Impressions on Windows Vista

[Theo Gottwald]

Let me start with something good:

In my tests, Vista showed that the problems with graphical resources (if you open too many windows) had been removed.
Having more then 300 (Top-) windows open at the same time, it just gets slower.
But not like in XP or W2k, that you run out of graphical resources, which may lead to strange behavior of the system.

On the other side, the PB-Debugger seems not to work under Vista any more.
Thats actually a reason for me not to use it for programming, but only for testing.

A third thing I had. I tried to put an icon into my "Send to folder".
Doesn't work, just got an error. Maybe a rights problem?
I opened the "rights management window" to get the necesary rights to put that icon inside.
Got the next errror.
Then the rights management window doesn't even close anymore.
Pressing "cancel" just brings the next error. But the window doesn't go away.
No chance to get rid of it any more. I had to move it out of the screen.

My impression was, that if i can not get rid of a standard system window, that there are some hidden conceptional problems inside the VISTA system.
Problems of the sort "when two groups work on one ship and they put it together later", then it doesn't swimm.
Seems the security people and the other groups didn't talk about what shall happen if ...
The modern word for this is "Requirements Management".
It ssimply necessary to be able to close a system window .-), even if it is only by pressing cancel.
I am not talking from the possibility to simply copy an icon into the "Send-To" Folder.

This is an late addition to the post:

A Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection

I wanted to have it in here.

[Charles Pegge]

When XP came along, I felt, I was no longer in control of my own PC. It was trying to control me. Vista certainly has not improved this situation, so I am emmigrating to Linux as I think many others will do, especialy with the excellent desktops available now. The developer environment is new territory but I am sure that over the next few years companies will be porting many of their applications and systems to Linux.

There are also the emerging PC markets in Latin America, Asia and Africa where PC hardware costs are more critical and heavy operating systems like Vista, even if priced low enough, will not support these machines well.

[Theo Gottwald]

For me LINUX is not an alternative actually, because most of my app's run under Windows - while not Vista.
But Windows 2000 still works and actually I am typing under W2k.

I have on the same PC (Boot-Menu) also Vista and XP for testing.
Besides that I agree with you, that more and more people go to LINUX.

For private Use, it can do nearly everything people need, about Internet, E-Mail Chat etc.
Maybe Gamers actually have reasons to go to VISTA (DX 10 :-)).

[Marco Pontello]

Besides that I agree with you, that more and more people go to LINUX.

For private Use, it can do nearly everything people need, about Internet, E-Mail Chat etc.

Yes, especially now that Google, for example, provides a lot of ready to use web tools for the most common (and/or not demanding) needs: Gmail & GTalk for communications, Documents as a basic wordprocessor + spreadsheet, Calendar, Notebooks, Maps, etc. etc.

Really, just a (standard compliant) browser and an internet connection is needed; as long as you are using Firefox, being under Windows, Linux or Mac OS X make little difference.

Bye!

[Kent Sarikaya]

When XP came along, I felt, I was no longer in control of my own PC. It was trying to control me. Vista certainly has not improved this situation, so I am emmigrating to Linux as I think many others will do, especialy with the excellent desktops available now. The developer environment is new territory but I am sure that over the next few years companies will be porting many of their applications and systems to Linux.

There are also the emerging PC markets in Latin America, Asia and Africa where PC hardware costs are more critical and heavy operating systems like Vista, even if priced low enough, will not support these machines well.

Charles have you figured out how to run PowerBasic in Linux, or are you using another programming language?

[Charles Pegge]

Kent, I am using FreeBasic 0.16b with Mandriva2007 Linux using an ITX based machine which uses a VIA C7 processor.

This is highly compatible with Intel and AMD. It's a bit underpowered but strong enough for mpeg media. But I dont know how well it would cope with an XP emulation, for running Powerbasic and the like.

[Kent Sarikaya]

Thanks for the info Charles.

[Kent Sarikaya]

Charles found this article about running the dos version of powerbasic in linux. Thought it might be of interest to you.

http://www.melvilletheatre.com/articles/

[Charles Pegge]

Thanks Kent, That is an excellent article. I have installed DOSEMU on my ITX box to give it a try but unfortunately it locked up and I had to press the reset button. It's probably the C7 CPU. I had the same problem running Linspire.

I have really switched to Freebasic as it is not only supported in Linux but has a more advanced syntax, even though a smaller set of intrinsic functions.

It might be useful, to develop some translation tool to help with syntax and data referencing differences  between the two.

[Kent Sarikaya]

Sorry it didn't work for you, but happy that you like freebasic. It is a nice language.

[Theo Gottwald]

Read this:

A Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection

just click on the link.

[Donald Darden]

I've had it in mind that my next OS would be some distribution of Linux.  I've played with a couple of releases from time to time, but never committed to it.  I'm still running one W2K, though I help other people with XP and Vista.  The one holdup was whether I would have a decent flavor of BASIC under Linux or not.

Well, as it happens, I would have at least two:  PureBasic and FreeBasic.  I bought an old shelf copy of the earlier PureBasic for $15 off the Internet, then registered and updated it to the latest and greatest for free.  FreeBasic is of course free to download and use.

While FreeBasic is not as extensive as PowerBasic in terms of intrinsic functions,
it is certainly a very capable alternative.  It's my opinion that PowerBasic is likely to make a stronger commitment to the future of Windows in terms of the PB/Win
compiler, which would likely mean support for things like OOP, COM, .NET, possibly even DirectX (although it's not been what I would consider a graphical langage).

I think PB's goal is still to try and capture a significant portion of the VisualBasic
crowd.  Since Microsoft is no longer doing anything with VB, this could end up being a good strategy, at least in the near term.  And I think there might be a version of PB/CC provided for Linux, as the demands of the console mode are far less difficult to reconstruct there.

I think this goal will satisfy a few, possibly ex-VBers that will otherwise grouse about the differences between PB and what they are use to.  But anybody that wants to go graphical with PB under Linux or the MAC OSes will not be thrilled.
They will expect and demand more, and in time they may get it.  I think it is a question of which market that PowerBasic is going to gamble its future on first,
and I don't think Linux or the MAC OS have the momentum or mass to lure the
company in that direction yet.

[Theo Gottwald]

I bought an old shelf copy of the earlier PureBasic for $15 off the Internet, then registered and updated it to the latest and greatest for free.

Funny Deal. In germany we say "you made a Schnaeppchen." :-)
True, Purebasic is fully upgradeable, something I'd wish for PB - which is much more expensive in absolute $, also.
I believe it would increase community a lot.

[Eros Olmi]

From PureBasic web site at http://www.purebasic.com/ordering.php3

PureBasic is a low cost programming language. In buying PureBasic you will ensure that development will go further and faster. The updates are unlimited, unlike most other software out there. This means than when you buy PureBasic you will get all future updates for free, on this web site. Better still, you get the four versions of PureBasic (Amiga, Linux Windows and MacOS X) for the same price ! For ease of ordering, you can safely use our secure online method. Thanks a lot for your support !

[Bob Houle]

I too am using PureBasic more often, in fact I'm exploring the use of ThinBasic scripts and PureBasic for some work scheduling.

--Bob