I don't like Vista but the system is preinstalled. I'm disappointed
that a new notebook can be slower than a 2-year old notebook with XP.
In my opinion, the appearance has sacrificed the performance. Although
there are new features (mostly security), OS always figures out a way
to make the hardware speed gain unnoticeable.

The problem I heard is there are no XP drivers. Without all the
drivers, you're limited with functionality. It's hard to believe that
a manufacturer would limit the user in only drivers for one OS. I
wonder if anyone has successfully convert a Vista Sony VAIO to XP?

Also, I would not buy a SONY notebook again. They don't provide you
with an OS installation DVD. All the drivers, OS is located in a
hidden partition that takes up the space from user. If your HD is
broken, how can you recover? How about other manufacturers? Do they do
different?

Thanks for the information,

liu

liu wrote:
> I don't like Vista but the system is preinstalled. I'm disappointed
> that a new notebook can be slower than a 2-year old notebook with XP.
> In my opinion, the appearance has sacrificed the performance. Although
> there are new features (mostly security), OS always figures out a way
> to make the hardware speed gain unnoticeable.
>
> The problem I heard is there are no XP drivers. Without all the
> drivers, you're limited with functionality. It's hard to believe that
> a manufacturer would limit the user in only drivers for one OS. I
> wonder if anyone has successfully convert a Vista Sony VAIO to XP?
>
> Also, I would not buy a SONY notebook again. They don't provide you
> with an OS installation DVD. All the drivers, OS is located in a
> hidden partition that takes up the space from user. If your HD is
> broken, how can you recover? How about other manufacturers? Do they do
> different?
>
> Thanks for the information,
>
> liu
>
I can only speak of Dells, but they do provide the DVDs/CDs for the
operating system and all installed software and the drivers.

Pen <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in news:l7KdnWp-SL-
1bh7bnZ2dnUVZ_sDinZ2d@comcast.com:

> liu wrote:
>> I don't like Vista but the system is preinstalled. I'm disappointed
>> that a new notebook can be slower than a 2-year old notebook with XP.
>> In my opinion, the appearance has sacrificed the performance. Although
>> there are new features (mostly security), OS always figures out a way
>> to make the hardware speed gain unnoticeable.
>>
>> The problem I heard is there are no XP drivers. Without all the
>> drivers, you're limited with functionality. It's hard to believe that
>> a manufacturer would limit the user in only drivers for one OS. I
>> wonder if anyone has successfully convert a Vista Sony VAIO to XP?
>>
>> Also, I would not buy a SONY notebook again. They don't provide you
>> with an OS installation DVD. All the drivers, OS is located in a
>> hidden partition that takes up the space from user. If your HD is
>> broken, how can you recover? How about other manufacturers? Do they do
>> different?
>>
>> Thanks for the information,
>>
>> liu
>>
> I can only speak of Dells, but they do provide the DVDs/CDs for the
> operating system and all installed software and the drivers.
>

acer also do a backup of cds/dvds & its also
on a hidden partition.

zack.


--
------------------------------------
I'm here now what's your second wish
------------------------------------
Life begins as a quest of the child
for the man, and ends as a journey
by the man to rediscover the child.

(Lost World Of The Kalahari)

liu wrote:
> I don't like Vista but the system is preinstalled. I'm disappointed
> that a new notebook can be slower than a 2-year old notebook with XP.
> In my opinion, the appearance has sacrificed the performance. Although
> there are new features (mostly security), OS always figures out a way
> to make the hardware speed gain unnoticeable.
>
> The problem I heard is there are no XP drivers. Without all the
> drivers, you're limited with functionality. It's hard to believe that
> a manufacturer would limit the user in only drivers for one OS. I
> wonder if anyone has successfully convert a Vista Sony VAIO to XP?
>
> Also, I would not buy a SONY notebook again. They don't provide you
> with an OS installation DVD. All the drivers, OS is located in a
> hidden partition that takes up the space from user. If your HD is
> broken, how can you recover? How about other manufacturers? Do they do
> different?
>
> Thanks for the information,
>
> liu
>

AFIK, Sony has *always* provided CD or DVD burning capabilities for the
recovery partition.

Perhaps you have not looked.

Q

"liu" <spamfreeliu******.com> wrote in message
news:1183048552.476674.94540@o61g2000hsh.googlegro ups.com...
>I don't like Vista but the system is preinstalled. I'm disappointed
> that a new notebook can be slower than a 2-year old notebook with XP.
> In my opinion, the appearance has sacrificed the performance. Although
> there are new features (mostly security), OS always figures out a way
> to make the hardware speed gain unnoticeable.
>

That much is certain.

> The problem I heard is there are no XP drivers. Without all the
> drivers, you're limited with functionality. It's hard to believe that
> a manufacturer would limit the user in only drivers for one OS. I
> wonder if anyone has successfully convert a Vista Sony VAIO to XP?
>

Unfortunately, the reverse is also true. If you stick with Vista you will
find that drivers for legacy equipment are hard (if not impossible*) to
find.

> Also, I would not buy a SONY notebook again. They don't provide you
> with an OS installation DVD. All the drivers, OS is located in a
> hidden partition that takes up the space from user. If your HD is
> broken, how can you recover? How about other manufacturers? Do they do
> different?
>

Don't blame Sony for this. This is down to Microsoft. The licensing of OEM
versions of Vista require the OS reinstallation be placed on a separate
partition of the hard disk. You cannot even make a backup CD (or DVD) of
the partition. XP has been moving this way for some time - but at least you
could create a separate copy. The stated licensing conditions are that if
the hard disk fails then the owner must buy a retail version of Vista to
install Vista to a new hard disk.

I presume that it should be possible to make an image of the reinstallation
partition with Ghost, Trueimage or something similar (though it wouldn't
surprise me at all if you couldn't).

*Manufacturers of legacy equipment are very reluctant to produce Vista
drivers for the limited market because all Vista drivers have to be
digitally signed by Microsoft or they won't load. Naturally MS does not
perform this obviously beneficial service for nothing.

> AFIK, Sony has *always* provided CD or DVD burning capabilities for the
> recovery partition.
>
> Perhaps you have not looked.
>

I bought it from BestBuy. I looked all over the box right after the
purchase. I ask their tech support too. This is not just me thing.

On Jun 29, 3:16 am, "M.I.5¾" <no....@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk> wrote:
> "liu" <spamfree...******.com> wrote in message
>
> > Also, I would not buy a SONY notebook again. They don't provide you
> > with an OS installation DVD. All the drivers, OS is located in a
> > hidden partition that takes up the space from user. If your HD is
> > broken, how can you recover? How about other manufacturers? Do they do
> > different?
>
> Don't blame Sony for this. This is down to Microsoft. The licensing of OEM
> versions of Vista require the OS reinstallation be placed on a separate
> partition of the hard disk. You cannot even make a backup CD (or DVD) of
....
Then why can Dell provide the DVD? Well, the purpose of this post is
to see if anyone has installed WinXP successfully on this SONY laptop
so I can do the same.

Thanks,

On Jun 30, 9:02 am, liu <spamfree...******.com> wrote:
> On Jun 29, 3:16 am, "M.I.5¾" <no....@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk> wrote:> "liu" <spamfree...******.com> wrote in message
>
> > > Also, I would not buy a SONY notebook again. They don't provide you
> > > with an OS installation DVD. All the drivers, OS is located in a
> > > hidden partition that takes up the space from user. If your HD is
> > > broken, how can you recover? How about other manufacturers? Do they do
> > > different?
>
> > Don't blame Sony for this. This is down to Microsoft. The licensing of OEM
> > versions of Vista require the OS reinstallation be placed on a separate
> > partition of the hard disk. You cannot even make a backup CD (or DVD) of
>
> ...
> Then why can Dell provide the DVD? Well, the purpose of this post is
> to see if anyone has installed WinXP successfully on this SONY laptop
> so I can do the same.
>
> Thanks,

I think you were not aware of the fact that Sony stopped providing
recovery CD and DVDs but the customer is provided with the information
how they can make their own recovery disk. If you just reread what
Quaoar & M15 has mentioned above you will not insist that Sony is at
fault but your very own stubbornness.
When I got a Sony notebook neary two years ago that was during the
months of October 2005 I was given the direction by the reseller to
create my own recovery disk as Sony stopped in providing such since
few months earlier.

I suggest that you try to do that with yours as well.

Liu's information is incorrect.

Microsoft REQUIRES OEMs to provide SOME means for a customer to
reinstall Windows. The OEM has a choice of which way. Both a restore
partition and a CD/DVD media are acceptable to Microsoft, so any given
manufacturer may use either or both methods (and both methods on the
same laptop if desired).



liu wrote:
> On Jun 29, 3:16 am, "M.I.5¾" <no....@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk> wrote:
>> "liu" <spamfree...******.com> wrote in message
>>
>>> Also, I would not buy a SONY notebook again. They don't provide you
>>> with an OS installation DVD. All the drivers, OS is located in a
>>> hidden partition that takes up the space from user. If your HD is
>>> broken, how can you recover? How about other manufacturers? Do they do
>>> different?
>> Don't blame Sony for this. This is down to Microsoft. The licensing of OEM
>> versions of Vista require the OS reinstallation be placed on a separate
>> partition of the hard disk. You cannot even make a backup CD (or DVD) of
> ...
> Then why can Dell provide the DVD? Well, the purpose of this post is
> to see if anyone has installed WinXP successfully on this SONY laptop
> so I can do the same.
>
> Thanks,
>