Computerworld obtained a recent interim build of Windows Vista, Build 5472, that shows Microsoft is making progress in the areas of performance and installation time, has refined the User Account Control, updated the main Control Panel that manages networking access and settings, included mild design improvement to the Vista Basic video mode, and improved how Media Center works.
Windows Vista Trouble Spots Improve in Interim Beta Build 5472
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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Well I installed 5472 today, and its coming along pretty nice.
Without a DX9 card, it doesn’t look to good. There trying to make it look as smooth as OSX, but not even close.
As for usability, its pretty nice, and simple to use. Makes it much much more simple for people that haven’t really used a computer.
That being said, alot of people are use to XP by now, and like how it is.
The change might be a bit much for them, and power users feel there being treated like a kid.
Still has driver(lack of) issues with 2+ year old hardware. And I feel like a moron installing it(lack of any options).
From what ive been seeing with KDE4 and XGL, Its going to run better and can do more on older hardware then Vista.
BTW: 7.35GIG’s for the install of 5472
Do you know how much stuff you could install in linux with 7gigs? one hell of a lot.
BTW: 7.35GIG’s for the install of 5472
Do you know how much stuff you could install in linux with 7gigs? one hell of a lot.
You do realise that a significant portion of that is Debug build information?
The vista pre-releases usually aren’t debug enabled builds.
Nice little review. As for the disk usage, doesn’t the Ultimate Edition even have like touch screen capability despite your machine not having that feature?!
Do you know how much stuff you could install in linux with 7gigs? one hell of a lot.
Oh what basis is that 7gigs derived from? how much of that is actually swap space, for example; how much of it is taken up by the huge cabnet file which includes all the drivers one needs?
All very nice throwing around figures, but lets nail down a real number, not some hairy-fairy number rectum plucked.
Oh what basis is that 7gigs derived from? how much of that is actually swap space, for example; how much of it is taken up by the huge cabnet file which includes all the drivers one needs?
All very nice throwing around figures, but lets nail down a real number, not some hairy-fairy number rectum plucked.
The parent poster wasn´t lying. My /usr is mounted on a 10 gb partition for about 01 and a half years or so and I still am not even close to fill it up. And I have all sorts of packages installed on this machine.
No matter how much debug information they throw in the mix, 7Gb for the installation of a barebones operating system *IS* way too much. Get real!
I hope MS keeps improving on Vista before they release it. If users have to wait, at least guive them something decent.
Still, i’m not sure i will even be trying it before SP1 (whenever that is), but that’s just me…
I am of the same opinion as well. In fact my opinion could be a bit more extreme. I read about Vista R2 and I think it would be better off to wait for the SP1 of that release before even thinking of upgrading to Vista. Of course a lot could change by that time and it could turn out vista is a huge hit when it gets released and then waiting wont be required. I hope that is the case!
I will upgrade, simply because I only use it when things don’t work out on my linux desktop(like games), so everyone else I know probably will be upgrading (“the free way”).
I do have to say my xp installation is quite old (3 years or so without any trouble) I only booted it maybe 6-7 times?
czubin said:
I do have to say my xp installation is quite old (3 years or so without any trouble) I only booted it maybe 6-7 times?
Come on, man!!! This is not win’98 we’re talking about here… You actually have to do a little more than playing solitaire to make the blue screen of death show up (not much more, though). 😀
Yeah! Like… install a bad driver.
Or… um.. wait.. that’s it.
My vista disk is only 3.6 gig…
Just seems to me that Vista will take at least 6 months longer than is predicted now. At least two months of stable rc testing seems to be in order for a product like this that will be installed/used by many millions of people.
I installed today and have been hunting down all the small little changes that make the difference and I see some good stuff but I hope when released it will feel more consistent. I still think OSX is a jump ahead in the usability area.
Couldn’t disagree with you more, and I have a Mac system running side by side. Vista with the Office 2007 Beta are a combination I would hate to compete against. Best of luck to anyone trying.
The problem with blue screens are bad drivers… not microsoft itself.
As for the size theirs a reason that its so big at the moment… debug information + the fact that every feature is technically activateable without a cd…
Also i have to backup that comment about mac osx vs vista with office2007… i’ve tried but office2003 and now office2007 are just much better… not to mention you can’t play Crysis on mac
its a dx10 game
Actually it’s still Microsoft’s fault… for allowing drivers to run in kernel space.
Not really.
FOr one, it’s just a design decision. Running in kernel space allows for greater performance, but the drivers have to be better written.
So is it MS’ fault they run in kernel space? Yes.
Is it their fault that the driver was poorly written? Absolutely not.
FOr one, it’s just a design decision. Running in kernel space allows for greater performance, but the drivers have to be better written.
No, whole your point depends on constant interaction between kernel and driver. Smart designed user space modules work by keeping this communication low.
For second case you can look at some benchmarks between linux fs and fuse fs. fuse as userland being slow is only a myth.
There is something deeply ironic about a windows user blaming the drivers.
Edit
====
I’m actually quite shocked with myself. Linux has turned me into a snob. I bought my computer with Linux in mind, and my computer works better with every release of the kernel.
Seriously though *if* the drivers are at fault of why a Microsofts product isn’t working. Is it the manufacturer of the item who built a product to work on some OS and suddenly a new version comes out and it stops working. Should they rewrite the drivers for the new version, should microsoft. I’m smug becuase I bought harware with the source code available for them, and that means the chance of continued support is very high.
To be fair I’m only smug becuase I use Intel for my graphics, I may be more sympathetic if I’d had bought into Ati/Nvidia’s stratergy of binary drivers.
Edited 2006-07-21 18:14
Do people really test things before they post on here!
I have used the last three releases of Vista, this one, the official Beta 2 and the February CTP. This most recent one is the last stable of the lot!
I have had nothing but problems with it. IE7 which used to be OK has been closing unexpectedly on many websites, and not strange ones, at dell.com and micrsoft.com/windowsmobile/ for example.
Also not just apps are crashing, I have had several blue screens and memory dumps in the past 2 days of using this. One of them caused by attempting to recieve a file from Windows Live Messenger! MS apps can’t even work with this OS!
I really cannot see how this will ever be realeased in January.
P.S. Yes I am sure with some hardware it might be better, but they are going to have to do a lot better then just some!