Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Midnight rush to grab Vista
Delawareonline ^ | 1/30/2007 | Andrew Colley

Posted on 01/30/2007 12:16:33 AM PST by ShawTaylor

HUNDREDS of computer enthusiasts were in Harvey Norman's Alexandria store in South Sydney at the stroke of midnight last night to be among the first in the world to buy Microsoft's latest PC software, Windows Vista.

Prized copy: William Tsang shows his copy of Windows Vista signed by Bill Gates as he is served by Gerry Harvey at the midnight launch of the new operating system in Sydney Australia was the second market in the world, behind New Zealand, where the software was put on sale. As part of the global launch, one Harvey Norman customer walked away with a copy of Windows Vista signed by software mogul Bill Gates. A Microsoft spokeswoman said it was the only signed copy sold outside the US - the five others had been reserved for the New York launch.

Rutland Smith, general manager of Harvey Norman computers and communications, said the retailer had stacked $10million worth of Microsoft's software into its stores in preparation for the night.

The first buyers were likely to be computer hobbyists with a special interest in keeping ahead of the technology curve, Mr Smith said. "But it won't be long until it becomes more openly used by a mass audience."

It is estimated that Microsoft's Windows software is used on 90per cent of computers worldwide.

(Excerpt) Read more at australianit.news.com.au ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: bloatware; borgfrenzy; buyordie; crippleware; microsoft; microsuck; vista
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-98 next last
To: ShawTaylor

The program you linked to does not work on my Linux box. Oh well.


21 posted on 01/30/2007 3:19:55 AM PST by dyed_in_the_wool ("O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends" - Koran 5.51)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Roux
"You better have a brand new computer or it won't run. "

I'm out of luck, huh?

22 posted on 01/30/2007 3:37:44 AM PST by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: ShawTaylor

PC World ran bench tests on it and it is slower than XP for most all applications but does run multi-threading a bit faster. It is really bad with games, but hopefully drivers will fix that.

There is also some concern about the increased copy protection built in that may cause trouble even for legal use of media.

Plus, lots of hardware will have to be replaced or will not work until drivers are available.

You can get most of the features of Vista on XP with add-ons, lots of them free.

I just do not see any good reason to upgrade when I am mostly buying eye candy and I can get that for XP.


23 posted on 01/30/2007 3:41:20 AM PST by KeyWest (Help stamp out taglines!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ShawTaylor

Maybe they should have read this article first:

http://www.jethrocarr.com/index.php?cms=blog:20070124


24 posted on 01/30/2007 3:46:00 AM PST by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel-NRA)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DB
I think I'll wait until its been out for awhile...

I think I'll wait until Bill Gates decides he doesn't want to control what's on my hard drive, the lawyers get done reading the small print in the license and MS takes the Hi-Def restrictions out of it.

Oh yeah, and until they work out some of the bugs and outright mistakes.

Sheesh.

25 posted on 01/30/2007 4:00:38 AM PST by woofer (It is not necessary to understand things in order to argue about them.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: wodinoneeye
I have posted it a few times...for some reason, people are not really interested in reading it. He appears to know what he is talking about regarding the DRM implementation in Vista.

Peter Gutmann's article: "A Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection"


26 posted on 01/30/2007 4:08:49 AM PST by rlmorel (Islamofacism: It is all fun and games until someone puts an eye out. Or chops off a head.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: woofer
One will also have to keep a copy of Win2k around as long as it will still run. No DRM when ripping CDs.
27 posted on 01/30/2007 4:29:34 AM PST by DB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: MaDeuce

"I don't think any serious company will be upgrading to this OS for many years"

While true, that statement has nothing to do with how good or bad vista is or isn't. The training costs for support staff, new license costs and upgrades costs are too prohibitive. Big companies like to ride an OS until support has been dried up.


28 posted on 01/30/2007 4:39:21 AM PST by tfecw (It's for the children)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: rlmorel

Darn. I have mutual funds which include Microsoft like 50% of all Americans out there. I'm screwed since Microsoft sucks. I"l switch to Apple before I'll buy Vista.


29 posted on 01/30/2007 5:01:17 AM PST by johnmark7
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: tfecw

You're half right. However, most medium-to-large companies have license agreements which allow them to use the new version without exta cost.


30 posted on 01/30/2007 5:11:39 AM PST by Doohickey (I am not unappeasable. YOU are just too easily appeased.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: DB

I'm not sure what you're talking about. Care to explain? I've ripped lots of audio CD on Vista without issue. Are you sure you understand DRM?


31 posted on 01/30/2007 5:14:03 AM PST by Doohickey (I am not unappeasable. YOU are just too easily appeased.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: rlmorel
Good article. Microsoft attempts to return to the bad old days of "copy protection", this time with the collusion of the "content providers". Hopefully, users will revolt again and refuse to be browbeaten. I "just" installed Windows XP a fewe months ago (had been running Win98SE--having skipped the horrible Windows ME), and plan to run XP until the wheels come off. At that point, hopefully Novell will finally have the user hostility of Linux beaten into submission, and I can switch to that.

My business partner was telling me that he has been getting messages from Quickbooks with the message that older versions of Quickbooks WILL NOT WORK with Vista.

32 posted on 01/30/2007 5:21:32 AM PST by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel-NRA)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Doohickey
Yes, I understand DRM.

It depends on the CD.

I can rip CDs to MP3 with no restrictions. Can make as many backups and play songs on as many of my own computers/devices as I like.
33 posted on 01/30/2007 5:25:57 AM PST by DB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Wonder Warthog

Good points in that article. I have a lot of trouble determining why an OS should become a police force.


34 posted on 01/30/2007 5:51:10 AM PST by jammer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Wonder Warthog
older versions of Quickbooks WILL NOT WORK with Vista.

That's correct. Microsoft, to be fair, has a pretty good rebuttal on that which I read the other day (sorry, no link, but I think it was on Dvorak's blog). Evidently the programmers have for years ignored MS specs and have been somewhat renegade. It finally caught up.

Although we use Quickbooks for my company and have since the first DOS version, I am starting to look upon Quickbooks like I look on Symantec's products. Bloated code, poor operation, primary function is a cashectomy from customers.

35 posted on 01/30/2007 5:56:09 AM PST by jammer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: ShawTaylor

A few thoughts:

1) I'm pro-Microsoft but SOP applies here: wait until Service Pack 1 is issued before buying/installing.

2) The "Midnight Madness" method of cheap/free PR and news generation is TIRED. They do it for every fanboy movie and game console. Even if it's something really important/good, is it really worth standing around in the middle of the night with a bunch of obnoxious people?

3) Virtual sandboxing (VMWare etc.) will level the playing field quicker than any flame wars and advertising campaigns. That's why MS and others will micromanage license terms in order to avoid giving customers the ability to switch platforms in an instant. If you had 10 cars in the garage, would you drive the same one every day?


36 posted on 01/30/2007 6:02:52 AM PST by relictele
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ShawTaylor

Thanks for that!


37 posted on 01/30/2007 6:33:46 AM PST by mitchbert (Facts Are Stubborn Things .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: this_ol_patriot

Thanks for the info. The problem was the Aquarium screen saver that came installed on the PC. If it is running in the background, the icons change to squares randomly. The programs work via the shortcuts, but I didn't want squares; I want the correct icon logos on a brand new PC. HP and Microsoft had "no clue" why it was happening. I was told by a PC guru that it has to do with the memory allocated for the screen saver to run. HP/Microsoft don't allot enough memory for that to run in the background. It can be fixed, but not worth the BS. I just turned off the Aquarium screen saver. All this came after many many contentious hours on the telephone with tech support idiots that have no clue how to fix anything. Their ultimate advise (when they can't fix it) is to wipe the hard drive and do a system restore back to the day I took it out of the box. I would like to state here that the PC was two weeks old at the time. I had spent hours installing all the software and I was NOT going to wipe the hard drive because these idiots didn't know how to fix their PCs. All this lunacy isn't so pissy if the customer is PC savvy. I'm not. When I spend $1,000, I expect the product to work. Stupid me!


38 posted on 01/30/2007 6:58:28 AM PST by ExTexasRedhead
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: DB

I'm still using Windows 2K. I don't want to buy a new OS everytime I swap out a motherboard


39 posted on 01/30/2007 7:04:37 AM PST by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Doohickey

I've had no problems with Vista either.

Love your personal page!


40 posted on 01/30/2007 7:34:20 AM PST by Loud Mime ("She got her looks from her father. He's a plastic surgeon." - Groucho Marx)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-98 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson