I'm building a new computer and I don't know which to choose. I feel like the only 'advantage' of vista is it is more pretty. (I've got xp on my desktop and vista on my laptop). I use computers for basic internet stuff and playing games, including older games (which may not work on vista). Opinions? :)
Do NOT get Vista.
Personally, I have never had any positive experiences with Vista. It's bloated, slow, a resource hog, and it tries to be too helpful. To be fair, my experience with it was about 5 hours before I 'upgraded' back to XP. I also have yet to hear from anybody I know that Vista's as good as XP, let alone better.
Other than that, I believe there are new technologies, wireless N and Bluray are a couple of them I think, that XP can't make use of. I would expect that gap to get bigger.
Unless you're desperate to get a new computer now, have you thought about waiting to see what Windows 7 ends up like? That's the other thing to think about with XP. When 7 comes out, XP's going to be 2 generations old. Granted Vista's OS launch was basically aborted in a lot of ways, but it's still true that XP is already in the process of being abandoned.
I can't stand vista, had it on my laptop and removed it putting xp back it. So xp for me.
I ordered a Dell in December 2008 that came with Vista. Being unable to adapt, I asked a friend to try to put XP on it before I really started using the computer. He couldn't get Vista off of it. As far as I can tell, he tried to boot it from the CD drive with my XP disc, and it told him that the system was designed ONLY to run with Vista and above. So I was stuck with Vista, as I was really too lazy to pursue other options.
It's really not that bad. It does consistently use about 50% of my physical memory at all times, but I think my friend described it really well to me: The 50% memory is being actively used to prepare for programs that will be opened, so they open faster - less lag when popping them open. When that 50% wasn't being used in XP, it wasn't being helpful to you at all - it's just sitting there, not doing anything useful.
And, it may be the newer, better specced system, but I really haven't had much lag problems on it. There are a few kinks here and there (I close programs b/c they stop working in Task Manager, and for some reason, they don't close...and I have to restart if I want to use that program again), but I can't really say my experience with XP was a lot better. XP, too, had its own kinks.
Like vultar said, you could always wait for Windows 7, slated for release..."soon"? I don't keep up enough to know when. It's supposed to be "better." XP is slowly and deliberately being abandoned by Microsoft (see Dell not letting me get Vista off the blasted system). Move forward! :)
i've had no problems whatsoever with vista. i actually really like it (and i didn't expect to). starts fast, runs fast, shuts down properly (this was a constant problem with my last xp system). i think it's just a matter of having enough machine to run in.
See the problem with Vista using your memory is that it's trying to predict what you might open, so that 50% usage is 50% of your memory that's tied up when you really need it. I use graphics programs, and they are really memory heavy. I've managed to 'out of memory' my top of the line XPS when it's running XP (less than a year old and packaged with it). I can't imagine trying to run them with Vista.
The point is, your choice really depends on what you want to do with it.
Also, sauvignon, was it a real fresh install XP disc, and did you force it to boot from the CD before Windows started up? Vista is hostile to earlier Windows OSs. If you try to boot from the CD in Vista it makes a claim like that, the only way to get around it is to get it to boot from the CD outside of windows and it has to be a full XP disc (SP2 and up I think), not an upgrade. You may also run into the Raid issue, which isn't hard to deal with, but makes your life more difficult. Personally I haven't seen a computer yet that can't be downgraded to XP, some are just worse than others. The big problems come from the lack of 'offical' drivers for XP machines.
Original Post by vultar:
See the problem with Vista using your memory is that it's trying to predict what you might open, so that 50% usage is 50% of your memory that's tied up when you really need it. I use graphics programs, and they are really memory heavy. I've managed to 'out of memory' my top of the line XPS when it's running XP (less than a year old and packaged with it). I can't imagine trying to run them with Vista.
The point is, your choice really depends on what you want to do with it.
Also, sauvignon, was it a real fresh install XP disc, and did you force it to boot from the CD before Windows started up? Vista is hostile to earlier Windows OSs. If you try to boot from the CD in Vista it makes a claim like that, the only way to get around it is to get it to boot from the CD outside of windows and it has to be a full XP disc (SP2 and up I think), not an upgrade. You may also run into the Raid issue, which isn't hard to deal with, but makes your life more difficult. Personally I haven't seen a computer yet that can't be downgraded to XP, some are just worse than others. The big problems come from the lack of 'offical' drivers for XP machines.
My PC goes out of memory now with Saints Row 2 with vista when XP never did that. The only thing I'm gonna try is to upgrade with even more ram and hope for the best. It's really annoying.
I hate vista, can't wait for Windows 7.
Edit: typos!
I never have any problems with vista either... I think its more an issue of how strong your computer is (older computers and weaker systems have trouble with it).
If you have a decent computer though, it should be able to run vista without trouble.
Original Post by vicereine:
I'm building a new computer and I don't know which to choose. I feel like the only 'advantage' of vista is it is more pretty. (I've got xp on my desktop and vista on my laptop). I use computers for basic internet stuff and playing games, including older games (which may not work on vista). Opinions? :)
I think you kind of answered your question for yourself...If you are going to play games that might not work with Vista why chance it? Just go with XP, It's a proven stable OS. And, XP Pro and Home will continue to receive needed security updates at least until 08/04/2014
XP. Vista takes way too much memory. My boyfriend works in IT and he's trying his hardest to skip rolling out Vista as long as Windows 7 comes out in the next 3 to 5 months. The only computer knowledge I really have is what I pick up from him.
You could try linux. I've heard good things there.
I haven't had any problems with Vista, but I'm not a gamester and don't use my computer for music. You can modify what programs open or prepare to open, and that really helps with the memory problem.
The only problem I've had this past year was having my desktop hijacked by google. One day my desktop was gone, IE was gone, and all I had was a page to sign up for Google using Mozilla. There was no way to close it - I couldn't even use the start menu to shut down. The power button didn't work. I had to pull the plug on my computer to get rid of it. Next start up everything was back to normal.
There are people who bash MS every chance they get. They will always have something negative to say. My advice to them is if they don't like it, use something else. I just built a PC with a Gigabyte MB, 4 GB of memory and a Pentium Quad Core processor. I installed Vista Ultimate and it is smoking fast. Does everything I want it to do. I work tech support and I can say that most of the people who complain about Vista just don't understand it or like the security features, or they don't understand how to use it so they blame it on the computer. They find them to be an annoyance. But the same people were the ones who complained that XP was not secure enough. There are issues with Vista but there are issues with every OS. And not just Operating systems build by Microsoft. I have used many different types of Operating systems and there are issues with all of them. Microsoft has released SP1 for Vista that corrected some issues. If you are not sure about Vista wait a bit on Windows 7 to be released.
Original Post by vultar:
See the problem with Vista using your memory is that it's trying to predict what you might open, so that 50% usage is 50% of your memory that's tied up when you really need it. I use graphics programs, and they are really memory heavy. I've managed to 'out of memory' my top of the line XPS when it's running XP (less than a year old and packaged with it). I can't imagine trying to run them with Vista.
The point is, your choice really depends on what you want to do with it.
Also, sauvignon, was it a real fresh install XP disc, and did you force it to boot from the CD before Windows started up? Vista is hostile to earlier Windows OSs. If you try to boot from the CD in Vista it makes a claim like that, the only way to get around it is to get it to boot from the CD outside of windows and it has to be a full XP disc (SP2 and up I think), not an upgrade. You may also run into the Raid issue, which isn't hard to deal with, but makes your life more difficult. Personally I haven't seen a computer yet that can't be downgraded to XP, some are just worse than others. The big problems come from the lack of 'offical' drivers for XP machines.
Yes, it was before Windows started up. You know, the black screen with pixelated gray letters. I wouldn't strip Vista off now, as I figure I'd need to back up all my data (which is why I wanted to put XP on when the system was brand spanking new). Now the process is much more of a hassle, and I'm pretty content with Vista.
OS X :-D
Personally I prefer XP to vista, but I don't use either very much.
I like XP mostly because some of my programs for school are not compatible with Vista. Plus it hasn't been around long enough for them to work out all the problems yet.
Original Post by apricotbunny:
You could try linux. I've heard good things there.
i've used linux. i hate linux.
vista got a bad rap because when it came out, the hardware manufacturers loaded it onto every machine in the warehouse, regardless of whether or not it could run the OS.
XP ........ vista is generally too slow and very bugy. there are still alot of errors concerning vista.........
Original Post by kapo:
XP ........ vista is generally too slow and very bugy. there are still alot of errors concerning vista.........
what bugs?
Original Post by kapo:
XP ........ vista is generally too slow and very bugy. there are still alot of errors concerning vista.........
What specs are the computer you are running Vista on?
What bugs have you encountered?
We have 6 computers in the house. 4 use XP, 1 is a mac laptop, 1 is a new HP laptop with Vista. When I first ordered my laptop I was really worried about Vista because of stuff that I had heard about it. But i ordered this computer anyways knowing that Vista was one it.
I have had this laptop since Jan (granted not an awfully long time) and I have had no issues with Vista. Start up is great, no lag in opening programs, etc.
My XP computers always seem to have a lag, start up is not great, always seem to crash etc.
The mac I have only used once. I just do not like the programs, OS or layout of that computer.
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