Windows Vista Resources

Title: South Park Mac vs. PC
Author: huber7
Comments:

A parody of the Mac vs. PC commercials with South Park characters. Created as the final project for a multimedia production class at California State University Northridge (CSUN).

There’s an error in the credits: South Park studio is at www.sp-studio.de .

Software used for animation: Flash 8 Pro
Software used for sound: Cool Edit 2000

Title: Nintendo Gamecube
Author: Snakeuk
Comments: Nintendo Gamecube theme for windows XP
Installation: To load this theme, we recommend TuneUp Styler 2, part of the award-winning TuneUp Utilities 2007. Or, use the free Multi-Patcher to patch your uxtheme.dll file to allow you to load un-signed themes and visual styles.

Download Nintendo Gamecube

Title: XBOX2
Author: lbunn4
Comments:Dark xbox theme, I like the design more than the xbox side of it though. It is rather good, didnt make it though and I’m not sure how did, sorry.
Installation: To load this theme, we recommend TuneUp Styler 2, part of the award-winning TuneUp Utilities 2007. Or, use the free Multi-Patcher to patch your uxtheme.dll file to allow you to load un-signed themes and visual styles.

Download XBOX2

Title: Xbox 360
Author: LightStar
Comments: Exclusive to Belchfire.net. Xbox 360 Theme with two wallpapers, shellstyle and custom sounds. For all the Xbox360 lovers out there!

Includes WindowBlinds version as well.
Installation: To load this theme, we recommend TuneUp Styler 2, part of the award-winning TuneUp Utilities 2007 . Or, use the free Multi-Patcher to patch your uxtheme.dll file to allow you to load un-signed themes and visual styles.

Download Xbox 360

Title: PS3 Visual Theme
Author: LightStar
Comments: The PlayStation 3 visual theme is an exclusive creation for Belchfire by LightStar Technologies! Contains a visual style for Style XP/UXTHEME.DLL patched systems, as well as a Windowblinds theme! Enjoy!
Installation: To load this theme, we recommend TuneUp Styler 2, part of the award-winning TuneUp Utilities 2007. Or, use the free Multi-Patcher to patch your uxtheme.dll file to allow you to load un-signed themes and visual styles.

Download PS3 Visual Theme

Question: I am considering upgrading from Windows XP to Windows Vista but am worried my broadband modem may not be compatible.

I use an AOL-supplied BT Voyager 105 modem. I ran the Windows Vista: Upgrade Advisor but the advice was confusing. There were two possible references: PPPoEWin Miniport and Globespan USB ADSL LAN Modem. There was no compatibility advice so I don’t know whether I should upgrade.

Answer: AOL is not providing drivers for some older USB modems it has supplied for broadband customers. These include the BT Voyager 50, BT Voyager 100, BT Voyager 105, Thompson Speedtouch 330 and Alcatel Speedtouch.

Their advice is to buy an Ethernet-based modem or modem router. These connect to the Ethernet network socket on the back of the computer.

This socket looks like the one for the modem but is wider. If the computer does not have the socket, an internal card can be bought cheaply. An example is the Belkin 10/100 Network PCI card, which costs around £10.

Source: What PC?

Vendors are continuing to sell and support Windows XP, as some users struggle with Vista incompatibilities with existing software and hardware.

BOSTON - David Daoud ran into trouble when he started using Vista, the new version of Windows that Microsoft Corp.( MSFT) and PC makers have spent millions of dollars advertising since it came out six months ago.

He said it short-circuited key software programs he counts on: Quicken for balancing his checkbook, Lotus Notes e-mail and a networking program that connects his home to the office. His Sony camcorder also doesn’t communicate with the PC properly.

“Basically they don’t work,” said Daoud, a computer industry analyst with market research firm IDC.

Such problems are part of the normal growing pains that come with every major upgrade to the Windows operating system.

To ease those pains, some consumers are seeking out machines equipped with the more compatible Windows XP. That’s prompted some PC makers and retailers to give the older operating system more room in their product lines.

Hewlett-Packard( HP) Co. and Dell Inc.( Dell) recently started selling XP machines on their Web sites. Lenovo Group Ltd. and Toshiba Corp. also offer similarly equipped machines.

Microsoft has done its best to get Vista off to a strong start, making it compatible with more than 2 million different types of hardware.

The effort seems to be paying off. The company late on Thursday reported quarterly revenue of $13.4 billion, up 13 percent from last year, citing help from strong Vista sales.

Microsoft says most people using Vista are pleased with it and that nearly all software and hardware is compatible.

Still, some companies have been slow to respond to Microsoft’s call for upgrades. Consumers have taken note.

Craig Rabe, owner of the Computer Cafe, an independent computer store in Arlington, Massachusetts, says he received so many complaints about Vista after it was launched in February that he stopped selling machines loaded with the software.

“People came back and said, ‘Please, will you take this off and replace it with XP,” he said.

ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE?

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is advising incoming freshmen to buy PCs loaded with Windows XP.

“XP is still fully functional. It’s what people are familiar with,” said Jon Hunt, who made the decision for MIT. But he expects MIT will soon start supporting Vista.

Among retailers, CompUSA says it has the widest selection of XP machines, something it plans to tout during the busy back-to-school sales season.

Circuit City Stores Inc. offers nine XP models on its Web site. Best Buy Co. does not carry XP machines.

The Windows User Group says Vista is an “awesome” system and all of its employees use it. But the company, which provides technical advice on Windows and runs online communities, cautions that the switch can be uncomfortable.

“My father-in-law, my niece, my accountant — they all have computers running XP now. If they put Vista on top, not everything is going to work,” said vice president Joel Diamond.

Microsoft says it has put a lot of effort into working with other companies to solve any problems.

“There are some products that don’t work with it,” said Windows group product manager Justin Jed. “But … the data shows louder than the anecdotes that people are having a great experience with Windows Vista.”

He says 72 percent of users have a “favorable” view of Vista, 8 percent “unfavorable,” with the rest neutral.

What’s more, about 96 percent of all printers, keyboards, mice, scanners and other devices in use are compatible with Vista, as are about 2,000 software programs, including 49 of the current 50 best-selling retail titles, he says.

But while Adobe recently introduced a version of Photoshop professional that works with Vista, customers with the previous edition have to pay $199 for an upgrade.

Norton SystemWorks, a $70 security program, has yet to be made Vista compatible though the company says it is in the works. TiVo software for linking to PCs is also incompatible.

Microsoft declined to comment on specific problems.

“We are going after the ones that impact the most customers,” Jed said. “Obviously you cannot be all things to all people.”

Title: Many Users Cling To Windows XP In The Face Of Vista Problems
Author: Jim Finkle
Date: 20 Jul 2007
Source: Information Week

Title: Halo 3 Theme
Author: LightStar
Comments: Yet another exclusive theme here at Belchfire from LightStar Technologies! You can’t beat this one, seeing is believing! Comes complete with numerous custom desktop wallpapers and actual public domain game screen shots, 11 desktop wallpapers in all! Widescreen and standard res versions included! Enjoy all!

A WindowBlinds version of this Halo 3 theme for XP can be found here.
Installation: To load this theme, we recommend TuneUp Styler 2, part of the award-winning TuneUp Utilities 2007. Or, use the free Multi-Patcher to patch your uxtheme.dll file to allow you to load un-signed themes and visual styles.

Download Halo 3 Theme

Title: Wii VS Theme
Author: LightStar
Comments: Once again here is another great exclusive to the site from LightStar Technologies that you will definitely want for your collection! I hope you enjoy it!
Installation: To load this theme, we recommend TuneUp Styler 2, part of the award-winning TuneUp Utilities 2007 . Or, use the free Multi-Patcher to patch your uxtheme.dll file to allow you to load un-signed themes and visual styles.

Download Wii VS Theme

Driven to the brink of extinction on ice-covered wastelands, humankind fights to survive. From extreme conditions and insurgent Snow Pirates to hostile gargantuan alien Akrid, all that you can trust are your instincts.

Combining a gripping single player campaign and intense multiplayer modes with support for up to 16 players online, Lost Planet is an epic gaming masterpiece. Enormous world maps unfold as players battle across vast snow fields and deserted cities either on foot or in armed, robotic Vital Suits.

• Intense action - Lost Planet is a fast-paced third-person shooter with all the depth, intrigue, and intensity of a science fiction classic.
• Enhanced DirectX 10 graphics
• Battle hordes of colossal Akrid
• Foot and vehicle based gameplay - Command highly powered armed vehicles and weapons, including transformable snow vessels, not only to help players traverse the treacherous terrain, but to eliminate enemies that lie ahead. Or, strategically switch from vehicles to on-foot gameplay as dictated by the situation.
• Vast environments - Snowstorms, arctic winds, towering buildings and mountains of ice are all stunningly realized as battles occur above and below ground, creating a truly immersive and cinematic event of epic proportions.
• Intense 16 multiplayer action
• Command heavily armored Vital Suits

System Requirements

Download Lost Planet™: Extreme Condition

Title: Lost Planet™: Extreme Condition
Developer: CAPCOM®
Publisher: CAPCOM®