Review: Windows Vista as an OS choice?

Splash-X · 05-19-2006, 01:19 AM

Let me prevent the flame wars about Vista being only a BETA and no one knows the cost yet. I'm a Microsoft Certified Partner and have had access to the various builds of Vista. It has come a long way. Today was a TS2 even in my area to preview the upcoming Vista, some of its features, as well as the new Office 2007.

Vista Home (three versions) and Vista Enterprise Premium (business and home together) all have Windows Media Center built in and the features blow the current MCE out of the water.

What could be better? How about Voice Recognition built in to the OS? The demos they had at the event were supurb, I can't begin to describe the things that this OS will bring to us.

How about power consumption? Vista will use less power than Windows XP. I know, you're asking how an OS could use power but it does. See, most of the new features of the of OS use a new technology designed for low I/O disk processing to not only speed applications up by scaling disk reading/writing but less drive usage is less power.

The default "Shutdown" mode of Vista is hibernation, dumping the entire contents of your session to the hard drive in about 1-2 seconds, and resuming from hibernation in about 10 - 15 seconds.

I wont even get in to the UI side of Vista because you can preview most of that on the web but they have a cool task manager as well as a 3D Task Manager. I'll see if I can find some screen shots or maybe take some for you.

There is a down side to the OS. It requires at least a 64MB video card and a decent processor but my carPC is a Turion 64 Micro ATX setup so I'm ready for it.

Some of you will like the new Vista and others won't but until you see it for yourself you'll never beleive how drastic an improvment it is.

Just a side note about the new Vista on single DVD holds ALL of the versions of the OSs and your product key unlocks the features of the other versions. So if you started off with Home Basic you just enter the key for Enterprise Premium and bam, you get all the features without upgrading/reinstalling.

Bugbyte · 05-19-2006, 01:50 AM

You haven't listed anything that the car computing community is in dire need of.

Voice recognition is already available and in use. The problem isn't voice, it is the noisy environment of the car.

Power consumption isn't an issue except for those running high end rigs. You can build and operate a car PC on a 60 watt budget if you're careful.

Standby is already possible with the PC and is instantaneous with resume faster than 15 seconds.

A 3D task manager sounds pretty, but most of us use a custom front end and rarely see the UI -certainly not when driving!

Jahntassa · 05-19-2006, 01:55 AM

I agree with Bugbyte. I too have access to the Vista beta, as I also had access to the XP and 98 betas. I have to say that Vista is much like the difference between 98 and ME at this point. Same crap, different pictures. Now, granted, there is a lot different in the back end of Vista, but most of it doesn't really matter. It's not like the leap from 3.1 to 95, or 98 to XP.

Besides, from what everyone seems to be suggesting, Vista will crawl with any of the 'good' features on most of the CarPCs people are using, which are mostly slower, lower end machines that are just enough to run what people want.

Silentbob343 · 05-19-2006, 02:44 AM

MS dropped the ball on vista
http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/...ta_5308_05.asp

Requirements:
http://www.hardocp.com/news.html?new...xobmV3cywsLDE=

"Windows Vista Capable PC includes at least: A modern processor (at least 800MHz1). 512 MB of system memory. A graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable. Vista Premium Ready PCs

To get an even better Windows Vista experience, including the Windows Aero user experience, ask for a Capable PC that is designated Premium Ready, or choose a PC that meets or exceeds the Premium Ready requirements described below. Features available in specific premium editions of Windows Vista, such as the ability to watch and record live TV, may require additional hardware.

A Windows Vista Premium Ready PC includes at least: 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor. 1 GB of system memory. A graphics processor that runs Windows Aero. 128 MB of graphics memory. 40 GB of hard drive capacity with 15 GB free space. DVD-ROM Drive3. Audio output capability. Internet access capability."

Rafster · 05-19-2006, 02:48 AM

HAHA, p0wned by the bug....

Peace,

Rafster

Splash-X · 05-19-2006, 10:45 AM

Why not use Windows 2000 instead of XP? It provides the same basic functions of XP. Hell, why not use Windows ME or Windows 98?

Probably the same reason people want HQCT module over a USB Radio. Sure, you COULD use the existing USB tuners to get a FM siginal but everyone wanted a better solution right?

The truth is, each OS provides better features than the previous. I'm not going to deny that Vista will be beyond some of your basic carPC needs but I don't just use my carPC as a front end. I use my carPC as a mobile office, checking my emails, using Remote Desktop Connection, and various other tasks.

An OS that is faster for applications, uses less power and provides features that arn't built in to XP that are useful in a carPC are reason enough for me to use it.

Jahntassa, Although you have access to the demo have you been shown any of the things Vista is capable of? I was very doubtful of the new OS when I first installed it but after attending the TS2 event and seeing the OS in action by someone who knows what they are doing I'm impressed.

I'm not here to ask anyone to buy Vista because it isn't even out yet! The RTM and OEM versions are expected to be out by the end of the second quarter which is around a month to go. If you were building a new carPC and thought you might want to run the new Vista wouldn't you build a PC that could support it? The cost difference between a very good Micro ATX computer and going with a ITX computer is slim to none.

In the end its all up to the end user. It will be the same reason of why someone would buy XP over 2000. People want the latest and best.

turbocad6 · 05-19-2006, 11:11 AM

I was under the impression that a dual core processor would be the real advantage to vista, or actually the utilization of the dual core tech....

your saying it will run well on say a pentium m 1.6 400fsb w a gig of ram?

Splash-X · 05-19-2006, 11:22 AM

The systems we've demoed are just standard computers and laptops, no dual cores. The MAIN thing Vista needs is the graphics card because it uses this for the majority of the processing which helps reduce the minimum specs.It isn't going to be like XP where everything is done on the CPU side for the graphics.

Vinister · 05-19-2006, 11:33 AM

what about gaming performance while vista has my video card all tied up?

I'm using XP64 right now, and I'm really liking it. Seems like the same as XP with more stability. took a bit of hacking to get TV working, but it all works now.

Splash-X · 05-19-2006, 11:46 AM

The gaming performance should not be effected at all. I've run World Of Warcraft with my Vista drive in and then with my XP drive in and the Vista one ran better.

Silentbob343 · 05-19-2006, 12:56 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Vinister

what about gaming performance while vista has my video card all tied up?

I'm using XP64 right now, and I'm really liking it. Seems like the same as XP with more stability. took a bit of hacking to get TV working, but it all works now.

why would the GPU be tied up with the OS when playing a game?

Splash-X · 05-19-2006, 01:20 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Silentbob343

why would the GPU be tied up with the OS when playing a game?

----

Quote: Originally Posted by Splash-X

The systems we've demoed are just standard computers and laptops, no dual cores. The MAIN thing Vista needs is the graphics card because it uses this for the majority of the processing which helps reduce the minimum specs.It isn't going to be like XP where everything is done on the CPU side for the graphics.

Vista requires a video card with at least 64mb of RAM dedicated to it (onboard works as long as it shares 64mb of ram).

This is why people are so quick to bash new OSs. I understand you may have installed a RC of Vista but unless you are given a full demo of the OS you wont understand all of its improvements and features.

For example, I bet you didn't know about the Low I/O "priority" given to tasks in Vista for performance. That is why the new search in Vista excells far past anything we've seen to date. The indexer runs as a Low I/O process (along with anti-virus software) so you can continue your tasks without these programs bogging down your work. They resume their load when you are no longer needing your CPU.

There are tons of features that make Vista the best OS to date but again, without seeing it in action (like a tech seminar) you wont know about most of them because they get lost in reviews and such.

Rafster · 05-19-2006, 03:31 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Splash-X

................Hell, why not use Windows ME..........

to the infinitieth power!!!!

Peace,

Rafster

Vinister · 05-20-2006, 05:36 PM

I just figured that if your video card has some of its memory filled with fancy icons, graphics, shadows, 3d windows, etc, then wouldn't that leave less video memory available to your game?

I'm running x64 and XP, and in both OS's I can see a noticeable difference in graphics when I kill as many processes as possible, leaving only the 'necessary' few. It always seems to make my mouse react quicker and the video smoother. I guess that's CPU power not Graphics related though.

Am I not understanding the way the OS uses the video card? Does windows 'unload' itself from the video card when you start your game? Is that why alt-tabbing out of a game sometimes takes a while... then sometimes the game wont run good afterwards?

educate me!

AlienEclipse · 05-20-2006, 07:43 PM

I don't know exactly how Windows works with games and shifting of memory.
But Vista has a feature (From what i've read) which basically shuts down all uneeded services and functions of Windows when you run a game. This is to allow the game to get the most out of your machine.