When a notebook of 6 years old starts to behave badly and the
videochips have clearly reached their age limit, it is clear that you have to take a decision. And as you want to keep up
with new technology, it is time to take a step forward and purchase a new workhorse. With a little hesitance - the old
machine was finely tuned, everything worked or I was familiar with the workarounds.
I was persuaded to take a new glitsy machine, dual core, 17"" display and Vista Business. That is where
I made a severe mistake! Vista comes with the machine but what you do not realise is that all your familiar tools also have
to be upgraded. That would still be acceptable, only all the upgrade cost substantial money: you are in the end forced to
buy new Office suite, new Adobe, new Pinnacle and even the printer I had recently acquired (HP1018, a fantastic workhorse
for the cost of a laser cartirdge) didn't play ball, its driver refuses to print the first page after it is started up. My
old Outlook (admittedly 2002, but working fine) now does not store its pop3 email passwords anymore (and no warning at all),
every start of Outlook requires you to put in the passwords. So, you can still work with some of your old software, but it
boils down to repurchasing all the licenses that you had.
I can't say that Vista has brought me anything that I really needed; it is irritating in asking me as owner,
administrator of the machine whether I really want to move a file from A to B, it refuses to create URL shortcuts in subdirectories
of Favorites, etc. Yes, it organises pictures and sound in an easier way, but my business is still very much oriented around
documents, spreadsheets and presentations, not running entertainment.
Although I understand very well the progress that computer technology makes and the need to change, somewhere
I consider PC's nowadays as a consumer product which if I buy it, shouldn't come with a lot of hidden costs (and the
hassle around buying & installing software you already owned).
There is of course room for a whole debate with arguments pro and con, but in complex cases it helps
me to ask: Can I explain this to my grandmother (if she would understand, it is acceptable). I'm afraid the answer is
NO.
I think Vista in willing to serve an ever larger audience has only opened the opportunity for other, more
consumer friendly products. The Linux laptop 100$) becomes a very interesting prospect, particularly for the developed world.
