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[SkateR]

I'm too lazy to look stuff up. So I'm asking if any of you have this or have used it? It's coming pre-installed on my new computer, I'm worried stuff may not work, like games and such. Or is all that fixed?

[PiCaSSo]

Format your new HD and reinstall XP Pro!!

[Supermercado]

This early in the game, it's probably going to be hit or miss. As far as I know, nVidia still doesn't have drivers for something or another. At this point, I'd say try it when you get it, see how it works, and then make a decision to either keep it or dump it for XP. For me, I have no reason to switch right now. XP does what I want and I've already got it.

[KnacK]

Format your new HD and reinstall XP Pro!!

or just drop another hdd in it and install XP on that drive, keeping the OEM drive with Vista on it in original form.

[Zorchenhimer]

nVidia has released drivers for the desktop cards, however I'm still waiting on the GeForge Go dirvers.

[SkateR]

Well, I'll have to buy xp, and I don't know if I really want to. I have a copy of it but it's for this dell now, maybe it will work. Not sure. I mean, you'd figure vista would be fine now since they officially released it like yesterday. We'll see.

[Supermercado]

I'm going to give it a year before I even consider making it the primary OS on any of my machines. Not a bad rule of thumb for an operating system, I think.

[elmono311]

Since we're on the topic of Vista

[jitspoe]

Interesting read.  I had heard Vista had done away with hardware audio support in DirectX, but I didn't know any of the details.  This does make sense, as I have had sound drivers cause lockups on many occasions, but what makes the sound drivers any different from the video drivers?  It seems so backwards to push hardware graphics acceleration forward and hardware sound acceleration back.

It also makes sense why creative was so interested in OpenAL.  It's so weird.  It used to be that OpenAL got its hardware support by wrapping DirectX sound.  The linux implementations were purely software.  Now DirectX is software and OpenAL supports hardware and they're wrapping DiretX through OpenAL to get hardware support?  This is the most mind boggling flipflop since Apple switched to x86 and Microsoft switched to PPC (for the 360).

On the original subject: I wouldn't buy a copy of XP.  Just try Vista out and see how it runs.  If you get desperate, you could always put XP on there, but chances are, if the computer ships with Vista already installed, you're not going to have any hardware compatibility issues.

[Supermercado]

Or you could do this: http://www.degredo.net/

[Catfish]

nVidia has released drivers for the desktop cards, however I'm still waiting on the GeForge [sic] Go dirvers.

Unfortunately, almost all of those cards are OEM cards, and you're waiting on drivers from the manufacturer, not nVidia

On the original subject: I wouldn't buy a copy of XP.  Just try Vista out and see how it runs.  If you get desperate, you could always put XP on there, but chances are, if the computer ships with Vista already installed, you're not going to have any hardware compatibility issues.

Agreed 100%.  XP is a better gaming system right now since basically all Vista drivers are purely for functionality, not performance.  As such, Vista performance is lacking and will be, likely until ballpark Vista SP1.  If you have XP, stick with it.  If you have Vista, stick with it.  If you have a choice, I'd still go with whatever's free, or in a grey area, XP.

For the record, I work w/Geek Squad (and have Vista Enterprise running on a little machine next to me) and it's not all bad.  I'm not blown away, but I'm not puking in agony.


Oh, and I think we need to start a thread w/OpenAL and the Creative X-Fi cards with their X-RAM and the implications therein

[elmono311]

Just as long as Vista is better than Windows ME... one of my computers came with that POS

[Supermercado]

I think anything is better than Windows ME.

[elmono311]

Even Windows 3.1

[Catfish]

Even Windows 3.1

Even another virus

[elmono311]

Super eventually gave me a copy of Win2K to use, thank goodness

[Cade]

Well you could always get a modded inf from laptopvideo2go.com so that any nvidia driver you want works for your mobile gfx card.
Vista also depends on what hardware your running it on. I run it on my Inspiron 5150 fine (ultimate) and some games take a huge performance hit and some seem to run almost the same. Make sure you update your driver to the latest because performance wise there much better every release.

[Catfish]

Or you can do what I generally do and screw with the ones that are out there until it works with your laptop   (your suggestion works well, too, and probably is a lot more time-efficient, hehe)