onewheeldaveGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom


Posted:
Anyone got opinions/facts/experiences regarding which of the windows operating systems is best?



Note that the thread is about windows systems- obviously many consider Linux etc vastly superior, but, for whatever reasons, others choose windows, and are then faced with the question of which one.



So, of the available windows OS, what are the issues in terms of stability, security, ease of use etc, etc.



I'd be particularly interested in views on which ones are least subject to some of the annoying invasive stuff microsoft tends to incorporate into its products (to cut piracy,but which often also penalises legitimate users who want to modify their system).



I'm asking because I'm likely to be getting a new system built up and need to choose a OS- currently win 2000 is looking the most likely, but I'm open to persuasion (eg things like system restore could be tempting).



So 2k, XP or ME?

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!


jinvincibleGOLD Member
king of the hedgehogs
125 posts
Location: Madtown, USA


Posted:
Other than the fact that ME is pretty much dead and useless, it really depends on what hardware you are using. If you are running on a PIII or equivalent, XP runs pretty slow, and you'd be much better off with 2k. If you have a P4 or equivalent, XP can be pretty slick.

In my experience, XP offers the same stability as 2k with more compatibility - it just runs like a dog on anything older than a P4.

Yellow and blue make green.


FireByNiteSILVER Member
Are you up for it??
349 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand


Posted:
I've only got a celeron processor &use XP, only problem I've had is trying to run older software & having to edit the registry to make compatible, not that I have a lot of experience but I'd say (based on what I've heard) go XP or XP pro



extra note: system restore is a god send if you tend to add alot of downloadable software
EDITED_BY: nite owl (1127708040)

Are you up for it?
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i8beefy2GOLD Member
addict
674 posts
Location: Ohio, USA


Posted:
Well if you wanted to see a Microsoft product that's actually fast, try DOS... Or windows 3.1 since this is a windows discussion...

In terms of annoying things added in: good luck. Microsoft has a way of doing everything they can to make your life that much harder and more miserable. DRM, validation keys, the host of useless things that are running by default when you turn it on... It all sucks.

Your best bet, I would say, is just to go with the newest one available. Preferably downloaded, cracked, etc. just to give them an extra F.U., but that's up to you and how much time and effort your willing to put in to spite them. Im voting WinXP.

===

On a side note, if you want to get at turning some of that extra crap off, there is a very good site out there that will help you with that. https://www.blackviper.com
I believe, though they seem to be down at the moment. It goes through step by step for each stupid service and tells you what they do, and then how to turn off the useless ones. Might help speed things up and get rid of some of the stupid stuff.

truespinnewbie
22 posts

Posted:
XP (with SP2...) - but turn off all the 'effects' that make it look like a toy...
there is a theme that makes XP 'look' like w2k - this seems to speed things up a fair amount on slower systems

colemanSILVER Member
big and good and broken
7,330 posts
Location: lunn dunn, yoo kay, United Kingdom


Posted:
yep - i just went from 2k to xp (full reinstall, not a yucky upgrade) and it is solid as you like.

and the windows classic theme is the only way to go if you don't want title bars taking up half of your screen space smile


cole. x

"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood


MiGGOLD Member
Self-Flagellation Expert
3,414 posts
Location: Bogged at CG, Australia


Posted:
I'v been running xp pro for a while now, and it's about as stable as any other windows i've ever run. There is a lot of extraneous crap though, and it likes ram. Lots of ram. In fact, the more ram you have, the more it needs.

That aside, it recognises just about everything i've ever plugged into it, it doesn't always want to connect to the internet (ME wanted to do that lots), and it lets me set it up much the way i like it.

as a weird alternative, yet still MS based, what if you went for a windows server edition? They have almost no prettiness factor, and are probably even more stable. Don't quote me on that, though, i haven't tried running server as a home user.

"beg beg grovel beg grovel"
"master"
--FSA

"There was an arse there, i couldn't help myself"
--Rougie


PyroWillGOLD Member
HoP's Barman. Trapped aged 6 months
4,437 posts
Location: Staines, United Kingdom


Posted:
Whats the news on the lastest Windows Vista?

Whens that out, any 'amazing' improvements are are we all gonna get it and then await a few months for a bug fix and patch from Microsoft wink

An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind

Give a man a fish and he'll eat 4 a day hit a man with a brick and you can have all his fish and his wife

"Will's to pretty for prison" - Simian


truespinnewbie
22 posts

Posted:
Vista won't be out for at least another year...
it is looking very much like a poor copy of OS X at the moment - and most of the interesting features MS talked a year or two ago have been cut from the first build to stop it being even more delayed...
XP for another couple of years then

JauntyJamesSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,533 posts
Location: Hampshire College, MA, USA


Posted:
I've seen some screenshots of a beta version of Vista, and I'm just happy it doesn't look like a Fisher Price product.

-James

"How do you know if you're happy or sad without a mask? Or angry? Or ready for dessert?"


FrodoBRONZE Member
old hand
1,092 posts
Location: In a van, United Kingdom


Posted:
delete it all... windows works better if never installed!

passing through, this world still lives.


UCOFSILVER Member
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales


Posted:
rolleyes

no it doesnt. It just doesnt work at all then is it still stuck on a cd. tongue

Sparkey: You got links? smile

JauntyJamesSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,533 posts
Location: Hampshire College, MA, USA


Posted:
No, I don't have links, it was in a magazine. Come to think of it, PC World is almost all online, so I suppose you could probably find them if you poked around their website for any length of time.

-James

"How do you know if you're happy or sad without a mask? Or angry? Or ready for dessert?"


garthySILVER Member
old hand
717 posts
Location: Bristol, England


Posted:
The best windows is a windows with hardware with (WHLQ I think?) Qulified drivers. Pretty much the main reason for windows crashing (99.9%) is cheap hardware with crap drivers.

So XP / 2000 / 2003 are all good but if you skimp on the hardware it's gonna crash. Also overclocking don't help. Run your system at the speed it was designed for.

You generally pay for what you get. Get cheap hardware and expect problems. Get good hardware with fully qualified drivers and you should be cool. Get good quality memory a good power supply (Very important) too.

(I agree with the windows classic theme bit though)

Don't even go near the Dos / win 95 / 98 /ME editions. Thay really suck.

"**grumble*spuriouswindmills*grumble**" - Coleman
"if poi was only for girls there wouldnt be many good poi spinners...." - Nx


flidBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,136 posts
Location: Warwickshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
I think ms windows xp is the best window based operating system for general purpose desktops. I work as a linux/unix professional and use MS Windows with MSIE on my desktops out of choice, with lots of ssh sessions open to linux and unix servers (linux and unix being far superior to ms operating systems for use as servers). I've extensive experience of *nix based window managers, and I honestly like xp the best. Each to their own though

LoewanBRONZE Member
and behold!
464 posts
Location: Liverpool, United Kingdom


Posted:
Actually Vista is probably going to be the first good looking Microsoft OS! I actually thought XP's "Fisher Price" look was a joke when I first saw its screenshots!

Why let your body be a temple? When it can be a theme park?

Wii Console Number: 3294 0297 7824 7498


Bender_the_OffenderGOLD Member
still can't believe it's not butter
6,978 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
it's funny cos it's true
https://www.homeofpoi.com/gallery/showpho...=500&page=1

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always



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