Got My Free Copy of Vista Ultimate Today.

zman982 · 1 Week Ago

After 3 months of "monitoring" and 5 months of waiting, I finally got my free copy of Vista Ultimate in the mail today for participating in Microsoft's Windows Feedback Program. During the process, I used my old laptop and installed the monitoring software that was required, hooked it up to my network, and left it alone as it sent Microsoft data each day. In March I got an email saying I've fulfilled my requirements and last month another one verifying my mailing address. Well, I'm off to set my rig for a dual boot

.

Here are a couple of pics, from my cellphone, on how it arrived.

Hard core Rikki · 1 Week Ago

So, how did it feel to have been monitored by Big Brother ? ;p

Quickie funny pic, just for the lol

makotech222 · 1 Week Ago

haha thats exactly what i did. Left it on an unused laptop. i should be getting mine very soon then.

zman982 · 1 Week Ago

Exactly the reason I used my laptop

. God knows the stuff they would've seen if I had that crap on my main rig.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hard core Rikki

So, how did it feel to have been monitored by Big Brother ? ;p

Quickie funny pic, just for the lol

Hard core Rikki · 1 Week Ago

Is the monitoring software still available somewhere? (not that I'm looking at the prospect of a freebie, but...)

makotech222 · 1 Week Ago

haha no its over now. and yeah, i just noticed i got mine today. sweet

zman982 · 1 Week Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by makotech222

haha no its over now. and yeah, i just noticed i got mine today. sweet

Cool business

. I was lucky to get into the program. I signed up like literately minutes before they stop offering vista ultimate.

cottonvibes · 1 Week Ago

congrats on being monitored by microsh1t for months and getting their crappiest OS since ME.

sorry I hope I'm not offending you, i just hate spyware and Vista...

John Aiton · 1 Week Ago

it's amazing how many vista bashers never gave it a chance,

want to hang with the cool kids? - bash vista
want to have a brain? - disable UAC

cottonvibes · 1 Week Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Aiton

it's amazing how many vista bashers never gave it a chance,

want to hang with the cool kids? - bash vista
want to have a brain? - disable UAC

i did try vista.

thats why i hate it.

i already discussed why it sucks in another thread.

the whole thing is SUCK, disabling UAC just makes it less sucky...
when an OS idles and still takes 3% CPU doing nothing, thats when you know you have a sucky OS...

Thanakil · 1 Week Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by cottonvibes

i did try vista.

thats why i hate it.

i already discussed why it sucks in another thread.

the whole thing is SUCK, disabling UAC just makes it less sucky...
when an OS idles and still takes 3% CPU doing nothing, thats when you know you have a sucky OS...

Mine idles at 0% CPU and 15% RAM =/.
(after disabling many things that I got no uses for, obviously)
(PS : Are you sure that CPU usage doesn't come from the Task Manager itself? Using Task Manager will make my cpu usage goes from 0% to 2-3%, but not using it lets my CPU idle at 0%)

zman982 · 1 Week Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by cottonvibes

congrats on being monitored by microsh1t for months and getting their crappiest OS since ME.

sorry I hope I'm not offending you, i just hate spyware and Vista...

Nah man not offended at all. You're just expressing your opinion that's all. The monitoring wasn't all that bad since the monitoring was done on an idle computer so it wasn't a problem at all. I know Vista isn't for everyone and XP does things just fine for most.

I was hesitant to move to Vista too after reading all the horror experiences others had when they moved to Vista. In order to form proper opinion though, I had to install and use Vista myself. After half a day, it's been a somewhat smooth transition. I was a little irked by the time it took to install the updates but I should'nt have been surprised since there were a year and some months of updates so I can overlook that. I'm very pleased on how the OS looks and feels and look forward to playing around with the settings some more. All and all, I feel it was worth the time and I got a free OS as a result so I really can't complain.

Exodus · 1 Week Ago

Free stuff is cool. I was able to snag a free Vista Business edition from MSDNAA through my university. I've yet to try it since XP does all I need, and my PC is far from being DX10 compatible.

cottonvibes · 1 Week Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thanakil

Mine idles at 0% CPU and 15% RAM =/.
(after disabling many things that I got no uses for, obviously)
(PS : Are you sure that CPU usage doesn't come from the Task Manager itself? Using Task Manager will make my cpu usage goes from 0% to 2-3%, but not using it lets my CPU idle at 0%)

how do you know your CPU is at 0% w/o the task manager or any programs!?

i tried it w/ the task manager, and with a CPU monitor control (one of those add-on things you can add to the vista toolbar)

anyways, XP w/ the taskmanager shows 0%, vista shows 3%.
that means just opening a simple window takes up a big chunk of your CPU performance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zman982

I was hesitant to move to Vista too after reading all the horror experiences others had when they moved to Vista. In order to form proper opinion though, I had to install and use Vista myself. After half a day, it's been a somewhat smooth transition. I was a little irked by the time it took to install the updates but I should'nt have been surprised since there were a year and some months of updates so I can overlook that. I'm very pleased on how the OS looks and feels and look forward to playing around with the settings some more. All and all, I feel it was worth the time and I got a free OS as a result so I really can't complain.

i tried it b4 SP1 came out, not sure if that fixed it up somewhat.

but i really liked it at first, but by the end of the month i realized how problematic it can be.

as long as you're dual-booting it should be fine, since you still have XP as a backup.

makotech222 · 1 Week Ago

yeah i agree, vista isnt all that great, but i cant really go back to XP now that i have it.

Paratech · 1 Week Ago

I was an XP hater and then SP2 convinced me to setup XP on my PC and I really like XP.
I haven't heard of anything that Vista offers that I want. Maybe by the time SP2 comes out for Vista I might feel differently.

I'm very happy with XP at the moment, but had I gotten the chance to partake that offer, it was over when I heard about it, I'd be triple booting at the moment. I'm no longer dumb enough to turn down a free OS.

I still have to play around with Umbuntu a bit, I'm running it and XP together...

cottonvibes · 1 Week Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paratech

I was an XP hater and then SP2 convinced me to setup XP on my PC and I really like XP.
I haven't heard of anything that Vista offers that I want. Maybe by the time SP2 comes out for Vista I might feel differently.

I'm very happy with XP at the moment, but had I gotten the chance to partake that offer, it was over when I heard about it, I'd be triple booting at the moment. I'm no longer dumb enough to turn down a free OS.

I still have to play around with Umbuntu a bit, I'm running it and XP together...

XP does pretty much anything i need as well, but it would be nice if it can be prettier and more customizable.

Vista has a Tools Toolbar, where you can add custom controls like clocks, calanders, and other stuff. I wish XP had something like that built-in.

I'm hoping the next Windows OS is fast like XP, trusts the User more like XP, is backwards-compatible with legacy devices, and it has customizable controls, icons, and a nice GUI.

Lord Budweiser · 1 Week Ago

Well, I have Vista and have been having some problems: namely with printer (even tho I'm not sure if MS is to blame) and the infamous atikmdag error. Lack of fullscreen support for Dos apps is a turno off, but even win 198 isn't perfect in DOS compatibility... It also takes some seconds to boot and turn off, but it doesn't bother me. Ah, and the default option to put it in stand-by rather than turn it off is utter bull****.

Spyhop · 1 Week Ago

I have 2 legit copies of Vista I also got for free. Still haven't used em.

cottonvibes · 1 Week Ago

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord Budweiser

Well, I have Vista and have been having some problems: namely with printer (even tho I'm not sure if MS is to blame) and the infamous atikmdag error. Lack of fullscreen support for Dos apps is a turno off, but even win 198 isn't perfect in DOS compatibility... It also takes some seconds to boot and turn off, but it doesn't bother me. Ah, and the default option to put it in stand-by rather than turn it off is utter bull****.

is it a parallel port printer?

1 Week Ago	#2 (permalink)
Hard core Rikki JUMPIN' UP THE NATIONS Join Date: May 2004 Location: Perpetual Hawaii Posts: 4,375	So, how did it feel to have been monitored by Big Brother ? ;p Quickie funny pic, just for the lol __________________ < My deviantART \| GENERALEMU \| Webcomics VBA-M \| @ES \| <(^_^<) (>^_^)> <(^_^)> <(^_^<) (>^_^)> <(^_^)> May the fleas of 1000 camels infest the crotches of BIOS swappers! And may their arms be too short to scratch!

1 Week Ago	#3 (permalink)
makotech222 BboY-NanO Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Illinois Posts: 983	haha thats exactly what i did. Left it on an unused laptop. i should be getting mine very soon then. __________________ Dance to express, not impress. [Windows Vista Ultimate x64][Intel E8400@3.8ghz] [DDR2 4gb] [Nvidia Geforce 9800 GTX] [Creative Soundblaster] [Corsair 550w]

1 Week Ago	#5 (permalink)
Hard core Rikki JUMPIN' UP THE NATIONS Join Date: May 2004 Location: Perpetual Hawaii Posts: 4,375	Is the monitoring software still available somewhere? (not that I'm looking at the prospect of a freebie, but...) __________________ < My deviantART \| GENERALEMU \| Webcomics VBA-M \| @ES \| <(^_^<) (>^_^)> <(^_^)> <(^_^<) (>^_^)> <(^_^)> May the fleas of 1000 camels infest the crotches of BIOS swappers! And may their arms be too short to scratch!

1 Week Ago	#6 (permalink)
makotech222 BboY-NanO Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Illinois Posts: 983	haha no its over now. and yeah, i just noticed i got mine today. sweet __________________ Dance to express, not impress. [Windows Vista Ultimate x64][Intel E8400@3.8ghz] [DDR2 4gb] [Nvidia Geforce 9800 GTX] [Creative Soundblaster] [Corsair 550w]

1 Week Ago	#8 (permalink)
cottonvibes NGemu's Kawaii Neechan ;) Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: USA Posts: 1,695	congrats on being monitored by microsh1t for months and getting their crappiest OS since ME. sorry I hope I'm not offending you, i just hate spyware and Vista... __________________ PC Specs: AMD X2 4400+ @ 2.921 Ghz, 1.47 vCore \| G92 8800 GTS 512mb @ 740/1944\| 4GB Dual Channel OCZ Memory @ 835 Mhz (5-4-4-15-2T) \| 700 Watt PSU \| DVD-RW Drive \| 500 GB Hitachi SATA II Hard Drive, 30 GB & 40 GB Western Digital IDE Hard Drives \| 1920x1080 40" LCD Flat Pannel HDTV monitor \| Consoles: 1 PS3 (60 GB), 2 PS2s, 1 PS, 3 GBAs, 1 GB, and 1 old school NES Having troubles with PCSX2? Check out my guide to get it running correctly. Running PCSX2 Guide for Noobs

1 Week Ago	#9 (permalink)
John Aiton NGemu's Kawaii Otoko Kyou Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: LazyTown Posts: 1,377	it's amazing how many vista bashers never gave it a chance, want to hang with the cool kids? - bash vista want to have a brain? - disable UAC __________________

1 Week Ago	#13 (permalink)
Exodus Now the stars don't match Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Null Posts: 13,660	Free stuff is cool. I was able to snag a free Vista Business edition from MSDNAA through my university. I've yet to try it since XP does all I need, and my PC is far from being DX10 compatible. __________________ No, I don't like anime, Street Fighter, Japanese music or download video game music. Yes, I know, I'm weird.

1 Week Ago	#15 (permalink)
makotech222 BboY-NanO Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Illinois Posts: 983	yeah i agree, vista isnt all that great, but i cant really go back to XP now that i have it. __________________ Dance to express, not impress. [Windows Vista Ultimate x64][Intel E8400@3.8ghz] [DDR2 4gb] [Nvidia Geforce 9800 GTX] [Creative Soundblaster] [Corsair 550w]

1 Week Ago	#16 (permalink)
Paratech Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Franklin, PA Posts: 1,940	I was an XP hater and then SP2 convinced me to setup XP on my PC and I really like XP. I haven't heard of anything that Vista offers that I want. Maybe by the time SP2 comes out for Vista I might feel differently. I'm very happy with XP at the moment, but had I gotten the chance to partake that offer, it was over when I heard about it, I'd be triple booting at the moment. I'm no longer dumb enough to turn down a free OS. I still have to play around with Umbuntu a bit, I'm running it and XP together... __________________ -Member of the Windows XP "Sith" with dreams of galactic conquest, er no, I mean dreams of buying an XBOX 360 ------------------------------- Member of the Sith XP/XBOX gaming club. $95 for an XBOX, $9.99 for a copy of Halo 2...Being able to play Halo 2 without buying Vista, priceless! Vista, what OS do you not want to screw up your PC! 'k Wii will Wii will rock you!

1 Week Ago	#18 (permalink)
Lord Budweiser I'm da king. Join Date: May 2006 Location: On my throne. <br> Bin count: 1830 Posts: 430	Well, I have Vista and have been having some problems: namely with printer (even tho I'm not sure if MS is to blame) and the infamous atikmdag error. Lack of fullscreen support for Dos apps is a turno off, but even win 198 isn't perfect in DOS compatibility... It also takes some seconds to boot and turn off, but it doesn't bother me. Ah, and the default option to put it in stand-by rather than turn it off is utter bull**. __________________ Bow down to the emperor! http://x10.putfile.com/10/29211130857.gif Click on this image! !!! WARNING: Illegally downloading software is illegal !!!** Please stop illegally downloading software right now.

1 Week Ago	#19 (permalink)
Spyhop I have a very nice hat. Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Edmonton Posts: 332	I have 2 legit copies of Vista I also got for free. Still haven't used em. __________________ C2D E6850 @ 3.7 GHZ. Asus P5K Deluxe 4GB Crucial Ballistix PC6400 @ 412mhz 4-4-4-12 GeForce 8800GTS 640MB