Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit for System Builders [DVD] [Old Version]

by Microsoft

Product Features

• Operating System - Windows Vista Home Premium
• Languages - English
• Media - DVD
• Media Type - DVD-ROM

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.9 x 3.9 x 3.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000MFDJ1A
• Item model number: 66I-00715
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 5, 2007
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,181 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #28 in Software > Operating Systems > Microsoft Windows > Windows Vista
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

The preferred edition of Windows for home desktop and mobile PCs, with features including Windows Media Center and the Aero user interface, Windows Vista Home Premium delivers the productivity and entertainment that you need from your PC at home or on the go.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars If you need a new computer, February 25, 2007

By 

JoeW "JoeW" (Pittsburgh, Pa) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit for System Builders [DVD] [Old Version] (DVD-ROM)

there's no reason not to get a Vista box. It's fairly stable, but not without it's bugs. In the 2 weeks I've been using it, I would say it runs into more problems than XP. But recovering from those pitfalls is smoother than XP. On the whole, it's a wash as an upgrade.

If you have a stable XP box that meets your needs, there's no compelling reason to make the switch. The software is on the pricey side, but the expense is not limited to that alone. To get the most from the new bells and whistles of the Premium edition, you'll probably need to upgrade some hardware for the new Aero graphic interface.

Some of Aero is nice. The sidebar gadgets are nifty, as is the flip between windows feature. OTOH, the transparent title bars get old after a few days and it locks you into a default lilac color scheme for the menubars and whatnot. You can revert to a classic window layout with complete control over the appearance, but it takes away Aero's nicer features when you do. I'd much prefer it if I could keep the sidebar and window flip, without being tied to Aero's window appearance. Maybe they'll fix this annoyance in a future upgrade, then again, maybe they won't.

By far, the biggest annoyance with this OS is the security 'feature' designed to protect your computer from - you. Sometimes it seems you click more warning and approval boxes than you do just using the computer. You can disable this completely - at a price. It can cause some software - such as Adobe Acrobat to not install. Like with the Aero feature, it's all or nothing. There are no in between settings. Switching back and forth between the settings also carries a price. After the required reboot, many personal settings, passwords, cookies, etc are gone. The thing to do is to set up a user account with each setting and switch back and forth as needed. Again, maybe they will fix this aggravation in a future upgrade.

Sooner or later, all PC users will be using this OS. It's inescapable and we all know it. That said, there is nothing about Vista Home Premium that should make you feel any need to rush into it.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Buyer beware, February 16, 2007

By 

Kenneth H. Howard IV (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit for System Builders [DVD] [Old Version] (DVD-ROM)

vista home 32 premium OEM is OK.
Just be sure that your hardware is relatively new.
My Lexmark printer and Sound Blaster Live card are
not going to be supported in this OS. If your happy
with your system and arent buying a new computer for awhile
get the OEM its cheaper and is the same as the $100 more on.
I recommend waiting to buy Vistas till the first service pack
comes out, Vistas is still unstable. I am getting Blue Screens
of Death daily (yeah they brought it back, grrr). But it did fix
problems that I had with my video card and once more companies make
their product Vistas compatible I would give this product 4 stars.
No 5 stars since they released a product far far to early.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great, but not for pc hardware more than a year old !!, May 6, 2007

By 

R. Walker "rw266" (Sussex, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit for System Builders [DVD] [Old Version] (DVD-ROM)

It's fast, cool looking, & more stable than XP BUT if you have a pc with any hardware thats more than a year old you take your chances.
The problem is DRIVERS !! while Vista has a pretty large
built-in driver base there are many video cards, soundcards
network cards, printers,digital cameras, usb devices etc that have no driver support and probably never will.
This is not all Vists'a fault, the oem manufacturers of these items
want you to buy their new models and don't want to spend the $$ to
re-write drivers for Vista. While some of the XP drivers will work
they can also make Vista unstable and prone to freeze (especially USB devices) which kinda defeats the purpose of getting Vista.