Vista vs XP, Computer stuff

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Status
Not open for further replies.
Jim in Oakville

Jim in Oakville

Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2004
Messages
2,195
Location
Oakville, Ontario, Canada.
Help!

I have been working through the demise of my first computer at home. 5 Years after we bought our Dell Dimension 4400 it's basically developed enough faults and problems that I need to replace it. I am not at all a computer "smart person" other than using one daily.

I have all my files backed up on an external 320 Gb hard drive. I was on www.Dell.ca last night and I see all the PC's now come with an OS called Vista. I have "heard" that it's a troublesome OS compared to XP, but of course that is second hand information.

Do any of you have experience with both XP and Vista, what would you tell me to do if I was looking to buy a new desk top such as a Dell "like" PC that came with Vista?

Thanks in adavance for your advice,
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
I have Vista (upgraded from XP) - it's different, but not in a bad way. Over all, I like it. My laptop seems to run better with it.
 
I am going to need to replace my very old Dell laptop and unless I can get one loaded with XP, I won't buy one. Microsoft is notorious for bringing things to market before they've really worked all the bugs out. Remember all the problems with XP when it first came out? I'll upgrade to Vista eventually, but not until they are at least to Service Pack 1.
 
Vista is great, but if you don't know what you're missing, then you won't miss it. ;) Vista tries really hard to keep viruses/etc. from being installed and as such will prompt you like crazy to make sure an event was really supposed to happen so maybe that's why you were told it's a PITA.

Gut feeling is that you'll be fine either way. You just have to decide if you want to expand your computing prowess (go vista) or are content with what you've been doing and see no reason to change over the next 5 years (stay XP).
 
If you plan on buying Dell, look at their business computers and not their home based systems. Home based systems are cheap for a reason.

Yes, the business systems are MORE expensive, but they use better components which should last longer.

Better yet, is there a local computer company that builds systems? I've done well buying local.
 
Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA
<br />If you plan on buying Dell, look at their business computers and not their home based systems. Home based systems are cheap for a reason.

Yes, the business systems are MORE expensive, but they use better components which should last longer.

Better yet, is there a local computer company that builds systems? I've done well buying local.
Click to expand...

What Ron said ... look for some local equipment. My opion of Vista is it's Windows ME v2.

Scott
 
Just bought a New Dell Laptop "Inspiron 6400" for under $800.00 delivered. A friend of mine buys through Dell Small Business like crazy and he gets some fantastic deals. It has Vista and I'm lovin' it.
 
I can't tell you anything about Vista, but if I were buying another computer now, I wouldn't go Dell.. I bought a Dell just before we moved to TN.. on some programs that seems to be cpu intensive, read my Hoyle poker program, the fan comes on and sounds just like a small Cessna about ready to take off... I've called Dell.. after talking with the Indian representative for 15 minutes, his only solution was to reformat and reload windows? [:0][:(!]..
It's a good enough computer, but the noise bothers me.
 
I upgraded to Vista and it was a rocky start but I'm getting used to it and finding that it is a far superior and more stable system than XP (I can't believe that I just said that but it's true) There are some programs that will not run right on Vista but I think that some of the Vista detractors here have not run the system for any length of time. It will ask for your permission before it installs anything and that has saved me from spyware on 3 different occasions so far. The firewall is better and more secure and the interface is much better looking, IMHO. It will take a bit to get used to and I would suggest AGAINST upgrading UNLESS you have a dual core machine. But if your going to buy a new machine, Vista is a very good choice.

One thing though; you need to have Home premium to get the Aero desktop with the transparent features and the 3-d flip effects. If you are getting the home basic edition, It still has the underlyinf security features of Vista but the slick interface is not there.
 
I run XP Professional; I will keep it until I buy a new computer that comes with Vista. If you are buying a system that has Vista pre-loaded on it you should not have problems with Vista.
 
I think a lot of it depends on the computer you get. Vista runs very slow for some people and as others have said here, it works well for them. It sounds as if M$ is going to release a SP within 3 or 4 months. That's a good thing. That means that all those programs and appliances that won't work with Vista now, may have a good chance of working after. The speed with which they are bringing out a Service Pack indicates to some, this OS wasn't really ready for deployment and everybody who has it now, is a beta tester. Many power users have equated Vista to just one step above windows ME. I have too many expensive programs that won't work with Vista so I purchased an Optiplex with XP on it.
Just because it's new doesn't mean it's better and a step forward. Anybody with ME experience will tell you that.
 
Originally posted by mdburn_em
<br />
Just because it's new doesn't mean it's better and a step forward. Anybody with ME experience will tell you that.
Click to expand...

Funny thing,

My wife had a computer with ME on it and had not one single problem in 5 years. She used it for her Ebay stuff and just used a spreadsheet, word processor, web browser a USB card reader and a few simple games. Many of the ME problems happened because the standards for software were sorely lacking. How many gamers had a separate autoexec.bat and config.sys file for each game because of the way it was written. How many remember when we had to set jumpers and worry about IRQ conflicts? Anybody remember paying 2 grand for an IBM PC?

Originally posted by mdburn_em
<br />
The speed with which they are bringing out a Service Pack indicates to some, this OS wasn't really ready for deployment and everybody who has it now, is a beta tester.
Click to expand...

The cad package I use at work comes out with a new version every year and in 2006 there were 7 service packs that required almost an hour each to install. The reality of it is that the almost infinite combinations of computer parts make it hard to make an operating system that will run flawlessly on every machine. I went away from Microsoft for many years and ran Linux but I came back when XP was introduced because it was far beyond what Linux could do.

My opinion is that Vista, while not perfect is leaps and bounds ahead of XP. So far I have only found 4 programs that do not work with Vista and that is because they are programs that use some of the low level functions that have been changed.
 
Originally posted by Mudder
<br />
Anybody remember paying 2 grand for an IBM PC?
Click to expand...
I bought one of the original IBM PCs shortly after they came out. It had 16k of memory, 320x200 4-color graphics (but only a green-screen monitor), and no diskette drives. It ran BASIC. A deal at $2500, as I recall. I still have the Diagnostics casette tape it came with.
 
Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA
<br />If you plan on buying Dell, look at their business computers and not their home based systems. Home based systems are cheap for a reason.

Yes, the business systems are MORE expensive, but they use better components which should last longer.

Better yet, is there a local computer company that builds systems? I've done well buying local.
Click to expand...
What components are you referring to, and what makes them "better"? The consumer and entry level business systems use the same processors (made by Intel or AMD), and the same chipsets (usually by Intel or AMD again). They are all manufactured by the same companies in China who simply take the reference design, do a layout and fabricate. If you look closely at the consumer and business systems, you'll probably discover that many of them use the same motherboard.

The same holds true for the local computer shop. He buys the same components (albeit at higher prices because he lacks the buying power of Dell) and assembles them himself.

Consumer and low-end business PCs are commodity items. It doesn't matter if you buy hardware from Dell, HP, or Lenovo -- they are all relabling systems made by the same Chinese manufacturers. They don't even do their own designs until you get to the rack-mount level (and those still use most of the same electronics).

Personally, I like to be on the trailing edge of CPU technology, where the bugs are ironed out and prices have been pushed down. I buy cheap systems and put my money into the pieces I can see and touch - like a nice big, sharp display, a keyboard with positive tactile feedback, and a good printer.
 
Mudder,
good points, I don't want to get into an argument.

I have to side with Ron in Drums PA. Computers are not all the same critters. Pick up an entry level home computer and pick up a business level unit. That will give you a lot of information right there, without even having to open the case.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom