[esquire13]

I've just purchased a Sony VAIO CR120ER Laptop Computer - Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 1.8GHz, 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless, 2GB DDR2, 160GB HDD, Dual Layer DVD RW, 14.1 WXGA, Webcam, Windows Vista Home Premium at an excellent price because it was the display model.

Then I started wondering about Vista OS, especially after reading some of the forum comments. I haven't done anything with my new 'puter because I was in the hospital. I could still return it and get a full refund. I don't want to as this was the specific laptop I'd decided on and then lucked out on the deal. However complex mucking about with a brand new laptop I'm not into - it's a tool and I expect it to work properly without life support. I expect no less from my body, banged up as it is but working (grin).

I use a laptop for graphic design, wordprocessing, research, astronomy, photographic image processing etc: I'm not into games, downloading music, videos, DVD's, and other popular leisure uses. Reliability is important. I intend using MS Office 2003 because I hate 2007 and consider it a piece of badly designed crap. I'm familiar with Adobe Pagemaker as a publishing program and have 6.5 which I like to use.

Have the issues with Vista been resolved? Will I have problems? The programs I've been using run on XP or should. What is essentially different about Vista compared with previous Windows versions. Is it built similar to Mac OS as someone mentioned? Computing induced stress is the last thing I need. My influence is quite capable of reaching the environs of Seattle but I've more important things to do than hexing Microsoft or encrusting the man with uglies from the dark side (evil grin).

Advice and info from you talented people would be much appreciated.
Cheers, Angela

[Rich-M]

Office 2003 runs fine on Vista and really most programs are no problem to install. Exceptions are partitioning, older backup programs and some graphics viewers. However the graphics viewer in Vista is much improved over XP and has many more features. Also remember we are on the eve of the release of SP1, which has been out in beta for several months testing.

[esquire13]

Thanks Rich. 'Exceptions are partitioning'
What should I use to partition Vista then? Computing just seems to get more complicated - I'm pining for Windows 98 and the old simple days without all this work! Are you geeks just making paid work for yourselves? (big grin)

[Rich-M]

Originally Posted by esquire13

Thanks Rich. 'Exceptions are partitioning'
What should I use to partition Vista then? Computing just seems to get more complicated - I'm pining for Windows 98 and the old simple days without all this work! Are you geeks just making paid work for yourselves? (big grin)

I mean old partitioning applications such as Partition Magic won't run. Vista has great partitioning software built in but if you need any other functions in a partitioning program or to fine tune more then Acronis Disk Director 10 works just fine, just not older Acronis versions.