Vista: Very Irritating Sucks The Ass

Mar

12

Filed In: complaints, computers, opinion, technology

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Last week while complaining about one of the many things I complain about, I mentioned my hatred for Microsoft Vista. A couple of my fiercest readers wanted to hear more about that, so here we go!
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Last February I was in the market for a new laptop. I didn’t really need one, but my dad was offering and who am I to turn down such a good offer? Looking back, I should have waited. Not yet feeling the Mac vibe I was drawn to the Vaio’s lining the shelves at Best Buy. “Hello my darlings,” I whispered. I closed my eyes and for a second, I heard one say hello back. I walked over to it and ran my fingers over the keys. A built in cam and mic? Intel Core 2 Duo Processors? Bluetooth? A 180GB hard drive? Built in wireless card? Um…yes. “I’ll take this one kind sir.”
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While discussing the issue of money, the Best Buy man told me a bit about Windows Vista since it was pretty new then and I knew nothing about it. He said it’s new and a few older programs might not be compatible with it just yet, but not to worry. What he should have said is, “this computer will be the devil. It’s not convenient or user friendly at all. Every time you want to perform an action, the computer will make you doubt yourself by asking if you reeeally want to proceed. Oh, and about a year from now, Microsoft will unleash a doomsday update ‘accidentally’ that will ultimately crash your computer.”
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Not knowing any of that I skipped all the way home with my new laptop. Okay, actually I drove home and went back to pick up the laptop later. I had the Geek Squad install some crap for me. I was skipping in my mind though.
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To be quite honest, I liked Vista at first. The computer was ascetically pleasing. I was a bit overwhelmed by the changes because I was an XP fan. If it’s not broken, why fix it? I was excited. New software generally enables a person to do more with their computer right? Wrong. That ridiculous cancel or allow feature drove me nuts. If I wanted to install anything, update anything or even just play solitaire it would ask if I’m sure.
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Yes I’m sure I want to play solitaire.
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Are you really sure?
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Yes.
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C’mon, think about it for a minute. Couldn’t you be doing something else more important right now like…
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beating you with a hammer, returning you and saying my dog did it?
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Are you sure you want to do that?
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Yes I’m sure.
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Really?
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Uh huh.
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Positive?
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::smash::
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I didn’t have too many problems really until February of this year, a year after buying the computer. Microsoft apparently unleashed a shitastic “update” that eff’ed up people’s computers. According to the Soft, this update should only hurt a small amount of Vista users. I find it very amusing that out of the entire world of Vista users I was one of them. I don’t know all the details of this doomsday upgrade. I read about it a few days prior, but didn’t think much of it. Of course I didn’t realize that I hadn’t turned on my laptop in over a week.
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The minute it booted up, it began installing updates. Totally not paying attention to what’s going on, I resumed working on my desktop. The laptop then restarted itself and told me it was “configuring update 3 out of 3: 0% progress. Don’t turn off your computer.” I didn’t. I listen. It then restarted again and showed me the same screen. I sat in awe as I watched my computer die before my eyes.
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Okay it wasn’t that traumatic. It kept restarting and going back to this screen! What the hell is going on? Then I remembered what I read. Son of a bitch Vista. I tried starting it up in Safe Mode; no such luck. I went to Microsoft sites to see what they suggested which was a waste of time. I eventually, through a mixture of hitting the keyboard and crying, got my laptop to the system restore screen. Luckily it brought my system back to the last time it was working, pre-upgrade. At this point I was afraid to turn off my computer. I knew that upgrade was sitting there eyeing me, just waiting for me to restart so it could play it’s game with me again.
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Was it karma? Was this Vista’s way of saying “Fuck you for wanting to smash me! I’m just as good as any other computer!” It’s quite possible. Annoyed, I went to Best Buy to talk with the Geek Squad folks. I wanted to know how I could get rid of Vista and put XP back on my computer.
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Yeah hi, um, I hate Vista.
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So do the rest of the PC users.
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Okay, well fix it. Give me XP back!
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What kind of computer do you have?
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A Vaio.
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::insert the face of a man who is about to break a cute girl’s heart or that of an evil Vista man::
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Yeah um, you can’t.
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Wtf geek man?
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Sony’s drivers are all Vista drivers.
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Ooookaaay? And? Couldn’t I just download new drivers?
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So if you remove Vista and install XP, it’ll crash.
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Proof?
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We tried it.
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I think you’re lying.
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Well you can purchase XP for $200 and find out for yourself.
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Touche geek man, touche.
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So instead of wasting $200 to find out geek man was right, I’d rather set that money aside and save up for a Mac.
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Moral of the story, don’t trust Microsoft. Don’t upgrade to Vista. Don’t threaten to smash your computer.
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25 Comments so far
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I know everyone hates Vista but I kind of like it, it is spiffy and streamlined. But then again, my desktop is still running Windows 98 so when I bought my laptop last summer it was like I was computing in the future!

Dutchess -
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I think Vista just likes you more than it likes me. We’ve had bad vibes from the start!

I could’ve written this post. As a die-hard Mac user who manages student computing on her campus, I CRINGE every time a student with Vista walks into my office. I spend the first 10 minutes of my troubleshooting cursing the system and passive-aggressively insinuating that the student is a dumbass for buying Vista too soon before Microsoft worked out the bugs. (Not saying you’re a dumbass, because I know what it’s like to get caught up by shiny new toys. And last February? Yeah, no one knew Vista sucked yet.) And that comic is HILARIOUS. It’s on the wall of our office.

computers make my head hurt.

This is why I love my Mac.

I have a Macbook I bought for like $1200. It’s awesome. I have nothing bad to say about it.

Renee -
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I like that you passive-aggressively tell people they’re dumb for buying it I’d flat out tell them they’re idiots!
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Apollo -
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Two Advil. Email me in the morning!
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Kali -
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I want to love a Mac, too!
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Missus -
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I could have bought a Mac last year. I paid nearly the same for this Vaio. But I didn’t know how wonderful Macs were back then. Damn me! One day…

oh lord. i have heard NOTHING good about vista. and this just gave me another reason not to ever ever ever go vista.
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justin long is cuter on the mac/vista commercials anyways. : )

we obviously need to start a Get Jenn a Mac fund. Seriously, Vista is a hot mess. So not ferosh.
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Guesses on when we will kill fierce/tranny/hot mess from overuse?
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NEVER BECAUSE WE ARE AWESOME.

I’ve heard TERRIBLE things about Vista from my tech people at work. If I had a choice, I’d go all Mac all the time. But, at work, we use Dells. With an older version of Office.

I use Ubuntu as an operating system. The only thing I don’t like is that is isn’t compatible with iTunes, but otherwise it’s amazing — and free! Can’t beat that really.

Man, I knew Vista was a resources hog. And I knew that everyone who used it pretty much hated it. And I know that I am a big XP fan.
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But now I REALLY do not want Vista after reading your post. After all the hype, you’d think Microsoft would deliver.

In 965 years when I’ve saved up enough, I’m going to buy a Mac laptop. When I started working here a year ago, I went Mac and never went back.

My mac was pretty affordable…find a guy who works in an Apple store and date him long enough for him to get his discout! haha…my friend works for Apple and he is eligible every 6 months for a new product and he got his macbook for $200….WOWZA! Mine was $1800 but I added on a few extra things and software and a cute little green ipod as well. It was a nice birthday present to myself.

i have a very personal vendetta against all men and ladies at geeksquad. I want to beat them all with a sledge hammer every time i walk into that store. they stole my harddrive. they stole my life. now…for some reason…the last time i started my computer…it started under some UNKNOWN USER and i can’t back to my other use profile…i made a new one and transferred all my data since i could still get to it…but couldn’t get to the stupid…piece of shit…fucking…profile crap.
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best buy…sucks. microsoft? Is the bane of my fucking existence. I feel your pain girl. I feel. Your. Pain. <3
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I will have a mac by the end of 2008 fyi

I’m in a sort of computer gray area here. I badly need a new computer. I like the look of Macs, but hate their operating system. I like XP, but am scared of Vista. Sigh.

Alexa -
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Justin Long would be reason alone to buy a Mac!
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Jamie -
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We need to start many funds for Jenn. I’m thinking the “Send Jenn to BlogHer with a Mac so she can look for an apartment closer to school” fund.
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Nilsa -
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I like Dells assuming they have XP
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Allie -
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Free is always preferred!
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BTF -
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Ah ha! Take that Vista. My blog makes people hate you!
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B2G -
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965 years? I hope it doesn’t take either of us that long to save up!
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Kali -
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I read that the Apple store is a pretty good place to pick up men!
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Legally Heidi -
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I remember reading about your Geek Squad woes. I’m sorry I’ll celebrate with you when you get your Mac!
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Modern Gal -
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Try to find a computer that will let you downgrade to XP. They can’t stop us. It has to work! Haha!

im late on this entry but i will say this - we have vista at work. and i hate it. hate hate hate hate.
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then again, i have mac os x at home on my wonderful ibook and its the love of my damn life. so i’m alittle bias.
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go with the mac. stay with the mac. trust the mac.

Ashley -
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The only worry I have about Macs is that I know nothing about them. The unknown scares me!

Sell the Viao on Ebay and come into the light. All the Mac users are waiting for you.

I knew nothing about macs when I bought mine…but you can take classes! and they are fun…and you could meet a guy! haha…

I used to have an iMac back in 2000-well now; however, the poor thing sits in my closet because it’s so out dated. I have a FREE Dell from a friend and it runs XP. So far no problems. But when this thing kicks the bucket or I get a shit load of money and I want another computer I’m going back to Mac. I heart them Some people don’t understand them. I feel bad for them. They just don’t know how much their life is missing such a beautiful gadget.

Vanessa -
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I’ll think about it
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Kali -
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I have a guy, but I’ll keep that in mind if I ever need one haha!
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Mar

12

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