Upgrading to Windows XP or Vista: Which is Right for You?

  • Thread starter JPC
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In summary: I haven't found any bugs in Vista yet, and the configuration is easy to adapt to. But the lack of good drivers, that's... another story.
  • #1
JPC
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Hi

I am thinking of changing my 'Processor + Chipsets + Motherboard' soon
(Dual core 2, around '1300 Hz 2G DDR2' for the set, DDR2 dual-core Motherboard) (about 600 euros = 951 USD)
and i was thinking of whether i should reinstal XP or Vista (i am under Xp right now)

Iv' seen how vista is, and I'm not really a fan of it.
I prefer XP professional which is less of a 'guiding you all the time like a beginer' OS.

And i am not going to get Vista just for the pretty display, or the useless things you can add to desktop.
But if some programs start to be unavailable under XP (Adobe photoshop, Microsoft Visual Studio, Dreamreaver, Games), i will take Vista.
Will nearly all of these be available on XP for 1 year ?
if not i'll be forced into Vista : )
 
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  • #2
All of those program should be available for XP for at least two years.
 
  • #3
Yes but i heard some new hardware is not compatible with XP anymore
 
  • #4
Run both! Partition your drive into two separate drives and have both OS's available. Or, just have each OS on its own dedicated drive. On my power computer I have XP Pro x64, Vista x64 and Ubuntu-64bit.
 
  • #5
I agree. Partitioning is the best idea if you know what you are doing. If you could only have one though, go with XP. Vista hasn't caught on for a reason: most people don't really seem to like it. You should have at least 2 years before the programs you mentioned will be phased to Vista. The companies that produce those programs know what OS's people use and unlike Microsoft, are not trying to force you into purchasing a new OS.
 
  • #6
I can only afford one, i have a crackedXP at the moment (i couldn't afford it 2 years ago) , and i want to pass to legal, because i get fed up with Genuine Advantage tool being updated all the time.

So then i'll take XP : )
 
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  • #7
Hey you might like to check out Ubuntu :) much better than XP or Vista!

It may take a while to get used to but once you give it a few weeks you can't go back to windows :D


go to ubuntu.com i can't post URL's yet :(
 
  • #8
Why a special OS ? if you don't take Microsoft OS , you have lots of incompatibity problems, ect.
this might be good for browsing, being secured from virus, ect ; but i don't go on dangerous websites. And i am not a business with Company secrets to hide.
 
  • #9
if you use ubuntu like i don't have any in compatablity issues:

banshee atunes or rythmbox music
vlc mplayer movies
azueeus bit torrent
filezilla ftp
firefox browser
amsn msn
pidgin xfire
warsoe, all quake games
matlab has linux version
netbeans eclipse codeblocks IDE's
blender 3d
gimp inkscape#
openoffice is way better than office 2007 in my opinion
wine runs deus ex command and conquer 3 steam etc
teamspeak has linux version vent works in wine
list goes on all the apps in linux are wayyyyyyyyy better than windows i think :)
 
  • #10
oh and office 2003 works in wine as well really good
 
  • #11
I hate openoffice, every option is like hidden in some menu, takes me 2 minutes to find a specific button (the uncomon ones)
And i prefer staying on a Microsoft OS. During my studies, i will always be using Microsoft OS, so better stick with the one i need.
 
  • #12
im advice u to use windows xp

and this programs (Adobe photoshop, Microsoft Visual Studio, Dreamreaver,) is avilable on win xp

i use photoshop 10 on windows xp professional edition.and visual studio 2008, and dreamweaver 8..all avilable on xp

however if u like install win vista i advice u to use

Windows Vista Ultimate not home edition
 
  • #13
I know
never i will use home edition in any Microsoft OS

So ill stay on XP

anyone know if i can only buy a XP professional Key ?
i already have the instal disc
 
  • #14
google one :P there are tonnes on the net
 
  • #15
Yeah stay with Xp. You won't have any trouble. Vista sucks!
 
  • #17
Greg Bernhardt said:
I have Vista and can't name one new feature. I'd stick with XP.

Shadow copies (unless you were coming from WS2003) and UAC would be the major two non-interface features.
 
  • #18
JPC said:
Yes but i heard some new hardware is not compatible with XP anymore

When there's more hardware produced that works with Vista than XP, let me know. My Vista box at work came without proper video drivers (and still no mfg. updates).

Of course I don't do graphics at work, so I just ignore it. (Actually I've been running with most graphics disabled anyway to increase performance...)
 
  • #19
I agree,
Vista full of bugs, full of weird configuration (buttons and folders and settings in different places)
 
  • #20
I haven't found any bugs in Vista yet, and the configuration is easy to adapt to. But the lack of good drivers, that's a real problem.
 
  • #21
Well, one of my friends has Vista. And he had problems with screen resolution. He put the best one for his screen. And when he restart his PC , his screen resolution changes again.
maybe its just the screen that has some problems, i don't know
 
  • #22
ubuntu >>>>>> xp >>>>>>>>> vista
vista is worst one ;)
 
  • #23
no

Mac is the worst
I mean in a Mac OS, i feel like i am the slave to the OS, it won't let me modify much, it just keeps it simple because they think if we have more control we will mess everything up. In short, to me , Mac OS treats you like a little baby
 
  • #24
I have Vista. But It took a time to get used to it. Xp was perfect as it was. But money talks i guess so now every pc comes with Vista.
 
  • #25
vista uses more your Ram + processor + Motherboard
so u buy better hardware too, they might have made a deal with Hardware comanies :D
 
  • #26
Interesting

Loopholes keep Windows XP alive
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7370821.stm
PC makers are finding ways to keep selling Windows XP despite Microsoft efforts to remove it from sale.

Dell, HP and Lenovo are exploiting loopholes in Microsoft's licensing terms to extend the operating system beyond a 30 June end of life date.

XP is being phased out in favour of Windows Vista which has, so far, got a lukewarm welcome from many firms.

The news comes as Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer hints that XP could live longer if enough customers demand it.

Long life

Dell is using a clause in the conditions for Windows Vista which let's it provide XP under the terms of a "downgrade license" for the Business and Ultimate versions of the new operating system.

This means that Dell can install Windows XP Professional for free on its Latitude, OptiPlex, and Precision machines. In the main these deals are meant for business customers.

For consumers and small firms Dell will, for a fee, install XP Pro on Vostro and XPS gaming machines.

HP is also using the "downgrade" option to keep selling XP with some models until 30 July 2009.

I've heard good things about Ubuntu.
 
  • #27
Dont get Vista! I have it and my computer freezes up like every couple minutes! If it wasn't for the backup function on Microsoft Word, I would have lost the most complicated page I have ever written!
 
  • #28
vista is just simply a nightmare i can't stand it i do have a very powerful pc like dual core 2gb ram gforce 8800 1tb hdd space but i mean in vista its soooo slow.

Why should i have to keep upgrading my pc just because of microsoft demanding more and more high power hardware. To run an operating system that just crashes soo much.

Ubuntu does everything for me. Sure if you look at the slackware minimum sys requirments it runs on like really old i486 etc haha. but with ubuntu your computer is just really awesome haha

like say hmm you want to install filezilla ftp client you could go to add/remove programs or terminal apt-get install filezilla... like does anything else windows have even come close to something as cool as that.

I switched to linux full time last year and i have to say my mathemtics and programming skills went wayyyyyyyyyyy up and i contrubuted to aTunes on sourcefoge etc and your computer gets regualr security updates like there recently there was that reallly scary local expoloit like 200 lines of c code if you complied and ran on an unpatched kernal you would get full root acess to that machine..

within 3 hours of that comming out the kernal dev's over the world patched it.

does windows do anything like that... in windows you have to install firewalls anti virus.. and spyware etc and in windows you computer is covered in adverts.

sorry it drives me mad. although you can dual boot with windows to play some new games is a good idea when you first dip your toes into it.

oh and another thing because ext3 is jounaling you don't have to defrag your pc every month haha :P or use ccleaner to clean bad registry details haha :P
 
  • #29
I never use CCcleaner since it deleted an important registry value, and since i don't enable 'system resoration' (so that virus are not saved in a registry backup), i had to spend a lot of time to fix this

Ubuntu has u say would be good if you are a professional at programing. I know how to do a lot of things with XP, i know how to program simple things like 'webbrowser, coder, automatic web submiter (on VB)
I could try ubunto to reach another level, but i don't have the time with all my chemistry and physics studies
 
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  • #30
Vista doesn't run bad at all if you know how to disable all the additional feature that are automatically enabled with the default install.

I just recently put Vista-32bit on a customers PC that only has as a single core 3.8GHz 570J P4 and it runs just fine. It's been three months now with no problems what so ever. The PC also has a single old 7600GS video card and 2GB of PC6400 ram.

It's all in configuration.
 
  • #31
The motherboard he's using is also 2-1/2 years old now. Old nForce4 chipset. One thing I will say, if your running cutting edge hardware or runing programs that push the system, Vista can cause problems. Then again, with my performance rig that has Vista-64bit (notorious for having problems vs. 32), I haven't had any issues except for with my sound card. That problem has since been corrected though.
 
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