Windows Vista download

**John** · 15-06-2006

Microsoft are offering beta versions of Vista 32 & 64bit for download and testing, it will work till June 2007

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvist...y/preview.mspx

I've just installed it and from first impressions it looks pretty nifty, the only thing that I havn't got working yet is my sound card but apart from that it's well worth a look, at least you can try before you buy

**Bluewavestudios** · 16-06-2006

Yes, I have checked this out too but have not gone as far as downloading it and running it, I downloaded the compatability advisor...yes my machine will run it too but comes up with same recommendations as John....soundcard drivers need updating and my webcam driver but that is it

Be warned though...if you install the Vista Beta and all is not not well on your machine you cannot simply roll back to previous settings, so system restore will not work !!! If you have win xp or whatever you will have to do a full re-install, download the compatability advisor first and see what it says.

On another note though, I Now have the Beta 2 version of Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007......FULL Office suite but with no technical support..it works fine and for a freebie £500+ package has to be worth looking at.

The link is here... www.microsoft.com/office/preview/default.mspx

A big download but register and you will get a product key to run it, when u run it, activate it and u have all the full features for free !!!

Get it while you can as it is a limited offer.

Regards.........Mark

**John** · 16-06-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluewavestudios

Be warned though...if you install the Vista Beta and all is not not well on your machine you cannot simply roll back to previous settings, so system restore will not work !!!

I just created a new partition and installed it on that so I can also still boot in XP, Vista still has a lot of compatibility problems with quite a few programs

**Bunkerbarge** · 16-06-2006

Thanks for the info John but I am not computer literate enough to take on a Beta version. I firmly beleive that too much software is pushed out onto the streets to generate income long before it is properly tested as it is.

I have enough trouble getting XP to do what I want it to at the moment and my desktop still has trusty old '98 SE on it.

I think I am a bit of a computer dinosaur!!

**wonwinglo** · 16-06-2006

Same here Richard,my desktop PC has so many devices connected to it that would not work on XP anyway,and a laptop with Millinium edition,are we expected to just scrap these off ? I think that I will just carry on using those until they wear out,what is the life of a computer anyway ?
All this seems to be geared around making things obsolete before their time.

**Bluewavestudios** · 16-06-2006

Hi all,

It is 5 years this year since Win Xp came out so Drivers for most Peripherals are out now to enable them to run under Windows xp, so you should not have any problems there.
Xp has quite a few drivers for most devices already built in, certainly the more common devices and older ones....so it will recognise them and sort itself out for you.
No need to scrap all those devices there then.
I have had Xp since it first came out but will be leaving it a while before moving up to Vista. Xp does all I want it to so no need to change yet.

Regards........Mark.

Nigel.D · 16-06-2006

John This is the nuts !!!! thanks mate im dead impressed ! my screen looks amazing and the menus are so much easier

squiffythewombat · 16-06-2006

Good call john, dual boot sounds like the way forward!

Nigel.D · 16-06-2006

No compatibility probs so far !! a few driver issues and the odd dll prob but now its firing on all cylinders (the 64 bit version)

rjwood_uk · 16-06-2006

richard beta versions are free not to make money quickly. they are designed so people can test them for the companies who produce them.

now John and Mark are having problems with soundcards, they can (if they want) send this info off to microsoft which will enable them to look into the problem and fix it!!!