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


Recommended Posts

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 by Hell-In-A-Handbasket
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.

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.

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.

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.

: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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Cuktech 10 Ultra charger review: big display, four ports, 110W total power by Taras Buria Cuktech recently announced a couple of Ultra-branded chargers, including a desktop 300W charger, which I reviewed a few weeks ago. For those who do need that much (or who do not want to spend that much on a charger), Cuktech also offers the 10 Ultra, a traditional wall charger with similar features. Four ports, a big display, and up to 110W of power output. After using it for a few weeks, here are my impressions. Disclaimer: Cuktech provided the review unit without any editorial input or pre-approval. Like the 30 Ultra, the 10 Ultra arrived in a box made of nice cardboard with quality print all over it. Inside, besides the charger, you will find a 240W 6A charger, which, this time, is fully braided. While Cuktech always bundles high-power cables with its chargers and power banks, they are usually regular and unassuming. This time, the cable is much nicer, matching the charger's $59.99 price tag. The charger itself measures 67 x 76 x 33 mm or 2.6 x 3.0 x 1.3 inches and weighs about 250 grams. Considering the charger has four ports and a big display, I would say the compact size is quite impressive, albeit a little hefty. The overall design is similar to other chargers from the manufacturer, minus the chrome Cuktech logo next to the four ports. The Cuktech 10 Ultra has retractable prongs for better portability. Its front side is covered with piano black plastic housing two elements: a capacitive button with backlight and a quite large display for various charging stats. Ports are downward-facing, and I have mixed feelings about such a design. It is not the most convenient when you frequently connect and disconnect cables. It makes you bend over to find the right port to connect, and it is a no-go with outlets mounted closer to the floor. On the bright side, design like this eliminates clutter and sagging, especially when using four cables at once. Plus, you get plenty of space for a big display. Ports include two high-speed USB Type-C ports, one Type-C for less demanding devices, and one classic USB Type-A. The first two ports deliver full 100W, while the third is capped at 45W. As for the Type-A port, its maximum output is 18W. In total, the charger delivers 110W of power, but in my testing, I managed to squeeze 117W when charging two power banks and a tablet. Quite impressive. Type-C1 Type-C2 Type-C3 Type-A Single-port 100W 100W 45W 18W Two ports 80W 20W - - Three ports 65W 20W 20W - Four ports 65W 20W 10W 10W The charger can detect handshake protocols and balance power across all four ports according to each device's needs. As such, power is not limited to the values in the table above. You can have two ports charging at 55W, three ports at 45W + 20W, and more. For some reason, Cuktech is not listing the supported protocols, but a quick test showed that it is compatible with PD3.0, PPS, QC5, DCP, and UFCS. When you connect a compatible device, the charger automatically detects its charging standard and displays it on the screen, for example, Apple 6A or Samsung 3A. Speaking of the screen. The main highlight of the 10 Ultra is its 1.57-inch display with a maximum brightness of 700 nits and 160-degree viewing angles. The display takes up most of the front, and it shows various charging-related information, including total output power, current temperature, power distribution across ports with watts, volts, and amps, a screensaver, and more. You can toggle between the different views by tapping the button, and holding it changes the screen orientation (portrait or horizontal, plus flipped) according to your socket position. The screen is very nice. It is sharp, vivid, and the fonts are easy to read. As for settings, you can change the following: Keep the screen on or off Lock the screen orientation (hold the button to change the screen orientation) Keep the USB Type-A port on Toggle power modes The charger has three power modes: AI: standard mode that automatically allocates power to each connected device. Power Priority: prioritizes power for high-demand devices, such as laptops or power banks. Balanced: splits power evenly across connected devices according to their needs I was skeptical at first, but after testing a few devices in different modes, I can see the benefit of these three modes. The most useful is power priority, which gives the first Type-C port more power. When I was charging a 100W power bank (port 1) alongside a 140W power bank (port 2), Power Priority split the total output about 75-30. Balanced mode, as the name suggests, splits the total output between the two ports more or less equally. As for AI mode, the charger uses its brain to detect which device needs more power. In my testing, it figured out that the 140W power needs a bit more juice. As I said, I expected this to be more of a gimmick, but the three built-in modes turned out quite useful. For example, you can prioritize your laptop while giving other ports a little less power, but still enough to charge at acceptable speeds. Unfortunately, unlike the 30 Ultra, this charger cannot display the battery level of the device being charged. This small feature turned out to be very useful when I was testing the 30 Ultra, as it allowed me to see my phone's battery level without picking it up. Like other Cuktech chargers I tested, the 10 Ultra one proved itself reliable and well-made. It uses Gallium nitride semiconductor technology to reduce the charger's size and improve efficiency. It is also better at dissipating heat, but I have to say that when charging two power banks at 117W total, the charger got hotter than what I would call comfortable (hold it for a few seconds, and you start feeling a burning sensation at your fingertips). However, the built-in thermal indicator remained below the temperature threshold, with the screen reassuring that the device operated at "High performance" (I tested it in a 21 °C / 69 °F room). Overall, the Cuktech 10 Ultra is a solid choice. If you need four ports and you like to nerd out on various stats, it is a very easy recommendation. It will take care of your laptop, phone, tablet, and power bank without breaking a sweat, plus the build, material, and cable quality are top-notch. The mode switcher is handy when charging different devices with different power needs, too. I cannot say a display is a must-have in a charger, especially when it makes you more conscious about where to plug it, but it is a neat addition if you have a socket at your table or bed level, so that you can actually use the display and its features. The more important fact is that despite its size and quality, the display does not make the charger that much more expensive than similarly powerful chargers from competitors. Plus, you can save 10% on the 10 Ultra with a promo code on Amazon. Buy Cuktech 10 Ultra charger - $53.99 on Amazon with a promo code As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Last week I was investigating an issue with contacts and tried using the new Outlook. In the real (Classic) Outlook, you can easily go to any Outlook folder and present it in a Table View, then customize the columns to show/sort any field, which was exactly what I needed. But of course, the new Outlook doesn't have this feature at all. I gave up. Oh, and can we possibly stop claiming the new Outlook has PST support? What it really has is the ability to use the real Outlook in the background to pretend to have PST support. There is no PST support without the real Outlook installed.
    • Honestly just before Panos left it started to feel like MS just wasnt interested in them so they were being less innovative with them, and then when he DID leave for Amazon its kind of clear the direction is gone. It felt like Panos had both goals and drive, and a vision, but it felt like no matter what his title/department was the Surface devices never had the full interest of the rest of management and he was just pushing a bolder up a hill that MS was adding dirt to as he went.
    • A roguelike and a 4X strategy game are free to claim on the Epic Games Store by Pulasthi Ariyasinghe The final leg of the Epic Games Store's mystery giveaways promotion just landed, and it brought along two more games to keep. Last week's Lonestar and Calico giveaways have now been replaced with copies of Rogue Waters and Songs of Conquest to claim for PC gamers. As always, the game is yours to add permanently to your Epic Games Store library within the next seven days. Diving into the games, Songs of Conquest is developed by Lavapotion. This is a turn-based 4X strategy experience that has players making tough decisions and participating in tactical combat while also managing their kingdom. "Songs of Conquest is a turn-based strategy game inspired by 90s classics. Lead powerful magicians called Wielders and venture to lands unknown," explains the developer. "Wage battles against armies that dare oppose you, hunt for powerful artifacts and expand your territory. The world is ripe for the taking – seize it." Meanwhile, Rogue Waters comes from developer Ice Code Games. This rogue-lite experience has you taking the role of Captain Cutter as he commands his ship and crew through procedurally generated encounters. You'll be recruiting and training crew, use sea creatures, and battle with other ships and pirates. "Set sail as Captain Cutter, a pirate caught in a deadly struggle for power and vengeance," adds the developer. "Navigate dangerous waters, unleash mythical sea creatures, and outwit enemies as you chase legendary treasure and confront dark secrets." The newly available Rogue Waters and Songs of Conquest giveaways on the Epic Games Store are set to run until June 11, giving PC gamers seven days to claim the latest offer. Once this closes out, a new freebie will take its place on the same day, which is slated to be Warhammer 40K Speed Freeks. Don't forget that mobile gamers can check out the Epic Game Store's weekly giveaways on Android and iOS to grab a freebie there as well.
    • Still using Classic Outlook? Microsoft highlights 15 reasons to switch to New Outlook by Usama Jawad As many of you may know, Microsoft has been trying to get customers to ditch Classic Outlook in favor of New Outlook for quite some time now. To that end, it has added numerous capabilities to the latter, including PST features, and it is working on several more, such as a unified inbox. However, customer response has been a bit lukewarm so far, with many considering the New Outlook to be "hot garbage". Now, Microsoft has highlighted 15 features that users can leverage in New Outlook in yet another attempt to get customers to migrate. Although not all of the 15 capabilities are exclusive to New Outlook, in fact, most of them are available in Classic Outlook as well. But Microsoft hopes that this combination of familiar and fresh features will be able to attract existing users as well as new ones. For ease of readability, we have summarized the 15 features below: Pin an email: This makes it easier to track important emails Snooze an email: You can temporarily snooze an email thread for a specific time frame until it becomes relevant again. This can be very useful in scenarios where you don't feel like actively following a thread or simply want to follow up on a later date Add multiple categories at the same time: You can assign multiple categories to an email through a single, simplified interface Sweep: As the name implies, you can define automated move processes on your inbox to declutter it, rather than cleaning it up manually Schedule send: Does exactly what it says on the tin, and can be useful when accommodating recipients in different timezones Simplified folder sharing: The sharing process has been simplified so permissions are automatically applied on parent folders Follow a meeting: This is an RSVP option that lets people know that you won't be able to join the meeting but would still like to access a recap Save calendar views: You can save different views for the calendar based on different workflows Improved meeting tracking: Organizers have more controls in viewing meeting responses, such as the ability to sort and download them. Typically useful when there is a large audience Meeting recap: The Outlook Calendar surfaces a meeting recap with recordings, transcripts, and shared files Filtered views: Allows you to declutter your Calendar so that it's easier to scan and schedule Change a recurring event: Users can modify future events of a series of meetings while preserving the configuration of previous ones Rename your email account: This labeling makes it easier to identify multiple accounts in Outlook Modern themes: Exactly what the name says, plus Dark Mode Keyboard shortcuts: This facilitates flexible user behavior as customers can choose between Outlook for Windows shortcuts, Outlook for the web, or turn them off completely There you have it. It's a decent list, but it remains to be seen if it will move the needle in a meaningful way for users who are attached to Classic Outlook. Again, a lot of the aforementioned features are already available in Outlook Classic, but for some, native functionality is not present, and people typically resort to workarounds. Microsoft will be hoping that it's primarily those capabilities that get people to finally switch.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Conversation Starter
      mobandz earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Apprentice
      fernan99 went up a rank
      Apprentice
    • One Month Later
      nothanks earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      B2Proxy earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Year In
      MadMung0 earned a badge
      One Year In
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      478
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      247
    3. 3
      Skyfrog
      79
    4. 4
      FloatingFatMan
      76
    5. 5
      Michael Scrip
      60
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!