Would add AVG anti-spyware (free). Always finds a little nasty, tracking cookie and the like.

After seeing the troubles people I know have had recently with Vista and Office 07, I am clinging to XP and Office 03 Pro as tightly as I can!!

I don't actually really have anything much agaist them, JoeF, I just do like to take up arms when Mac users announce, with regality and finality, statements like, "I don't have to worry, I have a Mac."

You don't hear PC users going on to Mac forums and saying, "Well, that trouble you're having with not being able to view a large number of websites properly, and your inability to run Office effectively? I don't have to worry, I have a PC."

Hehe that's a fair point too.

As someone who runs an IT business, I see the Vista problems everyday.

Things like -

My software won't work
My programs don't work
There are no drivers for my printer
My computer's slow
It's annoying with all the prompts

And it's a devil to work with, it just won't do what needs to be done.

I'd rather use Linux than Vista, because most programs won't work on Linux either, but it's not memory hungry, annoying or unstable.

The only advantage I see with Vista are the memory hungry graphics and menus, it's all prettier - so what????

AND all the retailed pc's are coming out with Vista, Norton and no XP drivers.

I'm going to be very busy for quite a few years!

If anyone wants to remove Vista and get their p.c. working like it should, one can solve the driver problem by going to the manufacturer's website of each component and downloading the latest XP driver.

I did that on a HP laptop that HP said there were no XP drivers for, and it runs like a dream. E.G. No drivers avialable for this model laptop, so went to Realtek and downloaded the latest Realtek audio XP bundle ;)

Excellent advice. My HP laptop gets worked harder than a "person of African descent" in a "hostile working environment" around 100 years ago, and XP/Office 03 Pro work perfectly with it.


After what I've seen recently with Vista and Office 07, I am very scared of changing!!

Gates should be horsewhipped for springing Vista on the unsuspected in new machines. Imagine the poor fools who ran out and paid big $$$ for it when it first came out? No wonder Gates retired!

My advice - don't change.

How old's XP now...6 or 7 years old and they still haven't released the final service pack, but it's only really been patched up correctly the last year or so.

How long before Vista is all patched up???

Personally, I'll skip Vista altogether, I've seen far too many problems not related to Service Packs already, to change. I'll wait and see the next generation OS and make decisions then.

By that time I'll be getting a Quad Core refrigerated PC and all new software, but not until this whole package (software and hardware) wears out and there's a reliable and advanced alternative.

Fair call GA, Being a bit of a dinosaur with this sort of technology and having had nothing but trouble with my old PC, I bought a MAC. Couldn't be happier with it. probably because it only goes as fast as I do perhaps.

have to disagree with the vista doom & gloom

received my new dell pc 2 weeks ago & have been slowly swapping over from my old xp, which i switched off for good last sunday

all necessary software installed running no worries - even myob, still stunned at that

7yold hp laser printer works, no driver download necessary, only problems ive encountered are -

canon scanner wont work & wireless 'microsoft' mouse & keyboard combo disable the screensaver so had to swap back to dells

compared to my old xp box, it flies along, & i can highly recommend dells monitors, the 22" looks great

& most importantly all necessary punting tools & websites working as normal

You got lucky stugots, that's all I'll say.