So you are a bit of a computer freak, and they released Windows Vista, and of course one or the other day it must be installed. When you finaly think its time to destroy you perfectly working Windows XP installation (afteral its by now an operating system where most problems are smoothed out), you call your local (RIMO Denpasar) computer dealer and ask "Sudah ada Windows Vista?" and they reply, "Belum", "Tapi sudah bisa beli di Singapore.....".
Disappointment :(
Now what?
You ask some of the expats around if they go to Singapore in the near future, but no positives there...
Ok, let download it, afterall you can use it for 30 (120 with a trick) days without registration...
It took about 3 days (!) to (find and) download a whole official (semi legal) DVD with both 32-bits and 64-bits RTM versions of Windows Vista. Burned the DVD.
Installed it on the 2 year old, but still modern laptop, and WOW, I like it. The Aero glass is fun, and it runs as fast as XP, or even faster.... It has all kind of new, sometimes annoying safety features, and all kind of gadgets like a sidebar etc. You can even put the Expat Forum rss feed on the side of your desktop...
Of course you need to find new drivers, codecs, and the lot, and not all you need is there, but after a week of searching and experimenting you have a good working installation, (complete with Apache server and PHP), which no doubt will improve after manufacturers get the hang of Vista. It took Firefox until to a few weeks ago (v 2.0.0.2) to make things sort of right.
Ok, lets update the normal PC to Vista 64 bits, after all that's the future, back up all thats important (and lets not forget anything, which I of course did).
The world (or at least mine) is not yet ready for the 64 bits version of Vista I am afraid, to many things are not working as they should, have 32 bits stuff, which works only half the time.
Back to 32 bits, where I can only utilize 3.2 GB of the 4 GB installed memory.
In the mean time I needed some serial numbers for Vista, and my brother bought an Official Vista in the Netherlands, and just mailed me the serial. But I needed a second one, and this I ordered later, complete with the packaging and Official DVD's, from the Netherlands as well, came through DHL.
I don't really need new hardware for Vista, I already have a very fast PC, but hee lets throw in a new processor (Intel E6700), but I couldn't get it in Indonesia, tried in Denpasar, Surabaya and Jakarta.
Asked Matsaleh to get it in Oz before she came here, she tried hard in the last days, but didn't succeed....
So finally I asked SteffandShaz to buy one in Brisbane, and DHL it to me, and it's now in Singapore on transit to Bali....
Thanks Mats, SteffandShaz, my Brother, and of course Bill, the rest is up to the Gods.... :)
(Oh and if you want Vista, you can borrow my DVD, you just need to buy a serial in another country and have it mailed to you as long as they don't have it here)
