Actually, Vista DOES have a Windows XP compatibility mode:

www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-windows-vista-compatibility-mode/

I'm given to understand that there are certain cases where it will even set a compatibility mode automagically, but I suspect that's the exception. You might give it a try with some of your recalcitrant applications.

The moral of your continuing saga, though, is: wait for another 6 to 12 months, if you possibly can, to upgrade to Vista. Give Microsoft a chance to grunt out SP1, and give vendors a chance to develop Vista fixes and work-arounds.

try Cisco next -- their VPN is still beta and 64 bit hasn't even been announced!

were they asleep?

Bob, Vista does have a compatibility mode. In fact, for most applications, you can run as far back as Windows 95. Where it does break is in the drivers, from my own experience with Vista Business.

For instance, I have a system at home that has a Hauppauge TV tuner card. It has worked fine in Windows XP, and the Hauppauge website had updated drivers for Vista, as well as their WinTV application for viewing shows tuned on the card. I installed the drivers and WinTV one Saturday night, and had picture (but no sound) after I scanned the channels on our cable service. I figured I'd troubleshoot the audio issue the next day. Was I wrong--something happened between Saturday evening and Sunday morning, because when I powered Vista up again, I not only had no sound, but now the picture consisted of multicolor confetti. I found that I could no longer scan the channels on the cable service, even though I know it worked the night before. I'm mystified by this behavior; the OS and/or the computer _must_ be sentient (and perverse), because I didn't change anything between the time the picture worked, and the next power-up.

Microsoft partners are being told that Vista is a great opportunity for further sales, as people upgrade their systems to work with the new operating system. From what I've seen so far, there will need to be a _lot_ of upgrading to work with this latest beast from Redmond.

Thought it was just me! I have a Tungsten E and Vista Business and I've noted the same problem. I believe it happens because Palm makes heavy use of the Program Files directory, which Vista redirects for security reasons. Palm Desktop works and Hotsync works, but for some reason QuickInstall does NOT, and the error message it gives is consistent with it not being able to find the directory which is re-directed".

If the Treo had an SD slot (I've never owned one) you could work around this by putting the file on the SD card and moving it to the device. My feeling is that if Palm does not care enough to resolve this problem, I don't care enough to work around it.

Take care,

Dave

Bob,

Please do not stop pushing HP just because you have found a larger Palm problem. After two weeks of trying, I am about to give on my networked HP LaserJet 1320n. HP's vista compatible driver is no use...no matter how I install it, at the end it won't print. I even tried their Universal driver with no luck. Prior to upgrade, my 64-bit XP at least print!

XP also has the "compatibility" modes. Software that runs fine on W2k still fails awfully in XP's W2k compatibility mode. Doesn't strike me as very compatible at all. I wouldn't count on that to be any different in Vista.
Then again, why does Bob Lewis continue using Vista if it clearly doesn't do even the most basic tasks such as printing? I'd call Microsoft, ask for my money back plus compensation for loss of work time, and then go back to XP or W2k or settle for something else, such as a Mac or Linux (saves buying new proprietary Apple hardware).
As pointed out, it is unlikely that every major company in the industry missed the boat on Vista. It must have been delays and bungling by Microsoft. So why, dear consumers and developers, do you buy Vista and anything that Microsoft claims is good for you, if it clearly rapidly inhales? Some people obviously deserve being punished by Vista for being dumb and naive.

I figured David's question - why don't I ask for my money back, move back to XP and Office 2003 or else Mac or Linux - deserved a response.

As I'd mentioned, Vista arrived pre-installed on a new laptop. My preference would have been to hold off another six months, but I had a two week hiatus to handle the migration and won't have another for quite some time. And it was past time to do so - my old machine was getting creaky after three years of hard duty.

Could I have back-installed XP and stayed with Office 2003? Yes. Would it have been a good idea? Not if I want to know what my clients and subscribers are in for.

Could I have migrated to Linux or the Mac? No to the former due to the need for perfect file interchange with clients. No to the latter because I trust Apple less than I trust Microsoft to take care of the needs of business users, and because of the number of Windows-specific applications I use on a daily basis.

It was a valid question, and one each technology buyer has to ask and answer based on the specifics of their situation.

- Bob

Bob I also have an All-in-One HP printer. Mine is a Photosmart 3310. I was able to get it to print over my network using Vista during the beta period but not able to get it to scan or use any other features.

The HP driver site has an option to sign up and be notified of the release of new Vista drivers for this printer. I signed up using my wife's, mine and my work's email hoping that would show a demand for the driver and increae HP's priority.

To my surprise I read about someone who was able to get a Vista driver for a similar HP printer. I checked the website and found that a driver for mine had been released March 16. I downloaded it and so far it works OK. However as of today I have not been notified by HP that it has been released.

BTW after using Vista for the last two years (during the beta and after release) I am still dual booting between XP and Vista until I know all the issues are solved.

If your project is late, a year afterwards nobody will remember. If your project ships with bugs, ten years later nobody will have forgotten.

I think the real issue with Vista (other then the lack of real features as opposed to eye candy) is the fact that Microsoft has announced that it won't be available to OEMs after the end of the year.

It is so far from being something that is ready to use or even being something that I am willing to use it isn't funny. The only way I see any consumer choice coming out of this is if the EU slaps them around a bit. (God knows that the US doesn't seem capable of influencing them...)

Hi Bob,

You can try looking at Pilot Install (freeware). I don't know it it works with Vista or not, but it works nice on an old Win98 system with my Tungsten E. See:

http://www.freewarepalm.com/utilities/simplyinstall-pilotinstall.shtml

It doesn't depend on Palm software and can install lots of stuff that Palm software will balk at.

I am responsible for a small company’s IT, 50 computers or so, and some servers, including Exchange & SQL.

I purchased a new computer for my wife, and of course it had to come with Vista. After struggling with a number of compatibility issues, I have gotten it to do everything I want, albeit with some recurring annoyances and some workarounds.

Based on that experience, Microsoft will have to wait for our corporate dollars (and those of any peers who take my advice) for quite a while. I have been a Microsoft "guy" starting with DOS on a 286, but there is no guaranty that the next network upgrade will involve MS. I even visited an Apple store the other day (blasphemy!)