[Houdini]

Just bought this to help make bigger and better techno in '09.

But what I want to know is:  can OS language be changed at user-level in windows vista?  And if so, how does one achieve that?

[GCW]

Control Panel> globe and clock icon (regional & language settings) - go to the 4th tab - press the first
(administrative) button - then you choose the language.

I think 

[Bubba]

I think multi-language support is only enabled in the Ultimate or Enterprise versions of Vista so I don't think you can do it.

There appears to be a way to hack it - have a look here.

But if it was me I'd just get a snide copy of XP SP3 Pro Student Edition and install that instead.

[GCW]

Yeah, if my suggestion doesn't work you may need to get a Multilingual User Interface Pack.

Or fuck it off and go to XP 

[Houdini]

Thanks for the gen.   But is it not the case that some new laptops are unable to operate sans vista?  I've been informed that that's the case by a PC nerd.  Bull?

[GCW]

Straight from the horse's mouth.

I can't see a new system not working with XP.  Yeah, you'd need new drivers for some stuff plus you may not use all 4GB of RAM but I can't think of any insurmountable obstacle.

Let me know how you get on with your language.  I don't use Vista but I'm always interested to hear how good it is.

[slackline]

Third alternative is to sack it off and install Linux (Ubuntu would be an easy choice), then run windows (vista or xp or both) under VMware.

Can't help but bang the penguin drum

I don't use Vista but I'm always interested to hear how goodcrap it is.

 

[Bubba]

In some cases the manufacturer may not have written XP compatible drivers and there are only Vista ones.

I guess Samsung should be able to answer that one for you but whether they will or not is anyone's guess.

Can't help but bang the penguin drum  

Don't think that's going to be a great solution for running hungry audio apps with as low latency as possible...

[GCW]

Slackers, are you admitting that Linux isn't as good/compatible as it could be and we should compromise by installing...... XP?  

[slackline]

Can't help but bang the penguin drum  

Don't think that's going to be a great solution for running hungry audio apps with as low latency as possible...

Should be ok with enough RAM (4Gb is plenty), the OS won't use up more than 400Mb max (certainly less than Vista likely would!) especially if theres not much else running than VMware (e.g. not watching or editing movies under linux, browsing with hundreds of tabs )

Slackers, are you admitting that Linux isn't as good/compatible as it could be and we should compromise by installing...... XP?  

No install Linux and then run Windows under an emulator as the music software probably isn't available for Linux. (You can use the same VMware to run a linux installation (and other OS's) under Windows too, its useful for cross-platform development, not that I do any).

[GCW]

Does that work for video stuff too?

Besides, if Linux was any cop, there'd be decent music editing suites to run on it

[Houdini]

I'm not opposed to using vista.  I just want it to do what I want painlessly.  There are skinny versions (plus tweaks) of XP for music production so I assume there are (by now) for vista?

The problem is that this PC must be used for other trash such as surfing etc.. and I'd prefer to work in english language for speed, but we're in Germany and my partner is German.  So...

LINUX is interesting, I'll need to read up on it to understand it better.  The reason I bought PC and not mac (ignoring cost) is that if someone sends me (PC) sound files to make a rmx, I want to be able to do that w/ as little shenanigans as possible.  How do I stand then, if I choose LINUX ?

[Bubba]

Linux will support all the usual file types, you'd just have to pass them through to the copy of XP running in VMWare.

In the copy of VMWare I've got you just move them into a shared folder that both the host OS and the VMWare OS can access.

Presumably all the best Linux distros will be, or will support multi-language to please both you and the Frauline.

[slackline]

Does that work for video stuff too?

Yes, its essentially like having two computers running at the same time, one the host, for you this would be windows, then running VMware which is an emulator, like the ones you can get for old computers/games consoles, which runs the whole second operating system, which could be anything, you could run a second windows system if you wanted to surf the net insecurely to test out web-sites and security, or run a Linux distro and any of the software thats available for the OS.

Besides, if Linux was any cop, there'd be decent music editing suites to run on it

  People who write the software write it for the OS's their customers run.  There are tools though, Audacity is pretty good at what it does and is cross platform.  I did look into music production oreintated distros a few years ago for a friend, there are more around now (some aimed at video too).

You could go the the whole hog (uses a 6000 processor cluster using Linux for the filesystem which is 200TB)

[Bubba]

There's nothing like Ableton Live for Linux.

It's also worth pointing out that VMWare isn't exactly cheap.

[slackline]

The problem is that this PC must be used for other trash such as surfing etc.. and I'd prefer to work in english language for speed, but we're in Germany and my partner is German.  So...

Never done it, but I'd imagine most desktops (I'd recommend GNOME or Xfce4 later option use Xubuntu) allow you to configure each users account for their preferred language (see the post from johnraff near the bottom who has it configured for English and Japanese).

LINUX is interesting, I'll need to read up on it to understand it better.  The reason I bought PC and not mac (ignoring cost) is that if someone sends me (PC) sound files to make a rmx, I want to be able to do that w/ as little shenanigans as possible.  How do I stand then, if I choose LINUX ?

If you use the emulator approach and run windows under VMware then its just like running it as though its installed on your copmuter (well, technically you need to get some minor issues resolved with the file-systems, basically run an additional piece of software called Samba which makes Linux file-systems available to windows OS's).

There's nothing like Ableton Live for Linux.

Agreed thats why I was thinking of the VMware solution.  There are of course some native tools, but not as sophisticated as the software you want to use.

It's also worth pointing out that VMWare isn't exactly cheap.

Another emulator which doesn't require running a whole second operating system is WINE and it is free, although I reckon the more robust solution is to use VMware.  Of course, software piracy is the tyranny of the 21st centuary 

[Houdini]

I'm too tipsy to get my head around WINE right now slackers.   

[slackline]

The Linux approach is viable, but may require a bit of work.  Installation with Xubuntu would be pretty straight-forward I'd imagine.  No doubt take a little while to get used to a new desktop, but it shouldn't be that unfamiliar as long as you don't expect everything to be identical to M$.

The work will likely come in setting up VMware etc.

I just threw it in as an option (and thought it might appeal to the obsessive facets of your personality  ).  If you want to start making headway straight-away I'd say go for the M$ solution, but if you've time on your hands to play around its worth trying out.

In fact you can try it out without any hassles, just download the ISO image burn it to a CD, leave it in the drive, reboot, and boot from the CD (either hit a button to allow you to choose what device to boot from, or if your BIOS doesn't have this option go into the setup and change the order of devices used in booting).  Let the disc run and you'll be up and running the Xubuntu GNU/Linux distribution.  Start browsing, checking out the applications (Office for office-type shit etc. etc.).  Not sure if WINE comes bundled so don't think you'd be able to try it out from here but it would give you a feel for the desktop environment.  You can then repeat and select the second language (German) you would like to see how that pans out too.

[Houdini]

If I can successfully blank the HD of this old laptop I will install Xubuntu/LINUX just for a laugh.  This laptop is half dead, and I've long given up trying to defragment one of the partitions but w/ patience it may be possible.

[slackline]

Let me know if you've any questions, always happy to be distracted from work