Does anyone use a laptop as a main computer or have Vista?

[B_josiah852]

I play alot in game rooms and chat in several different chatrooms. Have heard that vista sucks when trying to do both of these. Have you had problems in chat and game and cam rooms with Vista ? If so was u able to fix the problem ?

 

[BoyCordoba]

HP laptop with Vista here. I've been using it as my main computer since March '07 and haven't had many issues. At first some drivers were missing or were not very good for some external devices, but it's getting easier to find Vista drivers for almost everything now. Just keep one thing in mind RAM, lot's of it. I've got 2GB and most of the time the used memory is around 51%.

 

[Mem]

The great thing is that when I connected my printer to my new Vista laptop it worked without needing any drivers.

 

[D_Roland_D_Hay]

I primarily use a laptop with vista...took a little getting used to but it works fine. I like it a lot.

 

[vince]

I bought new computers for work and had remove Vista and install XP because Vista will not run AutoCad and other high-end graphics programs. Thanks very much Microsoft!

It's probably ok for home use or light office use.

 

[Not_Punny]

I'm currently shopping for a laptop to be a "portable desktop system" for illustration, and I'm seriously considering the Dell XPS M2010. It weighs almost 20 lbs but it's worth it to me because it's easier to transport than my entire desktop system. I can also get a major discount on Dell products through my ex's workplace.

Problem is, the model I'm interested in only has Vista.

So.... is Vista really that bad with graphics programs??

 

[ManlyBanisters]

So.... is Vista really that bad with graphics programs??

I think the problem here - someone may want to correct me, my vista knowledge is 100% theoretical - is that Vista is resource hungry and so are many of the programs you might want to use. That, combined with the fact that it is a laptop (not going to be as high spec for the $$) could cause you problems. Really the only thing you can do is search the Graphics aps you want to use in combination with Vista and see what people say.

Of course you can always buy XP separately and install it yourself - but Dell won't support you, even on hardware issues, til you put the original config back on.

 

[Labionica]

i have a Toshiba laptop, wireless with Vista premium, it seems to work better with Mozilla firefox than Internet explorer though. but i do think that mozilla has improved over the last couple of years.

 

[Not_Punny]

I think the problem here - someone may want to correct me, my vista knowledge is 100% theoretical - is that Vista is resource hungry and so are many of the programs you might want to use. That, combined with the fact that it is a laptop (not going to be as high spec for the $$) could cause you problems. Really the only thing you can do is search the Graphics aps you want to use in combination with Vista and see what people say.

Of course you can always buy XP separately and install it yourself - but Dell won't support you, even on hardware issues, til you put the original config back on.

Hmmmm -- good point. Looks like I'd have to upgrade all my software, which would be a rather large expense, and even then there are still some compatibility issues.

Looks like I'll have to keep shopping.

 

[vince]

I think the problem here - someone may want to correct me, my vista knowledge is 100% theoretical - is that Vista is resource hungry and so are many of the programs you might want to use. That, combined with the fact that it is a laptop (not going to be as high spec for the $$) could cause you problems. Really the only thing you can do is search the Graphics aps you want to use in combination with Vista and see what people say.

Of course you can always buy XP separately and install it yourself - but Dell won't support you, even on hardware issues, til you put the original config back on.

I seem to remember the HP and/or Dell made an agreement with Microcrap that they could continue to offer XP to their customers.

I think that is good advice about checking the websites for users of the graphics programs you want to use, to see if there are any issues.

Everybody I know in the design business has stayed with XP.

 

[vince]

Hmmmm -- good point. Looks like I'd have to upgrade all my software, which would be a rather large expense, and even then there are still some compatibility issues.

Looks like I'll have to keep shopping.

Hotfilf- Here is an article on CNet about it. Apparently MS is allowing some manufacturers to continue selling XP installed on machines until the end of January 2008. (Look at the last paragraph)

The XP alternative for Vista PCs | CNET News.com

 

[D_Martin van Burden]

I want to get a laptop with Ubuntu loaded...

 

[Not_Punny]

Hotfilf- Here is an article on CNet about it. Apparently MS is allowing some manufacturers to continue selling XP installed on machines until the end of January 2008. (Look at the last paragraph)

The XP alternative for Vista PCs | CNET News.com

Hmmm, interesting. THanks for this -- maybe there's hope after all!

 

[LeeEJ]

After having a laptop I don't think i'll ever be going back to a desktop...putting one of those in my backpack would be hard on my back

Heh...

After years of using school labs, my first computer of my own was a laptop, and I've stuck with laptops ever since.

Things are starting to change, though. I've read of a blogger (or columnist or whatever) who got an iPhone and decided that their laptop Mac had become redundant. At the time, they also had an iMac desktop, and they began using their iPhone for everything that they had been doing on the laptop.

 

[transformer_99]

I'm running a dual opteron 1u server with Ubuntu AMD64 Server Edition 7.10 with Xubuntu desktop running on top of a LAMP configured server. I have more mainstream computers like the desktop and notebooks and use them as well. The 1u server is my experimental relational database box. Graphics aren't it's strong point, SQL transactions and data crunching though it's a monster. Got her used off ebay, it's enterprise class hardware, 8 GB of ECC Registered DDR, the storage is massive with nearly 600 GB (4 X 147 GB SCSI U320 15K hdd's RAID 1 array). Oh, btw, it's loud too.

 

[Mandee]

Yes, I have a Toshiba laptop with Vista... it hasn't caused me any problems.

 

[HazelGod]

I want to get a laptop with Ubuntu loaded...

Works like a charm. My wife's Thinkpad T40 has been running it for a couple years.

My work PC for the last 2.5 years has been a T41 running RedHat Enterprise 3 and then 4, although I did have a WinXP partition that I could dual-boot into as needed. A few weeks ago, I got "refreshed" so I now have a T61 running RHEL 5...it has no Windoze partition at all.

 

[hotbtminla]

I have an XP-based desktop I primarily use for work-work, a Vista-based laptop (one of the newer Dell Inspiron's) for writing, and a Mac for music, video and graphics work.

If you think a single guy having three computers is nuts, you ought to see the remote control situation going on on my coffee table.

Anyway, I think Vista is a huge improvement over XP, though I've had compatibility issues with some programs I use a lot, so that's been a drag. But I figure those are temporary problems.

If I could do everything on a Mac though, I would. It's just not as convenient for what I do.

 

[midlifebear]

I'm using a 5 year-old Dell Inspiron 8600 which has been my workhorse for as many years. The XP2 is still working fine and fortunately Microsoft still supports it and offers occasional upgrade patches. When I'm in the US it's "networked" with my old Dell Workstation which I reformatted and installed Linux as the OS after Microsoft abandoned Windows 95. During the 5 years I've had to replace/upgrade RAM chips as well as memory CACHE, the R/W CD (they die after a while), and the still relatively large screen is beginning to show some wear (my housekeeper has scratched it by using paper towels and glass cleaner!). I back up often to an older server way far away in another home in another country, in another planet, in another galaxy . . . but the back ups run flawlessly. I dread the day I'll have to buy another PC running VISTA. It appears when that day comes I'll have to upgrade a number of Adobe products, which will cost a small fortune.

My lesbian-documentary-film-maker-cousin is always raving about how fabulous her newest, greatest, fastest Mac is -- and I'm certain she's onto something. But I'm frugal and can't see forking over 3 to 4 times the money for a Mac since I've had to work exclusively with PC's starting back in 1995. However, if someone would like to give me a brand new Mac, I'll gladly take it.

By the way, this old Inspiron is a heavy sucker. I had to buy it its own piece of rolling luggage just to haul it, portable printer, and all the add-ons. Everything barely fits in an overhead bin on a 777.

 

[HazelGod]

I dread the day I'll have to buy another PC running VISTA. It appears when that day comes I'll have to upgrade a number of Adobe products, which will cost a small fortune.

That's like saying you dread the day when you get up from the toilet and have to take a bite of the turd in the bowl. You don't have to do any such thing.

Build your own PC and install any flavor of Linux on it. Smile and wave your middle finger at M$ as you do it.