Thinkpad T61

[rocky]

Ordered a T61 last weekend as a brother to a T43 that SWMBO uses and been following its shipment from Hong King and expect to see it arrive on Monday.

Woo hoo can't wait. It also marks my leap to Vista.

[LChisum]

Originally posted by rocky
Ordered a T61 last weekend as a brother to a T43 that SWMBO uses and been following its shipment from Hong King and expect to see it arrive on Monday.

Woo hoo can't wait. It also marks my leap to Vista.

I got a new Gateway laptop last month, and I think it's pretty good. Regarding the leap to Vista, it's not much of a jump! I note that there have already been security updates. I configured mine to look as close as possible to my familiar XP. Most of my legacy programs worked fine on Vista. I had one old gps mapping program which runs well on XP, but refuses to execute in any compatibility mode under Vista. It's a little irritating to have to confirm the execution of any program you initiate in Vista.
But enjoy the new hardware.

Larry

Edit: I realize I can turn User Account Control off and get rid of the annoying program verification messages, but I like to have something to grumble about!

Larry

[krygny]

Vista is good for Microsoft. That's it. I still have not heard a single compelling reason for anyone to move from XP to Vista (except when compelled by Microsoft) and there are many reasons not to.

[CMasten]

Maybe not a compelling reason to upgrade, but the visual experience is much better, I wont look back

As a long time Mac user, I find the GUI on Vista to be very similar to OSX. I like my screens and buttons to look nice it provides me with a more enjoyable experience. I support 6 systems now at home running Vista Ultmate and every user has told me that they like it so much better than the old XP interface. Eye Candy perhaps but features like Search are awesome... something XP just didnt have. Being able to find a keyword when it may be nested down in an email or obscure place is handy. I still have XP systems at home and OSX Mac based systems as well, for some purposes (i.e heavy gaming for my 16 year old) XP is still the current winner.

Computers, Technology and Multimedia have been my vocation for the past 25 years, its a passion with me. XP just plain works, it should its been updated enough! but at some point it will go the way of 95 and you will have to step up, I have found the entire experience since Nov of last year to be excellent, on par with my OSX experience. I cant say that about my initial XP experience. I think MS learned a few things since then. Friends that have complained about compatibility issues, I have been able to always resolve by just pointing them to a driver update or other on the net, so that is not as much of an issue as I hear folks talk about.

I still use XP at the office, but dont find it as enjoyable to interact with as when I get home and have my Vista systems.

[rocky]

The t43 and the desktop (destined to be a kids pc) will both remain on xt. No need to move them.

Work is XP, in fact its a little behind still running netware which is about to start to disappear and transition to full xp environment.

[whizmo]

Originally posted by krygny
I still have not heard a single compelling reason for anyone to move from XP to Vista (except when compelled by Microsoft) and there are many reasons not to.

Absolutely ridiculous statement. There are tons of compeling reasons: security, better UI, better networking, better search, etc. etc. etc. Now I'm not sayinig it's worth the trouble or cost for all users, and certainly there are some incompatability risks, but most doubters are now coming around to thinking it's probably a decent upgrade, although many are saying you should wait unit you get a new computer.

EXACTLY the same thing was said about XP during it's first year.

- Mark

[jay]

I use OS X at home (and am waiting for my iPhone to activate ) and UNIX thin clients or a Windows 2000 Toshiba Tecra laptop at work.

That work laptop is 5 years old, and still worked well, until the hard drive crapped last week. Luckily I was able to get the system up long enough in safe mode to get my work data files off; I configured a personal laptop that runs XP as a replacement while I got the hard drive replaced.

Prior to this I'd use that Compaq XP laptop every few months for one specific application that usually took 15 minutes, after the hour of Windows and Norton updates ran.

I was really happy to get my work laptop back with a brand new 80 gig drive in it, and Windows 2000 just like I was used to. Using the personal laptop for work a couple of days was like wearing too-tight Wingtips, and getting the Tecra back was like slipping into those stinky old sneakers.

[krygny]

Originally posted by whizmo
Absolutely ridiculous statement. There are tons of compeling reasons: security, better UI, better networking, better search, etc. etc. etc.
...

Ridiculous? You need to look up the meaning of "compelling". Name one single thing that you can do with Vista that you absolutely cannot do with XP. Not something you can only do a little easier, or a little faster, or a little better, or looks a little "cooler", etc. Aaaand, have a legitimate need to do it. That's compelling.

If you're one of those people who stands on line outside CompUSA for Midnight Madness every time Microsoft or Apple comes out with a new OS or upgrade because you absolutely have to have the newest thing, that's not compelling. That's compulsion.

[jay]

I stood in line at an Egghead store in Fairfax, VA in 1995 for Windows 95, again in 2002 at the Tysons, VA Apple store for OS X Jaguar, and last night at an at&t store (and this morning at the Apple store in Tysons) for the iPhone.

How many new members did I miss slapping with THE SMILEY while I was in line?

On the home front, I'm bleeding edge; on the work front, I'm old school. One foot in each canoe.

[rocky]

Originally posted by jay


On the home front, I'm bleeding edge; on the work front, I'm old school. One foot in each canoe.

Don't forget a life jacket!

[jay]

Originally posted by rocky


Don't forget a life jacket!

No kidding!

[robrecht]

Originally posted by jay
I stood in line ... last night at an at&t store (and this morning at the Apple store in Tysons) for the iPhone.

Hey, Jay! How's life treating you lately?

So what do you think of your iPhone??? Inquiring minds need to know.

Figured out how to post pictures from your phone yet?

[CMasten]

Originally posted by krygny

Ridiculous? You need to look up the meaning of "compelling". Name one single thing that you can do with Vista that you absolutely cannot do with XP. Not something you can only do a little easier, or a little faster, or a little better, or looks a little "cooler", etc. Aaaand, have a legitimate need to do it. That's compelling.

If you're one of those people who stands on line outside CompUSA for Midnight Madness every time Microsoft or Apple comes out with a new OS or upgrade because you absolutely have to have the newest thing, that's not compelling. That's compulsion.

Here is my 2 cents on this one. I dont necessarily like MS any more than the next person, and sure they make new products to stimulate sales, that is their revenue stream, but so does Apple and everyone else. Vista may not do much more functionaly than say XP, but then XP didnt do much more than Windows 2000 did... are there features that have been added to this new product line to make it more "sellable" sure. XP does not build the dynamic look up for its search function that they put into Vista, so searching inside of your email for items is really cool, and that cannot be done in XP. While not necessary for everyone it has sure saved my rear end several times.

I have always believed that Macs have a great interface but that PCs can get more of a broader scope of work done. This is another thread I know, but its my opinion that having a more Mac like interface will be appealing to more people and for folks that are hard core developers, mainframe types it will never appeal to them. Its funny to me that a friend of mine in the tech business for 20 + years puts Vista down but has an order in for an IPhone... go figure as its the interface that he likes.

It takes a LOT of hardware horsepower to drive Vista Ultimate, but memory et all is inexpensive and for people getting new machines I think it's a great idea. I am not sure that upgrading older machines is, which is why my older PCs and gaming machines all still run XP. It think both have a place.