Apple FUD
Apple has launched a campaign of FUD against Windows Vista. You know what FUD is, right? Fear, uncertainty, and doubt, and that's just what Apple relies on in their "you need a new computer for Vista" campaign. While Apple's commercials show the same cool factor and quality of production that they always have, they have one flaw; they're hogwash!
Don't get me wrong. I'm not your typical anti-Apple Microsoft employee. I own an iPod, not a Zune, I actually prefer iTunes 7 to Media Center 11, and there's a decent chance that my next notebook will be a MacBook Pro. I like Apple, but I resent their implication that Vista is a resource hog that will require most computer users to buy a new computer.
I've been running Vista for a long time. I've installed it on a lot of different computers. Some of those computers are fast machines running modern hardware, but I've also installed it on one of my older computers, and it runs great on that machine. I upgraded the video card to an Nvidia 6800 GS AGP on that machine and it now runs Aero Glass with excellent performance, so I get all of the cool graphical effects. This machine is about 5 years old.
Another common misconception I've heard repeated time and again in podcasts that I listen to is that Vista really requires 2GB of memory. I did upgrade my laptop to 2GB for Vista because it uses a shared-memory graphics chip that sucks system RAM in order to run Aero Glass. It runs great until I install SQL Server and a few other memory-intensive apps on there. The older machine I mentioned above has 1GB of RAM in it, and Vista runs incredibly well on it; every bit as snappy as Windows XP.
I'm not the only one in this boat. I've talked to a lot of friends who say that they were incredibly surprised by how well Vista ran on older hardware. While I think that's great, the only reason that they were surprised is because they had been brainwashed into thinking that you can't run Vista on anything older than a year old.
If you want to know if Vista will run on your computer, I'd advise you to check out the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor. When you run this, keep in mind that if the Upgrade Advisor flags an area, it does it for a purpose. For example, if your video gets flagged, you might not see Aero Glass when you run Vista, etc. Still, it will give you more helpful advice than Apple. You may not have to buy a new PC.
Until next time, remember not to smile.
Comments
Anonymous
February 16, 2007
Wow... 5 stars article... I totally agree with u, I have a Dell machine with 1GB of memory and my Vista runs smoothly on it! SuperFetch in Vista is a new amazing feature which uses every bit of memory on ur machine to make everything work faster (That's why if u opened task manager you would find the free memory is always low)... while actually the memory has been handled by Vista to load all predicted peices u might load to make everything runs faster and more smoothly... Nice article... ThxAnonymous
February 16, 2007
The comment has been removedAnonymous
February 16, 2007
Its not just Apple that is spreading "FUD". USA Today I've encountered bouts of unexplained crashes, perhaps caused by fetching Ultimate Extras, the games and other programs for folks running the Ultimate' version of Windows Vista. To get my computer working again, I restarted Windows in "safe mode" and with Microsoft's help investigated other trouble shooting steps. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/2007-02-14-pcmover-laplink_x.htm Forbes It's a shame his (Bill Gates) legacy is something so utterly unimaginative, internally discordant and woefully out of tune. http://www.keepmedia.com/pubs/Forbes/2007/02/26/2759773 Cnet: Windows Vista Business is essentially warmed-over Windows XP Windows Vista Home Premium is essentially warmed-over Windows XP Home Edition Windows Vista Home Basic is essentially warmed-over Windows XP http://www.cnet.com/4520-13111_1-6687520-1.html?tag=cnetfd.mt WSJ Nearly all of the major, visible new features in Vista are already available in Apple’s operating system, called Mac OS X, which came out in 2001 and received its last major upgrade in 2005. And Apple is about to leap ahead again with a new version of OS X, called Leopard, due this spring. http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=118344&ran=87842 NYTimes If the description so far makes Vista sound a lot like the Macintosh, well, you’re right. You get the feeling that Microsoft’s managers put Mac OS X on an easel and told the programmers, “Copy that.” http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/14/technology/14pogue.html?ex=1171602000&en=f48277e63f6c2a58&ei=5070 PC Mag Vista offers a lot of improvements over Windows XP, but most of them are conveniences rather than essentials. Hefty hardware requirements. Minor bugs and rough edges in UI. Lack of a killer app to compel adoption. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0%2C1895%2C2088443%2C00.aspAnonymous
February 17, 2007
Apple's ads specifically talk about upgrading your computer to run Vista. And you talk about how you updated your memory and GPU for Vista. So where is the FUD? it seems you did exactly what apple's ads are saying people do for Vista.Anonymous
February 17, 2007
Oh, but of course most people that get vista will get it with a new PC. Just because that's how the sales data seems to be so far and how it was in past years.Anonymous
February 28, 2007
Rosyna, I upgraded memory to 2GB because I decided to run SQL Server and many other memory intensive services on my laptop. I did not update my GPU. JimAnonymous
March 13, 2007
I completly agree, Apple is completly scaring people from buying the best OS Microsoft has came out with. Like on Yahoo! Answers I posted a comment about how good Vista is and asked who agreed, well every single person who replied basically repeated what they've heard from Apple, that it would hurt a year old computer, it would cause all your files to be deleted, that there are a lot of bugs in the system, and that you needed at least 2GB of memory. I'm tired of apple's Fud commercials. I was going to buy A Mac this year until they started knocking Windows Vista. Ive got Vista and there are hardly any "bugs" with it. I really am suprised that anyone still falls for these FUD acts.Anonymous
November 28, 2007
The comment has been removedAnonymous
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