Warning: Windows Vista & Your Metadata

Please forgive if this has been posted previously, I did a search and did not

see a reference to it.

 

http://www.photographypress.co.uk/news/news.phtml/6097/7121/vista-metadata-

problems-digital-camera.phtml

 

*** QUOTE ***

 

Vista messes with your digital camera metadata

Editing metadata through Photo Info may render the file unreadable in Photoshop

by Amber Maitland

 

12 February 2007 - Photographers be warned before jumping in with both feet to

Microsoft Vista -- you might want to reconsider using its metadata editing

tools for the time being.

 

The Photo Info tool is designed to make it easy for you to edit the metadata

or your image without using a standalone application, but it seems that

Microsoft has not worked out all the kinks in the system yet.

 

To start with, Microsoft has posted about the problem to its support site,

saying that when you edit the software for the digital camera may no longer

recognise the metadata that is added to the photo by the camera itself.

 

Rather disappointingly, Microsoft's "workaround" suggestion says not to use

the Photo Acquisition Wizard to download photos to the hard disk, and don't

use the photo editor.

 

A recent post on the company's photo blog flags up issues with Nikon

proprietary RAW format as well.

 

It says that there have been reports that tagging the NEF files through Vista

and Photo Info makes the files unreadable in applications include Photoshop,

although they can still be opened in Nikon Capture.

 

Worrying.

 

*** END QUOTE ***

Personally, I run Linux, and I write my own software for accessing/writing EXIF data. But I thought folks who do run Vista would want to know.

Windows Vist has not been flying off the shelves or causing lines of people waiting at the counter to buy it. It is pricey and requires a lot of computer to run it. Microsoft also has come up with a new office suite which is also pricey.

 

People have been burned by buying the first release of Windows XP. They have machines that work and software that works.. and many are waiting to see what upgrades come out after the release (service packs etc.).

 

I don't care, at this point, if I EVER buy Vista. It isn't currently going to do a single thing to make my life better. It would cost me money, cost me money again to upgrade my computer and then cost me time when they have to send me service packs and patches! NO THANK YOU.

 

I have never understood the whole technology thing where something new comes out and everyone has to buy it. Same thing with digital cameras. B4 buying, take a good look at it and decide if it is any sort of big improvement or just more bells and whistles.

 

If it isn't going to deliver a better photograph, why spend the money? Just like Vista.. if it isn't going to make my computer run better, why bother????

 

Of course I still use a lot of film and my car that I bought I bought used.. so maybe I am not a good judge.

I've learned the hard way. Updated my Dell 1705 Laptop and the software went in without any problems. But my Nikon NX (have to wait for an update for vista) does not work, My System Mechanic 6 Pro doen't work (have to buy System Mechanic 7)....... But the good is that Capture 4 works flawless, CS2 works flawless, and my Nikon Capture Pro works flawless. My only disppointment was my Nikon NX. Because I use it everyday in my studio. But the good is that I didn't updat all my systems. So now it is a wait game for the updates.....Dan

You may not WANT to upgrade to Vista, but you will HAVE to: before long EVERYTHING -

including websites - will be written for Vista. If you don't run Vista you will be locked out!

 

So you will HAVE to upgrade and buy a screamingly expensive product that is teeming with

THOUSANDS of 'glitches' (and forces you to buy a new PC, and a couple dozen other,

expensive, software applications).

 

It is going to cost the average user THOUSANDS of bucks!

Whether they like it or not!

For faulty, rambling software . . .

 

Where are the consumer organisations when you need them?

I wasn't trying to start an anti-Mircosoft rant thread, just pointing out a bug that might affect readers of PN.

And I was just pointing out a 'bug' that WILL affect ALL PC and internet users, including

readers of PN!

I run Linux, it doesn't affect me. Nonsense about web pages only working on Windows machines is just that, nonsense. Mircosoft is big and monopolistic, but they're just a company. The 'net sees attempts to control it as damage and routes around it.

I'd buy an Apple computer before I'd ever buy into Vista. They've just given us all an excuse to finally make the switch.

"I run Linux, it doesn't affect me."

 

Not yet.

 

Microsoft is exerting high pressure on hardware vendors to design and build to their digital rights mangement, i.e. copy protection, architecture. This adds nontrivial, across board, hardware complexity having nothing to do with device functionality. Open source support for new generation hardware may become increasingly difficult.

I seriously doubt that Linux will be shut out by the machinations of Mircosoft, even if they were capable of controlling an industry across the board (which I do not believe they are). Linux users and developers delight in figuring out ways around stupid, dead-end, brain-dead attempts to control the 'net. It doesn't work, it won't work, and I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. Mircosoft will not be taking over the world anytime soon.

It's the "have to run vista after some years because you won't have a choice" which absolutely infuriates me. I'm not someone who condones piracy, but in this case, I'll say "go pirates". Till the time my hardware and software don't work with each other in a few years, I continue to run XP. My old iMac is great for most things. In a few years, I'll probably add another mac and go ms-less.