VISTA and our Future

OK. My fault, but who would have known.
My 4 year old daughter poured "bubbles" on my running laptop the day after Christmas, totally cooking it. After having 3 PC guys look at it and tell me not only is the laptop a loss (I believed that, since I could literally smell that is was done), but all of my data is gone too. Long story short, I pulled the HD out of laptop, connected as a slave to a desktop and was able to access all of my data.

Now, here comes the fun part and I am not going to detail how to fix everything, as I don't even remember where I found half the info I found on this. Which by the way, is entirely a million percent more than I ever wanted to learn about VISTA and XP. First, off, to get certain data (mostly anything associated with a User Account in XP) to be accessible on any other PC is tougher than I ever thought, well, if you don't know how to do it. Which I had to search and search for, and then search with the exact search term I needed to find the info. So that's done. I recover my data and it is all thier for me to access and use. I buy a new laptop with VISTA, as that is all I am told you can get, even the DELL Laptops with XP deal was over. So no choice, have to go with VISTA. (I am since told you CAN get a Dell with XP).

So, first thing I figure out is basically nothing I use or own software-wise, will work in Vista. I am a programmer by education and profession, so I obviously use my laptop for a lot of different things. On top of this, I integrate all kinds of systems from Residential HVAC systems, to pools, to lighting control systems, music servers, even septic systems and generators, so I have to use some legacy stuff and connections as well. No way this stuff is going to work in Vista. I checked , and tried anyway, even though "it" said it wouldn't work. It doesn't.

What would any computer "professional" do, setup a dual boot system to use both VISTA and XP or just install XP on the new laptop. I own it, why not. After multiple attempts, about 1 day each, I just cannot get it to work. Finally after checking the HP website, and calling HP, manufacturer of my new laptop, I find out they are using new hardware that there are no drivers for XP. No way to get them, XP is just not going to work on this laptop. Wow. What a dilemma. I have software from Quickbooks, to DTools and other specialized business software I have purchased over the years to the tune of $1000s, and most of it I am finding does not work with VISTA. Just figuring this out in itself, took about 2 weeks to totally figure out.

So, what is one to do. Buy a MAC BOOK some might say. I checked into it, which by the way, I think is a GREAT alternative to a new laptop with VISTA, and you can run XP native on the MAC BOOK, however;
the MAC is about 2X as much as the laptop I have, feature for feature, screen size, memory, chipsets, RAM, etc.
Second, some of the specialty software I use, that cost the most of all the software we own, ofcourse, is MS Certified/Partner product and is not supported in a MAC, even if running on XP. Some of this software is tricky anyway, so not worth the hassle, when dealing with lots of data.

So, finally I find out that Microsoft makes something just for this migration issue called Virtual PC, that is designed to run in VISTA, and run a Virtual XP or other MS OS on the same laptop. Pretty nice, except I find out that the Virtual PC software only runs on VISTA Ultimate, which ofcourse is not what is installed on most laptops for sale. So I am having to upgrade from VISTA Home Premium to VISTA Ultimate. I'll let you know what happens, AFTER I get the VISTA CD , which you have to order to install Virtual PC, since no one gives you the VISTA CD when you purchase a new laptop. More brilliant hassles. Hmmm.

My advice. Wait for Windows 7, or get a MAC and run XP on it.