To Vista

So, I am back on Vista. After Vindicate a.k.a. brodomio encouraged me to take the plunge once again, I thought well, what the hey, and indeed installed Vista again. This time though things are different. Let me expound on how:

1. The Experience Rating: 4.3 instead of the measly 3.2 the previous time. The CPU is still the RDS *rate determining step*, and skewered an otherwise stellar rating of GFX (5.1 and 5.3) and HDD (5.9).
2. Graphics Performance: How does that translate to real world performance you ask, well the performance seems to have picked up a notch or two. I kept the WDDM drivers by Microsoft and didn’t install the nVidia Forceware drivers. Aero feels fast and is very responsive indeed.
3. Promise Ultra 133 TX2: Instead of the W2k3 drivers, I indulged in XP drivers this time round. And voila, the drives are very responsive (when not in sleep mode) and My Computer opens in a Jiff.
4. Indexing: Went fast and went well, indexed everything (at this time indexing 21.000 items) and searches in a jiff. Very responsive indeed. Used this to correct a book chapter I am co-authoring. Need the indexed items to look up references.
5. Found new gadgets, including a Digital Clock and a Quick launch for the sidebar
6. Installed the Beta drivers from Creative for my Audigy 2ZS, and the device works perfect, with stellar sound from all 5 speakers and very responsive again.
7. Other: Haven’t installed Ultramon this time, and am managing well without it.

So those, put quite succinctly, are the changes this time around. And what’s more it has been 24 hours and I am still on Vista. Quite inexplicable, how the OS feels under the tips this time around. I am very impressed

In other news, I spent this day correcting and revising the chapter Colin and I collaborated on, for the VIDL book by Dr. Luca Botturi. The reviewers had a certain few comments which I have tried my best to accommodate, and hopefully the inclusion of which, will ensure a well-rounded chapter. The Chapter is titled “Using the IMS Learning Design notation for the modeling and delivery of education”. I am the second author.

And on that note, I bring this entry to an end. Time for beddy, but before, a screenie!

Tim@23:16