Reasons for / aganist upgrade to Vista from Media Center Edition ?

[JDJ]

I have 2 HP PC's, a Desktop 3ghz dual core 2gig RAM and a Notebook
3.4ghz P4.

The Desktop is Windows Media Center Edition 2005.

The Notebook is Windows Media Center Edition 2004.

I like to keep my software current, but know that each new operating
system is usually bigger, demands more system resources and can slow
down your existing hardware.

Neither machine feels fast to me.

I have ACT! 2007 which runs on SQL Server Express and is
hardware/resource demanding on any machine, especially a notebook with
only a 5,400 RPM hard drive.

What are the Reasons for / agonist upgrade to Vista from Media Center
Edition ?

I would probably not do a clean install.

In the past I put Windows XP on a P III machine that was running
Windows 98. I noticed some slow down but think the upgrade from
Windows 98 to XP made since.

Not so sure that would be the case going to Vista, which I know very
little about.

 

[Conor]

What are the Reasons for / agonist upgrade to Vista from Media Center
Edition ?

Very simple:

If you have a TV card and like a lovely kiddy interface to use with it,
get the Media Center.

OTOH, you could get one of the few freeware media center clones such as
Mediaportal.

 

[NewsHound]

I have 2 HP PC's, a Desktop 3ghz dual core 2gig RAM and a Notebook
3.4ghz P4.

The Desktop is Windows Media Center Edition 2005.

The Notebook is Windows Media Center Edition 2004.

I like to keep my software current, but know that each new operating
system is usually bigger, demands more system resources and can slow
down your existing hardware.

Neither machine feels fast to me.

I have ACT! 2007 which runs on SQL Server Express and is
hardware/resource demanding on any machine, especially a notebook with
only a 5,400 RPM hard drive.

What are the Reasons for / agonist upgrade to Vista from Media Center
Edition ?

I would probably not do a clean install.

In the past I put Windows XP on a P III machine that was running
Windows 98. I noticed some slow down but think the upgrade from
Windows 98 to XP made since.

Not so sure that would be the case going to Vista, which I know very
little about.

If neither machine currently "feels fast" to you Vista will probably make
that worse because it's a much larger, more complex OS. For Media Center
PCs make sure there are Windows Vista drivers for the hardware (TV tuners,
etc.) you use before considering an upgrade. There is an MS Windows Vista
upgrade adviser you can install and run on your XP machines to determine
compatibility issues.

There is absolutely no reason you need to run out and buy Vista the minute
it is released. Especially if you know nothing about the new features,
security, etc. which would allow you to make an informed upgrade decision.

My advice would be to learn something about Vista before you even consider
an upgrade. You might find a reason to go ahead with an upgrade. Then
again, you might not!

Also a clean install is highly recommended. That can eliminate many
potential problems.

 

[cpemma]

I have 2 HP PC's, a Desktop 3ghz dual core 2gig RAM and a Notebook
3.4ghz P4.

The Desktop is Windows Media Center Edition 2005.

The Notebook is Windows Media Center Edition 2004.

I like to keep my software current, but know that each new operating
system is usually bigger, demands more system resources and can slow
down your existing hardware.

Neither machine feels fast to me.

You've almost certainly got OEM copies tied to those particular machines, so
changing to a newer system would mean a new Windows disc becomes essential.
I'd wait until then, and ensure the new system comes with Vista Home Premium
(minimum) to get the MCE features missing in Vista Home Basic.

If you think *those* machines are slow, maybe you should be doing a good
clean-up first to check it's not accumulated junk.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Especially the Startup Folder.

You've almost certainly got OEM copies tied to those particular machines,
so changing to a newer system would mean a new Windows disc becomes
essential. I'd wait until then, and ensure the new system comes with Vista
Home Premium (minimum) to get the MCE features missing in Vista Home
Basic.

If you think *those* machines are slow, maybe you should be doing a good
clean-up first to check it's not accumulated junk.

 

[Guest]

Your computers should be able to handle the Vista upgrade without a problem.
I upgraded a desktop and notebook to Vista Ultimate without difficulty. The
process was long...took overnight to complete. After installation, I
recommend turning User Account Control "off". If you do not, the system will
persistently ask for permission to run software. And in some instances
(e.g., checking for upgrades), you would need to run software as the
administrator by right-clicking on the software icon or name and selecting
"Run As Administrator." Vista has been very stable and self-correcting.
HOWEVER, there is an issue to consider. Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express is
incompatible with Vista until you upgrade to MS SQL Server 2005 SP2. Many
people have been unable to successfully do this (search topic 'error
installing KB 921896'). Apparently the ACT database uses MS SQL Server, and
people have reported problems. Finally, both my PC's are noticeably slower
due to the increased access time needed for the hard drives. But the
function is still quick enough to be acceptable.