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Don't be fooled, Vista wants new hardware

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zridling:
It took me a while, but I finally made the plunge and replaced an older computer that I'll turn into a dedicated Linux machine. I even tried OS X for a couple of weeks and apparently I'm the only person left who wasn't really impressed. Customizing the software can mostly be done in a day, but <em>finishing</em> those customizations always takes me another week. As for Vista, it wants to eat whatever speed and power you can feed it, which means your next system should include nothing less than the following:


* Vista x64 version (among the several, Vista Business is the one I like best among Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate). Get the 64-bit OEM version for half price;
* Core 2 Duo (or Quad-core if you're rich) or AMD-64 chip with damn fast motherboard;
* Get a well-reviewed videocard, big and fast as crapzilla. You don't have to get the most expensive card, just the best one for the value;
* Buy a case you can easily add and remove components from. If not, start modding with lots of  big-assed fans;
* Buy a 22" monitor, or two. They cost between $280-$360 and are worth every penny. The 24" screens are great, but not worth the cost difference.
*                          <img src="http://www.thegsblog.com/i/computer-inside.jpg" />

Throw in a couple of 300G-1T HDs with it, and hey, you've got a system that will hold you for 3-4 years at the least, depending on how much multimedia/gaming you use it for. If you haven't bought Vista yet, good for you! In many ways, it's a stupid step-bitch of an OS, and Vista Explorer is the utmost idiotic mess you'll come across. The biggest difference between the 32-bit and 64-bit versions is bus speed, of course, but-that shows directly when copying or moving files. In Vista-32, it can be slow as hell; in Vista-64, you say "Oh yea." But you'll want the new OS with a new system, and an easy way to prep yourself is to <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?path=ASIN/0735622701&link_code=as2&camp=1789&tag=bottcom-20&creative=9325">buy Windows Vista Inside Out</a></strong> by Ed Bott, Carl Siechert, and Craig Stinson for only $30 at Amazon. They show you how similar it is to XP and how different it is, and out of the eight Vista books I've read, it's the one I keep going back to.

Finally, don't ignore Linux. There are several very hot distros right now. Among them are <strong><a href="http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop">Ubuntu</a></strong>, <strong><a href="http://www.freespire.org/">Freespire</a></strong>, and <strong><a href="http://www.pclinuxos.com/news.php">PCLinuxOS</a></strong>. You can easily <strong><a href="http://desktoplinux.com/articles/AT2094892904.html">dual-boot Vista</a></strong> (although Windows always wants to be the first OS), and with time, you might come to wean yourself from the Microsoft teat.

Darwin:
I even tried OS X for a couple of weeks and apparently I'm the only person left who wasn't really impressed.
--- End quote ---

No, join the club - we've got jackets...

Darwin:
PS Not yelling from the rooftops about OS X's superiority and Steven Jobs' genius is modern day heresy. Just warning you...

zridling:
Oh trust me, OS X has a lot going on, but for the video editing I was doing (or tried to), it didn't win me over. Unlike Vista, there is excitement in the Apple camp, that's for sure.

cthorpe:
I even tried OS X for a couple of weeks and apparently I'm the only person left who wasn't really impressed.
--- End quote ---

No, join the club - we've got jackets...
-Darwin (April 03, 2007, 10:06 PM)
--- End quote ---

There are jackets now?  Where's mine?

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