Vista compatibility issues

I acquired a new DELL computer loaded with Windows Basic initially - and only learned later that all the other versions of Vista are on the same disc - I had intended getting Premium later, after SP1! - so I've purchased the upgrade to Premium now since it obviously makes no difference to wait (I could have saved some money!).

Several programmes have compatibility problems, these are most of the ones written for XP. However, fixes to make these programmes compatible with Vista are being made available quite quickly - the 32-bit operating system fixes are being made ready faster than 64-bit one with some less popular software producers who may never write a driver for a 64-bit OS. However, this can produce a problem because when more than 3GB of memory are added to my DELL it produces an error code 8000FFFF - don't panic! this is due to DELL having to map out the top 500Mb of RAM for memory mapped PCI cards and another 256Mb for shared RAM for the Video card which takes care of 750Mb of installed memory (they ran out of address space with their 32-bit motherboard).

Roxio have issued fixes for 32 and 64-bit OS for the Easy Media Creator 9 programme a couple of days' ago, but I purchased a new external DVD RW AV box with Honestech one-touch DVD that came with Nero and a driver disk for XP and neither of these work despite asking the supplier to ensure that my purchase was Vista compatible - they replied "It should work" but as Vista is an entirely new operating system rather than an enhanced XP package such assurances are likely to be wrong as they were here. Serif's Page Plus11 and Draw Plu8 have also both had a fix from Serif last week.

Having said that, recent programmes intended for XP will work - no doubt they incorporate measures to make it so. Office 2003 and 2007 will work but earlier ones will not - I believe there is no intention to ever make ealier versions of Office compatible with the new OS.

All in all, I've found Vista lovely to work with. It definitely beats Windows 3.1 (showing my age here!) and upwards - and after going through a relatively short period of pain leaning a new method of doing things, I have rapidly concluded that it is a step in the right direction. Meanwhile, I do confess to having another computer with XP on it - but I've not had to use it once so far albeit doing a lot of work on a computer most days.