New computer!
I finally got my new computer! Hooray!
I have now, for the first time, tried the (in)famous Vista, and I actually find it pretty good! I can't understand why people are so negative about it. Sure, the UAC is a real bugger, but the OS does have better features. It also has (pretty good, unlike XP) x64 support.
A lot of people have complained about x64 being slower than x86. This is indeed true, if you benchmark using 32-bit apps. If you run 32-bit apps on a 64-bit OS, they have to be emulated. If you do the same test with 64-bit-optimised programs, you'll find it's actually faster.
I've had some trouble with my GFX card, a pretty nice HD4870 from Sapphire. According to Sapphire I was the only one having the issue, but I don't believe them. I guess it's got to do with the firmware/ATI drivers.