Windows Vista???

[scottbot]

Hi,
Is anyone running their Bot on Windows Vista with success?
As much as I don't like it, it seems like it is going to be forced upon us in the next year when Windows reduces the support for XP.

Scott

[larry_r]

Scott

I run Vista Home basic on my Bot. I went in to the msconfig file and unchecked a lot of the startup and services items. I occasionally have a problem if I leave both the computer and the control box on for a couple of days. Now I just turn off the control box at the end of the day. Seems to work well.

Larry

[bill.young]

Hey Scott,

I'm currently cutting a job with 2 PRSalpha ShopBots and identical Dell Vostro computers... one running XP Pro and one running Vista Business. In the last 2 weeks we've cut 400+ sheets of 3/4" ply and 40 sheets of 3/4" HDPE and haven't had any problems with the Vista computer. I did turn "User Account Controls' off and the fancy Vista interface graphics, but no other modifications.

Bill

[scottbot]

Hey,
Thanks Larry and Bill.
Glad to hear that Vista will work with the ShopBot.
I don't really want to go with Vista but it looks like Windows is going to pull the plug on XP next year sometime. It will still be supported but I don't think we can expect driver support for new hardware.

Bill,
I'm considering getting a Vostro. How do you like the one you have been using?

Scott

[bill.young]

Hi Scott,

I like them a lot. I bought two of the "slim tower" versions at the same time because I wanted to mount them on shelves on the wall to be near the tools so I needed a small profile, and they are identical except for the operating system...one has XP Pro and the other has Vista.

They were basically the ~$450 package that Dell currently has on sale with 2 gigs of Ram and a 20" flat panel monitor, with an additional $100 for the operating system upgrade. I also bumped up the video card, just in case I wanted to use Rhino or some other graphics-intensive program at some point, but that wouldn't be necessary to just run the ShopBot.

We just finished cutting the last of the 3/4" material yesterday for the MOMA house...540 sheets of ply and 40 of HDPE in a little more than 2 weeks...and didn't have any problems at all with either computer.

Bill

[thecustomsignshop]

Have used Vista, no issues yet.

[scottbot]

Hi Bill,
Thanks for the reply. I didn't know Dell made a desktop model of the Vostro. I'm looking at the notebook version. It suits the kind of work I do better than a desktop. I don't imagine there would be any difference, problem wise, between the two. Sometimes you just have to go for it and live with the results good or bad.
Having said that, I just can't bring myself to go with Vista. Even though others are using it with no problems I have enough to learn with the new ShopBot without having to fiddle with Vista too.
Besides, my geek buddy said he would hit me in the mouth if I get Vista.

Thanks to all who have replied.

So, I finally finished the assembly of my new Bot last night. It was getting late but I just HAD to cut something. Anything. I didn't really matter. A little circle or square would have jazzed me just fine.
I snapped the collet into the holder like I've read in the forum and chucked the V bit into it. Tightened it up and turned on the Control Box. Went through the warm-up for the Spindle like I was told to. Turned on the computer.
It was soooo close now. All the months of work on the shop. The endless flow of money to the building centre. Finally it had all come together. Tonight I was going to cut some rigid styrofoam all the while grinning like the village idiot.

Alas. It wasn't to be.
The hard drive had failed and stubbornly refused to give it one more go.

Hence my interest in the new Dell.

Tomorrow, I'm going to tear my desktop computer from the comfort of the house set it up in the shop and cut some styrofoam.

I hope...

[hespj]

Bill, what's the MOMA house?

JOhn

[bill.young]

Hey John,

It's a New Orleans style CNC-cut house that's going to be displayed at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York this summer. I haven't had time to write up much about the project while it's running but have an info page with a webcam at http://cam.shopbotwiki.com and Ted's written a blog posting about his visit up here last week at http://www.shopbottools.com/teds_report.htm

Bill

FYI, we're starting to cut the ornamentation for the facade today