What would be the prime motivating factor to 'upgrade' to vista at the moment other that wanting to run something new? As a Linux user I am intrigued by why people would want to part with their hard earned cash (even if it is only a measly $158 as someone pointed out ) when as from what I can see Windows XP is more than capable of doing almost everything (excluding the DRM) that vista can. Obviously vista only software will come out in the future but this clearly isn't the case at the moment.

But more likely this:

S

Is it simply not a case of 'newmodelitis'? Or very good marketing by MS that tells you you MUST have this software because it will enhance your life, get you promoted, make you more attractive to the opposite sex etc.

I can understand the need for continued hardware progression, but as you say, there isn't any vista only software yet, and when there is, is it likely to be angled at the home market, or big business?

I simply can't stand the sloppy programming and resource hunger of commercial OSs - Open source based systems are far more efficient and robust. The only thing they don't do well is games. Pretty much everything else is covered.

S

I think you're right it must be 'newmodelitis' along with some effective marketing by MS.

Most of the people I know use their computer for a bit of web browsing, email and the occasional letter. You could quite easily do this on a 10 year old machine. I'm sure however that some of these people will be persuaded that their 'computing experience' will be much improved by running vista (and shelling out for some new hardware at the same time). Comes in handy for me though the kids are all using second hand machines running Linux which were discarded by friends when they 'upgraded' their XP machines

I've run linux for years on an old PII, but have just ordered a new bare bone system to enhance my gaming experience and run some 3D fluid sim software on. That's when you need a powerful system, but not, as you say, for a bit of web browsing and writing the odd letter. Harly power user stuff.

I bet you must be very proud of your kids when they suggest to their mates that they start script editing with Vi, or text processing with LaTeX!

S

Certainly suprised their IS teacher when he asked what Computers the kids in his class used and my son replied Ubuntu Dapper Drake! I don't think he knew what it was

I think it's been said before but MS is a marketing company that writes software on the side

And badly at that!

S

Of course you wouldn't be suggesting people break the law

http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/electrica...mers/index.htm

JTL

Havn't we been here before?

I'm getting an odd feeling of deja vu...

S

Thinking of this thread by any chance....

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...t=plugs+change

That's the chap. I'm sure it's been debunked as urban myth...

S

Its a government website!! (the .qld.gov.au bit is a giveaway)

http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/electrica...mers/index.htm

Its also run as a radio advert a couple of times a day on Nova and Triple M.

So how is it an urban myth

To quote from the official government website:

Anyway, I only posted it as a humourous retort to Centurion, I couldn't care less if you attach your own plugs or you want to think government websites are urban myths.

JTL

If I recall from the previous threads, some practicing sparkies posted the exact regulations, and affixing a plug to a flex wire was acceptable, as it falls out of the field of fixed wiring, and thus beyond the scope of the legal restrictions.

Maybe this was for NSW though, as things down here do seem to make more sense than north of the border.

S

It seems fairly clear cut from the quote from the site that in QLD anyway, plugs are a no no. I seem to remember too that the radio adverts focus on not replacing your own plugs, and also bizarrely on not doing your own wiring for ceiling fans.

I always expect the advert to end with a voice saying "sponsored by the elctricians union of Queensland"