The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    vista basic or home premium

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by Mat Dope, Jul 12, 2007.

  1. Mat Dope

    Mat Dope Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    177
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    im getting the new dell vostro 1500 with home basic as of now but i can upgrade to premium for only 29$. i used vista basic for a few minutes on my friends PC and didnt care for it their was nothing great about it. but i dont know if premium is worth the extra money. i know its not much but i dont want to hate it and go back to XP or try out linux. what are your thoughts?
     
  2. 123456

    123456 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    27
    Messages:
    104
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Look here. It gives you a comparison of the different versions.
     
  3. mattireland

    mattireland It used to be the iLand..

    Reputations:
    261
    Messages:
    1,162
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    home basic has everything that you generally need to do but premium has got some extra features. im not an expert on that matter but id say if you've got more than 2gb of ram to definitely go for premium if you can afford it!
     
  4. Sam

    Sam Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    3,661
    Messages:
    9,249
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    205
    My opinion is if you have any interest in Home Basic just stick to XP. A lot of Vista's touted features, such as Windows Media Center and Aero graphics, isn't available in Basic. If you're going to get Vista get Vista Premium to really "experience" Vista.

    You are thinking about a Vostro, is this going to be a business laptop?
     
  5. chatte

    chatte Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    13
    Messages:
    122
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    What if you don't want or don't need the extra features that make vista basic different from all others - then would it still be better to get XP?

    I was just thinking it's a new OS, obviously there will be some problems with compatibility etc., but isn't it true that it will also get better support and future development compared to XP which will gradually go away?

    As a naked OS, is vista basic worse than xp?
     
  6. mallmand

    mallmand Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    74
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Home premium was the only choice for me as I wanted to record TV and Windows Media Center does an incredible job of that. My 3 year old loves Purble Place. The windows mobility center has been usefull to me. Windows DVD maker is great it that is in your plans, very nice looking dvd-player watchable dvds. To me it would be worth the money.

    Even with basic you will get my favorite feature though, instant search/launch functionality. You just hit the windows key and start typing the file, application, network location, website or command you would like to use and voila.
     
  7. Sam

    Sam Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    3,661
    Messages:
    9,249
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    205
    Yes, it will, but for now XP is still going to be supported for years to come. Of course you won't be able to stick to XP forever, but you may want to skip Vista altogether (and wait for the next version of Windows, which Microsoft promises will arrive in two-three years).

    Vista was supposed to enhance the experience of computing, and frankly I don't think Vista Basic does much to it. I find XP to be much more "satisfying" than Vista because of its stability and wealth of drivers and software compatibility. Of course, as Vista evolves through service packs that may change, but for now I don't see much purpose in Vista Basic.
     
  8. Arla

    Arla Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    35
    Messages:
    1,073
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    If you can get XP with a Vista Upgrade CD (not sure if Dell allows you to do this). Personally I don't think Vista is ready, and it's not going to be the OS of choice for a while yet.
     
  9. homerunking1221

    homerunking1221 Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    5
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I just received my Dell Precision M90 from ebay that came with XP pro installed and the Windows Vista Business upgrade. Definitely the way to go until Vista becomes a iittle more compatible with a wide array of software.
     
  10. Overclocker

    Overclocker Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    28
    Messages:
    355
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    As others have said, if it comes down to XP Pro v. Vista Basic, it's not even close. Get XP, and wait until Microsoft stops selling a junk OS and puts out Vienna. By the time XP support finally stops, the next operating system will be on the verge of release.
     
  11. lottdod_1999

    lottdod_1999 Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    89
    Messages:
    698
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    only suckers get basic

    media center is worth it for $29
    aero too
     
  12. w_tanoto

    w_tanoto Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    14
    Messages:
    174
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    I use Ultimate, and my sister using basic. AVOID Basic at all cost, and go with Premium at least, or ultimate. You will waste your laptop's capabilities, especially if you have core duo with 2GB ram and dedicated graphic card
     
  13. Mat Dope

    Mat Dope Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    177
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    ok as of now im going to go with premium, i didnt relize basic didnt have the media center. which i will use and that way you dont have to boot the OS correct?
     
  14. AznJohnson

    AznJohnson Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    59
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Oohh....2 to 3 years to wait? Eh....too long for me. Schools beginning much sooner than that... >.>