Windows Vista, Mac OS X Leopard, & Ubuntu "Edgy Eft"

[dougiemeats]

The purpose of this thread is to showcase three major operating systems soon to be available to consumers late this year or early next year. There is the long-awaited successor to XP; Windows Vista. On the Macintosh side there is Leopard(10.5), the successor to OS X Tiger. I chose Ubuntu to represent Linux because according to DistroWatch, it is the most popular distribution. "The Edgy Eft" will be the successor to Ubuntu 6.06 "The Dapper Drake."

I will provide information such as:

-System requirements
-Release dates
-Different versions (Vista Starter, Basic, Ultimate, etc.)
-Prices
-Reasons to upgrade
-Key features
-A comparison to the previous version
-A comparison to its competition
-How long the previous version will continue to be supported
-Security
-Latest news and updates
-For Ubuntu only;
-a comparison to other Linux distributions
-a comparison between Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu/Edubuntu

I will begin with Windows Vista since it will be the most significant to the majority of the users here at GTP.

(Another reason is that there is no information on OS X Leopard yet because of Apple's secretive nature and the version before "The Edgy Eft" hasn't even been released yet.)

While I finish gathering as much information on Vista as I can, feel free to discuss such things as:

-Is your computer Vista ready?
-Will you upgrade or just wait until you purchase new PC that already comes w/ Vista?
-Are you running XP, or still running a previous version of Windows?
-Do you use any other OS?
-Have you checked out Internet Explorer 7 Beta, Windows Defender, or Windows Media Player 11?
-Have you already used a developers' build of Vista? If so, what did you think of it?

 

[Flame-returns]

My computer is Vista ready.
I probably wont upgrade for some time (unless I encounter software I nedd Vista for) and I build my own PCs.
I run XP but I also run Ubuntu for everyday tasks.
I have windows defender and WMP11 but I cant be bothered to look at the latest IE, I will continue to use firefox.
I have had acsess to a beta, I liked it but it wasn't exactly mindblowing, pretty but not anything special.

 

[Sage]

-Is your computer Vista ready?
-Will you upgrade or just wait until you purchase new PC that already comes w/ Vista?
-Are you running XP, or still running a previous version of Windows?
-Will you continue running this version or upgrade?
-Have you checked out Internet Explorer 7 Beta, Windows Defender, or Windows Media Player 11?
-Have you already used a developers' build of Vista? If so, what did you think of it?

*Looks at my iMac*

Uh, no, no, no, no, no, and no.

 

[dougiemeats]

*Looks at my iMac*

Uh, no, no, no, no, no, and no.

As for me:

-My computer is not Vista Ready; integrated graphics and it needs more RAM
-I'll probably stick with XP until I buy a new PC that already comes w/ Vista
-My primary OS is Mac OS X Tiger, but I use XP and Ubuntu Dapper Drake as well. (XP and Ubuntu on different partitions of the same computer)
-I use Windows Defender and WMP11 and like them both. I have IE7 Beta but don't use it much. It has promise, but I prefer Firefox and Opera.
-No, I haven't tried out Vista yet.

 

[ceiling_fan]

I'm in the same boat as Sage, but I think a strong improvement in Windows is possible.

 

[DuckRacer]

(note: I'm basing my answers on my mother's PC)

-No.
-Neither, but after the PC poops out, we going for Vista.
-XP.
-Yes, OSX (will come after)
-IE7 sucks compared to Firefox, or even Opera. Or even Safari. Haven't tried anything else.
-No.

Now...

*looks at Mac mini*

No, no, no, no, no, and no.


I'm in the same boat as Sage and ceiling_fan. (funny, only mac users posted in this thread about Vista )

Pretty much, I love my mac, and I'm not going to switch back to Windows for a looooong time, if ever.

 

[Greycap]

-Is your computer Vista ready?
-Will you upgrade or just wait until you purchase new PC that already comes w/ Vista?
-Are you running XP, or still running a previous version of Windows?
-Do you use any other OS?
-Have you checked out Internet Explorer 7 Beta, Windows Defender, or Windows Media Player 11?
-Have you already used a developers' build of Vista? If so, what did you think of it?

- Yes, it is
- I'm not sure, but I won't do anyhing for a year at least
- XP Home
- Windows 2000 occasionally at work, only XP at home
- No, I haven't, but maybe I will
- No, I haven't.

I have a strong feeling that I'll have a Mac before a Vista PC, if I only get the money to get an iMac. I used the Apple powerhouses at work a year ago and have wanted one ever since.

- R -

 

[Viper_Maniac]

- Nope. Need new cpu, video, and more ram.
- I'll prolly upgrade but not right away.
- XP Pro SP1
- Ubuntu 5.10 Breezy Badger
- Nope but might give 'em a try
- Nope

 

[dougiemeats]

Windows Vista

Although many of you probably already know much of this information, or find it easy to search them on the internet, I find the information to be scattered all over the place. This will be a continually-updated thread and the goal is to provide a place to put all of these information together and for me and other members to answer any questions related to Vista. Let's start with the editions of Vista.

Vista Starter - 32-bit only; feature-limited; for emerging markets only
Vista Home Basic - think "XP Home" (roughly)
Vista Home Premium - Media Center & Tablet PC functionality
Vista Business
Vista Enterprise
Vista Ultimate - All features (business, media center, etc.) are included

For the European market, N Editions are also planned in order to meet the anti-trust ruling there. Vista Home Basic N and Vista Business N will be similar to non-N edition, except Windows Media Player will not be included. (If you're wondering why this is so, just ask and I'll gladly explain it in a later post)

Next, the key features.

-64-Bit support (except for Vista Starter)
-Automatic defrag. in the background
-Aero interface
-new Windows games
-Live taskbar thumbnails
-Improved setup and installation
-Improved system search
-User account control
-"Anytime upgrade"
-Virtual PC Express
-Windows Calendar, Mail, Media Player, DVD Maker, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker HD (iLife anyone?)
-Internet Explorer 7+ (slightly different from IE7 for XP)
-Windows Defender & Windows Firewall
-Flip and Flip 3-D
-Improved security (in theory)
-Media Center Xbox360 support
-Sidebar & gadgets

Those are only some of the features. Many of the features(i.e. system search, gadgets...) are already available in OS X and Ubuntu, but let's save that discussion for later. If you have any questions about any feature, just ask and I'll talk more about it. Now let's look at some system requirements to help you decide whether or not your PC is ready for Vista. Microsoft divides these requirements into 3 sections.

Vista Capable (minimum Vista experience; no Aero)
-a modern processor (at least 800 MHz)
-512 MB of RAM
-DirectX 9 capable graphics

Vista Premium Ready
-1 GHz processor
-1 GB of RAM
-graphics card that supports Aero (most modern graphics cards will do, even the Intel GMA 950 as long as enough memory is allotted)
-128 MB of graphics memory (Mac Mini and MacBook are only 64 MB Intel GMA 950 so I guess no Aero for Boot Camp)
-40 GB hard drive capacity w/ 15 GB free space
-DVD-ROM drive
-Internet access capability

Overall, the requirements are not that bad. Many computers out there should be able to run Vista just fine. I guess we'll have to wait until it is officially released to find out just how resource hungry it really is. Let's look at release dates. After many delays, Microsoft is aiming for:

Business editions: November 2006
Consumer editions: January 2007

It is to my understanding that pricing is only speculation at this point. However, I believe most people will acquire Vista through the purchase of a new computer so this may not be an issue for many. For those purchasing a computer now, many of the PC manufacturers include a "Vista Ready" or similar sticker to the systems that meet the requirements. Beware, however, because these may be deceiving because they may indicate that they only meet the absolute minimum for Vista.

I know I left out some information, but this post is specifically aimed for consumers to help clear up some things and to see if their current system is capable. In later posts, I will discuss the criticisms, never-ending comparisons to OS X, dropped features, latest news and updates, alternatives to Vista, my opinion, etc. Feel free to voice your opinions on these topics, and let me know if you spot any wrong information I provided above or if you're confused about a certain feature.

 

[Flame-returns]

(funny, only mac users posted in this thread about Vista )

I'm not a mac user, I just don't like windows.

Windows is an ultimate gaming OS, however (nope, no idea how the other OSs game- they don't have enough games to test their gaming ability).

 

[Midnight Runner]

-Is your computer Vista ready?

Yes.

-Will you upgrade or just wait until you purchase new PC that already comes w/ Vista?

No.

-Are you running XP, or still running a previous version of Windows?

Yes,Xp home.
-Do you use any other OS?

Mandriva Linux 2006. waaay better than Windows xp,and incredibly easy to install and use,even a retard can install it.
-Have you checked out Internet Explorer 7 Beta, Windows Defender, or
Windows Media Player 11?

Yes,and I had terrible problems with it.

-Have you already used a developers' build of Vista? If so, what did you think of it?

Yes. And it almost killed my PC.Hence,I thought it was crap.

 

[dougiemeats]

Hello Midnight Runner. I've never tried out Mandriva Linux. Do they happen to have a live cd by any chance?

This is the first of many new updates concerning Vista.

Windows Media Photo

Microsoft revealed Window Media Photo, their proposed rival to JPEG, at this year's WinHEC. This format will be supported in the upcoming Windows Vista and will be made available to those running Windows XP. Microsoft claims that this format will provide better compression but providing a better image. This means smaller file sizes at the same or better quality.

My opinion: This is great, but I hope WMP doesn't turn into WMA and WMV:tdown:. Also, computers these days are shipping with larger drives so storage does not seem to be a big problem anymore. And with me being primarily a Mac user, I wonder how OS X (or iPhoto, Preview, GIMP, etc.) will support this new format.

 

[GT4_Rule]

-Is your computer Vista ready?
-Will you upgrade or just wait until you purchase new PC that already comes w/ Vista?
-Are you running XP, or still running a previous version of Windows?
-Do you use any other OS?
-Have you checked out Internet Explorer 7 Beta, Windows Defender, or Windows Media Player 11?
-Have you already used a developers' build of Vista? If so, what did you think of it?

- Nope, I need more HDD space and RAM. I have the bare minimum RAM (512) and I only have 9.5GB of HDD left out of 80GB. I would need at least 15GB for Vista.

- I'm running XP Home Edition.

- Nope, I'm a Windows man.

- I use Internet Explorer 7 Beta and Windows Media Player 11. I've always been a IE & Windows Media Player person. It's pretty damn cool!

- Nope, I was looking for it but couldn't find one.

I'm not planning to upgrade yet because I think $400+ is too much to pay for new looks and experience. Maybe I'll upgrade once I get a new PC, but that will be another few years away. My computer's Graphic Card sucks...64MB of memory

Edit: this page has all the system requirements. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/capable.mspx

 

[dougiemeats]

only 9.5 GB left? Time to delete those desktop shortcuts (don't think I forgot about those)

 

[HACKr]

Ubuntu!

Tried instaling it on my Mac, gave me issues, barried disk in back yard, end of story.

 

[Midnight Runner]

Hello Midnight Runner. I've never tried out Mandriva Linux. Do they happen to have a live cd by any chance?

Mandriva One.That is how it is called. try googling it.

 

[Event]

-Is your computer Vista ready?
It has the specs, it's only ready if apple decides to release some drivers and let boot camp support it. 👍 If not, then there's parallel's. 👍 But parallels means no glass

-Will you upgrade or just wait until you purchase new PC that already comes w/ Vista?
No

-Are you running XP, or still running a previous version of Windows?
Yes, via bootcamp and Parallels

-Do you use any other OS?
My primary is OSX 10.4.6, and I use the occasional ubuntu 5.10

-Have you checked out Internet Explorer 7 Beta, Windows Defender, or Windows Media Player 11?
IE7 sucks, havent tried WMP, and Office 2007 is Office 2004+skins + Word/Excel 2007

-Have you already used a developers' build of Vista? If so, what did you think of it?
meh... I had driver issues, it couldn't handle my sound card or video card back on my dead desktop.

 

[dougiemeats]

Ubuntu!

Tried instaling it on my Mac, gave me issues, barried disk in back yard, end of story.

Tried both Ubuntu 5.10 and 6.06 Live CDs on my iMac, and the fans kicked in and wouldn't stop. PowerPC Live CDs are now being used as coasters.

Mandriva One.That is how it is called. try googling it.

Thanks, found it.👍

 

[GT4_Rule]

only 9.5 GB left? Time to delete those desktop shortcuts (don't think I forgot about those)

LOL I'm sure you'll never forget....

Actually I've got more now. 8 new icons in the past 2 weeks

But the thing that's eating my HDD space is various translation of anime videos and other clips, like street racing and funny videos. That's taking up 35GB itself....

 

[German Muscle]

i have XP Pro Corporate, i may check vista out to see if i like it. I love the looks of it but thats only half of it. From what ive read is Vista is garbage. Ill see for myself.

My server runs Kubuntu. I prefer it over Ubuntu.

 

[jimihemmy]

1. yes, computer is Vista ready
2. I'll probably upgrade after they come out with sp3 or whatever.....gotta give them some time to work out their kinks....
3. I'm running XP and XP Pro (different computers)
4. I have a few Linux distros but only Fedora Core 4 installed. I barely use it since I'm stuck on Windows....anyone know where one can find Linux info for someone who is Windows dependent but knows little about Linux?
5. I have IE7 and like it. So far no problems with it. I'm curious about WM11, I just haven't tried it out yet.

....for anyone that has WM11, how is it? Is it worth trying the beta?

6. I would love to try Vista, I just don;t have a spare computer to use to mess with it...

is Mandriva 2006 any good? Is it easy to learn for the Linux handicapped? I have FC4 but rarely use it since I have no idea what I'm doing with it (being sucked into Windows since forever!)

I want to try a Mac, but haven't touched one in 15+ years....and I don't have the money for one. Are they that much better than PC's?

 

[Robin]

1. Yes my computer is Vista ready....
2. I will upgrade as this computer is only a few months old.... but not right away, give it like a year after vista release because issues will need to be sorted!
3. Yes Im running XP.
4. No.
5. Yes I love beta stuff!, theres also MSN (windows live messenger which is great).
6. No, didnt know the general public could!

 

[dougiemeats]

anyone know where one can find Linux info for someone who is Windows dependent but knows little about Linux?

From all of the distributions I've tried out, I found Ubuntu to be the most user-friendly. It is the most popular for a reason. I suggest waiting until tomorrow (or whenever 6.06 is officially released) and download the Desktop CD. It only comes in one CD, instead of the 4-5 CDs that Fedora Core 5 and SUSE Linux 10.1 requires. It is a Live CD so you can browse the internet and check out Ubuntu without having to install it on your computer. The best thing is it comes with an installer so if you really like it, just go to the installer icon on the desktop to install it to your PC.

You will not be able to play many of your multimedia files right away (especially if you have many files that are mp3, mov, wmv, wma, etc.) but sign up to become a member and and search through www.ubuntuforums.org and you'll be set. Having to manually install things via the terminal may scare off some people, but much of it is just a simple copy&paste from what others have posted. Also, a quick search through https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ and you will find step by step instructions on whatever it is you want to do.

Even though Linux if getting more user friendly with every new release, you still may find that it is not for you just yet. If you're content with Windows, but the concept of open and free software is what attracted you to Linux in the first place, then may I suggest http://www.softwarefor.org If you don't want to download the whole CD, then http://www.softwarefor.org/ad_lazarum_packages.html provides a list and you can choose which ones to download.

...for anyone that has WM11, how is it?

Windows Media Player 11 is not bad at all. Many people dislike the WMP series for being big and clunky but I've been using WMP11 for a while and I really like it. Definitely worth a try.

I want to try a Mac, but haven't touched one in 15+ years....and I don't have the money for one. Are they that much better than PC's?

This is really a matter of preference. Personally, I prefer Macs. Apple is not much more "innovative" than Windows, but they can get features out the door faster than Windows. For example, take a look at Vista's features. Many of these features Mac users have been enjoying for more than a year now.

As for the price, I agree, some of the products are priced out of range of many. But take a look at Apple's brand new MacBook (not to be confused w/ MacBook Pro). An Intel Core Duo laptop at $1099? That's not a bad deal IMO. Also, I'm sure Duċk will tell you that his Mac Mini was a pretty good deal (that is if you already have a monitor/keyboard/mouse)

I hope I answered some of your questions.

 

[Viper_Maniac]

Mandriva Linux 2006. waaay better than Windows xp,and incredibly easy to install and use,even a retard can install it.

I use to that before the name change. I use to like it but I felt like it was........bloated would be a good word to use I suppose. I tried SimplyMepis and didnt like that either. Then came across Ubuntu and I love it. Its faster for me than the other two. Cant wait for the new Ubuntu release.

 

[jimihemmy]

@ dougiemeats.....

Very informative! and thanks for the info....you answered plenty of my questions! (complete w/ links! - thanks very, very much!)

 

[dougiemeats]

@ dougiemeats.....

Very informative! and thanks for the info....you answered plenty of my questions! (complete w/ links! - thanks very, very much!)

No problem. Oh and how did I forget! There is always Easy Ubuntu.

So it's as easy as:

1. Download Ubuntu at http://www.ubuntu.com/download
2. Burn the ISO into a CD and install to your PC
3. Copy and paste this into the terminal:

wget http://robotgeek.org/eu/easyubuntu-3.0.tar.gz
tar -zxf easyubuntu-3.0.tar.gz
cd easyubuntu
sudo python easyubuntu.py

...and you're set. You can play DVDs, listen to mp3s, flash & java support and more. 👍

 

[GT4_Rule]

Windows Media Player 11 is worth a look in my opinion. Better looks! But some visualization was taken away in my case. I miss the Ambience-Thingus visualization....

I also signed up for the Live Messenger Beta long time ago, and it's pretty damn good! Better than the 7.5, and now you can get it without invitations.

 

[F1GTR]

WMP11 screwed my old WMP installation. Luckily I managed to fix it.

 

[jimihemmy]

No problem. Oh and how did I forget! There is always Easy Ubuntu.

So it's as easy as:

1. Download Ubuntu at http://www.ubuntu.com/download
2. Burn the ISO into a CD and install to your PC
3. Copy and paste this into the terminal:

wget http://robotgeek.org/eu/easyubuntu-3.0.tar.gz
tar -zxf easyubuntu-3.0.tar.gz
cd easyubuntu
sudo python easyubuntu.py

...and you're set. You can play DVDs, listen to mp3s, flash & java support and more. 👍

ok, being that I am Linux syntax illiterate..... what will that do?

I know how to open the terminal and all, but once we start talking syntax and what not I'm lost.....

.... I guess I really need to read up on it, huh?

Thanks

 

[dougiemeats]

Just copy&paste it as is. When you get to this on the terminal



press ENTER.

Wait a little while and this should appear:



Just choose which ones you want to download and press OK

If you have anymore questions feel free to ask