Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM

Pros: -64bit is the future -Works fine with all my software, no driver or compatibility problems -I have an 8800gt, a Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer and I play games like Oblivion, Bioshock and Assassin's Creed and I have had no problems w/ 64 bit. -Auto-detects upon installation your 32bit and 64 bit programs and seperates them accordingly (Program Files x86 and regular Program Files) -Very sleek and homey....very easy to use after you get used to it. -Works great with 4gigs of DDR2 800mhz and a Q6600. Nvidia System monitor reports I'm only using about 31% of the memory on idle. -Stable!

Cons: Um, let me think. Hmm... the UAC (User Account Control) can be quite annoying with all the many pop ups asking you for your permission to open a program after you just double-clicked to open it (or after you start Windows)... but I disabled this through Account Settings and now it's not an issue... so not really a con. It would be very helpful though if you could set up an option to allow certain or new programs to ask for your permission, and set others that you use regularly to don't ask. I have not found this feature yet, and I don't think it exists after searching in Security in the Control Panel. I hope they implement this in the future.

Overall Review: WARNING!!!! For everyone considering buying Windows Vista (or any OS) from a third-party retailer.... don't! Before coming to Newegg and buying Vista I tried to buy it through a third party (new condition) on Amaz0n. After I got it, the front of the box looked completely legit... but after opening it everything else was bogus! It wouldn't install correctly and the CD key wouldn't work! I contacted Microsoft and they told me that the holograms on the disc, the placement of the CD key, the manual (which had over 50+ typos in it), a bunch of scratches on the back of the DVD, and a couple other things were all a tell-tale sign. It was pirate-ware. I would never have known by looking on the outside of the box after breaking the fake OEM seal. Fortunately after contacting the seller, and then explaining the situation to Amaz0n, I was reimbursed in no time at all and I didn't even need to send it back. Never, ever buy an operating system from a Third-Party! I've learned my lesson!

Pros: Everyone should be making the switch to a 64 bit OS, since that is the future. If you have at least 4 gigs of RAM there really is no reason to not be switching to 64 bit. It allows you to utilize all of your RAM for a single process. Regular 32 bit Windows only utilizes up to 2 gigs of RAM for a single process. What this means is that if you are doing video editing, photoshop, or any other memory intensive application, you can load more data into RAM at once for processing which speeds up the whole process as a whole. And if you are switching to a 64 bit OS, Vista 64 bit is a lot better than XP 64 bit. And honestly, I wouldn't even bother with Home Premium or other versions. I would only get Vista Ultimate as it is a lot better in my opinion. Similar to how XP Pro was a lot better than XP Home. Haven't had any problems despite what Vista haters would have you believe. With Service Pack 1 (included in this disc), Vista has fixed a lot of issues.

Cons: Well the only con is that some software and hardware vendors haven't made the complete switch to 64 bit, as most people have previously been using 32 bit, so you may find driver support lacking for some products. For instance, my old flatbed scanner has no 64 bit driver and cannot be recognized, forcing me to upgrade to a new scanner, which I wanted to do anyway, since it is so old. Also, older software may have some issues, including games if you are a gamer. But that is only for really old stuff. Most every product released within the last 5 years should work like a charm. Google for compatibility issues with your hardware and software you need before switching to 64 bit if you are concerned.

Overall Review: After using Vista Ultimate 64 bit, I wouldn't go back. I much prefer it over XP, better driver support, and just more support in general. Just have to wait for more vendors to start utilizing 64 bit to it's full potential. You need to make sure that when purchasing a new product it will work with 64 bit. Software really isn't an issue as most 32 bit software works on a 64 bit OS, but hardware drivers are more of a concern.

Pros: I moved up from the 32 bit Vista Prof to 64 bit Ultimate, and found that I couldn't use the "Upgrade" path going from 32 to 64 but had to purchase the whole package and reinstall, which is prob understandable. Had no problem recognizing hardware, including printers, motherboard drivers and video -- didn't need any external driver disks for a change! That's a first. Works well within Win 2003 domain (Vista Prem does not connect to domain networks btw -- only Prof and Ult). Nice graphics and very stable: I haven't had a blue-screen in over a year with Vista. Network connectivity is getting better. Nice under the hood utils. Vista's repair function (boot from DVD) has actually saved me twice compared to XP's, which never worked. Most of my IT infrastructure friends despise Vista--probably for good reason, and it usually pays to skip every other upgrade with MS (NT vs W2K) or any software lately. Not spectacular but not bad either.

Cons: No huge speed improvements that I can see over 32 bit, even after adding 4gigs more memory (have 8 total). Load times could be a lot better, although the sleep function works better in Vista for me than in XP. Would have been nice had the MS Office 2007 designers not messed up a comfortable, familiar interface into something designed for a bunny hill. Prob would have made a better selling companion product and improved Vista sales had they just left it alone. Does anyone use UAC? And why is it still a default setting?

Overall Review: Am running an AMD FX-64 2.8ghz dual core, which is prob a little old, and the vid card is only a nVidia 9800 GT with 512 memory. I overclock about 5% over stock settings -- beyond that I get lost anyways. For those still in the Financial Srvs industry, the bitlocker encryption is nice, as most of the broker/dealers require encryption for locally saved files now or will; others will find little use for it. Most of the gaming I do is limited to solitaire (although the original Doom was pretty habit forming), but from biz perspective Vista has some nice admin and user features, and feels very solid. I don't have Win 2008 server installed yet so I can't comment on that integration. Only prog that I've had probs installing in 64 bit has been Google desktop. Go figure?

Pros: Easy install, works smoothly when optimized, very few if any issues (less than XP Pro). With SP-1, this OS really shines - few if any of the old problem still exist. This is the only way to make use of more than 3.56 GB of RAM - and yes, Video card memory counts against that cap.

Cons: System requirements to run this are higher than a three-year-old computer from Wal-mart. This is a 64-bit OS. There may be some mobo issues until you've updated all your 64-bit drivers.

Overall Review: I used Vista32 for a bit on release, but was not impressed. I continued using XP Pro for another year, but with the new SP for Vista, tried out the Vista64. I believe the people having issues with this OS are not having problems with the OS, but incompatible or bad hardware. With the recent update in 64-bit drivers, this works fantabulously well, actually. Better than XP Pro. I think the naysayers are on Walmart computers or just don't like change - I certainly like the new OS (been computing since '84).

Pros: Although many argue against it, I think Windows Vista is a great OS. I am a Macbook Pro owner, and I use Mac OS about 50% of the time as with Vista the other. VIsta is stable, and fast. Older software support is sometimes an issue, but in my case, I don't have a need for any software that is not functional on Vista.

Cons: Price, OEM is the only way I can afford to buy Vista. I would love full retail version so I can legally move my copy from one machine to another, but I install sticker on case and replace parts as needed ;)

Overall Review: Understand OEM licensing. You are only suppose to install on a single PC, and the license stays with the PC. Windows 7 is just around the corner. Haven't used it yet, but folks are saying better things about it than Vista...so hold off if you can and wait for it.

Pros: 1.) Uses system resources (often confused with being a resource hog) 2.) Aero is great 3.) FAST 4.) Intuitive, thoughtful UI design 5.) Install was a breeze (Detected ALL my hardware out of the box, no additional drivers needed to get it running) 6.) I actually like UAC 7.) The new integrated Windows Update 8.) Very Polished feel 9.) A more standardized directory structure (Users - That's where Users' data goes; Users/Me/Downloads - That's where my downloads go; Users/Me/Favorites - That's where my favorites go) 10.) Stable - Way more stable than XP was at this point in its life

Cons: 1.) Service Pack 2 will be out later this year or early next year (Windows 7) 2.) The Ultimate Extras aren't all that cool 3.) IE 64-bit doesn't launch by default - uses 32-bit due to the 32-bit ActiveX controls probably

Overall Review: Don't believe the negative advertising. After using Vista on semi-recent hardware, it's actually enjoyable to use a pc again. Vista makes XP look like an amateur OS. Read reviews to find out what to look out for before installing. Investigate your investment, don't rely on your knowledge of the way things worked in Windows 3.11. Vista is a revolution more than an evolution. Example: Install takes longer in AHCI mode than in IDE mode. Install custom AHCI drivers after installing and performance will improve. The game has changed, and MS raised the bar in a big way.

Pros: I bought this OS to replace 32bit Home Premium and it has worked flawlessly on the surface. But after looking at different reports from built in diagnostics the errors are staggering. 332 in the first month and steadily declining.

Cons: It does not seem to play well with IE 7 ? 32 errors causing it to close this month. Also it has a hard time hanging on to profiles with the G15 keyboard and Nvidia's control panel. Seriously doubt it's the OS's fault though?

Overall Review: DX10 paired with a BFG 280 OC2 GPU and a Quad Core Q9650 and 8GB DDR2 memory run's any game maxed with ease at 1080X1920. Media Center is somewhat of a quagmire depending on who you have digital cable service though. I have held off on buying a TV tuner card until I can get some definitive answers on whether or not it does or doesn't work with COX Cable. Still no gift card Newegg? Customer service was less than helpful on the phone. I was waiting for the card to buy another GPU and PSU but doesn't look like it's going to happen.

Pros: Intuitive, easy to use, and simple. It fixes all the annoyances of XP and added many useful tools, as well as DVD codecs, and the ability to burn DVDs with only the operating system!

Cons: Vista can be hard to learn. It is a completely new OS from the ground up. It simply does everything differently. If you have used other Windows operating systems extensively (an who hasn't) then the transition is difficult because of the habits built in the decade XP has dominated PCs. Administrtor prompts can be annoying, but they have saved me from viruses / unwanted programs on more than one occasion.

Overall Review: Once you take the time to learn how Vista is reorganized, you will find XP hard to use. I XP feels clunky and overcomplicated when I use an XP computer. As long s you have a Vista ready computer (dual core, 2 gigs of ram MINIMUM and a DX10 video card) you will enjoy your Vista experience.