Posted on 03/01/2007 2:18:04 PM PST by CedarDave
O.K. You all have given me the answer. A dual boot machine is not to be messed with. Either she sticks with what she has, or the laptop goes back to Dell for exchange with an XP machine. That would be the ideal solution because we (she and myself) don't have the skills to help her with Vista if neither one of us knows it ourselves.
I'm going to get on the line with her and then later try Dell later to see what can be done.
I still don't understand what her problem with Vista is.
If you do the duel boot and Make XP the default, she'll never know the difference. You can always upgrade to the VISTA boot later. I would base my decision on the H/W you wanted to own and not the OS if I were you.
yea, if you have older hardware just stick with XP and linux on that machine. Vista is nice but you want to make sure that you have the proper hardware for it, on a new machine there really is no reason not to go with Vista.
Her problem's are many. And they are my problems, too. Specifically: She has a Dell Inspiron 1501, apparently with a wireless card installed and a wireless router, too, so she can use the laptop anywhere in the house. She doesn't know how to install it so she stands by a small table near the cable modem box. She has a short cord from the modem directly to the computer. The cable people won't help her because she didn't buy it from them (that's fair) and told her to call Dell. But she fears calling Dell again, so it sits unused. I'm not sure that's a Vista problem, though; it would be the same with XP.
Also, Cox Cable say they can't help her configue her Windows Mail, which is unique to Vista and for which they do not yet provide technical support, and again to call Dell. She won't think about going to a known email client, like Thunderbird, so that too sits unused. She's already spent hours re-installing the Vista OS system on the advice of some one in India or someplace else in SE Asia, for whatever reason that I can't figure out. However not all the applications that came with the machine were reinstalled.
And the one thing that made me start this thread in the first place is now a non-issue -- dual operating systems. When she got home from work she read the label on what I earlier thought was an XP Pro OEM disc. It turns out what it really reads is: MS Home Use Program, MS XP Office Professional, which is something entirely different.
Finally, she has a fancy machine with all sorts of semi-working bells and whistles when all she wants to do is use it for email and occassional web-surfing!!!
So my apologies to everyone; it's been a very long evening on the phone with her.
I wonder why it would take "hours" to install Vista... it installs quicker than XP.
I have no idea of the relative time it took to install the OS compared to the time it took to get to someone to help her. All I know is that she told me she spent hours on the phone with Dell, put on hold, getting bounced around, having a rough time with someone who doesn't speak English, installing the OS, etc.
I didn't say to pitch the CD that the Computer came with.
I said vaporize vista - ie vaporize the OS.
Ah, but at the time the situation was. Have XP and VISTA came installed. I was basically saying at least create a VISTA CD so they didn't have to buy it later if they wanted it.
Using Window Mail
Microsoft Windows Mail is the new email and news client bundled with operating systems and the Internet Explorer web browser by Microsoft.
With an Internet connection and Microsoft Windows Mail, you can exchange email messages with anyone on the Internet and join any number of newsgroups.
The Internet Connection Wizard helps you connect to one or more email or news servers. You will need the following information from your Internet service provider (ISP) or local area network (LAN) administrator:
To add an email account, you need your account name and password, and the names of your incoming and outgoing email servers.
To add a newsgroup, you need the name of the news server you want to connect to and, if required, your account name and password.
Setting Up A New Email Account
Windows Mail is the default email client that comes standard with Internet Explorer. Follow these directions to set up a new account:
In Windows Mail, click Tools > Accounts > Mail > Add > E-mail Account. This will start a mail wizard configuration screen.
Enter your name as you wish it to appear in the Display name field
Enter your Cable_Company e-mail address in the usual " username@cable_name.com" format in the E-mail address field.
Set up e-mail servers window settings:
Select POP in the drop-down list.
Enter pop-cable_name.com in the Incoming Mail Server (POP3) field.
Enter smtp-cable_name.com in the Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP) field.
Click Next. Your email is now configured to use any available connection.
Note:
If you want to reconfigure anything about the connection, simply highlight the appropriate account after Step 2, go to Properties and browse through the tabs.
Under the Servers tab, if you have elected to save your password, it is displayed as asterisks. If you are entering your password
in this field for the first time or replacing it, it will display as asterisks.
Make sure that the option to leave messages on the server is not checked under the Advanced tab
Enter the Cable_Company Username (Master Account Id) and password provided by your Customer Service
Representative/Technician. You may also find the username and password printed on the work order. Then click Next.
Note:
User Account information is frequently case sensative. Type the phrases in exactly as they are printed.
You should then see a congratulations message. Now click Finish. You should now be able to send and receive email using your Cable Co, email address.
Setting Up Multiple Email Accounts
To set up multiple emails accounts that can be viewed from the same mail client, use the following steps:
In Windows Mail, select Tools > Accounts > Add.
Follow steps provided earlier for setting up new account.
Creating An Identity
In Windows Mail, identities are no longer used because individual user accounts provide better security for maintaining email privacy.
The user can use a wizard to import account information and messages from selected Identities into their mailbox.
Go to File > Identities and click the Next button.
Select from Import Identities, Import Identities from a different Windows account, and Delete Identities.
Creating and Sending Email
Click Create Mail
In the To or Cc boxes, type the email name of each recipient, separating names with a comma or a semicolon.
To add email names from the Address Book, click the book icon in the New Message window next to To, Cc, and Bcc, and then select names.
To use the Bcc box: on the View menu, select All Headers.
In the Subject box, type a message title.
Type your message, and then click Send on the toolbar.
Notes:
If you have multiple email accounts set up and you want to use one other than your default account,
click in the From box, and then click the email account you want to use.
If you are composing a message offline, your message will be saved in the Outbox.
It will be sent automatically when you go back online.
To save a draft of your message to work on later, click File > Save.
Reading Email
After Windows Mail downloads your messages, or after you click the Send/Receive button on the toolbar,
you can read messages either in a separate window or in the preview pane.
Click the Inbox icon on the Folders list.
To view the message in the preview pane, click the message
in the message list. To view the message in a separate window, double-click the message in the message list.
Notes:
To view all the information about a message (such as when it was sent), on the File menu, click Properties.
To save the message in your file system, click Save as and then select a format (email, text, or HTML) and a location.
If you left early tomorrow morning you could be there for lunch. ?
I have thought what I would do if I bought a comp w/ Vista.
Probably format and install XP.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Thanks for the links and account info. She won't touch either. She has said she's hoping a friend will come over this weekend or next who might know something about the wireless. As far as the account goes, she refuses to try anything herself or listen to me, and said she will call Dell when she gets a chance. She also bought a printer but won't open the box. She's a 60+ lady, very stubborn, very controlling and very easily freaked out by anything that has more than an on/off switch. She's good at manufacturing crises. Of course she's also very good at laying a trip on her only brother and I buy into it. Grrrr...
With 1gb ram I would turn off all Vista eye candy.
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