Arthur Francis Tyde III

When I am lying on my death bed, I won't ask for another day at the office, the only time I'll regret wasting are the many hours and days I've spent loading Windows XP, downloading Service Pack (whatever) and installing hundreds of updates hoping to get a decent build that doesn't slow down, mysteriously start crashing, or wind up host to a variety of uninvited software parasites. Luckily I don't reload as much as I used to in the six years or so since I gave up on hardware. VMWARE is my machine of choice; I create builds that I call baseloads. A baseload of Windows XP will have the OS, all the most recent updates, and the applications I consider standard. This usually means the most recent version of MS office, some flight planning software, and some mapping / road trip tools. I make two copies of this image and once every year or so I update the virgin copy by spending a few days in Windows Update hell. Typically, I could put on a couple of DVD's (movies) and get XP done, start to finish, in a long weekend.

On a new computer, the only application I load is VMWARE and whatever drivers are required to talk to the printer. If the machine gets trashed, hard disk crashes, or something bad happens that requires a reload - no big deal. I reload the OS from the recovery disks (usually XP Home or some similar crappy mal-ware infested demo infused or otherwise crippled version of the OS that came with the machine), add VMWARE, point it at my production disk image on the server and I'm off to the races again. For my notebooks, I keep a local copy of the VMWARE image on the hard disk and back it up to the server weekly. So while this all seems like a lot of work, when I need to recover or upgrade my computers - the restore process is possible, and can be accomplished in minutes vs. days.

Sadly, I was hoping the Windows Vista experience would be somewhat different. Turns out that it is just as time consuming, and even more dependent on the whims of Windows Update to generate a working (and activated) build. I am happy to report that Vista runs well in VMWARE. VMWARE also insulates it from many of the environmental changes that force you to re-activate the OS or the applications from Microsoft. Vista is hyper sensitive to changes in a machine, simply updating a video or network card driver (which can happen without your knowing about it) trigger the re-authentication process. I stopped using Vista on my notebook (as a host OS) when a memory upgrade on a business trip locked me out of my machine for about a week. Try re-activating from rural China without any of your Windows CD's, documentation; high speed internet or an accessible (or affordable) method of placing a long distance international call.

Unfortunately, Windows Update for Vista fails frequently requiring many trips to the updated help info, downloading new executables manually, and in general is a much greater pain in the ass than Update for XP. My main complaint against Windows Update for XP is the amount and number of updates required, however - for the most part you could start the process, crawl back into your stasis pod and do other things (like sleep) while it does it's thing. Not only does Vista keep you awake searching, downloading and pressing buttons - but it forces you through the Genuine Windows Validation Process to apply every manually downloaded fix. I did not pay $400.00+ on an operating system to be nagged to death by bugs and then have my ethics called into question when I am trying to fix my operating system. While I have been more or less of a Microsoft fan for many years, the plumbing is so complicated these days it seems that nearly anything can stop up the drain.

It took me a week to make a decent baseload of Windows Vista Ultimate. I am generally happy with the new OS, Windows Media Player seems to make me less and less happy as Microsoft cripples it with more DRM and continues to create the most undecipherable user interface I have ever experienced. However, luckily - there are other programs I can use which offer a better and more open multimedia experience. The net of this is, in terms of overall improvement it's a wash. My overall experience is no better (in most ways), and no worse. You might as well get used to the new boss, same as the old.

Epilogue - the most recent patch I applied to this Vista system completely trashed it and forced a reload from scratch (OS, all apps, all fixes). Apparently, applying the MS recommended fix for Chinese language support is a one way trip to a blank, black screen and solid drive status LED.