Interesting Software and System News

[DavidR]

I quite like XP Pro, have been using it for many years feels like a comfortable pair of slippers

When I bought this system just over a year ago, I bought XP Pro again even though I could have got Vista Home Premium for less. Vista just never inspired me and there was nothing in it that I couldn't already do in XP Pro.

[nmb]

There was nothing wow in vista. as they say..

xp pro is the one I am using right now. will consider win 7.

nmb

[scythe944]

I still don't like how much it costs, especially compared to Apple's OS X.  However, I realize that microsoft isn't creating and selling the hardware to go with it's operating system, and charging a lot for the whole thing.

You can't get a decent machine that runs windows or linux for $400-$500 from apple, so I guess I know why MS doesn't charge less.

Additionally, I'd just like to say that I've used Vista on a few machines, and although it has some quirks with some software, and it takes a few more keystrokes or menus to get to what you need, I feel that it's so much better than XP.  I'm just sick and tired of XP's "cartoony" interface.  I mean, we've been working with the same OS for how many years?  Just plain sick of it.

I want something new and more advanced looking.  Hopefully, windows 7 will do the trick.  I have yet to work with it, even though I've had the RC of win7 for about 4 months, but I look forward to it soon.

[Omid Farhang]

yet I don't like to pay for seven, because Vista is working very well for me, currently I'm running Vista in Laptop and Linux in desktop.
just I'm planning to buy a MacBook Pro which I very like! I think Mac is more handy for me, not 7.

even as what "scythe944" said and I'm agree with him, Mac for his war to PC, has offered very nice price with all new and quality hardware, also I like Mac applications too, so why should I spend my money for Win7? Vista+Linux+Mac is fine for me and all what I need

I know win7 has changed alot, many things new and many things improved (and some new minor problems added of course, not problem, I call them "Wrong Moves", for example a buggy windows media player library for my 20000 songs and low-quality video codecs with a lot of problems), but it has not a very important new change that I say I would upgrade.

for example it was totally "Virus immunized" or some new important change I would upgarde, I would wait until buy next laptop which come with windows 7 pre-installed

[mkis]

I've used XP for years and its served me well. Because I can install legit XP Home and Pro I have stuck with the tried and true. For maintenance and repair, it helps to come back to a system that you have set up just right for you to come back to.   

At the same time, friends have bought Vista so I worked on that OS and to be honest I think Vista is a very underrated system. Even tho it carries a much larger footprint (registry 3 times size of XP), something I particular hate, I just can't bring myself to hate Vista. My friends don't have problems with it (which I love). From the start they liked to demonstrate their UAC for me, not at all like it was an obstacle. So I got to look forward to the times when I was going to be using it.

I've pretty much decided to go with Windows 7, but not sure when. I havent put too much thought into it and I will have to sort out any problems as I go. Much like when I started with XP.

Always need to learn more (Unix) / Linux. Tend to fall a bit behind here.

[YoKenny]

No wonder MS wanted to move on.

The issue here is if we should move on as MS want us to do so.  As an XP user, I guess I'll follow the maxim of "If it is not broken,..." 

If I lived by that maxim I would have to go chop down trees to stay warm and to build a hut then run around hurling stones at passing animals that eat my vegetables and hopefully kill it for dinner. 

[Hermite15]

found Vista fantastic from the beginning (yeah, such people exist)...switched to Seven because it's better, which doesn't mean for me that Vista was bad. Seven wouldn't exist without Vista (Vista neither without XP but Seven is just a more advanced version of Vista, more performant too, but it's basically the same OS). The biggest issue Vista had and that Seven might get with the time as well...let's just wait a bit... is that there's still not much that you can do in Vista/Seven that you can't in XP. XP has still a couple of years to live I think; a possible end to it might come from a complete switch to 64 bit from the developers... as XP64, from what I read and heard, doesn't/didn't perform well at all, at the contrary of Vista/Seven 64. Vista/Seven interface is better in every way compared to XP. But if you want to run an application, almost any application, you still can in XP, and that's a bit worrying lol    (and hardware compatibility's still OK no ?   ).

[DavidR]

It has support until 2014 so some time yet, even then I suspect there will be some that will stick with it for some time after that, just as we are seeing with those with win98, etc.

Considering it still has 70% market share it will take some time for it to die

Since 64bit hardware has been on the scene for some considerable time, developers have been very slow in this regard, they just don't want to take the risk. Developers up to a point follow the OS and MS missed the opportunity to go 64bit only with win7. That would really have given them (the developers) a greater incentive to start pushing. Unfortunately MS didn't want to take the risk either I guess, they couldn't but major obstacles in the way or the take up of win7 might not have been so good. The last thing they wanted would be another Vista, that after three years was still at only 19.6% market share.

[mkis]

XP64 doesn't perform well as a mainstream OS. And then that is not quite true either. Mainstream market did not switch in favor of 64bit to the degree it was meant to (towards 'Vista big-size', especially with laptops), but instead threw itself even more wholeheartedly into inventive '32bit ready' applications and utilities, thereby recreating the mainstream 32bit client/server standard. It was not conceivable to invest in 64bit more than what was needed to keep abreast (and even then...)

I bought Windows XP64 in 2006 (ouch, price still hurts!) and for a while believed the time would come when it wouldn't be possible to run Vista on 32bit, so 64bit would become standard, and market would follow the lead by building software (especially drivers) to instate the new 64bit credo. This did not happen - 2gb ram was all that was needed to power 32bit Vista, and 32bit XP continued to set the benchmark for mainstream OS.

I think 64bit may still become standard. But there will be difficulties with this for a while yet. I don't run my XP64 on the web because I would need to buy a new wireless modem, and I seem to be doing okay with 32bit like most other people. Personally I think Vodafone should exchange for my existing modem free of charge, but no luck there. Perhaps I should sell my 64bit OS and load Linux onto my 64bit hardware - as a start to a full conversion to the Linux environment. As Microsoft continues to confuse its user following, I feel more and more tempted to do this.       

[Marc57]

Really like Vista, but I like 7 even better. (Mines due to get here tomorrow) 

[Sesame]

XP64 doesn't perform well as a mainstream OS. And then that is not quite true either. Mainstream market did not switch in favor of 64bit to the degree it was meant to (towards 'Vista big-size', especially with laptops), but instead threw itself even more wholeheartedly into inventive '32bit ready' applications and utilities, thereby recreating the mainstream 32bit client/server standard. It was not conceivable to invest in 64bit more than what was needed to keep abreast (and even then...)

I bought Windows XP64 in 2006 (ouch, price still hurts!) and for a while believed the time would come when it wouldn't be possible to run Vista on 32bit, so 64bit would become standard, and market would follow the lead by building software (especially drivers) to instate the new 64bit credo. This did not happen - 2gb ram was all that was needed to power 32bit Vista, and 32bit XP continued to set the benchmark for mainstream OS.

I think 64bit may still become standard. But there will be difficulties with this for a while yet. I don't run my XP64 on the web because I would need to buy a new wireless modem, and I seem to be doing okay with 32bit like most other people. Personally I think Vodafone should exchange for my existing modem free of charge, but no luck there. Perhaps I should sell my 64bit OS and load Linux onto my 64bit hardware - as a start to a full conversion to the Linux environment. As Microsoft continues to confuse its user following, I feel more and more tempted to do this.       

That often happens in new technology area...there have been many potentially good innovations which wasn't successful in being accepted by the market.  Of course, my geeky self wants to try new innovations but my realistic self knows I'd better wait and see the decisions of the market especially when my practical needs is satisfied with what I currently have.

[mkis]

End of the day, looks like I go Windows 7. I can keep learning Linux.

It will be interesting to follow how the forum members do with Windows 7 as the pick up becomes more widespread. I learned a lot more about the ins and outs of Vista through avast forum.

[Sesame]

Well, I'd say that it's good to have options.

[YoKenny]

I'm just happy that I can keep learning.  

You won' t be able to run Windows 7 on IBM Thinkpad R50, Intel Pentium(R) M 1500Mhz, 512MB Ram

http://lifehacker.com/5386953/lifehackers-complete-guide-to-windows-7

[mkis]

Well the R50 is only there because its the firm's dog about the house, so its in the spec below for much the same reason - it's filling in until I put something else there. The R50 still has the factory XP (2002), not one of my OS installs. I don't use it a lot so it shouldn't be in my spec below. My failing, in that respect. I'm going to put Firefox with NoScript on the R50 sometime soon since my attempt to have at least 1 Microsoft dedicated system running in the house has been a letdown thanks to Internet Explorer being such a pig integrated into the epitome of mediocrity, Microsoft NTFS. But at least I tried. And granted, an install of my XP OS would have gone halfway to improving matters, but then the dog would still be in the power of the pig. I cannot change that.

I also have three desktops running in the house at the moment (not counting my XP64), two have Intel D850GB server boards with rambus memory (all slots in use), and the third is an ASUS P5 with 945 chipset, 2 gb DDR ram, and 2 SATA HDD (150gb primary and 500gb slave). The D850 boards (Chrome on one, FF with NoScript, WOT, finjan, on the other) may not be able to run Windows 7 regardless, and the ASUS (Chrome) holds the multimedia catalogue so is really only there to stream music through the house 24 hours 7 days a week, when it is not streaming local television or web media. I use the ASUS most - only because its in the warmest part of the house. I should really acquire a more up to date system, but nothing has turned up that I particularly like, and I tend to trade off the more recent models because they make good sales, which in turn engenders good clientele, and likewise fosters good name. I mainly keep vintage for my own use, and since all have installed my XP Pro, they are quite adequate so far for anything that I might throw at them. And true, maybe not so with the dog.

Also true, I may need to buy new hardware to get the best out of Windows 7. But I intend to wait a while before I start with Win 7. There will most likely be some cheap Vistas around shortly, and I will certainly look to pick up one of them, plus I will wait on your reports concerning Win 7 before I actual take the plunge myself.