Vassal & Vista problems.

[Pietia]

When the XP came out there was no need to kill 98 off. XP was - even before the SP1 - more stable, faster and generally better than 98. People did not buy machines with XP and try to switch back to 98, as there was no point. The only problem was the lack of real DOS mode, so some games refused to work. But only some (roughly 10% of my collection back then, but I had separate machines for gaming - with 98 - and work - with 2000 - anyway).
Now, with Vista.. It does not offer any significant advantages over XP at this moment - at least not easily noticeable ones. It consumes resources like there was no tomorrow, a lot of software refuses to work with it or works much slower than on XP... Even for a gamer it is not that much mandatory - only new games sold by Microsoft refuse to run on XP, new games from other vendors will be XP-compatible (e.g. Crysis). And let's be honest, most of the new Microsoft games are pure crap...
As for evidence that Vista is worse - try researching the sound system in Vista and new DirectX. You'll see, what you can do with your sound card after installing Vista :lol: (unless you have XFI card).

 

[LaranosTZ]

Microsoft are asses...but then so is Apple.

I mean, look at what apple is doing, and compare it to what microsoft has done so long ago.

Microsoft Windows...originally you had to buy it and you had to use Internet Explorer, until they were sued and third parties started to make substitutes.

Apple IPod - Ummm, excuse me? I -have- to use Itunes? I have zero choice in the matter in installing invasive, bug-ridden and just bad software in order to use a product which is essentially a portable hard drive with some imbedded software. Oh, and let's see...all your stuff is attached to itunes, so if something happens you lose it all, and can never get it back, or even off itunes.

Microsoft Windows - Stole an Interface style from MAc and called it their own.

Apple IPhone - Stole their touch-screen interface from LG and claimed they invented it. (Look up the LG KE850 sometime.)

I could go on and on and on, but actually I think there was a very good article written on it see here that covers the thing pretty well.

Bottom line,

It doesn't matter what company you're talking about, they're pretty much all asses, it just depends on how much you're willing to suffer from them.

 

[Pietia]

Microsoft Windows...originally you had to buy it and you had to use Internet Explorer, until they were sued and third parties started to make substitutes.

You didn't have to use IE, you could use Netscape or other browsers from the start. Initially you had to pay for the substitutes, and IE was free - this is what started all those legal actions.

Apple IPod - Ummm, excuse me? I -have- to use Itunes? I have zero choice in the matter in installing invasive, bug-ridden and just bad software in order to use a product which is essentially a portable hard drive with some imbedded software. Oh, and let's see...all your stuff is attached to itunes, so if something happens you lose it all, and can never get it back, or even off itunes.

Who makes you buy IPod? I am more pissed off by the fact that there is no Itunes store for my country, so I can't buy anything there, and that even if there were - I can't use Itunes content for my MP3 player because I don't use IPod and don't want to bother with removing DRM from the file (probably illegal, didn't bother to check that). Which, in turn, means that I have to go to the regular store and buy a CD if I want some new music (one hour of driving in one direction, one hour back, poorly implemented "search" in the store :lol: and no way to buy individual songs ).

Microsoft Windows - Stole an Interface style from MAc and called it their own.

Actually, Apple has "stolen" the idea of graphical interface from Xerox, so they also have no claim on being the inventors .

Apple IPhone - Stole their touch-screen interface from LG and claimed they invented it. (Look up the LG KE850 sometime.)

Hm.... I've been using touch-screen mobiles before both the LG and Apple put their products on the market. Only, they have been equipped with keyboard for convenience (business mobiles based on Pocket PC design, with Windows Mobile OS) - but you could operate them w/o using the keyboard with no problem

It doesn't matter what company you're talking about, they're pretty much all asses, it just depends on how much you're willing to suffer from them.

The bottom line is - If you do something profitable and get away with it, you will. Especially, if you have to answer to your shareholders.
Fortunately, we - as the customers - have the final world. Don't like the Apple's business practices? Use Creative player - or one of thousands of other brands. 2 dollars for a ringtone for your IPhone is too much? Why did you buy this gadget in the first place? For fashion? If yes - pay. If no - sell it. Don't like Vista? Stay with XP - if enough people do this, the software developers will have no other choice than to keep developing software for it. Or switch to linux, OSX, or other OS and buy console for gaming...
That's democracy in its purest form - you vote with your money... Called capitalism for some reason ;-)

 

[jlcg1977]

He's right is all comes down to what you prefer, o and comming from a computer tech and engineer, who learned back in the day of tape machine and still takes courses all the time, if your a hard core gamer then a PC is your best bet for overal quality and high end graphics.

But on the other hand if you just looking for a computer and dummy can use and not be able to f_ _ _ up then mac is great they knew when they built them that there a lot of idiots who would mess up their computer in 5 sec, if they could. and on the subject of upgrades HA HA HA HA HA. If you don't want to spend a lot of money when the time for minor upgrades comes PC is for you but if money grows on trees for you then go with MAC, and yes PC is a better bargen for your money. As for viruses on MAC, how about the Pacman virus of the early 90s, on the reassions gov in the US went almost compleatly to PC. There's nothing worse than watching a Pacman go across your screen eating knowing that as he dose he's eating you HDD, and you can throw that HDD away aftward cause it is now ruined physicaly. NO Viruses HA HA HA HA HA!!!!! when they do get them it's usaly worse!