Custom Built PC's

[Conkers]

UAC - causes problems with *everything*. Including currently sold and supported versions of Microsoft software (Access 2003, for instance), ironically.

If you're designing mission critical applications for anything you will have problems with Vista.

I have used both 2003 and 2007 versions of office (admittedly not Access) and have had no problems. Granted there are some problems with Vista, but not ones that mean you shouldn't buy Vista, in my opinion anyway.
Most people will buy Vista, Office 2007 and not do much else with it. Unfortunately it's these people that get put off by media hype about the problems. I've heard a Service Pack is on it's way, which should solve many of it's current problems.
Vista = Windows Media Centre

 

[sten_super]

UAC - causes problems with *everything*. Including currently sold and supported versions of Microsoft software (Access 2003, for instance), ironically.

If you're designing mission critical applications for anything you will have problems with Vista.

Rubbish. I run Access 2003 on Vista at work, with absolutely no problems. Also run several other programs (quite a few obscure ones as well) with no problems. The only thing that we've had problems with have been internal programs/programming languages.

Also have Vista on my home machine, and no major problems. There was a problem on release of Vista, as a lot of drivers etc weren't available. Now, as long as you get 32-bit Vista (although I understand that there aren't nearly so many problems with 62-bit versions now either), everything that you need will be available.

 

[Cian]

Rubbish. I run Access 2003 on Vista at work, with absolutely no problems. Also run several other programs (quite a few obscure ones as well) with no problems. The only thing that we've had problems with have been internal programs/programming languages.

I work software that runs on about 5,000+ desktops; you're talking about one. Access, and a huge amount of other programmes, do not operate correctly without disabling UAC - one of the main "features" of Vista. The failure modes vary from it letting you know whats wrong to being unable to read settings from files or from the registry with *no* feedback as to whats wrong.

Any OS release which claims compatibility and doesn't run "internal programs/programming languages" has, ultimately, failed.

Vista is Windows Millennium all over again.

 

[Conkers]

I work software that runs on about 5,000+ desktops; you're talking about one. Access, and a huge amount of other programmes, do not operate correctly without disabling UAC - one of the main "features" of Vista. The failure modes vary from it letting you know whats wrong to being unable to read settings from files or from the registry with *no* feedback as to whats wrong.

Any OS release which claims compatibility and doesn't run "internal programs/programming languages" has, ultimately, failed.

Vista is Windows Millennium all over again.

Yes, his maybe one machine. But when you add mine, then my friends and probably millions of other people without compatability issues then you start to wonder.....
I seem to recall when XP came out, everyone was moaning that there were issues with it. Look at it now, people want to stay with it because it's good at what it does.
If you expect an OS to be released with no faults whatsoever, you must be living in a fantasy world.

 

[Cian]

XPs range of issues were not this bad - only Millennium, a complete flop, had as many fuckups at launch.

There are barely "millions" of Vista installs yet due to extremely low takeup, anyway.

 

[perseus]

Does Vista work with your old scanners, printers etc.? The problem when I got XP it meant new scanners and printers and added costs. The printer manufacturer said they did not upgrade the drivers to work with XP and had no plans to do so.

There were enough problems with obscure programs with XP.

PS: Anybody had trouble with the paper feed with the Epson R200 colour inkjet printer? A simple problem, seemingly, that I cannot resolve and there still lots of ink in the machine.

 

[sten_super]

I work software that runs on about 5,000+ desktops; you're talking about one. Access, and a huge amount of other programmes, do not operate correctly without disabling UAC - one of the main "features" of Vista. The failure modes vary from it letting you know whats wrong to being unable to read settings from files or from the registry with *no* feedback as to whats wrong.

Any OS release which claims compatibility and doesn't run "internal programs/programming languages" has, ultimately, failed.

Vista is Windows Millennium all over again.

I think you overestimate the complexity of our internally-designed software! It was mainly changes of settings (such as UAC), where some things that were default in XP weren't the same default in Vista.

UAC is a problem with Vista, I agree. What I don't agree with is your initial assertion that it causes problems with *everything*. I've experienced no problems, and it seems like I'm not the only one. Besides, having to turn off UAC hardly constitutes a monumental f***-up. Especially when it was a much heralded and much publicised 'feature' at launch!

 

[Djmiles]

If you expect an OS to be released with no faults whatsoever, you must be living in a fantasy world.

Well said.

Back to the original topic, I'm sure Conkers would recommend www.pcspecialist.co.uk

 

[Conkers]

XPs range of issues were not this bad - only Millennium, a complete flop, had as many fuckups at launch.

There are barely "millions" of Vista installs yet due to extremely low takeup, anyway.

20millions copies a month in the first 3 months after launch. That's excluding the last 9 months or so where sales have been around 3million a month (according to various computer websites I have consulted).
But as Djmiles pointed out, pcspecialist are very good. I'd go with the 2 year warranty. It's only £69, which includes free pick-ups of your PC/broken parts and free replacement parts. Not much point getting it past 2 years if you are in the least bit interested in gaming etc.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

I have both. Vista Ultimate for Media and XP for pretty much everything else

 

[Cian]

Besides, having to turn off UAC hardly constitutes a monumental f***-up. Especially when it was a much heralded and much publicised 'feature' at launch!

Defective by design - if it wasn't on by default or was easier to disable than it is, sure, it'd be acceptable. As it is, Joe User (or in our case, Doctor User) doesn't know why his 3,000 euro a year application won't start because UAC silently prevents it reading a file - even when running as administrator. And he doesn't know how to turn UAC off.

 

[Mr C]

UAC is a great idea in principle, but they need to improve it. Perhaps they will with the service pack.

Vista is just broken in so many areas, plus the fact that they've dumbed it down even further from a user interface point of view, and I think made it harder to work with.

 

[Beach Hut]

We have had XP on this Dell which I think is at least 4 years old and works perfect.

Kids have Vista on their laptops and I find it "difficult" to say the least.

 

[Bluejuice]

I've built/upgraded PCs for nearly 20 years, but couldn't resist this Dell at Xmas (won't be as cheap now)...

VostroTM 200 MT
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E6550 Processor (2.33GHz,1333MHz,4MB cache)
Memory: 2048MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x1024]
Keyboard: Logitech™ Cordless Desktop™ EX110 - UK/Irish (QWERTY)
Video Card: Integrated Intel® Graphic Media Accelerator X3100
Hard Drive: 500GB (7200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive with 16MB DataBurst™ cache
19-in-1 Media Card Reader
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic - English
16x DVD +/- RW Drive
Integrated 7.1 Channel High Definition Audio
Internal Wireless PCI Card
Microsoft® Works 8.5 - English
£282.01 inc VAT

(The standard model was actually under £200 - I upgraded the processor and a few bits)

So how does it play? I've just bought that same processor, got a new motherboard, graphics card and 4096mb SDRAM

Picking it all up next week. I'm hoping the processor will make me glow with excitement

 

[Bluejuice]

Incidentally. If you are going for custom build and already have XP on a current machine, just grab the OEM number from the side of your 'pooter and you can have that installed on your new machine for free, then just ask for the upgrade voucher which allows you to upgrade to Vista once it's actually usable. The service pack in the pipeline must be f***ing huge

 

[Mr C]

Incidentally. If you are going for custom build and already have XP on a current machine, just grab the OEM number from the side of your 'pooter and you can have that installed on your new machine for free, then just ask for the upgrade voucher which allows you to upgrade to Vista once it's actually usable. The service pack in the pipeline must be f***ing huge

Yeah, will turn it from beta software into a (maybe) releasable product!

 

[bhaexpress]

It's almost a byword with Microsoft now, never by a new MS Operating System until after the first service pack has been released. The fact that few companies have adopted Vista speaks volumes.

 

[Woodchip]

Chez,

My PC was custom built 3 years ago. Set me back £1500. Since then I've made a few upgrades and the equivalent PC would sell for about £1000 at the moment.

I highly recommend you check out scan.co.uk. Also Oscar computers are really good, based in Seaford. I know they are on the web, but you'll have to google them as I can't remember their web address.

 

[TonyW]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Superphil]

I bought mine from www.powerc.com . you choose pretty much everything, from processor to RAM, and with or without OS.

All I would suggest is you go for a motherboard that will accept more than 2GB or RAM, and then buy more then 2GB of RAM. At worst, if you go for the Vista option, get at least 2GB RAM.

NB, I use Vista Ultimate, and it is fine for me. I run Graphic Apps (Photoshop, Corel, Illustrator) as well as Office 2003, and music and vidoe apps. No real problems, yes it's a bit different, and the UAC is a pain, but so far no problems that couldn't be overcome.

I also run a Mac with OSX, using Photoshop, MS Office, Illustrator and Corel, and it too is great, I don't use it a lot as it is not compatible with most of what I do, and it too has its problems.

At the end of the day, the opperator has to be a bit more savvy these days regardless of platform, to make the most of these systems. If you want an easy life, downgrade to Windows 95, get Office version 6, and I bet it will do all the things you require, and a lot faster too!

I look at it in a positive light, MS and Apple develop new stuff all the time, they might even pinch a bit off each other once in a while, but it's a fact of life, OSs will update, they will have bugs, but you can't get away from it. Just upgrade and learn, or get left behind.