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- geminitojanus, on 10/12/2007, -12/+79http://vista.elfineer.cz/mediac/05
It's good to see that after 10 years of Windows, this same repaint bug still exists, and is as annoying as ever. - mvprj84, on 10/12/2007, -3/+38I was expecting that gallery to be just a few pictures but they did a nice job of taking screenshots...and keeping them organized.
- Scruffydan, on 10/12/2007, -7/+42Vista actually looks very nice without aero... I like it, and surprised
- skydivingdutch, on 10/12/2007, -5/+34That bug won't show up with Aero, since everything is double buffered
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+30OR.. we could have everything for $10!!!!!!! That'll be best for EVERYONE, YAY~!
- livestradamus, on 10/12/2007, -7/+33Looks like XP!
I know. Except with a new theme - nofxjunkee, on 10/12/2007, -1/+20My biggest gripe with the UI (without having used it myself) is that they don't make the text in the title bar, or the min/max/close buttons, fill the bar's entire height. It just looks odd.
- Adoozie, on 10/12/2007, -5/+22Summary: It looks fine.
- chucker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15Actually, this *is* Aero, just not Aero Glass.
- Morphinity, on 10/12/2007, -8/+23Pretty nice to see what it looks like on slower computers.
- Scruffydan, on 10/12/2007, -3/+16Aero means you get some fancy transparencies...
- Scruffydan, on 10/12/2007, -3/+15you are right, they did not change the GUI very much... and that is a good thing, the windows interface gets the job done (it may be ugly though, especially in XP). I would hate to have to learn a new GUI, for each version of windows, so I appreciate that the GUI has not changed much since Win95.
They real differences in vista are under the hood, and only time will tell if they are enough to warrant an upgrade. - alwaysmc2, on 10/12/2007, -9/+21No you don't, you get to pay less if you can't use Aero.
That's the point of the different versions. Microsoft could just have one version that costs $400, but most people wouldn't buy it, so they call that version "Ultimate", and reduce features and lower prices for other versions so that users have more choices. - RadiantBeing, on 10/12/2007, -8/+19I'm actually pretty impressed by everything except for the attention-grabing Windows logo. Other than that, it's amazing how tens of millions of PC users will get a huge style upgrade a few months from now.
- DigitalDud, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10The main advantage to enabling Aero Glass is that everything on your screen is drawn by a single program called the DWM that composites all the windows together using the 3-D capabilities of your graphics card. This frees applications from having to draw stuff directly to the screen and so you get smooth windows without redraw artifacts.
The other win is DPI independence meaning windows can be scaled to better match the physical dimensions of your monitor. And of course, you get lots of visual polish with the see-through glass effects on window frames and "live window previews" in the Flip and Flip 3-D features.
There's a few other more technical advantages like better handling when multiple applications are trying to use 3-D rendering on the desktop similtaneously which is going to become important when we start seeing applications that use WPF. - jivemasta, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10You can't say that microsoft ripped off desktop search off of apple, you could say they ripped it off of google all you want, as long as you admit apple stole it too. Now I'd like to explain my definition of stealing. I think of some features so obvious to include that either company would just include them without actually stealing them. Desktop search and the photo viewer are two of these features. Both systems had a search program, it is obvious that integration into finder and explorer would be more user friendly. Now something like expose would be a copy. And upon thinking about it I will give in on that and win+tab. It is basically the same. That is something that is definitly a ripoff but that only brings the count up to 3 in my eyes. And even then, so what if microsoft copied things? It isn't like linux hasn't copied things, and I do believe apple stole/bought the mouse interface from xerox. The truth is, I don't care either way about either OS. I've used both, I like both. And to be honest, if I could get a mac equal to my current computer for less than a couple thousand, I would own one. But they are expensive, so I will stick to my cheap fast PC with good ol' windows.
- jivemasta, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11Ok the first video is just desktop search, I believe that was done before vista and osx by google. And the second one is a photo viewer, um picasa did this too. I'm not too sure about the timeline of releases between the three but apparently it isnt just microsft copying. So, neither of these really hold water to me. Maybe instead of just posting sombody else's opinion you will maybe defend your stance using your mind instead of copy/paste.
- Jugalator, on 10/12/2007, -6/+14"Vista actually looks very nice without aero... I like it, and surprised"
The visual difference is pretty minor actually:
- Other title bars / window borders
- No open/close effects
- No transparent task bar, and other misc. transparent effects.
- No taskbar previews
- Fancy 3D application switching feature is disabled
Of those, some even look at #1 - #3 as advantages compared to Aero Glass. ;-) - guitarpro411, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11you say that while most likly never even using it
- jivemasta, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I prefer using aero. But some programs for some reason, make it default back to the non-aero style. As far as I know, VLC player does it, and a couple of my game do it, but they are fullscreen so it doesn't matter. The non-aero theme is nice, but since I can run aero, I'll stick with it.
- DigitalDud, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6There are certain drawing methods that the DWM can't cope with. If a program tries to write directly to the primary display surface Aero Glass needs to be disabled.
- DigitalDud, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9Jugalator:
You're missing one major issue. The graphics experience is a lot crappier without Aero Glass. You get the whole redraw artifact thing where programs haven't updated their windows in time. - avatar28, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Windows ME was the last version running on top of DOS. All of the NT flavors are pure OS without DOS.
- ePlus, on 10/12/2007, -5/+11I can't tell the difference... I don't even know what "Aero" is!
- theone3, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5rspeed - Yeah. that really took of, didn't it. MSBob is another example.
- jivemasta, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Ok, so I'm assuming the list is.
Live preview
Widgets
Alt-tab & expose
and the mouse
Now I'll give you the widgets and possibly the live preview. Alt+tab and windows+tab are nowhere near expose, I wish they would have copied that. Expose is better. The mouse is touchy. I guess it is technically stolen, but it was inevitable, somebody else would have done it. So if my count of stolen thing is up to 2, 3 if you must count the mouse. - Spatulas, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9It looks to me like XGL offers alt-tab screenshots as well, even with playing video:
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-3304682858126153303&q=XGL - pierrefilms, on 10/12/2007, -14/+18OR, they could just have 1 version for about $129 ($200 or under at least) that has ALL the features, and just allow the USERS to CHOOSE what they want and/or don't want. I thought Microsoft was all about "choice"....and if you mean to tell me that having 5 or 6 or however many versions is choice, well then they're going about it the wrong way. $400 is way too much to pay for the 'best version' a single OS.
- sishgupta, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7What you are talking about is compiz, not xgl. XGL is just the rendering engine for the effects. Compiz is what makes the effects.
And no it does not add much functionality, but its not at that point yet. Compiz is alpha software. It is up to the window manager developers (compiz is a window manager), to add in features that use xgl. But again, it isn't at that point yet. The functionality that IS in compiz equals the functionality of OSX's eyecandy. Where you can move your mouse to a corner and see all the open apps and then click one and it will focus on it.
Most of vistas eyecandy doesnt add function either. That really isnt the point of eyecandy. - jivemasta, on 10/12/2007, -6/+10I don't get the whole "photocopiers" thing. Please someone make a list of the blatant copys of a mac based OS. If you make a list of at 5 obvious copys that I can't dispute, I will take a sledge hammer to my PC and buy a mac.
I'll lurk this page for the next 10 minutes.
Feel free to im me on my aim to debate: bigprettyunicrns - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Are we all going to need Alienware pcs to run Vista? That's all I've heard about Vista, that it's an enormous resource hog.
- d2nd, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6still runs on top of BSD for how many years now ? Just can't shake that bash no matter what I guess
- freexe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4They all look pretty much the same to me:
http://www.jfedor.org/shots/
I think this is a good thing until the next major advance. Then I expect everyone to start using what ever that system is. - joshikus, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8http://youtube.com/watch?v=n74mktpenx8
and oh yea, THE MOUSE - jivemasta, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Aero uses direct x to render the windows, allowing realtime previews on the taskbar and alt+tab. The border of windows are clear and glass like, although that could be done before. Um, I believe every resoloution looks the same. As in everything is the same size in 800x600 as in 1024x768. There are some other things too but I can't remember them all right now.
- spyrochaete, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Turn down the Aero? What the hell does that mean? Turn up the English.
- spyrochaete, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3You spin that cube while I play Half Life.
- spyrochaete, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5@sirber
Instead of speculating, why not try the free beta and see? There are a zillion new features. It's a good OS. - CBTF, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Oh *****! Imagine that. Windows looking like windows.
Dur.. - spyrochaete, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4XGL is very attractive but it doesn't make linux any easier to use. Flipping a cube of virtual desktops is cute but pointless. Playing a video and wrapping it around 2 virtual desktops on the cube is neat but useless. Jello windows are adorable but worthless. The live preview task switcher is the only feature that I liked. Otherwise it's just a candy wrapper over the same old clunky ugly linux GUI.
Power users would never use XGL since GUI control panels in linux never ever seem to have all the commandline switches available from the prompt, and new users will be intimidated by the crappy linux desktop experience just like they've always been. The fact that XGL distros have been disappearing due to GPL violations with bundled drivers is a hugs stumbling block since installing drivers in linux is no easy task - especially for newbs.
XGL is a step, but I wouldn't call it a step closer to acceptance. Then again, without XGL, many would-be linux users would turn away since the older UIs are so much uglier than Aero. - iFrank, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Am I alone in saying that when I downl...purchase Vista Ultimate, the first thing I'll do will be to switch to Windows Classic mode?
- samgab, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Vista is not faster than XP. This computer I'm using is an okay speed with XP, but it's slow as a wet week running Vista RC1.
- DigeratiPrime, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3on your last point that would have to do with DPI which I've heard Vista is supposed to improve support on. Might be one of the few reason I upgrade.
- jivemasta, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I wouldn't say a quote in "pirates of silicon valley" was actually said in realy life. While the story was mostly true, to my knowledge. I doubt any of what they said in the movie was a direct quote from what really happened.
- jivemasta, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Haha, I have problems with video in media player, mainly only dvd playback. But I just use VLC to play anything anyways. I think it is your ram slowing you down, I have a gig and the same speed cpu(but its amd), and it runs fine. I wish I could try the flash card speed up thing but I dont have a thumbdrive or card reader. Maybe try running iTunes in compatability mode for windows xp? I'm just guessing though.
- xr56n44, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4why is everything so damn B-I-G? the start menu takes up half the screen
- neko, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5XP is a smiley face where the eyes are tightly screwed up and the tongue is sticking out. :P + X) = XP.
- SVPirate, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I have to say I prefer it with Aero turned off, It actually looks like an OS not some idiot playing with a transparent glass toolkit in Photoshop...
I have to say though that the space the window headers and borders take up is really not going to impress folks with 1024x768 15" LCD screens (common on machines of 1-3 years of age). It might even make using it on 17" screens a bit of a window juggling excercise.
I'll be the first to admit that OS X is a tad cramped on a 15" LCD (I own and use daily a 15" iMac G4) but it's by no means inconvenient, Apple made sure the OS X windows were clear but not bloated. I use it also on a 17" (1280x1024) LCD and there's acres of room.
The amount of blank real-estate in the windows in Vista looks really wasteful and also design wise is a bit ugly - Windows bloats in yet another dimension!
It's been made clear by MS's pricing practices and attitude that they want you to go out and buy a new PC with a 30" LCD, 2 SLI video cards and 4GB of RAM. A lot of folk just can't afford that... or justify the price of upgrading their existing PC... or the exorbitant price of a Viusta upgrade... User are confused, or refuse to budge. MS loses out. - SVPirate, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"You can't mean that!"
I certainly did...
"Windows is so ugly without Aero. The interface-design just don't work if it isn't transparent."
It doesn't work if it *is* transparent either, but without Aero is the lesser of two evils IMHO, by some margin, both from a power-sapping and a visual POV.
"When should Microsoft learn to make clean, simple and fast interfaces?"
They'll get the hang of it the day hell freezes over and the devil skates to work listening to his True iPod Video Phone (or should that be True Video Zune Phone??) with built in popcorn and soda maker, oh and iTunes finally opens a Movie store in the UK... - spyrochaete, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Vista looks fine on my Thinkpad which only does 1024x768. The start button may be big, but that's a good thing! It's only on the screen for a few seconds and the large size makes it easy to read and brings tons of options up front that you'd normally be looking for in sub-sub-sub folders. Plus the search box on the start menu is great since you can just hit the Windows key and start typing to bring up whatever you're looking for.
You can revert to older designs of the start menu if you really want to, but I learned in XP to embrace the new changes. They only save you time in the long run.
The only really frivolous thing is the sidebar and that can be hidden or disabled. However, I like having an RSS reader on my desktop. It's a lot nicer than waiting (and waiting) for Firefox to load just to see if any news has come up. -
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