A computer shop's sales pitch: 'We remove Vista'

[bobbytomorow]

I don't see anything wrong with it. Its called supply and demand. Just call it what it is, people don't like Vista plain and simple. The reasons why don't really matter.

[1Frothy]

I don't see anything wrong with it. Its called supply and demand. Just call it what it is, people don't like Vista plain and simple. The reasons why don't really matter.

If people hate Vista so much, then it doesn't show on the Microsoft earnings report.

So I think that people in general fear new stuff, and since Vista is a little different to XP and there is so much FUD spread all over the internet about Vista - people think they hate something they really don't have a fuzzy clue about.

[bloodrain]

I give it 1 year before those same newb customers are back asking to install vista.

[MGS4-SS]

I give it 1 year before those same newb customers are back asking to install vista.

Want to bet with me?

[Hell-In-A-Handbasket]

if they wanted to stay with Vista,,, they wouldnt be talking to you in the first place, they came to get XP

If it's a straight cut decision that they definately want XP then of course I wouldn't stop them. As I've made quite clear. Perhaps your English skills are a bit rusty.

I will repeat again that I would aim to do what's best for the customer. That might mean staying with Vista or it might mean going back to XP.

Shall I say it again?

I would aim to do what's best for the customer. That might mean staying with Vista OR it might mean going back to XP.

I would aim to do what's best for the customer. That might mean staying with Vista OR it might mean going back to XP.

I would aim to do what's best for the customer. That might mean staying with Vista OR it might mean going back to XP.

I would aim to do what's best for the customer. That might mean staying with Vista OR it might mean going back to XP.

I would aim to do what's best for the customer. That might mean staying with Vista OR it might mean going back to XP.

I would aim to do what's best for the customer. That might mean staying with Vista OR it might mean going back to XP.

Understand yet?

I think people should use whatever they want, but if they appear to need guidance or the only objections are issues I can fix (i.e. not the interface) then I'm not going to format their HD, charge them for another OS and install it, when it might not have been the best solution.

Get it?

It's not what I want/need or what all the other customers wanted/needed. It's what this particular person wants and needs that is important.

[primexx]

they KNOW they want what they had for the past couple years.

out of all the people that have come in the store to either get vista/new system, ALL but one have come back to have XP put on it.. thats after they have been using it for 2 weeks/month.

they used it, dont want it,, point simple, their choice

in reponce to your last post, yous aid you dont use Vista, you like XP,, say you wanted to get another copy of XP for another computer of yours,,, they wouldnt sell you one, they would only sell you vista, and told you you didnt want XP ?

personally id go somewhere else,, its not their place to tell me what i want or dont want.

it's pretty safe to say that the vast majority of people who needs the services of these shops base their opinions on uninformed media propaganda and don't have the information to be able to make a choice of what they really want. It is the duty of a good service person to provide the customer with all the information they need (asking beforehand if the customer would like to listen, of course, something like "a lot of the information you've heard is just plain false, would you like me to correct these misconceptions?"), and then oblige with whatever decision the customer makes at that point. Making money from people's ignorance is just unethical business practise.

if they had clue about computers,,, they wouldnt be talking to you in the first place.

fixed.

[TruckWEB]

these people are coming in knowing what they want and obviously they charge for both install and license.....or else it would be illegal

If the customer have a valid Vista license, they can install XP using that license and activating with a call to Microsoft (not using the Internet activation). It's not illegal.

It's allways possible, with any MS software, to install a lower version of a product if you own a current license for the same product. If you have a Office 2007 license, you can install Office 2003. You just need to make a call to MS to explain/activate.

[ozgeek]

People visit a computer store because many of them do not have experience in performing any geek jobs like installing or fixing systems. I have done work experience inside a local computer store (re-selling Optima computers and Apple stuff) so I know what it's like to serve customers. Lots of customers are like the average people but do not know how to manage their systems so they bring them in and have us clean them up.

It is best to explain the differences between the two Windows OS's XP and Vista. Explain what both can and can't do. For example, I say Vista is newer than XP and has better security and file management. Give them a tryout on the store's display computers. Do not force anything upon any of them. Let them decide. If you say they want Vista, then give it to them, no questions.

People have no idea that the exact criticisms about Vista has also blanketed XP when XP was released. When it was released barely anyone upgraded, complaining high hardware requirements. And who are using XP nowadays? Billions of people. This same is happening to Vista. Things changes all the time, you just accept that.

[Hell-In-A-Handbasket]

uninformed about computers ?

personaly i dont care for Vista,, its overrated. so please tell me what is oh so great about Vista that makes it a Must have vs XP

fixed.

Ozgeek - I agree and remember when people said that about XP, so i know people will get over Vista, but i have no need for XP ( espcially since i got a Mac now, but got a OEM XP for bootcamp, but even stoped bootcamping due to rarely using XP personally anymore )

personally i would have liked Vista if the TONS of new stuff they planned for it ( like WinFS and others ) were not scraped,, instead Vista got a crappy Flip Effect

Edited February 1, 2008 by Hell-In-A-Handbasket

[Andrew Lyle Global Moderator]

Just shows that the people running the store are technical noobs and haven't really got a clue.

Exactly. Thats just what Microsoft needs, a computer shop (which computer newbies think knows everything) putting Vista down, and fooling the public. Anyone who doesn't know anything about computers would enjoy Vista, and the same for anyone who knows a lot about computers would enjoy Vista if given the opportunity. It's the middle users who think what others say, is right [vista sucks]

I guess I'm a noob too because I would do the same thing if I owned this shop. :rolleyes:

:no: Do you own / owned a copy of windows vista? I would love to see you prove you purchased a copy of it. You must be misinformed, getting your impressions of earlier builds and/or friends/the internet.

[bobbytomorow]

If people hate Vista so much, then it doesn't show on the Microsoft earnings report.

So I think that people in general fear new stuff, and since Vista is a little different to XP and there is so much FUD spread all over the internet about Vista - people think they hate something they really don't have a fuzzy clue about.

I don't understand why it bothers a certain few people that Vista has been poorly received. Its not just internet hype or propaganda. Its pretty clear that people are unhappy with Vista when after trying it themselves on their new pc's and come in droves to get it OFF of their PC.

People don't like Vista, get over it. Unless you're a Microsoft shareholder I don't see why any of this should matter in the first place.

[raid247]

Im disagreeing on this. Vista is and should be a standard now. In the past it would be like putting a sign that says "We remove CD-ROM. We install floppy disk drive" just because some games/programs came on floppy disk and did not have a CD-ROM version.

The best solution would be to:

1: Explain "XP SP2 compatibility mode"

2: Install a new version of the incompatible software (at less than 1/2 of what a XP license would cost them)

3: Update their drivers or simply push them into a trade program; "Bring us your old printer and we give you a Vista compatible one for 50% off its price"; Customers would be drooling over a deal like this

4: If its some n00b teenage kid, explain that future games will not run on XP.

[Andrew Lyle Global Moderator]

I like your thinking raid247, they aren't really explaining much in the sign, and trying to attract a small audience.

Any computer store will remove Vista, XP, 2000, whatever is on the PC, and install what YOU want. I lover looked this the first time.

[x9248]

:no: Do you own / owned a copy of windows vista? I would love to see you prove you purchased a copy of it. You must be misinformed, getting your impressions of earlier builds and/or friends/the internet.

I don't have to prove anything to you (why the hell should I?). I have updated my XP to retail Vista previously and went back to XP after I had had enough of it. You think I'm misinformed because I would also advertise that I would remove Vista? Your logic fails.

[primexx]

uninformed about computers ?

personaly i dont care for Vista,, its overrated. so please tell me what is oh so great about Vista that makes it a Must have vs XP

since when was vista a must have over XP? If you don't want Vista, fine, that's your choice, I would assume that you know when you're talking about when you say that you don't want it. But it's a disservice to make money off people who simply lacks the information to make a proper judgement, as is the case with most people who would need to go to a computer shop for a reinstallation.

[x9248]

The advertisement picture says "We remove Vista. We install XP". That in no way implies we removed Vista on all PC's we sell because we don't like it. It's just advertising they have the the skills and knowledge to do both, not that you have no choice in the matter. This is a place of business for PC's and I see nothing wrong with the sign.

"We had a lot of people coming in and asking about it,"

Putting this sign up just made things easier for the staff. It's like someone coming onto the forums here and asking "how do I build my own PC" and the members give the usual reply "read the f'in manual that came with the parts".

Some of you are reading it out of context (or I'm making too much of it hahaha :p)

[Argi]

It's only doing their customers a disservice. Come 1 years time they'll be wondering why they can't get updates for their [still what they consider to be] brand new computer and then get told they have to upgrade to Vista, which they didn't get to begin with because the place they bought it from was still installing XP.

[Hell-In-A-Handbasket]

agreed, alot have asked me to do a re-install of "Insert OS Here", and ask if its hard/they can do it. i tell them its fairly sright forward, prompts on almost everything, and easier if they have the disks that came with the comp. they still ask me to do it cause they dont want to bother with it

i would " educate " them, but i cant dictate or force my opinion on them, joined the convo cause it seemed people were flat out making their decisions for them ( calling people they talked to idiots for example ).

Flat out im about the Only Tech that works on Apple's for a good distance ( closest is about 1 1/2 hours away ) that i know of, people ask me all the time what i prefer OS/Hardware wise. i tell them i use a Mac Personally but each OS has its benefits, i tell them that Any software they have already, will not work on a Mac and they ill have to buy New Versions that will work for OSX, and it would be cheaper/familiar to stay with Windows, but i have found alot of alternative software for OSX that is either inexpensive or free, and i have enjoyed my Mac alot more then my other windows computers.

Honestly the reason people are asking alot more is because the bad things they heard about vista, ill flat out tell them that a majority of what they have heard has been resolved or not true

But it's a disservice to make money off people who simply lacks the information to make a proper judgement, as is the case with most people who would need to go to a computer shop for a reinstallation.

[spaceelf]

I used to be a field tech for Dell and a lot of the people I met who were (mildly) dissatisfied with Vista only needed to know a few basic things (like "Run as Admin" to get an autoupdater working, or that their casual games needed the WildTangent software updated, etc.)

Realistically, the only reason a lot of people don't like Vista from what I've seen is that they changed the inner workings of the OS and it confuses people who don't really know computers.

Hell, my mom has been using Vista for six months and she never realized she could just type 'Word' in to find her Word 2003 app. Now she knows.

To me, Vista is just much easier to use once you learn it, even if I still feel like they changed too much. I have a local shop that suggests removal of Vista to people, and I think it's a huge mistake. I'm in no way saying Vista is perfect mind you, but it does a lot more for me than the change from 2000 to XP ever did.

I got my copy free, and my other comp running XP x64 is a tempting target for an upgrade when I get a new job.

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

Thank you +Persephone for backing up my initial post. I fear that some users were either brainwashed or tricked into thinking that Vista is a "bad" operating system. I know there are power users out there that know what they're doing, but surely they would know how to reinstall an operating system. It doesn't take that much skill. A quick google can give you a myriad of guides to choose from. And speaking from personal experience, Vista is a more "noob friendly" operating system than XP.

[Raa]

I think that's great tbh, good on them.

They've offered a service that they think people want, and it's proven true.

I've been doing the same thing here, with a fair bit of interest too!

[+Warwagon MVC]

I don't know why people hate vista so much. to be fair It still feels foreign in even though I've been on it for 2 months. Probably just takes time. On had 1 bluescreen and vista was nice enough to tell me it was caused by my nvidia driver so that was nice. I did have to update one piece of software, but after the fact it was just a vista glitch and the old software was working ok

[+shift. MVC]

If they want XP, explain to them what's the difference between XP and Vista. If they still insist on installing XP do it for them. If they stick with Vista then great.

You do your best to explain to them that switching is a bad idea, and if they don't change their mind then fine just remove Vista for them.

[Boeing 787]

There are parts of Vista that I really like but I also realize that most people in my family and friends think that XP works just fine and don't want to change.

[betasp]

I think it is good idea. People often find downgrading difficult and are willing to pay someone to dig up XP drivers, modify bios and update bios setting to get XP to work.

As for removing Vista, some people don't have a choice. They go to Best Buy or CC and but a notebook, the notebook can't run some of the programs they run at work, they remove Vista and install XP. The company I work for is about 2-3 years away from being able to rollout Vista on the plant floor... and that is with a team of 8 assigned full time to the task.