One finger salute to Vista


Recommended Posts

Thanks for the BIOS notice. I'm running Vista an an HP Pavilion dv8000 Series laptop, similar in specifications to yours and had no idea about the BIOS update. Going to be updating when I feel like rebooting. Reading the fixes for the BIOS though makes me wonder because it fixes keyboard/mouse issues, when I don't seem to be having any under Vista :p.

Yea I never had the keybord or mouse problem but after I updated my bios I did notice this.

Luckily you didn't try it then ;). When I run Aero on my laptop with similar specifications on an ATi X200M, it' runs smooth until I start to do to much and then it just slows down :p. Running on the good, old, ugly classic theme :p. I'm going to update to 1 GB of RAM soon, just waiting until boxing day hoping to catch a deal. If not I'll just buy normal price :p.

I know what you mean I kinda wish I got the X2 with the Nvidia 7600 but o well I don't game on my laptop its just for Internet and Neowin. Yea you do tho need that extra 512 ram I need to get a better Hdd this 40 gb is going to run low and slow soon.

post-106483-1166835520_thumb.jpg

After using various versions of Vista for like a last month, and doing testing of it I'm staying with Windows XP. Feature wise Vista offers nothing what would made me switch. Having Windows Defender, WMP11, IE7.0 for XP...there is no single reason to go and run Vista. WMP11, and IE7.0 are really done good. IE7.0 was more and less catching up with Firefox, and Microsoft did good job there. WMP11, always liked WMP and to me way better then iTunes or Real Audio.

Everything else in Vista is :no: :rolleyes: :wacko: ;) :blink: :angry: :p . Those are emotions i went throught during my one month testing of it.

I understand that Microsoft in order to protect Kernel and get rid of BSOD removed directSound. But, why the hell they had to bring a crap called OpenAL. OpenAL can't even touch directSound as far as audio quality...And what's funny people are getting BSOD more with Vista then with XP :blink:

Basically you will get better audio quality, and richness of sound with XP then with Vista, and it wont damn change for long time.

Microsoft is really proud of the superfetch, and boot speed of Vista. I can tell you that nothing can beat XP as far as boot time or XP X64. XP smokes out Vista in it...on every system. The worst is that after you login in Vista...omg that sidebar and other crap loads up forever. Sidebar is cool feature...but its performance sucks. One of the other features Microsoft is really pushing is Windows Search. For home user is totally useless, for corporate environment very good feature. And again it's available for Windows XP as Windows Desktop Search, which does the same.

Now, DX10.0. It's promising, but nothing spectacular... You will see no much of visual differences between DX9.0 and DX10.0 but DX10.0 will render things faster, and it's easier to program. Also in order to play certain DX9.0 games like Civilization IV, they require certain files. So you need to install DX9.0 December Update for Vista...which is really retarded. Microsoft should make it ready out of the box.

GUI in Vista is absolute joke. There is no consistency, really what were they thinking. Microsoft better put whole GUI concept to the draw table, and redesign the whole thing. I have nothing against Aero/Transparency thing. I prefer to disable it because it doesn't help out to focus on anything. Also i think classic UI in Vista is joke.

Network performance in Vista is :blink: . It's really weird and feels like it's ok with certain systems, but really slow with other. I believe it's due drivers and certain incompatibilities with routers and such.

Network center thing is ok for average Joe, i guess...but damn annoying for me. UAC thing as part of the new Windows Vista Security is annoying as hell. I guess it's good to be there, but Microsoft should add new option to UAS, and that's to provide Admin credentials so it doesn't pop up for that session anymore

Damn! A thread not praising Vista and Microsoft?. Unbelievable. Anyway, I admire Brandon for keeping his cool :).

And think you guys should wait to bash Vista until decent drivers come out and mature. Personally, I'm waiting until SP1 to upgrade, or just move to Linux or PC-BSD.

I'll repeat my statement.. to me Windows Vista feels like Windows ME of the Windows 95 line.. in this case of the Windows 2000 line v4 of 2000 code it seems like microsoft may have done it once again..

I'm still testing Vista so my personal jury is out.. but I'll give you a example of a crazy error I had today.. with onboard Vista drivers I went to weather.com today and tried to watch a movie (was it RM? not sure) I have the vista codec pack installed from another thread.. anyway first time a round I could see the video playing fine.. but it went crazy within 10 seconds and Vista reported that my ATI X1300 crashed 10+ times and during this crazy period my screen colors changed.. and I couldn't always see the Tab in IE7 for closing it.. but closing it did return the computer to normal (when I got the oppurtunity.. lots of pauses)

Now I don't know about your experiences but I'm being honest here when I say of all previous windows versions.. I've never had problems with onboard drivers (umm.. yes older onboard drivers did not have 3d/gaming support) (maybe had a problem once.. can't remember) but this is a new first for me and microsofts onboard drivers (which are supposed to be done very well and throughly tested)

There are always teething problems with new OS's, always good to wait a few months for drivers and such to come out.

@OP

If you don't want to use Vista send that Ultimate CD-Key my way, I'll make use of it (Y)

There are no games for Vista yet. All games are designed for Windows XP (or older). Setting the compatibility to "Windows XP" might help, but not with every game. I think patches which fix the compatibility issues will be available as soon as Vista is released to the public.

Yes there is, Flight Simulator X ;)

Link to MS Game site

When you install the game, the icon even goes to the games section in Vista :) I love it!

And I hate to say it, but it runs better in XP than Vista on my machine, however games shouldn't be judged in Vista yet if your using Nvidia cards as no RTM driver is out for Vista and in my case I am running a 6800GT, so we'll see once they release that :)

I just dont get it at all, Ive been running RC2 on my tablet for 2 months now, not a single problem and even with debugging mode on it runs flawlessly twice as fast as xp did and all my games run fine even the ones from way back in that day. if i remember i saw these same complaints when xp hit rtm and now here we go again

Firstly. I am so glad I didn't have to spend money to buy this turd operating system. Sure it was a gift from Microsoft for beta testing, but its a evil nasty product.

-Applications generally don't run as quick as Windows XP.

-File copying from DVD drive to Hard Disk is speed retarded.

-Lots of my games don't work or work at what seems is 30% slower than under Windows XP.

-My wife goes to www.tvpolonia.com and Internet Explorer dies - repeatedly.

I'm not even touching Windows Vista until after SP1 is released.

I have gone out and spent lots of cash and built a Core2Duo PC with 4GB DDR2 and while Vista itself boots and runs ok - application compatibility / Internet Explorer 7 reliability and general quirks mean I'm bidding farewell to vista while giving it a one finger salute.

you sure you're using the final build?

I know what you mean I kinda wish I got the X2 with the Nvidia 7600 but o well I don't game on my laptop its just for Internet and Neowin. Yea you do tho need that extra 512 ram I need to get a better Hdd this 40 gb is going to run low and slow soon.

Yeah, I do small games on the laptop. Pretty much DotA exclusive on the laptop. Oh and yeah I don't see that option under Power Options, so we'll see after the BIOS update tomorrow morning. That feature was probably locked and with the new BIOS update they unlocked it.

-Applications generally don't run as quick as Windows XP.

BS...all my applications load and run faster than on Windows XP

-File copying from DVD drive to Hard Disk is speed retarded.

Agreed, this is an issue

-Lots of my games don't work or work at what seems is 30% slower than under Windows XP.

BS again, all my games run normally! Also you do know that the graphics drivers aren't really final yeh? Nvidia is not yet on final, and ATI's final is pretty crap anyways

-My wife goes to www.tvpolonia.com and Internet Explorer dies - repeatedly.

Not for me..

Ha Ha Ha Ha

All these bitching about MS sounds familiar.... Aren't we the same people bitching about Windows XP couple of months ago.... Now suddenly XP is the best OS till date ...

This also sounds familiar to people calling for tech support ... "I installed a card I got free with my TRACTOR and I get a bluescreen... This system is a junk.. Its of no use..." I hate "<computer manufacturer>"..

I have been using Vista since RTM and have no problems .. yeah search indexing is a little annoying till it scans the entire HDD ( Yes, I have set it to scan the entire HDD) ...

Vista will be released to the public only by january end and All major applications will defenitely work on Vista by that time and most of the H/W manufacturers will have the drivers ready by then... But yeah the card you got free while buying the tractor might not work with vista.....

I'm sure all the people bitching about MS & Vista will have vista loaded on their systems the moment the drivers are available...

explorer in Vista does NOT remember window size, man...

- open up windows explorer (no need to browse... just open it with Win+E, for instance)

- resize

- close all windows explorer instances.

- open something else (not explorer) and use it for a while (do anything... open www.microsoft.com in IE or something)

- then go back to windows explorer (Win+E): back to regular size...

Win+E should always be the same size as if you clicked the "Computer" entry on the start menu.

Also, if you ever kill explorer.exe it will NOT remember things like window sizes upon restarting it. If you log off / restart / whatever it will commit its state to disk properly and will remember.

Been running vista for about 1.5 months now - and didn't have any compatibility problem with any app what so ever. Games - yes, but it''s not MS' fault - it's nvidia's and game developer's. Cause with nvidia's latets driver more games started to work, performanse is still lower than XP's but I'm sure game engines will get Vista patches and nvidia releases decent driver.

2 words for vista -- crap sucks -- I agree with the one finger salute -- vista --> .l.

Your english fails...

it's true and it's hard to accept, but we all waited 5+ years for a new OS which is slower than its predecessor.

Prove that its slower please when the final drivers are released...You expect beta drivers to give the best performance ever? Maybe your logic is as bad as your english...

I'm not exactly blown away by it. I've put it on my PC at work, but there is no way its going near any of the other desktops we have for quite some time.

I don't really see how it offers an awful lot more for enterprise customers. We need a platform to run Office and other apps that is reliable. Nothing more. XP does that perfectly. Why upgrade? Don't need advanced deployment apps (Ghost is about as much as we need) and we need to maintain interoperability with Novell Netware.

Its just a whole can of worms that I doubt anybody in business is really going to want to open for at least a year or two..

I think the main problem was expectations were very high, and Vista isnt what it should have been. Ive tried it and it does have some good points but not as many as it should have had as a final released version.

It still feels like a beta or being kind, RC not a final.

Yes bitching about the newest opsys is common place but more so this time I think, because expectations where very high.

Although I have a free copy (beta tester) I am pretty sure I wont use it until at least SP1. When SP1 is released it will most likely be the opsys that is should be this January release. There is a danger that more than enough peeps will have problems with the January release and it is a fact that if one user has a problem he/she will tell 10 peeps about it, if no problems, a user will tell 2 peeps.

The January release will I feel, have more peeps telling about problems rather than how good it is. This can be the main problem that SP1 will face if its to long in the pipeline and it will be to late, and another ME is born.

I will eventually upgrade to Vista as most will, even if they kick and scream all the way, its a fact no matter how unpleasant it seems now. The main difference this time for me, is that when XP came out I was impatient to put it on my PC, with Vista, I do not have that impatience and feel that waiting is the correct way to go to make it right. Maybe as XP is basically fixed and running good the expectations of Vista where to high. I cant help but feel dissapointment with Vista rather than WoW. They need to fix it quick or as the saying goes, theyll miss the boat.

Just for the record I am not a linux or Apple fan so I have tried to look at it as me, a user.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • UniGetUI 2026.2.2 by Razvan Serea UniGetUI is an application whose main goal is to create an intuitive GUI for the most common CLI package managers for Windows 10 and Windows 11, such as Winget, Scoop and Chocolatey. With UniGetUI, you'll be able to download, install, update and uninstall any software that's published on the supported package managers — and so much more. UniGetUI features Install, update and remove software from your system easily at one click: UniGetUI combines the packages from the most used package managers for windows: WinGet, Chocolatey, Scoop, Pip, Npm and .NET Tool. Discover new packages and filter them to easily find the package you want. View detailed metadata about any package before installing it. Get the direct download URL or the name of the publisher, as well as the size of the download. Easily bulk-install, update or uninstall multiple packages at once selecting multiple packages before performing an operation Automatically update packages, or be notified when updates become available. Skip versions or completely ignore updates in a per-package basis. Manage your available updates at the touch of a button from the Widgets pane or from Dev Home pane with UniGetUI Widgets. The system tray icon will also show the available updates and installed package, to efficiently update a program or remove a package from your system. Easily customize how and where packages are installed. Select different installation options and switches for each package. Install an older version or force to install a 32bit architecture. [But don't worry, those options will be saved for future updates for this package] Share packages with your friends to show them off that program you found. Here is an example: Hey @friend, Check out this program! Export custom lists of packages to then import them to another machine and install those packages with previously-specified, custom installation parameters. Setting up machines or configuring a specific software setup has never been easier. Backup your packages to a local file to easily recover your setup in a matter of seconds when migrating to a new machine Devolutions UniGetUI 2026.2.2 changelog: This release marks the completion of UniGetUI's migration from WinUI to Avalonia. With the remaining WinUI components and dependencies now removed, UniGetUI is fully powered by Avalonia. This update also brings Windows 11 Snap Layouts support, refined styling throughout the application, improved log viewing, new illustrations, and significantly smaller release packages. Highlights Further refined the Avalonia user interface to better match WinUI styling and behavior across package lists, navigation elements, dialogs, and controls. Added support for Windows 11 Snap Layouts when hovering the maximize button, matching the behavior of native Windows applications. Added illustrations for empty and loading package list states, improving visual feedback throughout the application. Improved the operation log window so automatic scrolling no longer interrupts users when reviewing previous log entries. Reduced installer and application package sizes, resulting in smaller downloads and a significantly leaner Windows distribution. User Interface Improvements Improved package list styling, column headers, backgrounds, hover states, and selection indicators for a more polished and consistent experience. Refined sidebar navigation and segmented controls to better align with modern Windows design patterns. Improved package tag badges and icon presentation throughout the application. Updated several labels, placeholders, and interface elements for improved clarity and consistency. Removed the remaining WinUI-specific styling dependencies, further consolidating the application around Avalonia. Windows Improvements Added native Windows 11 Snap Layouts integration for the maximize button. Improved maximize button hover and pressed visual states to more closely match native Windows behavior. Performance & Reliability Reduced the size of Windows release packages by removing unnecessary runtime dependencies and optimizing published builds. Reduced installer size through improved compression settings. Simplified application dependencies and reduced overall maintenance complexity. Fixes Fixed log output auto-scrolling behavior when manually reviewing previous entries. Resolved various UI inconsistencies and styling issues across the Avalonia interface. Addressed several minor issues and edge cases throughout the application. Other Changes Dependency cleanup and project maintenance. Internal code refactoring and infrastructure improvements. Additional test coverage and build pipeline optimizations. Download: UniGetUI 64-bit | Portable | ~90.0 MB (Open Source) Download: UniGetUI ARM64 | Portable Links: UniGetUI Home Page | GitHub | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • The best controller for XBOX and PC is down to the lowest price by Taras Buria Image via Neowin The GameSir G7 Pro is a fantastic controller for XBOX and PC. Officially certified, it works with Microsoft's consoles, mobile devices, and PCs, giving you a universal controller for any kind of gaming machine. And right now, you can save 20% on it, thanks to the latest deal during Prime Day 2026 (purchase link below). The G7 Pro has the classic XBOX layout, complemented by a couple of extra elements, such as the M button for changing various settings and four additional remappable buttons. It also has trigger locks and TMR sticks that eliminate drifting issues, giving you a reliable, long-lasting gamepad. The controller is powered by a built-in battery, which charges via a USB Type-C cable or the bundled dock station. The G7 Pro supports wireless (XBOX Wireless, proprietary dongle, or Bluetooth) and wired connectivity. In addition to software customization (you can remap multiple buttons to different actions), it lets you personalize the look by swapping the faceplate or grips, enabling multiple design combinations. Other features include a 1,000Hz polling rate, an audio jack for your headphones, Hall Effect triggers, and a swappable D-pad (two extra are included). The controller is also available in four color variants, and all of them are now discounted. Thanks to quality materials, reliable components, rich customization, universal compatibility, and an affordable price tag, the G7 Pro received very high praise in our review. It is certainly among the best controllers you can buy. GameSir G7 Pro - $63.99 | 20% off with Prime Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Microsoft further improving Windows 11 Taskbar with latest builds by Sayan Sen Microsoft has released new Windows 11 builds for users flighting the Experimental channels. The new builds are 26300.8758 for Windows 11 26H2, 28120.2374 for 26H1, and 29617.1000 for future platforms. There are improvements related to the Taskbar, File Explorer and more with the new update. The full changelogs are given below: First we have the build 26300.8758: Changes and improvements gradually being rolled out [Taskbar] Taskbar customization just got easier. As we continue to make improvements to the Taskbar experience mentioned last month, we've introduced a dedicated Taskbar Size setting, making it simpler to find, understand, and personalize your ideal taskbar experience. UI showing the new Taskbar Size setting in Settings. We've also made refinements to the transitions between taskbar sizes for a smoother overall experience. [File Explorer] We've improved the reliability of thumbnail previews for cloud files in the Details pane. The pane has also been reorganized so file properties are easier to find and review at a glance. Fixed an issue where the OneDrive shortcut in File Explorer stops working when File Explorer is run in administrative mode. Fixed an issue where the confirmation dialog might display an internal Recycle Bin file name instead of the original file name when permanently deleting a file. [Sounds] Improved system sounds when using Windows in dark mode. Up next we have build 28120.2374: Changes and improvements gradually being rolled out This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes [Mobile Device Settings] You can add and manage your mobile devices in Settings under Bluetooth & Devices > Mobile Devices. On this page, you can manage features such as using your device as a connected camera or accessing your device's files in File Explorer. [Remote Recovery Management] Added a recovery remote management plug-in to extend WinRE management capabilities for MDM providers. [Input] The emoji panel (Windows key + period (.)) now uses GIPHY as the GIF provider, delivering a smoother GIF browsing and sharing experience following the deprecation of the Tenor API. Finally we have the changelog for Windows 11 build 29617.1000: Changes and improvements gradually being rolled out [Windows Update] As announced in the Windows Update announce blog, we are now bringing a new unified update experience to reduce the number of reboots you see per month. We are starting by coordinating driver, .NET, and firmware updates to align with the monthly quality update, reducing the update experience to a single monthly restart. See the blog for more information. [Windows Magnifier] Magnifier now gives you more control over how you zoom. You can type an exact zoom percentage directly in the magnifier toolbar to land on precisely the level you need. We've also added preset step increments (5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 100%, 150%, 200%, and 400%) to the Settings dropdown, so you can jump to common levels in a single click. Whether you need a subtle boost or a dramatic close-up, Magnifier adapts to how you want to zoom. Enter an exact percentage or jump to preset steps —5% up to 400%. Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Accessibility > Magnifier. [Accessibility] We're introducing screen tint, a new accessibility setting that applies a color overlay across your entire display, softening its intensity so it's easier on your eyes throughout the day. If bright, saturated screens leave you with tired or sensitive eyes by the end of a long session, screen tint can help. Screenshot showing UI for screen tint in Accessibility, with color presets and a strength slider. To get started, open Settings > Accessibility (or press WIN + U) and look for screen tint under the Vision section. From there, you can: Pick from six preset colors or choose a custom color of your own. Adjust the tint strength slider from a subtle wash to full intensity. Night light warms your display to reduce blue light that can interfere with sleep. Screen tint reduces overall screen intensity to ease eye fatigue and light sensitivity during the day. They tackle different problems and you can use both at the same time, one working on warmth and the other on intensity. Note that turning on screen tint will disable color filters, and vice versa. If you currently rely on color filters, you might need to keep screen tint turned off. Feedback: Share your thoughts in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Accessibility > Narrator. [Voice Access] Voice Access now supports Portuguese (Portugal), Portuguese (Brazil), and Korean (South Korea). [Audio] Continuing our work on improving Sound Settings, we've made a few more updates in this build: We've adjusted the description text for the Allow option in properties for audio devices to include the current state of the device, to improve the clarity of the text and the purpose of the button actions. "Listen to this device" is now available in properties for audio devices, so you don't need to enter Control Panel for this functionality. [Multiple Desktops] Improved explorer reliability when switching between multiple desktops. [Storage] We've updated the dialog when creating a Dev Drive to now support specifying the size in GB instead of only MB. This has also been added when changing the size of volumes under Settings > System > Storage. [Personalization] This update improves color selection accuracy when adjusting your accent color to match your wallpaper when automatic accent color selection is enabled in Personalization settings. This update improves wallpaper persistence reliability across restarts and upgrades, including better support for large-resolution wallpapers and other scenarios to prevent solid color wallpaper fallback. [Display and Graphics] Improves the reliability and persistence of applying color profiles. You can view the official blog posts here (link1, link2, link3) on Microsoft's site.
    • Windows 11 is getting redesigned taskbar settings in new build by Taras Buria Microsoft is rolling out new Windows 11 preview builds in the Insider program, offering users new features and changes to try ahead of public release. In the Experimental channel (formerly Dev), Microsoft is shipping build 26300.8758, while in the Beta channel, users can download build 26220.8754. The changelogs do not contain much, but there is an important update to taskbar settings. Here is what is new in build 26220.8754: [Taskbar] Taskbar customization just got easier. As we continue to make improvements to the Taskbar experience mentioned last month, we've introduced a dedicated Taskbar Size setting, making it simpler to find, understand, and personalize your ideal taskbar experience. We've also made refinements to the transitions between taskbar sizes for a smoother overall experience. [File Explorer] We've improved the reliability of thumbnail previews for cloud files in the Details pane. The pane has also been reorganized so file properties are easier to find and review at a glance. Fixed an issue where the OneDrive shortcut in File Explorer stops working when File Explorer is run in administrative mode. Fixed an issue where the confirmation dialog might display an internal Recycle Bin file name instead of the original file name when permanently deleting a file. [Sounds] Improved system sounds when using Windows in dark mode. And here is what is new in build 26220.8754: [Smart card removal policy] Administrators can now configure Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Windows 365 sessions that use Microsoft Entra ID (RDS AAD Auth) authentication to automatically disconnect when a redirected smart card is removed. This extends smart card removal policy enforcement to Microsoft Entra authenticated remote sessions, helping organizations meet security and compliance requirements. [File Explorer] Fixed an issue where the OneDrive shortcut in File Explorer stops working when File Explorer is run in administrator mode. [Taskbar] Improved reliability of loading the system tray area of the taskbar. [Sounds] Improved system sounds when using Windows in dark mode. You can find release notes for build 26300.8758 here and for build 26220.8754 here.
  • Recent Achievements

    • One Year In
      bernmeister earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Week One Done
      Scoobystu earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      tuben earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • First Post
      OffsetAbs earned a badge
      First Post
    • Reacting Well
      OffsetAbs earned a badge
      Reacting Well
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      441
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      197
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      156
    4. 4
      FloatingFatMan
      71
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      67
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!