Windows Vista and Photoshop CS2 Compatibility?

Question

I am considering the purchase of a new computer. I have Photoshop CS2, and I am debating whether to get Windows Vista or Windows XP Pro. I have read in the database about Vista and CS2, "Installs and runs with minimal known issues." But it also states under Support for Windows Vista, "not officially." So I am wondering whether anyone has PSCS2 running under Vista, and what kinds of problems you've encountered? Thank you.

Answer 1

I have come across a severe Photoshop CS2 incompatibility with Vista.
One of my printers is an Epson Stylus R310, which prints on both paper and disc. While this model has been on the market for a number of years, many people are still using it, especially those who, like me, have added a continuous-flow ink system to it.
Epson appears to have sat back meekly and allowed Microsoft, whose programming limitations know no bounds, to produce a Vista 'driver' for the R310. Epson even proudly announces on its various international sites that the driver is 'In-box'.
This so-called driver is so poor that Epson has had to release a PDF that shows how to fool the printer into printing to disc when using Epson's own CD Print software under Vista. The Epson XP driver automatically switches the printer dialogue to CD mode, but with the Vista CD workaround the paper mode is retained on screen and it is not until the printer reacts in CD configuration that a user knows that the workaround has worked.
When it comes to Photoshop no workaround seems possible. Print Preview just doesn't work as it does under XP. It is not possible to switch printers, so the target printer has to be made the default so that a preview appears. Otherwise, the user is stuck with the default. In my case, I have used the Photoshop preview box under XP to switch from my default A4/A3 mono laser if I want to use the R310 or my HP 1220. Epson Support's reaction to this situation is that it is up to Photoshop to change.
Problems such as these with the R310 under Vista no doubt apply to many other printers whose Vista drivers carry the dreaded '(M)' in their name.
This leads to a question of my own. I am wondering whether CS3 has tackled this problem of using truncated Microsoft Vista printer drivers with Photoshop. Can anyone enlighten me?