Paige goes to Vista Land!

February 28, 2007

Listen to the Podcast of this show!
…and I did it when I said I’d do it…when I had to buy a new computer. I picked up my new HP Slimline last night at Staples (thanks, guys!) and actually took it out of the box after the show this morning. I’m not going to set it up until this weekend. I have too much work to do! I have websites to revise and taxes to do. I’m used to doing that on XP but Vista is an unknown wasteland at this point. I don’t have time to learn to use Vista and accomplish my “to-do” list at the same time.

Thanks to all of you who have started posting to the blog. I know the lure of winning a “prize” is what got you here but I’m also hoping that once you’ve arrived you’ve actually found some interesting stuff to read.

I’ve noticed that a couple of you have even entered to win “whatever you’re giving away” and to be honest, that’s a real cop-out. I guess I could have asked you what you were going to use the prize for and that would have forced you to actually check out what it is but I decided to only ask for your name and where you are when you listen. Hmmmmm…I think I’ll change that up on the air next week. If you want to enter to win, YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT I’M GIVING AWAY! Just to remind you, check out this post for details.

I started my very first Vista themed show this morning and shared several things about preparing for the new Microsoft OS with everybody out there listening to KTTR. If you didn’t get to listen, here’s a recap:

Recover data from any hard drive with the Newer Technology USB 2.0 Universal Drive Adapter – That’s what I’ll be doing with my Gateway laptop HD and I’ll be using the adapter. I’ll let you know how it goes!

XP’s Fate in a Vista World – Worried about support for XP? You still have plenty of time to let other folks use Vista before MS drops support for XP SP2. They discontinued support for Win 98, Win ME, and XP XP1 in October 2006. At that same rate, you should be able to get full support for XP SP2 until sometime in 2010.

Which programs will run on Vista? – This is my biggest concern. I use several programs on a daily basis in my business with 2 Smart Chix and it’s imperative that those applications work in Vista. I’ve been a little alarmed that Adobe is being very conservative about providing support for many of their programs on Vista. I always turn to Kim Komando when I start getting worried.

Window Vista Upgrade Advisor – If you haven’t upgraded yet but you’re thinking about it, it’s worth your time to check out the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor. It will scan your computer and give you a report on any system, device and program compatibility issues. This is particularly important if you plant to install Vista on your current PC. Even if you’re not going to upgrade your PC, you’ll want to know about any compatibility issues with any hardware devices you’re using now and plan to use on a Vista PC. In my case, I’d like to know if I have software applications that might not want to work. NOTE: Make sure you have everything plugged in to your PC that you plan to use before you run the Upgrade Advisor!

Take the Windows Vista Business Test Drive – Before you install Vista on your current PC or buy a new one that already has Vista on it, take it for a test drive. You can logon to Micrsoft’s virtual test-drive environment and evaluate it for yourself. Hey, try before you buy!

Vista and Mac – According to Red Herring, if you’re using a Mac, you won’t be able to run consumer editions of Vista on your computer. Microsoft is banning the use of Home Basic and Home Premium on virtualization engines, which allow Mac user to run non-Apple operating systems on their machines. If you’re willing to cough up an additional $100 for the business versions, however, you can start using Vista today!

As you can see, I had plenty to share with new and about-to-be new Vista users and hope to have even more to share on future shows. If you have something to share, PLEASE DO! I want to hear about the good, the bad and the ugly from people who are actually using Vista. You can be sure I’ll be telling you about MY experiences.

BTW: If you have a question about anything else tech related, submit it to me via e-mail. That way, I can do some preliminary research if I’m not familiar with your issue and share any information I find on the air. JUST ASK!

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