Are You Windows Vista Ready?
Posted on 12 October 2006, at 5:45 pm, by Judie Lipsett
Larry Liaw sent me a link that I think most computer owners will want to click because it tells if your computer is optimised to run the next version of Windows.
I recently bought a Toshiba Satellite A-105, which I absolutely love. I just upgraded its RAM to 2GB and I thought it was 100% ready for Vista…it even came with a little sticker that touted “Vista Ready!”
I figured no problem, I’ll pass with flying colors.
Take a look at this - my video card failed.
click thumbnail to enlarge
Now doesn’t that just figure?!
Evidently I am not the only one, scroll down and see one of Larry’s forum member’s results. Poo!
Update: Larry just brought up a very good point - “for that Vista Ready testing tool, don’t be too [worried] about your video spec. since this diagnostic tool is issued by ATI… a Video card manufacturer”
Ha! Too true!! I wonder what they might like to sell me to bring me up to spec?! 
October 12th, 2006 at 6:12 pm
My system passed everything on the Min tab, passed everything on the Rec and Opt tabs as well, except for my video card.
Seems if I had a graphics firmware update, then maybe I would, but it could be a hardware limitation.
I suppose I might need a new computer - I’m running a laptop here…
October 12th, 2006 at 6:49 pm
Me too, laptop I mean. Maybe Vista just doesn’t like laptops?
Or maybe the video card isn’t a feature that will really matter. (One can hope)
October 13th, 2006 at 4:10 am
From what I’ve read you need a high end graphics card to run all the new ‘cool-guy’ graphics that make it look pretty, and most laptops (and desktops) won’t have a good enough one unless you’ve paid out big bucks for that gaming laptop. That said, you’ll still be able to run Vista, it just won’t look as fancy.
October 13th, 2006 at 9:33 am
From what I understand, in order to get the Vista Glass UI, your video card needs to have 128MB of video RAM. However, T39andcounting is right. Vista should run, but it won’t look as spiffy…
October 13th, 2006 at 9:41 am
T39, I could probably live with slightly diminished graphics. I probably won’t even know what I am missing.
I’ve actually installed Vista on a 2004 Dell, and it seems to run and look fine…even though its video card also failed. Noticing a pattern here?
According to the desktop’s report, 32MB of Video RAM is required, my DT has 92.5MB. What killed me was that Vista requires “Pixel Shader Ver. 2.0″, and I have not got it at all.
Whatever!