Archive for the ‘Windows XP’ Category

The Last Straw

August 1st, 2007
by Krishna Mohan

It has been raining so much out side, I wanted a drastic change of things around me, mainly the stuff on my computer. I was using Vista for a long time (right from the day it went to become RTM Nov 2006). I was getting more and more disillusioned with the way Windows is going. Vista had all the Bells and Whistles Bill Gates boasted of when he introduced Vista to us. But I was not satisfied.

Let me tell you I am an out and out Windows person. I started with windows 3.1, graduated to Windows 95, then to 98 , ME and finally plunged to Windows XP. Later I found that Windows 2003 server was a better workstation than XP and shifted to it. Finally reached Vista. 6 months with Vista was spent mainly for finding right driver and finding application to work in the right way, but the period was not exactly productive. The final nail in the coffin was when I wanted to upgrade to 4GB RAM. Vista with all its boasting on the cutting edge technology could not see all my 4GB RAM. I found out that 32 bit version cannot see all of the 4GB, to get that I have to move to the 64Bit version.

So I started installing Vista and other softwares all over again on 64bit environment. Then came the problem with the compatibility of several of my programs. Many (99.9 %) were 32 bit versions. No good 3rd party firewall available which can work fluently in 64 Bit. 64 bit was looking more like an afterthought of an operating system. 2 days into installing I started getting PFN List corrupt error blue screen of death faults. It was either the hardware or the drivers which were playing with me.

Then it stuck me that in Windows environment I use very few basic Windows oriented tools. If I want to list them they are just a handful. These are the few which I use everyday & I am unable to find exact replacement in other OSes.

  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Microsoft Accesss
  • Proxomitron
  • Ultraiso

Other than these four I could get things done with any other OS. So which one of those OS will it be? Let us just explore the choices.(to be continued tomorrow)

Posted in Operating System, Vista, Windows XP | Comments (1)

Vista is Marginally Secure Than XP

May 31st, 2007
by Krishna Mohan

The strength of Windows Vista’s security model is easily the biggest question facing the nascent operating system. While sales will be strong simply on account of the way OEMs have adopted Vista on their midrange and high-end offerings, the place of Vista in the enterprise is not yet clear. Microsoft must demonstrate that its approach to security with Vista is indeed effective; otherwise, IT managers will see little benefit to moving to the new OS anytime soon.

Windows Vista only offers “marginal security advantages over XP” according to tests completed by CRN. “Vista remains riddled with holes, despite its multilayer security architecture and embedded security tools.” The report’s findings are mixed and at times a little unfair, but it does demonstrate the problems that Microsoft has to face—technical and otherwise.

The report faults Vista for “providing no improvement in virus protection vs. XP,” but of course Windows Vista does not ship with antivirus software—something the reviewer fails to mention. Faulting an AV-less Vista for not stopping viruses is a bit like faulting a door without a lock for opening when the handle is twisted. Any business that is deploying Vista (or XP) without an antivirus solution is, of course, out of its mind.

Check this article at ArsTechnica

Posted in Vista, Windows XP | Comments (0)

Advanced Search Terms for Vista

May 12th, 2007
by Krishna Mohan

Windows Vista and Windows Desktop Search 3.01 recognize many advanced query operators that can make your desktop searches super-pinpointed. This document on Windows Vista Blog provides an exhaustive list of those operators. On Windows Vista you can use these operators to define a search, and then save it as a Search Folder. Once you start using these terms in searches and Search Folders, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without them!

Here is big list of Operators to Help You to Create More Defined Searches in Vista & Windows Desktop Search 3.01

Posted in Vista, Windows XP | Comments (0)

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