Free Windows Vista Ultimate has Arrived!
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Microosft launched a program, called Windows Feedback Panel, several months ago. Participation in the program involved taking a survey or two, and installing an application on either Windows XP or Vista that monitors the software run on the machine, performance an stibility issues incurred, and the like. My having participated in the program for three months entitled me to a free copy of Windows Vista Ultimate, some flavor of Office 2007, or one of several other Microsoft products. It’s a cheap price for the software empire to pay to get feedback on their software.
My free copy/copies of Vista Ultimate arrived last Thursday and a simple manila bubble mailer. Inside that master envelope were two Windows Vista Ultimate discs (one 32-bit version, the other 64-bit, and each with a distinct license key), and a brief note thanking me for participating. However, I’m not quite ready to install. Here’s what my rig (if one can even call it that) has under the hood:
- Intel Pentium 4 running at 2.93 GHz
- 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM
- 80 GB 7200 RPM SATA I hard disk
- Intel GMA 900 integrated graphics
Needless to say, this is one woos of a computer. I doubt that it can run Aero Glass. But that’s not the only reason I’m not throwing Vista on yet: I live on XP, and simply upgrading from XP means that I’m virtually stuck with a brand-new OS, with a very difficult recourse if I don’t like it.
But with every problem, there’s a solution, and mine is to install Vista on a new hard drive (my current one is too small to adequately partition for Vista) and dual-boot. Let’s keep going with that thought: How about installing Vista on an eSATA (external Serial ATA) disk? That would allow me to transport the drive to another computer if / when I need / want to. In my case, it’s as simple as installing an eSATA expansion bracket, as my system was probably built before the eSATA spec even existed.
The hard drive I’m eyeing is the Western Digital 500 GB My Book Studio Edition, which includes a plethora of interfaces (USB 2.0, FireWire 400 and 800, and eSATA II at 3 Gb/sec) and has a form factor similar to that of my current Western Digital My Book 250 GB Essentials Edition. The Studio Edition drive features a sleek casing and plenty of storage space, and happens to work with all of my currently used computers.
Every great idea comes with a party who suggested it. I’d like to thank LifeHacker for mentioning the Windows Feedback Panel program. Also, it was nice having @SoloTech to chat about the program with.
