I have no idea what your problem is but I’m just responding to your mindless attacks with examples that I think you could understand. I don’t know why you can’t deal with the fact that Vista has problems that people should be made aware of. It’s going to be a year before Microsoft fixes it. If someone is on a budget and wants the best return on investment then buying used software is the way to go and that means using XP. Gigi would be better off having a computer built with XP than buying a new one with Vista.
You might read what Gigi posted again and understand what she actually needs in the way of a computer and software. She did not express a need for gaming or a desire for the latest (expensive) versions of software. I’ve pointed out that the money she saves by NOT buying the expensive software would pay for a laptop in addition to a desktop computer.
Keep in mind that Google Docs and Spreadsheet is a web based program. for a desktop that’s always connected that’s fine but a laptop on the go would depend on a WIFI connection.
I know this wasn’t addressed to me, put I want to point out - what a person thinks she’ll do with a computer might change after she gets one and sees what all it can do.
Money might be the determinate and I respect that. But the latest software can do things - and do them easier and faster - which older software simply can’t. The computer I outlined earlier can do things which computers without graphics card can’t.
It’s not the necessarily the right choice for gigi - how would I know? My suggestions aren’t the cheapest but they give good bang for the buck. If she wants to splurge a little it’s an option worth considering.
PS: Antivirus - I’d recommend Norton Internet Security with firewall & anti-virus. I know, I know - there’s a lot of free or cheap options. I use NIS on all my family’s computers because it’s solid and it stays out of the way. It’s a good choice for someone who doesn’t want to fiddle with any of it.
Yeah, true. And she’s on dial up, I forgot about it. It’s a good choice for broadband. Most places where people go, like libraries and such have wireless. But it’s certainly something to keep in mind.
I already pointed out that option. I tested the spreadsheet and found it very stable and most of the functions people use in Excel are there including pivot tables. They deliberately mirrored Excel in function and “feel”. The main difference is the use of “;” in place of “,” in formulas. The one thing it lacked was hyperlinked pictures which is something I like.
I was impressed with Open Office (except for the data base). What does the Google version do that makes you rate it above OO and are there any security issues? I realize you would be saving it to your home computer. I remember a lecture that said web based software would be the wave of the future and I always thought Linux type software would trump it because a planet of programmers would collectively tweak it. But then I see stuff like Google Earth and WOW. it just keeps getting better.
Perhaps you want to go back and see where the hijack began. You came in trashing Vista. You said Vista wouldn’t support older software with no context. You were poisoning the OP against the system because of your loudly proclaimed bias. I’m clarifying the fact that those “problems” are cursory at best and Vista is only a problem for people who loving cling to old hardware and software. Considering the OP is looking to start from scratch that doesn’t characterize her at all.
Your solution is for her to search for a system that comes installed with XP or to downgrade a Vista install. Neither is very practical at this point, and far surpasses the “talk to me like a 5 year old” section of the OP. That stuff is fairly high maintenance and carries a price premium. Also, XP is no longer in the Mainstream support phase and is scheduled for obsolescence. Chances are she’ll need to upgrade that XP machine in 2 or 3 years anyways, which makes all that a poor recommendation.
If someone wants to use XP, that’s fine. But advising someone who is buying a NEW machine to not get one with Vista makes no sense. The only requirement in her OP that would require buying software is the Word processing and Spreadsheet stuff. She can get freeware to do that and a Vista machine will come with Works preinstalled for no added cost. There is ZERO motivation for her to do a costly and bothersome downgrade to XP. She has made no claims that she has a dusty copy of Office XP laying around to use and there’s no motivation for her to seek it out. You’re talking about some panacea of cheap ancient software out there, but she won’t need to buy anything to complete her needs.
The present and future cost of going XP for a new user far exceeds any “benefit”, and I use that loosely since the benefit would only apply for a very narrow subset of users. This completely disregards the benefits of a new OS of course.
If you read all my posts you would know that one of my suggestions was to have a computer built. You can get Windows XP for $50. Viista is 4 times that price and you’re paying for it in the cost of a new computer.
When I had my desktop hard drive wiped and the software reinstalled I used a craigslist computer geek. I had originally asked for a quote on a new mother board and some other upgrades and he priced out a complete new computer for me. It was more powerful than anything I could buy retail. He suggested cleaning up the hard drive first which turned out to be the trick for me.
Almost all the computer geeks I know use Linux on a dual boot with Vista to get around compatibility issues so it just makes sense to use XP now if buying on a budget is the goal.
I would agree with you but developerswere slow to write drivers for Vista so it stumbled out of the gate. The article suggests that developers are waiting for Windows 7 to invest their time. If that’s true then Vista will become a development orphan like Windows Me. I would wait until next upgrade before buying it.
I upgraded to Norton internet security 2009 (after reading reviews) and it seems to run much faster than my earlier version with less hassle.
I’m a homebuilder. You cannot build a PC for anything close to the price that you can get an entry level PC for these days. No even close. Most of the ones linked here are in the $350-$450 range. That is amazingly cheap. You cannot get a CPU/MoBo/Memory package for that price that’s similar at retail, and that’s before you get any add-ons, software and peripherals not to mention a power supply and a cabinet.
If you talk about gaming rigs and high-end business packages (lots of video editing or database stuff) then custom building can work in your advantage. But for the OP, building her own would be a huge waste of money. And the end result would be less reliable and completely unsupported.
She said she wanted simple…the suggestions you made are not simple. They are rife with potential pitfalls that far exceed any Vista quirks that only effect people at the fringes of the market.
Geeks dual boot Linux because they want Linux. It doesn’t do anything to help compatibility. It’s a hell of a lot harder to get old legacy stuff working under Linux than it is under Vista.
I used to run Norton until it became an epic resource hog. Has it improved? It would take a lot to make me switch from AVG.
Not to hijack - but this. I recently bought a new Acer, Vista Home pre-installed. OK fine, no problems. except that I can’t get rid of it even if I want to. I was speaking to the sales jerk, he informed me that if I wish to downgrade, I had to partition and then install XP on the new partition. And even if I reformat the hardrive, then Vista will reappear.
I had also heard about the compatibility issues with vista, and I have A LOT of software. Which is not fair to call “legacy”. How can two to three year old copies of stuff like flash, cad / cam, database software be called legacy?
And then some of the video conversion software I have don’t work with Vista either…
None of this is true. Your salesguy was an idiot. Insert an XP install disc and run it, it’ll format and install like new. Vista will be toast.
In what way is that Vista’s fault? It’s those software manufacturers job to make their stuff compatible. If they don’t it’s on them. If they are really 2-3 years old I’d be shocked if they weren’t compatible assuming they aren’t some fly-by-night company. It might require a patch, but that’s typical.
Worst case you can run a Virtualization Module of XP.
I disagree. There is no specific value to Linux beyond being free if you’re building a computer. XP would be a better choice all around. It’s being used as a dual boot to get around compatibility problems. It’s value here is that it’s a free “plug in” fix until Seven comes along. I can pull up compatibility issues with Vista all day long. This one talks about Vista,XP, and Linux. It gives examples of poor Beta testing of Vista. Microsoft is notorious for pushing new software that has problems and Vista is no exception. I wouldn’t be surprised if they offer a cheap upgrade from Vista to Seven in order to bury it.
Yes, you’re correct. the older versions of Norton were memory hogs. Even their last version was known for it. I don’t understand why they’re currently offering different versions of the same basic suite but I went with “Norton Internet Security 2009”. Judging on my buddy’s experience I think the other one is geared toward people who want off-site backup. The one I have is rated well as a security program and it’s geared toward people who don’t want to tweak security software.
AFAIK Vista is a commitment to new software and that has it’s problems too. If you look at the new version of Word it saves documents as Docx or Docm. Open Office has already developed a built in converter for it and it will come out later this year. I mention this because large companies running MS software are slow to upgrade to the newest version and sending them resumes’ in the latest version isn’t always the best route. If they aren’t smart enough to use a converter you’re better off with earlier versions. Offices and individuals that use Open Office will get the converters every time they upgrade their free software. The same applies to Excel.
I do have a thumb drive.