Microsoft Windows Vista Beta 1... Out Now!

[Capt Doufos]

The 64 bit version is smaller (nearly 1gb). Have no idea what it is missing.

[Dougal]

The 64 bit version is smaller (nearly 1gb). Have no idea what it is missing.

Very interesting. Could be the fat older style partition support?

[Capt Doufos]

From MSDN:

x64 version 1.73GB
x32 version 2.42GB

[Grey M@a]

Best thing is MS will try and push Vista on people but those of us with our heads screwed on will not make the jump. They are supporting XP till 2010 so I think we can safely sit on XP till then. Vista is horrid, even for a beta, 2000 and xp beta 1's weren't that bad.

[directhex]

the size difference is almost certianly down to driver.cab

[Dougal]

So could the driver size difference be due to MS working out better generics and also the reduced driver support for 64bit hardware (not a lot of x64 drivers atm)

[Dougal]

Because of the 64bit coding the 32bit drivers just don't get recognised at all, even tagging doesn't work on 99% of them.

The worst one to me is webcams, logitech are slowy bringing out 64bit drivers but haven't seen any news on their webcams yet

[Lee H]

It coudl be as theres less support for 64 bit drivers, so less drivers in install, but then you'd have thought it would be backwards compatiable with 32bit drivers, but then it is M$.

Thats my reasoning

Theres hardly any drivers knocking about for windows XP 64 at the moment with my printer not even supported, nor is my scanner for that matter.

fingers crossed they release some 64 drivers for these before vista arrives and then the whole waiting game will start again

[Twigman]

Pyle = legend

[Dougal]

Pyle = legend

Pyle == leg end

[Xaneden]

Wahey!

[funnelhead]

hmmmm have to say that im not having huuge orgasms over Vista - i mean the GUI install is nice, the background is nice and the shiny progress bars are NICE, but apat from that i think i just installed .... xp... again

i mean - no avalon....no win fs.....

All i want -

wireles support from GO,
SATA support from go
native multi monitor support (that does interesting things)
NO bloody pro version or media version just one that works
Integrated Winamp
a decent screensaver
transparency that doesnt cause 100% cpu usage



what do you guys want to see in vista?

[directhex]

open standards an interoperability, properly implemented
an overhaul of the mess that is codecs
a GL or D3D based windowing system (not concerned about eye candy, but get it off the cpu ffs)

[Dougal]

@Funnelhead, you'll never get integrated winamp, unless its a hacked edition.

MS have WMP as you buy from their store, winamp have a deal with a seperate company to buy music.

I agree with Directhex, codecs do get very annoying, i wouldn't mind a system which lists all the currently installed codecs and their revs at one point in time with a update facility. Maybe the new Driver base will allow for this.

The OpenGL window based system isn't the most likely one to happen, again third parties may make it possible, but MS have DX which they want to pimp as much as possible. But if we do have this, they need to include a system in which the games can turn the GUI off when the start up and then turn in back on at close, because otherwise the system may not have enough power.

I won't upgrade untill I have seen WinFS working 100%, no problems, I have lots of Data which is nice and happy on NTFS. And if MS do what they say they can with WinFS, they will have a beauty on their hands.

Avalon, meh, not too concerned.

WiFi out the box, big tick IMO, but they will have to support all the base types, or even just Prism (similar to Linux) which is the most common.

I know that x64 has SATA support out the box on the full retail versions. So shoudln't be too hard for them to change this to the most commonly used chipsets, such as the VIA and nForce ones, probably account for 99% of AMD users. Not sure about Intels on that point though.

I want to see them get rid of all the bloat by default, I don't want windows messenger in my startup list (TWICE).

I want proper driver updates, a button that just scans each companies database (similar to YUM but for drivers) and updates ONLY the files that have changed.

I don't want to constantly redownload 20+MB for my graphics drivers, and probably around 50MB each month in updated drivers. If I was on limited broadband or dial up, it would just be stupid.

[Spud1]

hmmmm have to say that im not having huuge orgasms over Vista - i mean the GUI install is nice, the background is nice and the shiny progress bars are NICE, but apat from that i think i just installed .... xp... again

i mean - no avalon....no win fs.....

All i want -

wireles support from GO,
SATA support from go
native multi monitor support (that does interesting things)
NO bloody pro version or media version just one that works
Integrated Winamp
a decent screensaver
transparency that doesnt cause 100% cpu usage

Avalon is in Vista..enabled by default if your card supports it. Indigo is also there tho you have to install it off the CD atm. WinFS isnt going to be in it though - will be released separately though after Vista's release.

Wireless/sata support from GO - well this is never going to happen is it, the reason being that they cannot provide drivers for every single chipset that ever has been and will be released. Ok so maybe they can provide ones for previously released products, but anything released after vitsa goes RTM couldnt be included. Unless microsoft has geniuses that can write a unified driver to work with any hardware..not likely tbh Also to comment on Dougal's points; drivers and driver updates are not M$'s responsibility, its the manufacturers. Its unlikely that microsoft are going to provide a nice up to date database of current drivers for us, they have something similar with windows update atm but it doenst work lol, and most manufactureres dont seem to want to take part. And if you dont want to dload 20meg of video drivers every 2 weeks just dont get them..they are that size for a reason

No pro version etc - ofc there will be different versions...a Home edition for those that cant afford the full version, A pro one for those that can, probably a cheap asia version to help against piracy, a server edition, probably a workstation edition too. M$ will want to make the most money they can..and who could blame them? Thats why they are in existance

Integerated Winamp...gotta be a joke yeah? you know thats never going to happen (thank god), some of us don't like winamp you know and M$ have their own media player as has been pointed out..

As for the transparancy (ie DWM) taking up lots of CPU thats becuase this is a BETA, the first one at that. Vista is barely out of alpha testing...so expect optimisations by the time of beta2 at the end of the year

[Dougal]

Integerated Winamp...gotta be a joke yeah? you know thats never going to happen (thank god), some of us don't like winamp you know and M$ have their own media player as has been pointed out..

WMP is no longer allowed to be distro'd IIRC.