Windows XP Now or wait for Vista?

I need to reformat 2 computers as they are very slow but still workable, should I wait purchase a expensive new copy of Windows XP or wait for Windows Vista?

Also if I purchase Windows XP, how many computers can I format with the one copy?

 

First things first ............ WOW @ your avatar pic!!

What are specs on your 2 PC's?

You can call mircosoft, or purchase a commercial version of XP. Calling mircosoft is a better bet if there is any problem with installing on 2 Pc's.

 

If I'm understanding r correctly, ur wondering whether u should upgrade ur computers to xp now, or wait for vista, meaning that u are running windows 2000 or earlier currently. If thats the case, and you say ur machines are "very slow" then I would not reccomend gettin xp, and not even bother with vista.

If a computer is very slow in win 2000, then its gonna absolutely crawl in xp, and will probably not even run vista. I would say stick with what u have now, as gettin a new higher os for ur slow computers will only make them slower and older. If u keep the outdated, but still decent win2k ull get the most out of ur computers.

 

you can install xp as many times as you want aslong as its a legit copy, microsoft doesnt get suspicious intill that cd code comes up thousands of times.

btw im on a p2 233 and ive got xp pro and its slow but doesnt crawl my friends old comp had a 1.6ghz processor and my was faster. his was slower most likely due to all the un needed aol junk he had on it and probably had a bunch of spyware on it as he is not tech savy.

 

I always thought that you had to call in to activate if your serial it detected on more than one comp. I never tried myself, but this is what I been hearing for the longest. WOW@ thousands of times. I thought more like 4 or 5

 

nope, you can install it on as many machines as you want aslong as you dont go way overboard with it 4 or 5 would be fine, because once they see ur doing it to alot of pc's they'll wonder why u didnt get a commercial cd. because with commercial cd's they are used for hundreds of pc's and they dont really look at you weird intill you reach the point of the comercial cd's. if that makes any sense.

 

Well, he could mean that his computers are slow due to spyware or just accumulating a bunch of junk over time, in which case a reformat even to XP would speed it up. It did on my old laptop... helped A LOT.

 

Thanks for clearing that up

 

no problem.

 

The license covers installation on *one* PC.

yes, you *can* install it on others, but it's illegal, and you will probably run into problems with getting both of them activated (it counts as a hardware change every time one of them boots, because it doesn't match what the other system is using)

Other than that, do you want Vista? Then wait. And if XP is good enough for you, then stick with that. Vista isn't *better*, as such. It adds a ton of things (good and bad), it cripples some things, improves some things, so it depends on what you want/need.

 

Have we heard the specs yet? Wouldn't that answer all of our questions...?

~ Brett

 

My problem is not if the systems can run windows XP, my problem is with each oem XP cd pack running at like 180-200 bucks and having to buy 3 copies which equals too much, I can buy a new desktop with that money.

I just need the one cd pack to cover my 3 home desktop comps with the ability to get all the updates and such without getting a message about how the cd key is already in use, one copy cannot cover my 3 home dektops?

I have to purchase 3 seperate copies of eom windows with service pack 2XP cd's??

 

Go XP. I would not be quick to upgrade to Vista. If it came on a computer, then oh well, but to upgrade is foolish before anyone knows what Vista will be like out of Beta. Give it time, get XP or wait a while. just out of curiosity, what OS are you running now? Why upgrade at all?

 

Here is an answer to your problem http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16832116061

 

nah you wont run into problems ive installed a cd on different comps and they dont check ur hardware unless you allow them to

 

XP is kind and gentle =] why don't you try buying one and installing it one all 3 ? ;]

 

Upgrade now to XP, use one CD for the three computers, and then upgrade to Vista for free.... http://promotions.newegg.com/Microsoft/Vista/TechGuarn.html?CMP=EMC-neemail102606&ATT=TechGuarn

 

Will Vista run the core 2 duos faster than XP?

Where do I go to find this sort of info?

 

I've installed XP on a PC as slow as 450MHz w/ 256MB PC100 DIMM RAM and it ran fine IMO. I tried it on something slower with an exremely slow ard drive, and it took 10 mins to boot. Yes, you can use XP on a pretty slow PC, Pent II or newer, but I wouldn't upgrade to Vista with what you say pretty slow PCs, unless your definition of pretty slow is: 2GHz processor, 1GB ram or something like that.

 

Yea, XP worked just fine on my old Dell P3 128MB Shared 20GB HD Desktop. Forgot what MHz it was. Probally around 600+