Oct 1

Posted by: smehaffie
10/1/2006 12:00 AM 

I finally gave up trying to get all the application I use to work in the 64-bit version and decided that migrating to the 64-bit would have to wait for the application vendors to catch up with the OS.  I then installed the 32-bit version of Vista, expecting a better experience and it was not any better.  I have read reviews from others saying Vista RC1 is ready for prime time but I do not agree.  Below are my reasons why.

1) I actually had 2 "blue screens of death" using the 32-bit version in the week I used it. which is something I have not seen since I installed XP.

2) IE7 would not even load up and every time I accessed it Vista would shut it down.  I finally got it working by changing the default screen from the new MS search to MSN.  Pretty sad that MS answer to google caused IE7 not to be able to load in Vista.

3) And the number one issue as a developer is that SQL Server 2005 has major incompatibilites with Vista RC1 and they are known issue (below are a few).

-- SQL Server2005 does not recgonize IIS7 and therefore you cannot use any of the features that rely on IIS (Reporting service, etc).  You can get it to recgonsize IIS but you have to install the IIS compatability admin tools which to me defeats having IIS7.  I should not be forced to install backward compatible tools for IIS just to use IIS reliant features of SQL2005.

-- Other parts of the program do not run without telling you their are incompatibilities and when you try to update setting they sometime save and sometime do not save.

-- SQL Express cannot use any o f the advance features such as reportnig services.

--  Other miscellaneous errors when running other applications stating there were compatibility issues, even though the application seemed to install okay.

-- Firefox ran, but you could not save any of your options.

Summary:

If Vista releases as is it will be a mistake by MS, considering the delays that have occurred.  With all the delays users are expecting a rock solid release with not major issues or major security issues.  Anythnig less will cause even more "bad press" than all the delay did combined.  MS has delayed Vista alreay to much, but if another delay means that Vista will be a stable/secure release then I hope there is another delay.  At a minimum no MS applications (32-bit or 64-bit) should have any issues running under Vista.

There are some really cool features in Vista, but as a developer I would seriouly wait to migrate to Vista and make sure the issue with SQL Express / SQL Server2005 (32-bit / 64-bit) are fixed.  That is if any of your application use SQL database.  If on the other hand none of your application use SQL Server then you might be okay (says tongue in cheek).