a phishing site and it will get recorded so that other users can be made aware that it is potentially harmful. Then they explained how "if you know a site is safe, you can report it as a safe site and other users will know it is safe"

Why wouldn't someone running a phishing site, just take a load of zombie bots and report their site as safe to give people a false sense of security? To me, that sounds like a security nightmare.

[best8845]

Ryan, you do not need a driver for that print server to work... UNDER VISTA...

Installation of WPS54G Print Server



Using standard TCP/IP Procedure (Windows XP/2000)



Make sure your printer already has its drivers installed on all PC's prior to attempting to install this print server.
Be sure also that your printer can print when it is connected directly to your computer.
Click on Start go to Printers and Faxes.
Right click your printer and go to Properties.
Click on the Ports Tab on the top.
Click Add Port. Select Create a new port: and select the Type of port: Standard TCP/IP Port, click Next.
This will bring the Add Standard TCP/IP Printer Port Wizard, click Next
In the field for Printer Name or IP Address: enter the IP address of the Print Server and click Next. (You can get the IP address of your print server by pressing the reset button on your device for 3 seconds then it will print out it's status).
Select Custom, click Settings.
Under Protocol select LPR, and for Queue Name: type L1 (L2 if connected thru USB). Click Ok, then Next, and Finish.

You should be able to print on the device afterwards. You can refer to your Router's Wireless Settings and match them on the WPS54G so that they would be able to communicate wirelessly.