Re: Vista (was Re: Re: [MAGNet] Dual-booting Macs in computer labs)

rbsys_at_berkeley.edu wrote:
> Jon,
>
> Your comments do put things into perspective. The message I included in
> this email was originally sent to our students and faculty as "blunt
> instrument" to try and curb the masses from running out and buying Vista
> right away. As for my own experience, I have been using Microsoft
> products since they were born and I still think this is the worst effort
> yet. Here is a little add-on story that happened to me on Friday:

[long sad story snipped]

I hate stories like this and I have no excuse for it.
When I'm doing this kind of thing myself for any
operating system I assume the upgrade will fail, although
I usually try it anyway. The trouble with upgrades is that
there are simply too many states an OS can be in for an
upgrade procedure to be able to react to them all.

> Finally, I tried to "Activate Windows" now, as it would cease to
> function after 30 days. Again, I recieved the error that my registration
> number was for Upgrade only.

There's a possible solution to this that's been discussed in various
forums. This is after doing the initial install and getting the
message you did about your number being an update number, go ahead
and update your un-activated update. Apparently, the thing you're
updating doesn't have already have to be activated. Go figure.

As I said in my original posting, unless you need something
that only appears in Vista, or you like to fool around
on a non-critical machine, there's simply no reason to update
a working XP machine to Vista. However, there's no need to
fear it on a new machine (unless you're trying to run it in
a mixed Windows XP/Vista domain, but that's another story).
Instead, save your energy for trying to justify why Microsoft
changed the UI for Office 2007. That's going to be a much harder sell.

Cordially,

-- 
Jon Forrest
Unix Computing Support
College of Chemistry
173 Tan Hall
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
94720-1460
510-643-1032
jlforrest_at_berkeley.edu
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