Is anyone using Vista?

[Mr_Jones]

How're you finding it for use in schools?

We've been 'told' that as from September we'll have to use Vista... though I don't know where this order has come from! No doubt someone who doesnt understand about the systems in our school!

[CyberNerd]

....awaiting windows7

You don't 'have' to use vista. Becta have some advice on the issue:
http://publications.becta.org.uk/dis...fm?resID=28199

[Dos_Box]

Originally Posted by Mr_Jones

How're you finding it for use in schools?

We've been 'told' that as from September we'll have to use Vista... though I don't know where this order has come from! No doubt someone who doesnt understand about the systems in our school!

Not a new BSF school is it?

[Joanne]

we won't be vista-ing any time soon... (because we have to wait for RM to release it :P)

the main problem with it is that half of the schools programs won't work with it... you know how schools have a tendancy to keep thousands of legacy programs which they use everyday!!

[Mr_Jones]

Originally Posted by Dos_Box

Not a new BSF school is it?

Far from it!

I think the 'order' was maybe chinese whispers... I'm yet to have been consulted in it!

With SP1 being released, it's speeded up (at least by 15% real-world apparently) so you think it may be viable? Our PC's have the guts to run it, I feel.

[Dos_Box]

TBH, Vista shouldn't really be deployed unless supported by Server 2008, and Microsoft has only just released that!
Most network guys would rater that they are happy with the back end than roll out the Vista front end without knowing or being being to control it fully.

[Mr_Jones]

Originally Posted by Dos_Box

TBH, Vista shouldn't really be deployed unless supported by Server 2008, and Microsoft has only just released that!
Most network guys would rater that they are happy with the back end than roll out the Vista front end without knowing or being being to control it fully.

I'll take note... and report back to the boss!

[Geoff]

I will have a 2k8 server machine to play with in the near future. When/if that works out I will introduce a Vista client to see what happens. Presuming that works, I can then look at software compatibility.

[SYNACK]

Remember softgrid when it comes to compatibility, that seems to be the main workaround that MS is pushing for compatibility as it virtualises apps. From what I've seen it seems to do an alright job of it.

[torledo]

Originally Posted by CyberNerd

....awaiting windows7

You don't 'have' to use vista. Becta have some advice on the issue:
http://publications.becta.org.uk/dis...fm?resID=28199

is there a newer version of the publication, and have becta changed their previous stance on advising schools not to deploy ?

[Michael]

I don't use Vista or Windows Server 2008 in any of my domains. Dos_Box hit the nail on the head, because it makes perfect sense. Get the server/administration side sorted first, then deploy Vista...BUT, there isn't any rush at all. Windows XP still has years of life in it yet.

I think my next major projects will be deploying Windows Server 2008 with Windows XP SP3 clients. In the year 2020, we'll then start seeing hardware capable of running Vista at lightening speed

[mattx]

Dos_Box hit the nail on the head, because it makes perfect sense. Get the server/administration side sorted first, then deploy Vista...BUT, there isn't any rush at all. Windows XP still has years of life in it yet.

Agree 100% - I have been pushed by some to get it out but have point blanky refused till we go down the 2008 server route. That is we ever go down that route.
Also being pressed for Office 2007, again won't till we hit another major up-grade.
I use it personally on my workstation but that's just to annoy some of the teachers....
If I had my way we would use NT4 or even OS2/3 or 4 on a LAN Server.....

[Gibbo]

Vista is a severely flawed operating system. Microsoft are getting far more flak for it than they did for the despised Windows ME.

We need to be resilient - when we order new PCs, make sure your supplier knows that you demand XP. It's not too difficult as many PC manufacturers are also feeling the backlash and still offering XP. If they don't, make sure that there are XP drivers and support available (this excludes Acer and HP Pavilion PCs).

[link470]

Originally Posted by mattx

Agree 100% - I have been pushed by some to get it out but have point blanky refused till we go down the 2008 server route. That is we ever go down that route.
Also being pressed for Office 2007, again won't till we hit another major up-grade.
I use it personally on my workstation but that's just to annoy some of the teachers....
If I had my way we would use NT4 or even OS2/3 or 4 on a LAN Server.....

I totally hear ya. Having only just turned 20 and Administrating the school district network people are wondering about certain changes and if they can get certain things like "oh wow do you think vistas a good move? but its very pretty" and the other half "vista sucks" and they've never touched the operating system, they just hop on the vista sucks bandwagon and have never tried it. Me personally? Sure, it's not a complete operating system, but I'm more than happy to have an XP network, I personally can't wait for the release of XP SP3, then I'll reimage all the machines with SP3 and hopefully be set for a long time.

XP is great, no reason for me to switch yet. Why? Just as you guys pointed out, it WORKS. The glitches are worked out, it works well with policies, it's not complicated, everyone and their dog know how to use it, let alone their fish [my fish are using BSD at home but hey give them a break ok? they live with a network security analyst], and the main thing, it will run, sure, not GREAT, but it will run, on a 300MHz PC with 128MB of ram if need be. Vista? Good game. Not gonna happen. So if we have a school here with only 900MHz machines in the district cause that's all they can afford, we can build a nice setup of XP machines that will function great on them. Bump the ram to 256? You're set, works great as a Internet Explorer and Microsoft Word machine.

There's simply no reason for me to switch yet. I'm happy where I am. XP is working, secure, patched, will run on legacy hardware, and people know it.

[georgebush]

As much as I don't like Vista I'm forcing myself to use it because I've finally made myself accept that it's the future. Luckily about 80% of our machines are more than capable of running it and it 'might' help the money appear to upgrade the rest. We've already tested a few computers with it and if anything it works better with Server 2003s GPOs than XP does, the main weirdness is the lack of a drop down domain box at logon and printer scripts acting a bit funky. We're planning to deploy it on a few student machines shortly to bring up any issues that students always seem to create

Ultimatly though it probally wont be up to us, BSF is upon us and come September we're an academy, that could easily remove all influence we have in the matter.