Is a new operating system right for you?

To the novice user googling this thread:


:Too many times I ask people about how old is their computer, their answer is usually it has windows 98 on it or windows xp, or some other version of windows and they really dont how old it is. Heck Ive seen ppl walk into a game store and return a pc game cuz they confused 1Mhz with 1ghz as the system requirements for the pc game.

What I'm trying to say is just cause a new operating system is out, it doesn't mean it's the right operating system for you. Older operating systems are probably better for older pcs. Operating systems grow as hardware grows, and just because your pc can run vista or any new operating system, doesn't mean it should. I read that an 800mhz pc with 512 ram and a 20gb hard drive can run vista....and yes it can....poorly. Unless you plan on investing some money on an upgrade, or want /have a new pc, i'd say don't bother with vista. My parents have a pc with windows 2000 on it (used to have windows 98 on it) and it runs horribly on it I reinstalled windows 98 on it and it runs as smooth as silk as the windows 98 operating system is old and less power hungry than the windows 2000 resource eating monster. Operating systems like ****smalllinux (DSL) are written for older computers and does the basic stuff like windows such as internet surfing, managing your checkbook, writing, etc. "Than why would anyone want a newer operating system if they have older computers," you may ask. See people like to make money like microsoft and they cant keep helping you by updating your operating system forever like whenever a a problem presents itself. Eventally, they will no longer support the older operating systems and when a hacker figures out a hole in the operating system or a hardware device no longer works, or a virus or something else screws up your pc, your just sorry out of luck. Compatabity is always an issue for programs, just because a program worked in windows 2000 or xp doesn't mean it'll work in windows vista. Heck, your $200 dollar printer or other hardware may not be supported with the new operating system. The newer the operating system version the less likely it will work if the program is intended for an older operating system version. It is probably a good idea to not buy more than 1 operating system generation ahead above what your pc came preinstaled with or whats out at the time. A new operating system is also just that, "new." Don't expect it to work perfect out of the box. As a precaution it may be best to let the bugs to be ironed out before you buy and wait 6months-1year or longer if desired.
Don't ever expect a new operating system to be faster as they add more features and drain more processing power. Maybe, just maybe, it will make your computer faster with new hardware technologies you may aready have but not yet implemented in your previous operating system like 64 bit or a Direct X 10 graphics card (if u dont know wat this is skip it, its not important unless u care), but remember its adding more speed and slowing it down at the same time. Its adding processing power with new hardware support but it also wants to use that support cuz it helps the operating system's own sluggishness. Think less of it being faster and think more about a new operating system adding features and if they are right for you. Think before you buy.

 

Since my notebook wouldn't even run AERO, I won't bother getting vista on this one.

 

well, my laptop is new, and i can run everything in vista but im gonna wait a bit so that microsoft can get some bugs out of it and so i can save up enough money for it

 

Half of the useful programs, apps, etc: don't work with anything under XP or 2000. Even some codecs.

But for Basic Surfing, E-mailing and word proccesing. Using an old OS is not bad at all.

 

I plan on upgrading to vista 64 bit. Not until at least a couple of months...until the drivers and programmers begin integrating the new technology.

 

I'm not upgrading to Vista until I see something that would be useful to me, and would persuade me away from XP Pro.

 

Personally I'm only getting it because its coming with the laptop I'm buying, I think Windows XP is fine for most everything one generally does, and Vista uses a lot of memory so it slows down gaming. I'm going to use Vista on the laptop and keep XP Pro on my desktop so my gaming isn't affected

 

vista manages memory much much better than xp and games, when they r made for vista, would give users a rich graphic xperience w/o sacrificing performance

ao2 and cod2 run like a freight train on my vista rtm, so much better that i dont play them under xp anymore

cheers ...

 

When I plan to upgrade to Vista:

1) When DX10 games start hittin shelves

2) Is there any other reason?

In my opinion Microsoft has done the exact same thing alot of game companies have done. Released software prematurely. There is absolutely no reason to downgrade your system to Vista right now. In a few months, maybe. Not now.

 

I had a choice to get Vista or XP on the ASUS A8Js I'm ordering and decided to take the leap. My biggest reason for doing so is so that I can keep up with the technology. Computer Tech Support is an integral part of my job (and education as an undergraduate student) and I'm going to have to learn it sooner or later. I might as well learn it now, before it's widespread, so I can fix it later.

Worst case scenario I can always reformat/repartition and do a dual boot with XP and Vista. Another option is to run VMware... I haven't decided on which direction I'm going to go yet.

 

I can run Aero Vista on just about any of my machines.

But I'm not upgrading beyond a single notebook (which I got for free) because of the major bugs I've encountered.

M$ needs to work out a lot of issues. At least another year before the eventual upgrades for everything else.

 

My notebook is only a couple of months old and has everything required to run Vista. Plus, I got Vista Business Edition free at my job so I'm going to install it as soon as I recieve my second GB of RAM (this Friday).

Like someone said before, the main reason why I move to Vista is to keep up with the technology. As a computer engineer I need to be aware of new technology, it's part of my job. So I'm moving... for free! Hehe!

 

I got the hardware but I am not upgrading OS because I am not a computer engineer, and more importantly, I am not a very good beta-tester. I use what works, and XP pro (or even 2k pro) works for me.

 

It's true that moving to Vista will probably cause some headaches and it's better for most people who aren't technology freaks to stay on XP or their favorite OS for another year in my opinion. After that "cool down" period, all major companies will offer their products for Vista just like they do today for XP.