Vista - my $2100 nightmare | FerrariChat

Vista - my $2100 nightmare

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by nsxnick, Oct 23, 2007.

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  1. nsxnick

    nsxnick Formula 3

    Jul 24, 2001
    1,479
    Detroit
    Full Name:
    Nick
    Business was good so I decided to treat myself to a nice new laptop. I bought a Lenovo X61 tablet. I really enjoyed playing with the cool features for the first day, even though I got the blue screen of death twice. Then it was business time. What? My client's VPN software won't work on Vista? Apparently nobody's does. My client tells me that Microsoft is offering free XP downgrade CD's for Vista Business users because, ironically, Vista is not business friendly. Ok cool, where do I get it? According to B&H Photo (where I bought it) I need to request it from Microsoft. According to Microsoft, I need to contact Lenovo. According to Lenovo, I need to call B&H. WTF? Fine whatever, I'll get a bootleg copy from a friend. I figure I paid for Vista, I'll keep it and load XP on a partition and make a dual boot machine, sweet. I find instructions online and after many painful hours, I finally load XP. But guess what, I need the Vista CD for the final step. What friggin computer comes with the OS CD these days?? So now I can't even get into Vista. So here I am with XP professional and no drivers. I can't connect to the internet because my laptop doesn't recognize my wireless. Grrr. Fine, I find the driver using another pc and put it on a jump drive. Finally I'm connected to the internet. I go to Lenovo's site to look for the rest of the drivers for the hardward. They are scattered everywhere and incomplete. After pulling all my hairs out, I am left with a $2100 tablet pc without a functioning tablet. I have no sound. The screen changes brightness on a whim. I can not change my resolution to 1400x1050. but hey, that 8 cell battery sure is nice.
     
  2. Schatten

    Schatten F1 World Champ
    Owner

    Apr 3, 2001
    11,237
    Austin, TX
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    Randy
    is it still a doorstop? or has it improved? sounds to me like you need to take the dive and move to a macbook pro. well, that is if you can run the apps on a mac or in parallels. trust me, being an IT guy for so many years, it is... relieving that I don't have to tweak, upgrade, hack, update, blah blah.


    but back to the issue... is it working? or have you gone to the T61's site to look for XP drivers? most likely, you need video, sound, lots of stuff. just look at the device manager and see how many unknown devices and "!"'s you have.
     
  3. rtking

    rtking Formula Junior

    Mar 5, 2006
    703
    Huntington Beach, CA
    Full Name:
    Bob King
    +1 on the Macbook Pro. I have Bootcamp on mine, so I can boot into XP or OSX. I *LOVE* the Macbook! My XP laptop was great, but after installing SP2, it bogged boot-up times to over 3 minutes! Can you send back the Lenovo if Vista won't work for you?
     
  4. nsxnick

    nsxnick Formula 3

    Jul 24, 2001
    1,479
    Detroit
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    Nick
    i'm out of the country right now so it is currently sitting at home collecting dust. most of the drivers i downloaded from lenovo's website fail to run. i've pinpointed which drivers i need, i just can't seem to get the setup.exe to run for them.
     
  5. nsxnick

    nsxnick Formula 3

    Jul 24, 2001
    1,479
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    Nick

    the only reason i picked the x61t was for the sxga screen. i need a 12.1" screen but also need a lot of real estate (1400x1050). are macs available in this config?

    i can not return the thinkpad, B&H policy.
     
  6. tjacoby

    tjacoby F1 Rookie

    Nov 1, 2003
    2,857
    Vancouver Canada
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    tj
    I'd think you'll be more productive working to get a Vista VPN client than looking for XP drivers for a Vista platform.

    Which vendor? I think I had the Cisco VPN client for Vista working on my laptop. (yeah - I'm biased).

    I had a demo of Apple's new Leopard OS last week when in Vegas - very slick. The Timeshift backup function is worth the entire price of the laptop imo :)
     
  7. SrfCity

    SrfCity F1 World Champ

    There are plenty of Vista horror stories out there. Hopefully they'll still allow the option of XP for a while longer.
     
  8. TheBigEasy

    TheBigEasy F1 World Champ
    Consultant

    Jun 21, 2005
    16,863
    California
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    Ethan Hunt
    I thought they put YEARS of R&D into the Vista Development... Is it really that much of a bonehead? Or are they just trying to force people to upgrade everything?
     
  9. Whisky

    Whisky Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 27, 2006
    25,293
    Upper Great Plains
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    The original Fernando
    They did - for THEMselves.

    Yes.

    YES.

    Feed the cash cow.

    I'm running W2K with no plans to upgrade until I absolutely have to, and when I do, it will be to a MAC for sure.
     
  10. Schatten

    Schatten F1 World Champ
    Owner

    Apr 3, 2001
    11,237
    Austin, TX
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    Randy
    1440 x 900 on a 15" mac book pro. a bit more for the 17".

    as for the VPN, I'm going to bet... Sonic Wall.

    Ok, what do I win?


    Also, regarding the display drivers, it depends on the vid card. I do not know the model of card that is on the board of the Lenovo, but if it is say an ATI, then get the reference driver from atitech.com or if it is from nvidia, go to nvidia.com. Otherwise, point the upgrade driver to the .inf file in the directory you downloaded and extracted.

    drop me a line when you are back at the dust collector, if you need any assistance.
     
  11. RussianM3_dude

    RussianM3_dude F1 Rookie
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    Mar 15, 2004
    4,097
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    Nikolai Petroff
    This is exactly the reason why Microsoft should be broken up into little pieces. They got so big, that they can kill all competition, even if they have substandard product. PC's are getting so complex, that they are stopping being PC's. A reasonable individual has no hope of actually working himself on the PC problems anymore.
     
  12. REMIX

    REMIX Two Time F1 World Champ

    Lots of discussions about this including my own experiences with Lenovo and Vista.

    You need to zero out the hd and reinstall XP. That's the only way it will work. You should spend some time collecting Lenovo XP drivers (namely wi-fi and ethernet) for your machine prior to doing this. Then use install their ThinkVantage software and let it find the drivers you need after the fact. Worked for me. I was an early downgrade converter from Vista to XP back in February. Machine's been flawless since then.

    Good luck.

    RMX
     
  13. UroTrash

    UroTrash Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 20, 2004
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    Clifford Gunboat
    This is insane.

    Pay that money and then have a non functional system?


    Despite the smug, arrogant commercials Apple makes, even I am going to get a Mac next time.
     
  14. wingfeather

    wingfeather F1 Rookie

    Feb 1, 2007
    3,653
    rock bottom
    Get a Mac & have different problems... "unknown errors" LOL. Screw Mac. Who told you it was safe to get Vista anyway? Nobody uses Vista!!!
     
  15. wax

    wax Five Time F1 World Champ
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    Jul 20, 2003
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    Dirty Harry
    Guess this is why it was codenamed "Longhorn" - Longhorn Beetle larvae burrow into wood and destabilize the host. With it's default bloat from birth to death and inability to feed itself as a mature specimen, Vista would have been more aptly named Titanus giganteus
     
  16. SRT Mike

    SRT Mike Two Time F1 World Champ

    Oct 31, 2003
    23,343
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    I have to be a LITTLE bit of a jerk and say... if VPN is mission critical for you, then it would have wise to check that it will work on the new laptop prior to purchasing from a vendor that does not offer any sort of return priviledge. I'm sure you realize this now, so 'nuff said.

    As for the laptop, I dont blame Microsoft for the Vista issues. One of the major problems with Windows all along has been backwards compatibility - namely that Microsoft always insists on it, and it inevitably compromises the stability and security of the machine. They have been more willing to depart from this in recent years, and I am sure we all remember how much of a massive upgrade XP was over Windows 98, right? That was in large part due to MS being strict on this issue, and it required all of us to get new software, as many things just didn't run under XP. Same with Vista - they departed from backwards compatibility even more, which will be painful in the beginning but very good in the end.

    From the hardware standpoint, its great - you don't need to worry about some guy running some DOS program and having to account for that. You can build for the hardware and know that you don't need to worry about backwards compatibility. Given that, I would seriously reconsider trying to load XP on this thing successfully. There may be drivers for most things, but I doubt they will be full-featured and some may be unofficial or soft of hacked together drivers. I would go with what the other guy said before - reload Vista on it, and see about getting a Vista VPN client for this machine. VPN is a pretty common thing these days and if the VPN company doesnt offer a Vista release, they may have one soon or have a workaround available. Failing that there may be a 3rd party VPN client that works under vista and is compatible with the office VPN solution.

    Can you give more info on what VPN solution is being used?
     
  17. rtking

    rtking Formula Junior

    Mar 5, 2006
    703
    Huntington Beach, CA
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    Bob King
    The Macbook (13.1 screen) can only go to 1280 x 800. Give it a try though - the desktop works differently than a XP/Vista machine and there's a nifty desktop feature (F9 on the Macbook) that will shrink all the windows to fit on the desktop so you can see and select which window you want to work on at the moment. I don't hurt for more desktop space and I often have my slingplayer playing on the right of the screen and can still use the net and check email simultaneously.

    Sorry to hear that about B&H policy. If I were to purchase a XP/Vista machine, it would be from Costco or Best Buy. I prefer to have the return policy in the event that something doesn't work or I don't like the machine. I have purchased from Frys before and luckily the machines were fine. Frys does take returns, but I hate dealing with the return line, but their prices are good.

    Bob
     
  18. bpu699

    bpu699 F1 World Champ
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    Dec 9, 2003
    16,210
    wisconsin/chicago
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    bo
    Vista s*cks...

    My new laptop keeps saying that the virus program it came with is incompatible. HELL!! It came loaded on the computer. States I have to go to the virus program website and download a patch. Searched the site, no patch mentioned. Tried to disable the virus program - won't let me.

    So, basically every 5 minutes I get a warning that the virus program is incompatible...

    Oh, and the battery saver feature doesn't work. I used the laptop to watch a movie, and it drained the battery to a point where it no longer takes a charge...

    Still haven't gotten around to calling the laptop manufacturer...wan't to know why? I can't find a d*mn phone number. And emails don't seem to work...
     
  19. nsxnick

    nsxnick Formula 3

    Jul 24, 2001
    1,479
    Detroit
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    Nick
    those in-the-know take their tech knowledge for granted. i'm just a regular joe. it never occurred to me that the VPN would not work on a top-of-the-line computer. to me, checking on the VPN compatibility would have been like asking if Excel and Outlook work on Vista, which are also mission critical.

    if i understood my client correctly, it is not the client software that is the issue. It is their host setup (Cisco) that doesn't support Vista clients.
     
  20. BT

    BT F1 World Champ
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    Mar 21, 2005
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    Bill Tracy
    Vista is not an option for me, when I need to upgrade in the future. Fortunately my current computers are only about 1 year old, so I can stretch them for another 4-5 years. My bro runs Vista, it is crazy. Down with Microsoft!!! the last Apple I had was an Apple II plus. Have they changed much?
    :D
    BT
     
  21. MarkPDX

    MarkPDX F1 World Champ
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    Apr 21, 2003
    15,111
    Gulf Coast
    The 17" MacBook Pro can do up to 1680X1050 which is great :D
     
  22. tjacoby

    tjacoby F1 Rookie

    Nov 1, 2003
    2,857
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    Doesn't sound like you're getting the full story here. Cisco VPN clients (your side) can connect to a VPN "host" that's either a PIX5xx, ASA55xx, Cisco VPN Router (18xx - 72xx), or VPN concentrator. All four categories should have no problem accepting a VPN connection from a Cisco Vista VPN client. for what it's worth, I've got most of this stuff in our labs and can test/assist.

    Vista does have teething problems, but it's much less than what we went through with previous Major Windows upgrades - including XP from w2k.
     
  23. SRT Mike

    SRT Mike Two Time F1 World Champ

    Oct 31, 2003
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    Never take these kinds of things for granted - if you have something mission critical, always make sure. Excel and Outlook are also made by Microsoft, so they will of course support their new OS but not all other companies will. Just like Tubis may not be available for the 599 when it just comes out - it may take a while and it's nothing to do with Ferrari if Tubi doesn't make an exhaust that fits. Just like there's nothing Microsoft can do to see if every VPN vendor will get in line and make a client for Vista right away.

    Honestly, the beef you have is not with B&H, nor with Microsoft, nor with the tablet PC - it's with the VPN provider. It's their software that won't work on Vista. I would recommend you check with the client company to find out exactly what the issue is. There IS a supported Cisco VPN client for Vista 32-bit, but not for 64-bit. Are you running the 32 or 64 version of Vista?

    I am not too familiar with the Cisco flavor of VPN but if the software is working right, what OS you are on should not be a problem for the other end. Its like a cell phone - if both our phones are working, it doesn't matter what model of phone you have - it's transparent to me on my end. Are you using VPN for just file sharing/email or are you running applications over the VPN? Some sort of thin client/terminal service?

    It seems the answer you got from the client doesn't really make sense, but if you're looking for an option that just lets you plug it in and make it work without troubleshooting or messing with it, and you can't return the laptop, then you'd be better of just putting Vista back on it and throwing it on eBay, and making sure to get a tablet that runs Windows XP from the OEM instead.

    Let us know detail on the problem if you can, maybe it can be solved but we'd need to know exactly what the VPN host is saying and what you're doing with the VPN. Good luck!
     
  24. REMIX

    REMIX Two Time F1 World Champ

    Getting XP on there is fairly easy. I don't see what the problem is.

    RMX
     
  25. REMIX

    REMIX Two Time F1 World Champ

    I would not recommend Best Buy as that's where I bought my Lenovo T60 widescreen and, after calling and telling them Vista was incompatible with nearly everything in my office, they told me I could bring it back and pay a 15% restock fee. Screw BB.

    RMX
     

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