the boomer live

I recently upgraded my desktop to a Gateway GM5474 preloaded with Vista.  I did it with trepidation because all I have been reading since the Vista launch is how bad it it.   Slow, intrusive, awkward to use (MS changed the way the file structure is displayed) programs not working, printers and accessories not working.  The so called pundits and guru’s have been saying how bad Vista is.  However they are looking at it through the eyes of very experienced PC users who use their computers heavily, almost 24/7 .  They also know how, but rarely emphasize that most users can easily optimize Vista and avoid most of their complaints.  Here is my take on Vista for the average home user (any office type work, finance programs, web browsing, email, photo & video editing, and casual gaming)

• First, I would think twice about upgrading an existing machine if XP is working ,wait for Vista SP1, and by the time Microsoft release it you will need a new computer anyway!
• If you are getting a new machine my experience is that Vista has a nice (pretty) interface and works very well  with the following caveats.
• The file widows, folders etc are different, it takes a little while to get used to (took me about 2 weeks),  a bit of a hassle but not too bad.
• Yes its a memory hog, but all programs will benefit from extra memory.  You will need at least 1mb, if you can afford 2mb, go for it.
• Your 15 year old dot matrix printer will probably not work!  Most vendors of printers etc have upgraded their drivers now but f you have an existing machine you can check if your peripherals will work by using the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor
• Try and get at least a  medium speed processor. At the time of writing you should be able to get a very nice desktop for about $550 and a laptop for $650-$700.  Again this is for an average home user.

By the way I am not a Microsoft shill !  Just reporting my experience.