Newbee question - advise

[pinballbuzz]

Not that I'm adverse to change, but I'm thinking of buying a new
laptop with Vista 64, after using XP Pro. I'm thinking of giving my
current laptop to my girlfriend. We're both on my home network along
with two printers.

I'm very comfortable with XP, and truely scared about the change in
OS. I've reseached the group a bit, and it sounds like the biggest
issue might be with drivers.

I think most of my other software will work, with the exception of
older Macromedia progs.

What are my options?

- not do the deal
- see if I can order mt new laptop with XP
- grin and bear it

I'm kinda lost here. I'd love to get some advice, or maybe soothing
words about Vista 64.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards,
Bob

 

[Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM]

Not that I'm adverse to change, but I'm thinking of buying a new
laptop with Vista 64, after using XP Pro. I'm thinking of giving my
current laptop to my girlfriend. We're both on my home network along
with two printers.

I'm very comfortable with XP, and truely scared about the change in
OS. I've reseached the group a bit, and it sounds like the biggest
issue might be with drivers.

I think most of my other software will work, with the exception of
older Macromedia progs.

What are my options?

- not do the deal
- see if I can order mt new laptop with XP
- grin and bear it

I'm kinda lost here. I'd love to get some advice, or maybe soothing
words about Vista 64.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards,
Bob

Any 16-bit applications won't run on Vista 64.
Your 32-bit applications won't gain anything on Vista 64 over Vista 32.
You will need 64-bit drivers for Vista 64.

 

[bob]

Any 16-bit applications won't run on Vista 64.
Your 32-bit applications won't gain anything on Vista 64 over Vista 32.
You will need 64-bit drivers for Vista 64.

--
Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WMwww.fjsmjs.com
Do not send email- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Hey Frank,

Are you saying that my best bet is to go with 32 if I buy it?

Bob

 

[ato_zee]

I'm kinda lost here. I'd love to get some advice, or maybe soothing
words about Vista 64.

IMHO Vista 64bit will be OK in a few years time, but at the
moment most apps install (and some won't install) as 32bit.
Some hardware won't work until compatible drivers are
available, which may be never, as mfrs aren't going to support
pre Vista hardware, when not supporting them forces you to buy
new, with Vista compatible on the box.
Vista can be irritating to use for those coming to it from XP.
I've contacted several apps vendors enquiring when a 64bit
version will be available, none has said we are working on
compatibility, or can give a date.
So bye bye SpySweeper, Nero isn't happy, Office 2007
macros are slow, (would have thought that if anyone
was coming out with 64bit apps it would be MS),
Alert Bookmarks no go, so I'm denied all my bookmarks,
Azerus/ZyDas based wireless USB adapter, no drivers.
Many printers and scanners no drivers.
My uninstaller won't install.
I'm getting a new 80GB system drive and going back to
XP, keeping the Vista 64bit one until around Vista SP3,
and it works better, then I can go back to Vista.
But by then I may go for Linux which is improving
year on year.
So I'd go XP, knowing I'd regret the decision in 3 years
time when Vista has been sorted out.
At the moment we are all paying to be Vista Beta
testers because MS didn't ask users what THEY wanted
and involve them in the Vista development program.
Those who volunteer to be Beta testers are usually
techies who want the kudos of saying I'm a Microsoft
Beta tester, and I've go the latest hush hush OS.
Or hackers want to get their hands on a release
candidate of the OS.
Neither is representative of the average user with
existing that hardware he wants to use.

 

[Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM]

Hey Frank,

Are you saying that my best bet is to go with 32 if I buy it?

Bob

I would bet so for the next year or two. But who knows when real 64-bit
applications will be available.

 

[alexB]

Your laundry list is very helpful, real gold and I will copy it in my DB. It
is as far as Vista x64 goes. However your next phrase reveals a mistake:

"I'm getting a new 80GB system drive and going back to XP."

I suggest you should go instead to Vista x32. It is in a pretty good shape
now. XP is on the way out and you will have many troubles maintaining it.

 

[philo]

Your laundry list is very helpful, real gold and I will copy it in my DB. It
is as far as Vista x64 goes. However your next phrase reveals a mistake:

"I'm getting a new 80GB system drive and going back to XP."

I suggest you should go instead to Vista x32. It is in a pretty good shape
now. XP is on the way out and you will have many troubles maintaining it.

Although I agree that for now one would probably be better off with Vista_32
(rather than Vista_64)

XP is hardly on the way out...it will be supported for many more years! ( at
least until 2014 )

Heck for that matter Win2k is still supported.


I'm running Win2k on my main machine...XP on my standby machine and Vista on
my "test" machine

 

[alexB]

Win2K is also still "supported." Think of the QUALITY of this foregoing
support.

I switched to Vista after I lost Internet connection on my XP partition.
Just like that. I call DELL since I still have a warranty, they walked me
through and nothing helped. Then they suggested to replace the motherboard.
Fine. New motherboard - still no Internet. I was faced with a dual choice:
either to reinstall XP Pro which I dread or install Vista. Installation of
Vista turned out to be a piece of cake as compared to XP. I got numerous
problems though since some of my software developed on XP did not want to
work with Vista, like Visual Fox Pro applications. I had to rewrite them.
Now I love the system since it is so powerful and so many more options are
available.

XP is on the way out for anyone who could see. MS cannot support two OSs
with the same investment of energy and money. It would have been insane.

 

[ray]

Not that I'm adverse to change, but I'm thinking of buying a new
laptop with Vista 64, after using XP Pro. I'm thinking of giving my
current laptop to my girlfriend. We're both on my home network along
with two printers.

I'm very comfortable with XP, and truely scared about the change in
OS. I've reseached the group a bit, and it sounds like the biggest
issue might be with drivers.

I think most of my other software will work, with the exception of
older Macromedia progs.

What are my options?

- not do the deal
- see if I can order mt new laptop with XP

FWIW - DELL and several other vendors do indeed give you that option, and
some others as well.

 

[bob]

FWIW - DELL and several other vendors do indeed give you that option, and
some others as well.







- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The option to buy it with XP installed?

Bob

 

[ray]

The option to buy it with XP installed?

DELL and some other vendors include the option to buy XP installed instead
of vista on some models. They also include other options as well - DELL
offers Ubuntu Linux on some models, WalMart offers gOS, another Linux, on
their new $200 desktop, Asus EEE comes with Xandros Linux preinstalled.
And, there is always MAC.