Windows Vista: The 256 Experience

Windows Vista officially supports on 512 MB of RAM or higher. The setup itself stops you from installing without the necessary amount of RAM. But fortunately this can be bypassed using a certain crack.

I am currently working on a friend's laptop, on which he wanted Windows Vista to be installed. But its RAM and Graphics are nothing much to be spoken about. 256 MB of RAM definitely did not appeal to the Windows Vista Setup program, so I cracked the setup. Next time it did work.

Almost everything on the internet warned that using Vista on 256 MB of RAM was very foolish, and would be fruitless. But I used to run Vista with 512 MB of RAM on my own computer some time ago, and it worked very well! So I beleived that Windows Vista could run on 256 MB at a reasonable speed as well.

Setup
First I reformatted the computer and installed Windows XP. Then I copied the Vista setup files to the computer and cracked it to work with 256 MB of RAM.

The setup ran at the speed I was used to. Took about 45 minutes to complete. No problems whatsoever. I was very pleased.

First Startup
The "Welcome" screen appeared and stayed on for about 30 seconds. Next it loaded the desktop. Although the system could now be used, it was loading stuff in the background for about 5 minutes, and everything was slow. After that, everything ran smoothly and without any system errors.

Boosting the Speed
The Speed of Vista greatly depends on the Processor and RAM. The processor, in this case, was a Intel Celeron M with a 1.3 GHz clock speed. The RAM was, of course, only 256 MB. So one way to speed up was to increase the RAM.

I could not waste money on buying new RAM for the laptop. Instead, I used Vista's new and powerful feature named "Windows ReadyBoost".

What does it do? It uses a USB Flash Drive (min. 64 MB of free space) as extra RAM. So I plugged in completely empty 256 MB Flash Drive and enabled ReadyBoost. Voila! The system sped up like I never expected.

Tweaking
Actually, so far I have not done any tweaking to the computer. The current speed of Vista on the laptop is satisfactory. Maybe I will get on to it later.

Gaming
This too I have yet to test. The graphics card itself if not very powerful, but games like Grand Theft Auto used to work earlier on XP. So now I must see how it works on Vista.

I will update this blog post with my future experiences with Windows Vista on my friend's low RAM laptop. For now, I am pleasantly surprised on Vista's performance.

The Fat Green Bar

Have you ever recoded or made a DVD on Windows Vista using the bundled applications (Windows Movie Maker and Windows DVD Maker)? Did the final result include a fat green bar covering the bottom half of the video? Were you using Xvid Videos?

Say hello to one big problem with Windows Vista's bundled software! A green bar coveres the bottom half of the screen and squeezes the poor video in to the top half. You get a beautiful squashed video.

This often happens to those who download Xvid encoded videos from the internet and try to burn them to a DVD or just recode them to WMV (Windows Media Video format). I, myself, sacrificed an expensive Dual Layer DVD to Windows DVD Maker when trying to burn a cool film on to DVD. The result was horrible and I beleive no movie ever deserves such treatment (OK, maybe I am wrong).

**Note that Nero 8 Ultra Edition never worked with DivX or Xvid files for me. Anyone with a solution is more than welcome to comment here and educate me. Thanks.

Solution

Download and install the Xvid Codec (Click Here). Then go to All Programs > Xvid > Configure Decoder. In the "Output" section, enable "Compatibility Renderer".

Voila! Your videos will finally get the proper treatment. No more Fat Green Bar. But still I hope Microsoft does something about this.

CrossOver - Windows Applications directly on your Mac or Linux desktop

CrossOver is a powerful software developed by CodeWeavers, which allows Mac OS X and Linux users to run Windows application directly on their desktop. CrossOver is based on the open-source Wine project, but with a few additions. The additions over Wine include a user-friendly interface and auto-detection of officially supported programs (when you insert its installation disc). CrossOver is also a commercial product. However you can enjoy a 30 day trial of either the Mac version or Linux version for free.

The main difference between CrossOver/Wine and VMware/Parallels Desktop is that CrossOver is not virtualisation software. CrossOver only converts and executes Windows code within the main operating system. VM software like Parallels Desktop (Mac) emulate the entire Windows operating system, and therefore you need to pay for the VM software as well as the operating system. In CrossOver, you just insert, install, run! (Insert the Disc, Install the Windows Software, Use the Software) Of course, software support is very limited, and only a few Windows products are actually confirmed to run properly on CrossOver.

There are two versions of CrossOver for each operating system it runs on: CrossOver Linux and CrossOver Mac.

CrossOver is actually easy to use. If you have proper installation disc of the software (including Pirate CDs too, in most cases), CrossOver will automatically detect the Windows disc. If the software is detected as one in CrossOver's supported software list, CrossOver will ask your permission and then download related files such as fonts. After setting up the CrossOver system to receive the software, the actual Windows software installation will begin. And if the installation is done correctly, links to the new program will be made in the CrossOver software folder.

If the program is unknown to CrossOver you may still continue. But if even a single file required by the Windows software is missing, you will not be able to install or run it properly, if at all. In case of known applications, CrossOver will download all necessary files beforehand. CrossOver can even automate the entire installation process for some known application, including Microsoft Office 2003 and 2000 (sorry, no 2007 yet).




I tested Microsoft Office 2003 Professional on CrossOver Mac. First when I inserted the Office 2003 installation disc, CrossOver opened itself automatically and announced that the Microsoft Office 2003 disc is inserted. I choose to install it. Then CrossOver begins to check if its emaulated Windows directories have the necessary files for the installation. In my case, I had just installed CrossOver. So CrossOver downloaded some important system files as well as a load of Windows fonts (free of charge, of course). Then CrossOver executed the Office 2003 setup program. Things continued to go smoothly. At the end, however, CrossOver only produced a link to Microsoft InfoPath 2003 in its Windows Applications directory. Where were the other programs? I had to make links to them myself.
So what happened to the programs?
Microsoft Access - Opened like a saint, but crashed when I attempted to create a database.
Microsoft Excel - Perfect.
Microsoft InfoPath - Crashed when creating a new form.
Microsoft Outlook - Perfect.
Microsoft PowerPoint - Perfect.
Microsoft Publisher - Perfect.
Microsoft Word - Perfect.
Only Access and InfoPath did not work. But it is likely that other bugs and errors were hidden underneath somewhere. I did not have much time to go through the whole suite.

So my opinion is that CrossOver is a great program. Many of its bugs will soon be fixed and more software will be officially supported. The only problem is that it is not free. But the US$79.99 will not go waste. And also keep in mind that a large amount of the CrossOver funds go to development of the open-source Wine project.

If you want, there is a free alternative to CrossOver, also using the Wine base, named Darwine. But be warned: Darwine is nothing like CrossOver. It is as difficult to use as the original Wine, and does not support even half the programs CrossOver does. However it, like CrossOver, is a promising project.

Now Available: Final Cut Studio 2

Apple Inc. has now released its latest version of the professional film editing software Final Cut Studio. This collection of applications are used all over the world by Hollywood film makers and Corporate video creators alike. The Studio suite includes:

• Final Cut Pro 6 - Create time lines with virtually any video format
• Motion 3 - Add attractive 3D effects to your videos
• Soundtrack Pro 2 - Add music in to time line and professionally synchronise video and sound changes
• Color - Improve the quality of your videos with state-of-the-art colour grading
• Compressor - Save your work in to any video format
• DVD Studio Pro 4 - Master the perfect DVD for your SD or HD projects

This software directly competes with the upcoming Adobe Production Premium suite, which provides equal functionality to Final Cut Sudio. The main downside of Final Cut is that it works only on Apple computers. Not on the Windows-based PCs. Therefore this is one method Apple is using to attract customers to use its own computer systems. However, Adobe's suite of production applications run on Windows. It is yet to be seen if Final Cut Studio will make the cut, or if Adobe will beat them to it.

In Sri Lanka - Final Cut Studio 2 may be available from the authorized Apple dealer in Sri Lanka. But Adobe is likely to win the Sri Lankan market, since hardly anyone has a Mac computer in Sri Lanka. And I doubt that half those idiotic film makers know that such software exists. They can't even make a film properly, let alone special effects, good sound and proper editing. Good luck to Apple, anyway.

Windows Live Messenger for Xbox 360

Microsoft announced on Monday that the well known Windows Live Messenger software will be made available for Instant Messaging on the Xbox 360. Users may IM with up to 6 other users, including PCs and other Smart Devices. The update will be available through the Spring Update 2007, releasing on May 7th.

In Sri Lanka - I've managed to sign up for Xbox Live from Sri Lanka through the Singapore service. Just connected up to my router and sgined up. Could have done better with a USB keyboard though. Users in Sri Lanka can do so and enjoy the same experience other Xbox users are enjoying around the world.

Adobe says: No Vista Compatibility. Wait for new versions.

Adobe recently informed its customers that they will have to wait for new versions of their expensive products for problem-free running on Windows Vista. This is because Adobe is not placing any interest on upgrading their latest professional applications such as Photoshop, Flash (Studio), InDesign, etc. for Vista compatibility. This is a major inconvenience to customers as they have to wait a while for the new versions of these applications to be released. Also, they will have to pay hundreds of dollars to buy the new versions. Adobe is making use of the situation to sell and earn more.

However, free and cheap products like Adobe Reader 8 and Photoshop Elements 5 will receive free updates. Lucky for them.

In Sri Lanka - This will not make a difference to Sri Lankans as majority (around 95%) of customers buy cheap pirate copies. But if Adobe launches an anti-piracy movement in Sri Lanka(not likely), we too will go down with the rest of the world. Lucky Asia, for the moment.

Microsoft Expression Web

Microsoft Expression Web is the latest web designing product released by Microsoft. It is the replacement for FrontPage which used to be in the Office suite. Expression Web is a part of the Microsoft Expression suite and was released in December 2006.

Expression Web has complete support for famous web standards CSS, XML, ASP.NET and XHTML. It allows web designers to design sleek websites easily if they have a little knowledge of HTML and CSS. However, most controls and junk from FrontPage have been removed and replaced with better controls. The main screen is similar to that of FrontPage 2003, though the screen is split to show the WYSIWYG view and code view by default. When anything is inserted through the WYSIWYG view, Expression Web automatically converts it to CSS based code instead of the ordinary HTML tag code.

Expression Web gives much more power to designers and will surely take back customers whom Dreamweaver took from FrontPage. More Dreamweaver users are expected to switch soon, as Expresison Web is more appealing with sophisticated CSS, ASP.NET 2 and HTML support from ground-up.

Norton 360 Coming Soon

Norton 260, Symantec's latest security software suite, is planned to be released in March this year. The suite will offer a Full Circle of Protection with features such as anti-virus, anti-spyware, back-up, firewall, encryption and much more. The suite will be introduced as an alternative to Microsoft Windows Live OneCare and McAfee Total Protection 2007. Norton 360 will be priced at $79.99, thats Rs. 7,900. Windows OneCare will still be the cheapest at $49.95.

But the options for Sri Lankan will be Norton or McAfee. We will also get to choose whether we buy a pirate copy, download it illegally, or buy the original.

Office 2007 Sales Excellent

The Microsoft Office 2007 suite was released together with Microsoft Windows Vista on January 30th 2007. In Sri Lanka too, there was a special launch event on 15th February. Sales reports indicate that Office 2007 is selling twice the amount Office 2003 sold during the launch week. With almost no advertising before its launch, Office 2007's high sales have surprised both analysts and customers. The average selling price too has risen by 23%, indicating that Microsoft's decision to sell multiple product versions was not a waste.

AutoPatcher

Here is a solution to all our problems about updating Windows. AutoPatcher comes with most latest Windows Updates, plug-ins such as Adobe Flash and Shockwave, Java, Internet Explorer 7, WMP 11, and much more. You just download the latest version (matching your operating system) and burn to a cd. When you reformat and install Windows again, insert the disk and give the latest updates for your computer. No more wasting time downloading plug-ins and updates. The software is all free and legal.

AutoPatcher Website: http://www.autopatcher.com/
About AutoPatcher: http://www.autopatcher.com/whatsautopatcher/

Thanks to Lightning Struck Tower for the information.

Windows Vista in Sri Lanka

Microsoft Windows Vista was launched in Sri Lanka at a special event in BMICH. The launch event included traditional dances and a speech by the General Manager Windows Client Group Asia, Kenneth Lundin. Kenneth Lundin later gave an interview to the Sunday Observer about competition in Sri Lanka and the rest of Asia.

Lundin said that Linux and Mac OS X did not pose any competition to Windows Vista, but the main competition comes from pirate copies. In Sri Lanka itself, places like Majestic City are filled with pirate copies of well known software. Are the Sri Lankan authorities going to take steps to stop software piracy, like they do sometimes for Hindi films? Probably not immediately. Even if they do (like when raiding shops for pirate copies of Hindi films), the next day you will see pirate copies galore once again. Most shops will escape.

The original versions of Windows Vista will be available at leading IT stores like PC House and ABC Computers. The price of Vista Ultimate will be around Rs 40,000 or higher. Hopefully they will reduce prices of Vista Starter edition and other basic editions for the Asian markets (thats what they said they will do).