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After reading several reports from people in the know, I will stick with XP until I am forced to get another new laptop. Vista is not that difficult to install, but I don't see that much advantage to it. XP is all an adjuster needs to run his programs. Just be sure and back everything up.

I need to investigate Vista.
I wonder, if all our additional software that we use in this business will be compatible. For example: mapping software, pdf converters, estimating software, drivers for pda's, digital cameras, printers, scanners, etc.

From what research I have done, there are strong compatibility problems. This is a system that may be beneficial later, but not now. They already have some issues with the program itself, as usual.

Are some of these issues related to duplication? 

Are some of these issues related to duplication?

Don't lay it on Tom, as you can see he is up rather late!!!! hehehehehe


David Houtz

No, no....that's being up early!!

Vista is to be the mother of all upgrades that is to go well beyond the needs of people who use their computers to run business software it sounds to me. As stated there will be issues with software that was developed before Vista was around. We found older versions of PowerClaim XML failed to load and run but that 16e (current shipping/downloadable version) works with Vista OK. We have been working with Vista nearly a year so 16e was developed after Vista was added to our test bed of operating system. Since our upgrades are free surely anyone willing to fork over the cash for an upgrade to Vista would not mind downloading the current version of PowerClaim since it is free.

If we have major storms this year there will be first time adjusters showing up with a new computer running Vista so they may see issues trying to get all of the software applications running that adjusters may use. Have there been any issues after day one of Vista being on the market that any readers have experience?

After several years of hard use I decided to replace my laptop with a new, high-powered model.  I purposely waited until Vista was released and was included on the computer.  BIG MISTAKE!!

Xactimate 24 and Integriclaim 8 are not supported and will not install / run on Vista.  Xactimate 25 will be Vista-compatible and is planned for mid-2007.  MS/B has not committed to a date yet for a Vista product.  They told me that they were not given access to Vista until quite recently.  Also, they are concerned about rushing a product to market only to have problems with the inevitable Vista v2.0.

I also bought DeLorme Street Atlas 2007.  It would not install.  The DeLorme folks were very nice and sent new disks (no charge) that installed and ran just fine.

In summary, I was an idiot!  I should have known better!  I now have a really nice computer that I can't use for adjusting unless I can install Windows XP and dual boot the thing.

David Dreisbach

What I know about Windows OS's is that only one version at a time can be installed on the system. You could go buy a fresh XP Pro, format the hard drive and install it. Later when the folks at Xactamate and MSB have a version that works with Vista you can reinstall. All of this doesn't take into account any drivers for hardware on the machine that you would have to go to the manufacturers website and download to work with XP. Good luck.

 

David, you are no idiot because as you found with DeLorme after having about 1.5 years of testing their apps running Vista (beta 1 released by Microsoft on July 27, 2005) there was time for software developers to address the major issues well ahead the release of Vista last month.

 

http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvis...75.03.html states the below in reference the release date of Windows Vista Beta 1.

 

This driver has been tested to work with the Windows Vista Beta 1 released by Microsoft on July 27, 2005. If you are using a different build of the operating system, this driver may not work.

 

 

While the below was from back in June 2006 after the release of Vista Beta 2 to any and everyone so it may or not apply to the latest release of Vista but since the subject has been raised I am posting the link.

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/software...180004.php http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/software...180004.php">Dual Booting Vista and XP Explained

We have tested the latest version of SIMSOL on VISTA and it is fully compatible with the new MS operating system.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/serv...ology/home

 

Microsoft releases first Vista security fix

Having seen what Vista offers, I see no reason to upgrade until all the KINKS are worked out by Microsoft. Microsoft seems to be too arrogant to fix things properly. Adjusters should wait at least a year before upgrading, unless they buy new equipment and are forced into Vista, as there is just not that much of an improvement between XP and Vista.

Lee from I read you are correct that a hard drive much be partitioned to add another OS. Some say something like Partition Magic will let you do that without reformatting the drive but all that makes no sense if your computer fails during a storm and you have 50 or a hundred claim files to start. After learning the other day that two widely used estimating systems will not run under Vista at this time and one not even giving an estimated guess as to when they will run on Vista the only thing that I can see that makes sense for the typical CAT adjuster is to pick up a couple refurbished XP notebooks to keep on hand in the case of a major failure or notebook theft. Stopping on the way to a storm site to pick up a new PC is no longer an option for these users. By 2008 season this should not be an issue. Maybe 2007 will be like 2006 so little new hardware will need to be purchased until 2008. : )

 

Tom I agree with you about upgrading to Vista. Today I asked our IT manager when we would start looking to upgrade to Vista and the answer was January perhaps. While we have the Vista licenses just getting more memory would be expensive especially for the notebooks because we would have to toss the memory because who would want 256 MB sticks coming out of the 512 MB configurations. Then there are the loss man-hours due to decreased speeds increased cost to consider. Most likely with the 1-2 year old DT’s and the 2+ year old notebooks we will stick with XP until they are retired and go with Vista on systems purchased in the future. Computers used for profit have to perform their task not give one bragging rights to being the top geek.

Cat adjuster hubby and I were at Best Buy over the week-end for problems with his laptop computer. We were discussing possible problems that Vista might create and the technician told us that Vista was not compatible with computers that use a wireless card, such as Cingular, for internet access. This could be a big issue for adjusters out in the field who have to rely on a wireless card with a new laptop that's had Vista installed on it.

I'm not a computer whizz like my husband but I've found out that the Apple laptops use a different operating system, so if we opt to buy another laptop, looks like it's going to be an Apple.

Virginia, will Xactware and MSB, or any of the other estimating systems load onto an apple computer. Does anyone out there know. I love their operating system, but if incompatibility with certain programs are a problem, I don't need to buy a probem.

I cannot believe that VISTA will not allow for the use of internet cards. Good thinking from Microsoft. Apparently Gates has learned nothing or just needed some extra money for his retirement, so he introduces VISTA. Vista needs certain requirements to operate efficiently, like at least 1GB of Ram, preferable two, and a minimum of 80 GB of hard drive and CPU speed of at least 1.8mhz. Man, what a mess. The video driver must be first class also.

I guess one could buy the Vista PC and then reformat the hard drive and install a new XP-SP-2 on it, of course that costs more.

Microsoft wil support Windows XP Pro until at least April, 2014. I just got off the phone with another adjuster who bought a brand spanking new laptop from Dell with Vista on it. She was not aware that X24 won't work and she has been working for almost a week with Dell support getting Vista dll's that did not come with the laptop! Seems like they would at least give you the right drivers. Anyway, she called and is returning it for one with XP Pro and a free upgrade to Vista. I would suggest waiting at least a year, maybe two. Or until 2014! With the trickle of people getting Vista, the software people are not going to jump into a micro group of consumers.
A wise man once said, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."