I got my new laptop this morning. They attempted to deliver it yesterday, but I was at work, so it got taken back to the depot. I wasn’t expecting it for about another five days. I guess it’s been about 3 days from ordering to arrival. Well done Dell!
So this morning I’ve been having fun with Windows Vista. Here are my first impressions:
TheΒ good:
- It looks great. There are lots of bells and whistles. It’s certainly better than the Telitubbies theme of XP. It could be said it’s a little over the top in the flashy stakes, but I like it.
- The dynamic menu is cool. Much quicker than the old menu, or having to select the Run option.
- Rolladex (Windows+Tab) is a fun gimick, but I doubt I’ll ever use it again now I’ve tried it. The Alt+Tab version is still present and is a bit quicker.
- I’m using Vista Ultimate, so I have no idea what the other versions are like.
The bad:
- Β The first thing I attempted to install was Checkpoint Secure Remote, which I use to VPN into work. Unfortunately, it won’t install and they don’t have a production release for Vista yet. No support from this laptop!
- Next I tried to install VMware Server, the freebie. I’d heard reports it didn’t work, but I thought I’d give it a go. The reports were correct. It doesn’t work.
- I plugged in my webcam and it didn’t recognize it. I went onto theCreative website and downloaded a beta driver. Now it works. More of a “Phew!” than a Wow!
The ugly:
- Nothing is really wrong with Vista. Much as I wanted to hate it, it’s pretty nice. Once all the drivers and software manufacturers catch up with this release it will be cool. It’s going to take a while to get into using the new interface. Everything it different enough to slow you down, but similar enough for you to know you’re going to get there in the end.
Remember, I’ve been using it for a few hours, so I reserve the right to freak out and hate it at any time. π
Cheers
Tim…