So I installed Vista Ultimate for work the other day. One of the perks I enjoy at my job is that I get to test run the shit out of new things. Not because I'm brilliant or anything... no, it's because I'm the only one dumb crazy enough to install new software and watch it break everything and still say "FUCKIN' COOL.".
So I got Gorgon running with no problems:
It's kinda cool to see it running in that stacked window view... but then, I like shiny things...
"No problems" = Fucking lies of course. My framerate in windowed mode has been cut in half. With Aero off it'll climb to ~110 - 120 FPS. On XP I was getting 160+ FPS. For now I'm going to blame these beta drivers from Nvidia, until I start seeing a rash of complaints across many types of cards or a final driver is released.
So do I like Vista? I don't know. I'm still getting used to it. Much has changed, and sometimes for the better, and other times not. One thing that I think is ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY PATHETIC is that Visual Studio 2005 has compatibility issues. Yes, that's right compatibility issues. So far I haven't seen anything showstopping. So yes, it WILL run. However one thing I noticed is that I cannot run macros. Sure, this may not matter to a lot of people, but I use the VS macros extensively to handle some redundant tasks. Apparently there are issues with debugging (I would imagine attaching to a process) because of the new security model. And apparently the new service pack (which is in beta right now) for 2005 doesn't fix much in regards to Vista. But here's the real kicker for those of you using VS 2003... no support. That's right, they're NOT going to fix it. Apparently you can run 2003 if you shut down UAC, which, if you're a developer is not a big deal. However it will still have security issues regarding debugging and so forth. But yet, they're fixing VB6 to run on Vista... phew.. I was worried there! Really, who really gives a fuck? If you're still using VB 6, you need your head examined, honestly.
Frankly it's all very disappointing. It's not like the dev team for Visual Studio had no contact with the Vista team (and in fact one of the heads of the VS team has stated they're in touch with the Vista team, my eyes, they roll), so this is rediculous, considering Vista was being previewed shortly after VS 2005. There is just no excuse for this kind of slip-up, especially for a company like Microsoft.
That said, I miss my macros, but at least it runs.
So once NVidia gets a decent driver out and the VS team pulls their shit together (seriously guys, wake up, this is pathetic) I think I'll really like using Vista. Until then I'll devote my time to watching TV.
