Is Windows Vista Ultimate Worth It?

See the title question...

I ask because I am probably going to upgrade a Dell Inspiron 1520 to 4GB of RAM, and from what I hear, you need a 64-bit OS in order to actually use more than 3.2GB of RAM

so... is it worth it to upgrade to it if Vista is preinstalled...

are those extra 800-or-so MB of memory a difference maker?

is this at all worth it for gaming, or am I just being a dumb noob and I shouldn't waste my money?

I mean, if it will give me a noticeable difference in performance and make my games run more smoothly(I would assume, with more memory... it would, but maybe Ultimate also in turn drains more memory than other Vistas, so it evens out anyways...)


Any help for the helpless would be appreciated

 

If you're going to utilize all the features, then yes, it's worth it.

But, somehow, I doubt you will. So, I'm just going to leap out on a leg here: No, it's not worth it.

 

There's also a XP64. So you don't have to upgrade to Vista to get use off the full 4 GB.

 

well from what I've heard about XP 64, is there are hardly any drivers for it, maybe because it never really took off? While I'd assume more and more would be available for Vista versions...

And I'd be upgrading Vista basic, to Ultimate, Vista is kind of forced on you on the Inspiron 1520


but at least in terms of the memory benefits, would they be significant? especially in a media/gaming sense?

 

XP64 really does not have driver support, and is plagued with software problems as a result. If you want 64bit, Vista is realistically your only option.

3.2GB of RAM is plenty enough, so I'd say you're fine. I'd also doubt 800MB is going to make a difference at all, until more powerful applications come along.

IMHO, the only feature in Ultimate worth anything that Home Premium or Basic doesn't have is the OS backup. And that can be done cheaper by using Acronis for about $50.

 

You don't need Ultimate to use all 4GB of RAM... all versions of Windows Vista should come in a 64 bit flavor.

That said, if you want to save money and still use all 4GB of RAM, consider installing a 64bit version of Ubuntu, which is officially supported by Dell on their 1420's. Just make sure you get the Intel wireless card instead of the Broadcom one (typically called the Dell 1390 or something like that).