In a rare occurrence, Dell does something awesome.

[Bobmuhthol]

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9017339&intsrc=news_ts_head

Dell dropped its Vista-only shit and reintroduced XP to half a dozen machines. This early in the game for Vista, that's just hilarious. It was a terrible idea from the start, though, so I'm glad Dell isn't totally stupid.

[Asha]

Had a few friends buy from Dell (mistake) and they all downloaded XP and got rid of Vista after a week or at the latest, 2 weeks.

I hear there's shit loads of issues and compatability problems with Vista.
But Dell are shite anyway.

[Bobmuhthol]

Dell is great if you're a business with tons of money or you're a home user that doesn't ever feel like upgrading. Lol @ proprietary hardware.

But Vista does suck in all instances and the fanboys who yell at anyone that says otherwise with comebacks like "I've never had a problem with Vista so obviously you suck at computers!!!" can STFU. Vista blows. If it was meant to totally eradicate XP, SP3 wouldn't exist.

[CrystalTears]

What people were upset about was not only that it came with Vista, but that it didn't come with the install disk. So if you decided you weren't ready for Vista and decided to install XP, you couldn't go back to Vista without buying the software and license. That's pretty fucked up.

I'm not ready to go to Vista, no matter how pretty and cool it may be. I'm waiting at least another 6 months, if not a year.

[Parkbandit]

"I've never had a problem with Vista so obviously you suck at computers!!!"

[Khariz]

"I've never had a problem with Vista so obviously you suck at computers!!!"

Actually, I was about to say something just like that at one point until I got f'ed in a way I didn't expect.

Everything I used has either been compatible out of the gate with Vista, or I was able to do my own tweaking and messing around until things worked just fine...but then I hit a brick wall.

We use a program at my law school to take tests that essentially reboots the computer into a completely locked out environment with only the program running, and then restarts and transmits the test when done. Think the program could lock out Vista's capabilities without permission? Hell no.

So basically, I had to make a 5 gig partition on my computer just for XP and this one program. What a bullshit thing to have to do.

Truth be told though, besides some hightenend security, I really don't see how Vista is different enough from XP to warrant me paying what I paid (I own Ultimate).

[TheEschaton]

Wait, this program isn't ExamSoft, is it? I need to download that onto my new (Vista) machine. FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKk

-TheE-

[Khariz]

Wait, this program isn't ExamSoft, is it? I need to download that onto my new (Vista) machine. FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKk

-TheE-

Why yes, yes it is!

ExamSoft does not work at all. Get this, if you set the program to run in Windows XP mode the computer will reboot and just hang on Vista, as Vista will not allow it to control the services, but it keeps trying anyone.

Then it has the computer in a RunOnce loop, locking it out every time you restart, and to get it to let go of it, you have to book Vista in safe mode, which SoftTest will THEN take over, but it'll have funky safemode resolutions and problems, and then when you restart, the RunOnce entry will be gone, but SoftTest can't upload the score.

So yeah...XP or bust with ExamSoft.

[Drew]

I bought a new vista machine, HATE IT. I can't really describe how much I actively dislike vista.

[Drew2]

Lol @ proprietary hardware.

lol?

Dells != Macs. You can upgrade Dells just as easily as you can upgrade any computer. Dell did not invent anything new as far as computer components.

[Bobmuhthol]

lol ok

[The Ponzzz]

All until your HD crashes and you want to upgrade that intergrated video card...

[Drew2]

...are you serious? Please tell me you're not.

No, you can't replace one integrated video with another, but you can put in an AGP/PCI/PCI-E video card.

And Dell doesn't make MAGICAL hard drives. It's a normal hard drive.

[TheEschaton]

Why yes, yes it is!

ExamSoft does not work at all. Get this, if you set the program to run in Windows XP mode the computer will reboot and just hang on Vista, as Vista will not allow it to control the services, but it keeps trying anyone.

Then it has the computer in a RunOnce loop, locking it out every time you restart, and to get it to let go of it, you have to book Vista in safe mode, which SoftTest will THEN take over, but it'll have funky safemode resolutions and problems, and then when you restart, the RunOnce entry will be gone, but SoftTest can't upload the score.

So yeah...XP or bust with ExamSoft.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck, it looks like I'm writing my fucking exams, unless i can get someone to lend me their laptop. :(

-TheE-

[The Ponzzz]

Best buy wouldn't help me with a friend's and another friend has issue with hers. I dunno.

[Marl]

hrm my xps is awesome and the customer service has been stellar so far for the few problems I have had..Upgrading it will be a breeze from the empty slots I have inside ;)

[Kranar]

How can anyone claim to have problems upgrading a Dell?

Any 8 year old could easily upgrade the thing, the newer Dells don't even require you to unscrew anything.

[Drew2]

Best buy wouldn't help me with a friend's and another friend has issue with hers. I dunno.

With a Dell? Depending on the problem, Best Buy will certainly help you, for about $130.

And "issues" are 99.9% (in my professional experience, take it as you will) user related. Not computer.

[Sean of the Thread]

Dell is great if you're a business with tons of money or you're a home user that doesn't ever feel like upgrading. Lol @ proprietary hardware.



Again bobby talking out his ass. Dell systems are one of the most modular of the so called "proprietary" systems. Extremely easy to upgrade... 95 year old women wouldn't have a problem doing it.

Stick to the "I'm going to college threads" and seriously stay out of the computer ones.

[Bobmuhthol]

Yeah sure.

[Sean of the Thread]

Rofl.

You're clueless.

[Bobmuhthol]

I like how you can tell based on my reply...?

[Sean of the Thread]

I can tell based on all of your threads. (college ones included)

The real world is coming bob... one where there are no ninja swords and you have to keep your plywood floor clean.

It's called work.

I've probably took apart and upgraded more dell boxes than you've pubes.

[Bobmuhthol]

Sure.

[Sean of the Thread]

WIN

[Bobmuhthol]

Dell did not invent anything new as far as computer components.

So I was trying to overclock a P4 on a Dell today with ClockGen, and to do so I had to look up which PLL to use.. so I pull up the motherboard information and find out it was made by Dell. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places, but Dell motherboards aren't exactly widely available outside of Dell systems, so as far as I can tell no such data exists.

Fucking Dell motherboard, what the fuck.

[Drew2]

Don't quote me on this, but I can bet you that Dell had nothing to do with the manufacturing of that motherboard, and everything to do paying the company that actually made it to take their name off it so they could put theirs on it.

And anyways, regardless, it functions exactly like every other motherboard of the same form factor.

[Bobmuhthol]

Either way, until I figure out WTF PLL the Dell 0J9342 (or something - I'm trying to remember it from hours ago) motherboard uses, Dell still sux for doing this.