Windows Beta Testing

Sansui

Why is it that WE have to do the beta testing for Microsoft everytime they come out with a new OS? It used to be that beta testing was done "in house". At least it seems like we do the beta testing and it only costs us each a couple of hundred dollars for this privilege if we choose to upgrade.

Just a thought or two...

janmike

So Gates can save money. Besides, consumers provide the best feedback.

dudeinaroom

I was In the beta testing program. From my experience the os was not to bad. There were a couple driver I would have like to of seen from ms, but I managed to get stuff working. I had a sound card that was like 4 years old, and not supported by Vista, Or Turtle Beach(the maker of the card). What I did was a little research on the card, and others experiences. What I ended up doing was A dual boot of xp, and vista. I installed the card under vista using the latest drivers, and it fails. After it fails , you reinstall, this time using the drivers that are already installed under xp(find were the drivers are installed under xo, and tell vista to look there for them, and all was well.
Since then I have built a new computer, and installed xp. I am going to install Vista on the machine pretty soon. It will be a dual boot machine as before.
And as far as MS wanting you to pay 100-200 for the retail version, They sent all of the people in the beta program a 32 bit and 64 bit versions of Vista ultimate for free ( which is the only reason I am not waiting a year or 2 to buy it).

wallstreet

Too many combinations of hardware/software to test in house.