My Computer Geek: "Don't get Vista 64. wait for Windows 7"

[JDClements]

I see quite a few posters in this thread are running Vista 64. I've been getting feedback from a few photographers and designers that they have had issues with Vista not "holding" a custom monitor profile. They calibrate with X Rite Eye One Display2 or similar, and save the new profile. Trouble is, next time they start up the computer, the profile has GONE and the system has reverted to the generic default. This may have been pre-service pack.

I want to upgrade my disappointing XP64 to Vista 64 to get the best out of  CS4 and LR2. Is this bug a thing of the past, or are you guys running Vista 64 having no problems with disappearing profiles?

I have no issue with that. I am using a LaCie with their Blue Eye system, and it is seamless and problem-free.

[jjj]

Who here is using Vista 64 on a Mac?
And how do they find it?

[John.Murray]

http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/appl...owsvista64.html

I was fully intending to, but the Macbook I ordered shipped with the glossy screen - back it went . . . .

[giles]

This is what's been suggested to me by the guy that's going to be building my new PC. He's saying if I can hold on for couple more months I'm better off with Windows 7 because it's going to be more stabler platform. This is news to me, I was wondering if anyone else shares the same opinion?

At work (soon to be EX-work), I run 32 bit Vista, because for the particular machine model we ordered, Windows XP was not stable.  I kinda dreaded running Vista, but in fact it's been (for me) more stable than OS X.

In your shoes I would be going with Vista now (and whatever service pack is current, and NOT the one that's about to release) and adopt "wait and see" about Windows 7.  Like most others, I'd expect Windows 7 to be late and not as stable as the version of Vista that precedes it until it's had time to shake down and a service pack or two appear.  Additionally, software suppliers will be more familiar with Vista for a while to come than they will be with Windows 7.

Cheers,

Giles

[Farmer]

Yeah zero problems with Vista 64 Ultimate.  Profiling of two Eizo's is fine, performance of PS 64bit and LR2 64 is great.

I'm looking forward to a new i7 system and more RAM (have 8 - will move to 12 initially) and intend to use Vista.

W7 does look like it'll be quite good, but it's more than a few months off at least and things like PS are optimised for Vista (doesn't support XP64 officially, for example) and they haven't tested on W7.  So I'd go Vista and then if you like upgrade to W7 in the future.

[Jonathan Wienke]

I have 2 laptops, a Sony Vaio running Vista and a 13" Macbook, so I've gotten an opportunity to do my own first-hand comparisons. Both OSs are pretty stable, though Leopard has an annoying habit of locking up when the machine goes into screensaver lock or goes to sleep. The Vaio does this occasionally when I put it to sleep, but only about 1/3 as often. The driver availability issues for Vista have mostly been rectified, though Canon hasn't added 1Ds (the original one) support for Vista yet in their EOS Utility. The Mac version works, but with a retarded kludgy workaround requiring you to have the camera displaying the menu when you connect or the app will shut itself down. The Mac has major issues with the built-in Bluetooth hardware refusing to connect with headsets or dropping connections periodically that the Windows machine doesn't have. Overall both machines work pretty reliably; sufficiently so to be productive professional tools. Which one works best for a particular task depends on the individual quirks of the machine. But claiming one is significantly better than the other is nothing more than religious fanboyism.

I'd strongly recommend going with Vista now rather than waiting for the next version of Windows, which will probably be behind schedule, require updated versions of your applications, and need a service pack or two before it is ready for prime time.