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Author Topic: Notebook harddrive upgrade Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 01-31-2007 07:11 PM                     I've got the evaluation copy of Vista that I received a few months ago in an invitation from Microsoft to try out. Vista is more user friendly that XP, but not much different otherwise. But definitely needs at least 1g of ram to operate smoothly though. Actually, stick with XP until you need to go with VISTA ... VISTA's pretty with more buttons and whistles, but it's just not much of a needed OS upgrade for everyone. But, if you want to try an excellent Linux OS, download the *.iso from this site, then burn this *.iso to disc, put your computer, or laptop to boot from CD and try this OS . Just head to one of the mirrors to download the large .iso file to burn to a 700m CD. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Andrew McCrea Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 645 From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-31-2007 10:07 PM                        I agree with Monte. I like some of the frills, like the new sidebar with its gadgets (little programs like an analog clock, a calendar, news headlines and weather, etc.). I also think the taskbar is prettier (nothing to do performance wise, but I don't like how you can only show one quick launch option), and the start menu is kind of cool. You can click that button and immediately start typing in a search item to find a program. I do need to upgrade my 512mb of ram though.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 02-01-2007 12:31 AM                     Vista must be slower than the seven year itch with a mere 512MB of RAM. My notebook computer is about 2 years old. I purchased it originally with 1GB of RAM, but upgraded it to 2GB soon after getting the Adobe Creative Suite 2 Premium upgrade. Even with that, and a good video card installed, I have absolutely no intention whatsoever of putting Vista on that notebook ever. With all my years of using computers there is one BIG truth I know about "upgrades." They make your computer run slooooowwwwerrrrrr. The only way I am going to wind up using Vista is when it comes pre-loaded on a new desktop or notebook PC I buy sometime in the future. And that isn't going to be anytime real soon (knock on wood).  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 02-01-2007 03:17 AM                     Probably that would do justice for VISTA, is to have a 512Mb 3D accelerated video card to run the button and whistles on the screen, 2Gb of Ram (even though 1G does it quite nicely since that's what I did with myh laptop in trying out that evaluation Vista - for 512 just was too sluggish..but 1gB does wonders for XP ..) and the larger drive..esp a SATA drive for towers, and of course, either the dual or quad core processors. Made for serious gamers for sure. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Scott Jentsch Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1061 From: New Berlin, WI, USA Registered: Apr 2003 posted 02-01-2007 03:12 PM                        I attended the Office 2007 Launch Event on Tuesday, and they gave a brief demo of Vista, which was being used as the OS on the laptop they were demonstrating Office 2007 on. The 3D Flip feature is visually interesting, and so is the live Task Window, but do they really add to productivity? Maybe a little. The sidebar tools (widgets) that I saw can be duplicated right now with the Yahoo Widget Engine. The transparent title bars don't do much for me, as I used to have Stardock's DesktopX installed, but didn't see much sense in devoting the resources for it. Out of curiousity, I installed the Vista Upgrade Advisor on my P4-3.06GHz box with 2GB of RAM installed, and it approved me, save for needing more drive space to perform the install. The main page of the Advisor lists as the primary benefits of Windows Vista Home Basic (the most basic version): Windows Defender and Windows Firewall Instant Search and Internet Explorer There just doesn't seem to be a compelling reason for anyone to upgrade to this new operating system. I'd love to hear about what real improvements have been made that will affect reliability, performance, or my productivity, and after seeing that (albeit brief) demo and reading some reviews, I haven't seen it yet. Add to it that my Epson scanner and inkjet printer and my Minolta Color Laser are currently unsupported, and I don't think I'll be taking the Vista plunge anytime soon. Device support was a problem at XP's launch, too, so that will probably improve in the next 6-12 months. I can't see why anyone would want to upgrade except out of curiousity, and I would think that the most popular adoption method will be from new PC sales.  |  IP: Logged Andrew McCrea Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 645 From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Registered: Nov 2000 posted 02-02-2007 02:12 AM                        I'd definitely say wait for the next Windows... Vista just seems to be the same shit in a different pile. It conjures up memories of Windows RG. And now they're really modelling themselves after Mac, but I don't like how serial keys are no longer supported. How many people have a monitor that meets that requirement? It will be interesting to see how long it takes for the next Windows OS, and if they completely turn the system upside down like 3.1 to 95... That would be more interesting.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 02-02-2007 02:20 AM                     Also...thing about OS's from Redmond is that when a new one comes out, they're somewhat buggy until the new Service Paks comes around (like with Win2k - up to SP 4) to clear the bugs out. Now, we've seen XP with SP-2 and now with VISTA...how many SP's is this OS gonna need to clear the bugs (if any) out to make this a stable OS? ...funny, never saw bugs with old Win3.xx .. since it just sat on top of DOS and behaved itself as a GUI program should. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-03-2007 09:36 PM                     There was an interesting article about how a news writer switched from MAC to PC because of Vista. I think it was on MSNBC but I went back anbd couldn't find it.... Edit: Here it is... Mark  |  IP: Logged Mike Heenan Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1896 From: Scottsdale, AZ, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 02-04-2007 12:02 AM                     I just bought a hp laptop at costco today, a dv9233 (1.66ghz duo, 2gb memory, 240gb for porn, etc). It has the premium version of Vista, and what I'm seeing so far I like it. While I like it, it's not something I would rush out and buy, I would probably wait until you all are ready to just upgrade to a new computer that has it on there already installed.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 02-04-2007 02:22 AM                     quote: Mark Gulbrandsen There was an interesting article about how a news writer switched from MAC to PC because of Vista. MSNBC actually had a somewhat interesting interview with Bill Gates where he groused and fumed over the lying, blatant, bullshit that often is the Mac-oriented Apple commercials. I'm not normally one to take sides with Satan-incarnate, but Bill is absolutely right. I'm a professional graphic artist by living. I know this as well as anyone. Apple does not have any kind of monopoly on creative computing. Those commercials that literally say you must own a Mac to do anything creative are full of shit. To get specific, how 'bout any Mac fanatic show me one single Adobe or Macromedia application that runs exclusively on the Mac platform. Anyone? Anywhere? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? The truth is the only creative applications that run exclusively on the Mac platform anymore are those applications that Apple makes on their own. And that pretty much begins and ends with Final Cut Studio. Adobe, Avid, Autodesk and any number of other companies whose names also begin with the letter "A" are looking to trounce Apple. Apple Shake was trying to make a good run as a very high end add-on for Final Cut Studio. But that was until a Windows-only application from Eyeon Software called "Fusion" came along. Windows-machines already dominate in a lot professional 3D animation and rendering areas. Apps like Fusion are allowing them to dominate in compositing. Lots of mainstream graphics applications from Photoshop to After Effects can be run on PCs. So that threatens to squeeze whatever lead Apple has in the long term. The sad thing is the idiots in our mainstream media just think, by knee jerk laziness, that Apple automatically equates to truth and hipness. Our media does not bother to check any fact. So therefore they can ignore the irritating truth that companies like Adobe own the creative market, not Apple. And all of Adobe's stuff has been available on BOTH Mac and PC platforms for a long long time. Macromedia? Macromedia's stuff has been geared more for Windows than Mac since the 1990s. Macromedia Studio MX, Studio MX 2004 and their newest Studio 8 all had more stuff offered on the Windows side than the Mac. Normally, I wouldn't give a damn about posting this stuff. But Apple's marketing style has invited this response. Apple does not own the creative computing world. They are selling the illusion that they do. Windows is very dominant in 3D animation. Can you run 3D Studio Max on a Mac? No. At least not unless you boot up Windows via Parallels on a Intel-based Mac. There are far more 3rd party graphics cards, peripherals and other devices to serve 3D artists using Windows than Mac. The last bastion for Mac in terms of graphics is print-based publishing. And that's largely because a lot of newspaper and magazine publishers are slow to change or even upgrade anything at all. Apple's computers are still high quality. Apple's OSX still has a lot of advantages over Windows. But Apple has got to get rid of this lying bullshit they're doing in their marketing. Steve is just lapsing on that tired, bullshit tactic of mudslinging. Give it up already! Stop bitching about what is so bad about your competitor's product and start selling people on what is so good about your product! Duh! [ 02-04-2007, 01:00 PM: Message edited by: Bobby Henderson ]  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 02-04-2007 05:49 AM                        Without wanting to stray too much into political territory, I think that along with marketing the brand as a fashion icon, Apple advertising is also aimed at people who like to think of themselves as 'ethical consumers' (you know - the kind of hypocrite who lectures you about the evils of global warming before driving the half a mile home in her 7.5 litre Islington tractor), opposed to big business and globalisation. The fact that Apple is also pretty big and pretty global tends not to show up on their radar. Commuting to work on the train, it never ceases to amaze me just how many other passengers are clutching Ipods; this being despite the fact that other personal music/video players with a much higher specification go for around 30-40% less than the Apple ones. Whatever you think of the hardware and software itself, the marketing of it has been phenomenally successful. And I bet the same thing will happen with the Apple mobile phone is launched here, too.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-04-2007 10:03 AM                     quote: Bobby Henderson MSNBC actually had a somewhat interesting interview with Bill Gates where he groused and fumed over the lying, blatant, bullshit that often is the Mac-oriented Apple commercials. I'm not normally one to take sides with Satan-incarnate, but Bill is absolutely fucking right. Right Here  |  IP: Logged Mike Heenan Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1896 From: Scottsdale, AZ, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 02-04-2007 10:12 AM                     Jeeez Bobby settle down, they're just commercials. Have you even used any Macs extensively?  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 02-04-2007 12:45 PM                     Well, I'm calm now. New day, new attitude. I have used Macs. They're great machines. Mac OSX is a great operating system. The next time I buy a desktop computer I may even buy a Mac Pro tower (and run both Windows and OSX on it). The price on a Dual Xeon Mac Pro tower isn't very different from what Dell is asking for a Dual Xeon Precision Workstation. The 24" iMac is also an excellent deal. I just think Apple needs to concentrate on selling people on the positive points of their products rather than tell broad-stroked lies in their TV ads. I'm surprised no other computer makers have taken advantage of the inaccuracies in Apple's ads and called them on it. Maybe Dell should run a similar ad for their XPS line, but with a different guy playing the "I'm a PC" part, maybe someone like UFC champion Chuck Liddell. "I'm a PC. I can run FarCry very very well. Hey, Mac, can you even play FarCry?"  |  IP: Logged Mike Heenan Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1896 From: Scottsdale, AZ, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 02-04-2007 01:38 PM                     Since I want portability, I went with a laptop, and for the video editing I do, this HP should be plenty enough to take care of all tasks, as it's likely more powerful than my G4 tower which still does great. I bought the HP at costco, as they do not have that 15% restocking fee that Best Buy and others have, so I have 30 or so days to test it out. I really wanted a Macbook pro 17" model just because that's what I've been editing on the last few years with FCP , but this HP is almost $1000 cheaper than if I were to buy a refurbished Macbook pro (which is $2299 vs $2800 new). Adobe premiere is pretty similar to FCP so I should be able to pick that up pretty quickly assuming I keep this current laptop.  |  IP: Logged

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