Win 7 or XP?

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Which operating system would YOU use in situation described?

  • Windows 7

  • Windows XP

  • Dude... Windows sucks! Get Linux!

  • Nader!


Results are only viewable after voting.

TXCrash

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Hard drive on my laptop crashed. Computer under warranty so I'm receiving a new hard drive tomorrow. Computer shipped with XP but Vista was available at launch. Through the MSDNA Alliance I have access to free copies of XP, Vista, and Win 7. I'd love to run linux but am afraid of compatibility issues. I may pick up a second hard drive one of these days to try linux out on this laptop but for now this needs to be a win box.

About the computer I'm running:
Dell Vostro 1500, 1.6GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 1 gig of ram (ram is cheap - I'd imagine I'll need more to run 7). 150gig Hard drive.

I mostly run firefox, thunderbird, media players and open office. I would like compatibility with programs such as autocad, sketchup, etc.

So... what would YOU do?
 
I would use Windows 7. It has some nice features. My laptop runs fine with it at 1 gig of RAM.

After you install 7 you can install Linux and it will partition the drive and make it dual bootable. It's pretty easy.
 
I just installed Windows 7 and am pretty impressed with it. My mom's hd crashed and its an old P4 2.2. I bumped the ram to 1 gig and 7 is as fast as XP. Most of those other apps you can run in XP compatibility mode too so that shouldn't deter you.
 
If you must have windows, go with 7. I'm really happy with it on my work system. Just make sure that the software you run is compatible. VMWare vSphere Client wasn't and I needed to load older .Net crap to make it work... :(

If you can live without windows, go Linux. Of course, the only windows programs on my home box are Tivo desktop, Orb, and BeerSmith. BeerSmith runs under Wine and Tivo Desktop and Orb are on a XP vm instance under vmware server on linux.
 
I'd say at least try out linux (from a live cd) Sabayon is my favorite easy to use version but Ubuntu might be a bit better.

If you want to go back with Windows go with 7 it's great.
 
Windows 7....

Linux has failed as a client desktop OS if you ask me. For the average user, installing all your devices and setting them up in Linux is too much to ask. Every time this is brought up Linux users will say 'Oh it has improved so much!' Which is true, the drivers needed for some devices a few years ago that were unavailable and had ridiculous work arounds are available now. The majority of device manufacturers haven't excepted Linux as a client OS and do not directly support drivers. After all the market share of Linux users for desktops is insignificant so expending resources to develop and maintain drivers is a loss. So if you have some newish wireless card, some very purpose specific device, or anything relatively new then expect a head ache getting it to work. I tried to install a LinkSys wireless USB device on Ubuntu and spent WEEKS messing with NDSWrapper and all kinds of other nonsense. The best I could do is to get it to work for about an hour and then it would quit responding.

Tech Support is virtually non existent as well. You can surf the web to find answers but there are so many different builds and types of Linux finding some one with the exact problem is difficult.

If you want a project, install Linux. Otherwise, go windows.

Linux IS king when it comes to Server applications, it just isn't a good client OS especially for the casual user.
 
Linux has failed as a client desktop OS if you ask me. For the average user, installing all your devices and setting them up in Linux is too much to ask. Every time this is brought up Linux users will say 'Oh it has improved so much!' Which is true, the drivers needed for some devices a few years ago that were unavailable and had ridiculous work arounds are available now.

Unless you buy a machine pre-loaded, in which case the story is very different. My wife was very frustrated with her Windows laptop, I replaced it with a Dell 10v netbook running Ubuntu and she is very pleased with it.
 
Windows 7....

Linux has failed as a client desktop OS if you ask me. For the average user, installing all your devices and setting them up in Linux is too much to ask. Every time this is brought up Linux users will say 'Oh it has improved so much!' Which is true, the drivers needed for some devices a few years ago that were unavailable and had ridiculous work arounds are available now. The majority of device manufacturers haven't excepted Linux as a client OS and do not directly support drivers. After all the market share of Linux users for desktops is insignificant so expending resources to develop and maintain drivers is a loss. So if you have some newish wireless card, some very purpose specific device, or anything relatively new then expect a head ache getting it to work. I tried to install a LinkSys wireless USB device on Ubuntu and spent WEEKS messing with NDSWrapper and all kinds of other nonsense. The best I could do is to get it to work for about an hour and then it would quit responding.

Tech Support is virtually non existent as well. You can surf the web to find answers but there are so many different builds and types of Linux finding some one with the exact problem is difficult.

If you want a project, install Linux. Otherwise, go windows.

Linux IS king when it comes to Server applications, it just isn't a good client OS especially for the casual user.

This is why I suggested using a LiveCD, and support is always available to you just have to stick to the Distro site that you are using.

When was the last time you used it? Ubuntu for me last time I used it work amazingly(configured my Mom's laptop). She had no problems migrating over to Linux. In fact I could honestly say that she'd be able to install Linux herself now.
 
Last time I messed with it was Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon (7.1?)

I've used Linux since Red Hat 2.1. I've had to work with SusE, Debian, Mandrake, and prior to that SCO Xenix. So it isn't anything new to me.

The company I worked for tried to use Linux based client machines for our product and it was a disaster. The owners of the company are very anti M$, to the point of tin foil hattery, even still they have reluctantly settled on Windows for our client OS.
 
If I had a desktop box I'd be willing to give linux a try - but CodeRage covered the reasons I'm reluctant to try it on my laptop. Too much proprietary hardware and I connect to the internet wirelessly. I don't want a project - I want access to the internet, e-mail, and word-processing software. We only have 2 computers in the house and I have no internet access on my phone. I can't afford to have one computer down for a week while I'm configuring it. If I were to buy a third computer it'd probably be a linux computer - but that's not financially practical at this time.

Linux is a great program - once it's running. I just cussed WAY too much the last time I tried installing it (a few years ago).
 
The Dell site should supply any needed driver for linux, I haven't checked in awhile because every machine I've installed it on, works flawlessly. I've even converted my girlfriend and my parents to Ubuntu.
 
If I had a desktop box I'd be willing to give linux a try - but CodeRage covered the reasons I'm reluctant to try it on my laptop. Too much proprietary hardware and I connect to the internet wirelessly. I don't want a project - I want access to the internet, e-mail, and word-processing software. We only have 2 computers in the house and I have no internet access on my phone. I can't afford to have one computer down for a week while I'm configuring it. If I were to buy a third computer it'd probably be a linux computer - but that's not financially practical at this time.

Linux is a great program - once it's running. I just cussed WAY too much the last time I tried installing it (a few years ago).

Like I said, I got it up and running on my mom's laptop without any issues. Wireless, Wireless Printer, Open Office, Firefox.

The best thing about it now is the live cds. You boot to the disc check it out. If you like it and it works you can install it. If you don't, reboot and remove the disc. Nothing has changed from your other install.
 
+1 dual boot dat biatche!

viva la penguin

only thing I am disapointed with is my being too cheap to buy an mp3 decoder (license).
 
Why waste the 4 gigs of space on XP. That's 4 gigs wasted that could be holding a pron stash. :ban:


Isn't that what the massive external drive is for?

For now I'll load win 7. Luckily the computer is limping along enough that I've been able to get it to boot in safe mode and am currently transferring files. I'll download a live CD distro and see what I think.

arch1tect, ya feel like posting a link to the distro that worked well for you? I always seem to find the wrong distro even if I'm pointed in the right way. If I like the distro and it seems compatible I'll run a dual boot.
 
Win 7 installed. Seems like once I get it tweaked I'll be fine with it. Hate the new version of thunderbird though...
 
arch1tect, ya feel like posting a link to the distro that worked well for you? I always seem to find the wrong distro even if I'm pointed in the right way. If I like the distro and it seems compatible I'll run a dual boot.

http://www.ubuntu.com/

Just make sure you get the correct processor version.

PM me if you have any questions.
 
PFFFTTTTT Windows 98!! :p

Anything BUT VISTA... My vote is for 7, even though I want to throw this asus laptop at someone and put XP on it.
 
win7 in alright but still has the same sort of bs that vista had imo. my htpc has 7 on it and its alright for that sort of stuff, but i wont use it as a primary computer yet. the rest are either debian or ubuntu.

ubuntu is so easy for installing applications its not even funny. all you need to remember is "sudo apt-get install [application name]". if you get confused with something there is bound to be a tutorial on the ubuntuforums. also ive never run into driver issues with ubuntu, debian and slackware is a different story.
 
Ubuntu 9.10, Ubuntu Netbook Remix 1.5 and Linux Mint are slower than XP on an Asus EEE with 1GB ram for me.
 
I'd go with Windows 7. I'm liking it TONS better than Vista. About the same as XP, but you may as well go with newer. Did I mention that most of my computer is about 5 yrs old?

But I would also try out linux on another partition or drive. I personally don't care much for the desktop OS, but the more I learn it, the more I like the server. That might eventually allow me to appreciate the desktop OS more. Compatibility may be an issue, but I really doubt it. Ubuntu might be the easiest to migrate to. I'm liking Slackware the best so far for server OS.
 
Why not create a dual boot between XP and Win 7?

If you have the hardware to run Vista/7, theres no reason to run XP. Vista and 7 are both much more stable OSs, and with 2+gb of ram, are significantly faster than XP.
 
I agree. Win 7 is the way to go. I put it on a laptop and a desktop, and have no issues. I like the newer features too.
 
I'm liking Win 7. Much less painless install than the other flavors of Windows.

Tried Ubuntu the other day but I needed access to a wired network (wasn't sure where an extra network cable was...) to get drivers for my wireless adapter. Will try this weekend but it seems it'll be relatively painless to install.
 
If you have the hardware to run Vista/7, theres no reason to run XP. Vista and 7 are both much more stable OSs, and with 2+gb of ram, are significantly faster than XP.

I think that's the first time I've ever heard that vista is more stable than XP
 
7 for me. They did good this time. I just like how you hook up a device and it does all the work for you. XP always wanted drivers.
 
I finally ponied up the dough for a new laptop and it'll have 7 on it. I was gonna do this a year or two ago but the horror stories about Vista put the kibosh on that. The IT guys at work say one of Vistas biggest problems was that it was a memory hog and that 7 is much, much better in that regard.

Considering my existing computer is a $75 used-from-a-local-community-college machine with a whopping 384KB RAM (new one has 4GB), this should be quite an upgrade.
 
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