It is even easier in Vista to do what you are complaining about. Follow these steps to get to the Recording and other Audio functions easily:

1.: Right click on the volume control on the task bar.
2. Select Recording Devices, Playback Devices, sounds

Thats it!…I hope that helps.

No effing way. Not likely. Not even possible.

like for vista, when i run skype and other voice chatting programs, I am constantly switching between certain audio settings

in windows xp, i can double click on the volume control icon in the taskbar then click on options and properties then select recording and i can change the recording sources, but in vista, you have to go through more steps and more windows and other crap to get to it.

in vista, they took commonly used settings and buried them deeper into windows settings making them more annoying to get to

theres also this fact of this pattern with games (does it really matter if they added new effects when your gaming users are giving up overall performance for a new look which is the only really noticeable change in the OS)

hellgate london

Minimum System Requirements:

OS: Windows XP with SP2 or Windows Vista
CPU: 1.8 GHz or faster (2.4 GHz for Vista)
RAM: 1 GB (2GB for Vista) or more
Disc Drive: DVD drive
Hard Drive: 7.0 GB or more free space
Video Device: Directx 9.0c/10 compatible
Sound: DirectX 9.0c/10 compatible
Input: Compatible Keyboard and mouse
Video card with 128 MB or more memory, Pixel Shader 2.0, and one of these chipsets is required:
ATI Radeon 9000 or greater
NVIDIA GeForce 6200 or greater
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 recommended for DirectX 10

I linked to that article because you are “starting” to write like “some” of those people described ….. read many of the comments left for you and many are seeing that also. If not, you sure do come across as such.

You stated “..I’m not a Windows hater, and I resent that you would label me as such… ”

I NEVER once said “you” were a Windows/Vista hater …..The “Haters” I spoke of were posters that no matter what you say they write those stupid statements (Vista sucks, garbage, after 30 min i hated it, etc… ), even though they never really spent anytime time using the O/S”. ..

I also said in reference of you being wowed by apples features …”I am not sure you even used those features before being wowed”
you came back with “You’re also incorrect in assuming that I haven’t seen the features in person”

Where in that statement did I assume you did not use the OS…all I said was ” i wasnt sure” .

I said that because some reviewers have used it and saw maybe a couple of features to be really wowed about. But that may change when it finally comes out. I am sure It is going to be a good upgrade for many but ultimately they called it typical hype (referring to the “features”" ). But again i guess it depends on who is reviewing it.

I just wish you would lighten up on the constant cup half way empty P.O.V when it comes to Vista.

thats all i will say on this subject … well, for now….. Chris take care

Network file and web access to sites are very much slower to connect, but download data is almost as fast on Vista, once connected.

This could be the result of the “outbound” firewall rules in Vista.
It is very noticeable and an annoying delay.

But, I have to admit, I have not done any of the tweaks to Vista yet.

I’m talking “out of the box” installs for each OS.

–Brian

The internal improvements in Windows Vista are worth waiting for:
http://www.chrisblanc.org/blog/web/2007/09/04/windows-vista/

I am a multi-OS user. I have XP on my work laptop, and at home my main desktop is OS X (power mac G4 from 2002), I have an ibook as well, and a Dell E521 that I purchased in April that’s running Vista, and dual boots into Ubuntu. Other than adding 2GB of RAM to the Dell (total 3GB), I have done nothing else.

Consider this: 90% of my computer problems stem from the Vista PC, a computer I use maybe 10% of the time. I have a Windows PC that’s easily twice as fast as my old power mac, but I don’t use it! It’s delegated to encoding video (which often blue screens the computer, don’t get me started), Burning DL-DVD’s, and to my wife’s chatting, email, web. I am much more productive on the Mac. I really tried to like vista, and feel I have put some real time into using it over the past 6 months, but there are just too many issues which even SP1 or SP2 or SP75 will never fix.

The thing that gets me is these people who assume a Mac user doesn’t have any experience with Windows. When in fact it’s probably the other way around. Windows is all around us. At least 85% of Mac users also use Windows on a daily basis because they are either forced to at work, or even choose to own a windows PC like myself. I bet you can’t say that for the countless windows users who spout off FUD about the Mac platform. In fact you are probably looking at 85% of those people that have never actually spent more than 30-min in front of a modern OS X based Mac.

I have spend REAL time in front of Win95/98/NT/2k/XP/Vista AND OS X 10.2 – 10.4. As in I have owned computers that ran all of these. I don’t have enough real time in front of Linux yet to comment on that. I’m certainly not a Microsoft “hater”, heck I even own an xbox360 for my gaming needs.

I’m a power user, and can tell you with years of experience doing just about everything there is to do on a computer, that there is not one SINGLE thing that I can’t get done on a Mac. Sometimes there’s not the specific program you have on windows, but there’s another available that gets the job done (and often it’s easier to use). Often (not always) it’s easier to get tasks done on the Mac. For basic users (which most people are) a Mac is a no-brainer. For people that need a specific app, or the very small (but vocal) gamer group, not so much, stick with Windows for now.

Overall, more often than not, it’s just easier, with less crashes and instabilities to get things done. For the other 3% of tasks, that’s what my Vista PC comes in handy for. Now that intel based Macs can dual boot, or run windows from a virtual machine, those 3% of tasks are easily handled from a single Mac computer.

Consider this: Until you have put real time in front of both OS X and Windows, kindly keep your mouths shut, you offer nothing of use to anyone or anything but your egos. Mind share is changing, don’t be the guy that get laughed at years from now when we find your old forum posts spewing off constant FUD regarding an OS you had no real experience with :)

Another comment I’m tired of is people saying switch to Mac. Mac’s are not for everyone! NO OPERATING SYSTEM IS KING. Every operating system sucks in some way shape or form. If there was a perfect OS no one would have any complaints to begin with… if there were no problems Chris would not have near as much to blog about.

I guess I am also tired of hearing the simple ignorant statement of “Windows Vista sucks” and that is it. Seriously if you even want to have an argument present some facts, or how about say something like Windows Vista isn’t working for me therefor I now use Windows XP/Linux/Mac whatever. Chris is not alone in his issues with Vista. I have issues with Vista, other users have issues with Vista. It all depends on so many different factors there is no possible way to say it is good or bad for everyone. Example while I am using Windows Vista I have several issues that I have to work around. Some USB devices STILL do not work right or at all with Windows Vista… I get around this by using Virtual Box. HOWEVER my parents, who just browse the internet, pay bills online and check there email are literally IN LOVE with this operating system. They love all the little things it does… they love UAC!!! I don’t know why but they love the fact that they can sit and read a box for a few minutes to make sure they are actually doing what they are trying to do. This was also in XP SP2 but they also love the security center. Its actually funny my dad opens up the security center and makes sure everything says OK before connecting to the internet. If he were to comment about Windows Vista he would say he loves this / that and Aero and etc. So… same Operating System… Vista Ultimate… One loves it to death and me… content but not quite happy yet.

My grandparents still use Windows 98 SE. Why I don’t know… I have insisted they let me put Windows XP on it but they refuse. They love their computer just the way it is. Just another example of how everyone has different needs and wants… Some love vista, some use XP and some still use Windows 98 on 10yr old computers.

Now… if I threw a Mac or Vista or Linux at people like my grandparents at this point… they would be scared to use it. Especially Linux. They would have no idea what to do or where to begin and would probably have me put Windows 98 back on it. Some people will stay in there comfort zone and are to scared to leave it. I honestly think that some people who always rant Windows in general are scared of it… as people who always rants about “Windows pWnS Mac OS X” are scared of OS X. As a computer enthusiast I have used every operating system I could get my hands on and I’m just a Windows guy… If Windows Vista… or at least windows vistas successor in 2009 (AKA 2012) does not improve in some important areas… I may purchase a MacBook Pro. Does this mean I hate Windows or Microsoft? No.. this is what chris is trying to get at. He is going to use what he feels best suits his needs just like everyone else. PERIOD. Most people find Windows there home.. why? PC’s are cheaper and who doesn’t know how to work Windows. Now when I say cheaper… well you get what you pay for. Example my laptop which was 650 dollars is a cheaper laptop… its not a 1000+ MacBook Pro.. some would say yeah PC’s are cheaper blah blah. No.. I got what I paid for.. My Windows Laptops Hardware is significantly less then a Macbook Pro. ATI Integrated Graphics VS nVidia 8600? GTM, Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2ghz vs AMD Turion 64 x2 1.6ghz, etc

My point is its time to stop the silly operating system war once and for all and I think chris would agree with me. Its silly to fight over which one is better. I saw this in a youtube video about Vista’s release and it is extremely true.

“Do you think Mac OS X’s upcoming Leopard is going to be competition for Windows Vista?” – Reporter

“No, I think that Windows has established a name for itself and it will boil down to people who like Windows will use Windows while people who don’t might use an alternative desktop. It really boils down to what the consumer wants to use. There will be exceptions and everyday people switch from a windows pc to a macintosh pc and vice versa but I think its safe to say that people who like Windows will use Windows.” – Bill Gates (I quoted that as best as memory could serve Bill tends to drag his answers on and repeat himself.)

I couldn’t have said it better myself Bill. Even he knows and understands the simple fact that could end this whole OS war we have here these days.

People will use what they like and what best suits them.

PERIOD!

-TheDub