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Main Area and Open Discussion => Living Room => Topic started by: nite_monkey on April 08, 2009, 06:45 PM

Title: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: nite_monkey on April 08, 2009, 06:45 PM
So right now I have xp x64 with 4 gigs of ram.
I like to play games on my computer (that is the main thing I do on my computer)
Most of the world (including microsoft themselves) don't really support xp 64 bit much anymore.
So my question here is, should I switch to windows vista, and if so, should I stick with 64 bit, or loose some of my ram and use 32 bit.
I don't know that I want to switch or not though, because my brother has vista x64 on his computer at work with 4 gigs of ram, and the computer is new and a fairly good computer, and he says it runs kind of slow. I want to be able to play games still, but I would like to have an operating system that is still supported by the world.

Bottom line: Windows vista(x64 (supported by the world, xp x64 not supported by the world)) should I switch, or just stick with my xp x64?
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: 4wd on April 08, 2009, 06:53 PM
So right now I have xp x64 with 4 gigs of ram.
I like to play games on my computer (that is the main thing I do on my computer)
Most of the world (including microsoft themselves) don't really support xp 64 bit much anymore.
So my question here is, should I switch to windows vista, and if so, should I stick with 64 bit, or loose some of my ram and use 32 bit.
I don't know that I want to switch or not though, because my brother has vista x64 on his computer at work with 4 gigs of ram, and the computer is new and a fairly good computer, and he says it runs kind of slow. I want to be able to play games still, but I would like to have an operating system that is still supported by the world.

Bottom line: Windows vista(x64 (supported by the world, xp x64 not supported by the world)) should I switch, or just stick with my xp x64?
-nite_monkey (April 08, 2009, 06:45 PM)

Downgrade to XP 32bit?

Almost all of my LAN meeting, game playing, fellow night loving friends still use XP Pro 32bit over every other version of Windows.

Of the 2 or 3 that use a laptop that came with Vista, they've all gone back to XP Pro.
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: Dormouse on April 08, 2009, 07:06 PM
if you want 'supported by the world', it has to be XP 32bit.
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: sgtevmckay on April 08, 2009, 07:13 PM
The world is going to go 64 bit (period), It is just a matter of time, and I foresee the majority will be 64 bit within 18 months, regardless of the state of the economy.

I would also look for and exodus to Windows 7 within the year.
As I understand it Windows 7 will be a 64 bit environment only.

That being said, I would not "upgrade" to Vista 32 bit.
We are so close to a release date for Windows 7, I would wait.

You already have the 64 bit environment, and apparently you have learned to work within it's parameters. therefore I would suggest staying there.

I would spend the money better in getting my system ready for windows 7, and apparently you mostly are, and not waste the money on downgrading at this point. nor would I spend the money to "upgrade" to the latest Vista 32 or 64 bit.
If you can get a dirt cheap copy of XP Pro, or get a license and software from someone dumping a system cool, but I will not go out of my way.

stay where you are, and wait a little bit for Windows 7
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: Deozaan on April 08, 2009, 07:28 PM
As I understand it Windows 7 will be a 64 bit environment only.
-sgtevmckay (April 08, 2009, 07:13 PM)

Isn't that what they said about Vista? And if it is true, then why are there 32bit Windows 7 beta versions?
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: sgtevmckay on April 08, 2009, 08:14 PM
Unknown.

If you follow the development threads at MSDN, the idea is to completely phase out 32 bit OS by Microsoft, utilizing Windows 7.

This has become the folks at Redmond's mandate.

Unfortunately I have not had the extra computer for beta testing Windows 7, So I am unaware that there is a 32 bit version.

Logic dictates a 64 bit environment, and 64 bit OS have been around almost a decade.

I stand by my recommendation.

I would not Downgrade to Windows XP Pro for the XP 64, and I am a huge fan of Pro, I honestly thought Microshaft got something done right for once.

That being said, i would not shell out the money, I would get together with people I know and see if someone has an extra liscense, or is tossing and old system with License and software, but I would not go out and spend the money.

I would also run as a dual boot.

Bottom line is the 32 bit environment is dying, for better reference, check history. Look under 8 bit, 16 bit all within twenty years.

Frankly it is a shame that systems have not completely 64 bit already.
Do not let the screw ups of one product halt advancement.

Another Example, how long have game consoles been 64 bit?

I understand that there are folks still using windows 98 and older, but if you are a gamer, you will want to move to 64 bit, and the gaming consoles are proof of this.

Also understand that Microsift maybe pushing the 64 bit thing now, but I have old linux distros that were 64 bit 8 years ago.

So it is nothing new.

I remember folks complaining about XP just a few years ago, I am waiting for folks to cry about their Vista as well. Though seriously I seriously think that Vista will go the way of the Millennium Addition

32 bit is dieing!
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: nite_monkey on April 08, 2009, 08:41 PM
The closest I'm going to get to xp 32 bit is the virtual machine that I use pretty much only to transfer stuff from my phone to my pc since my bluetooth adapter doesn't work well in 64 bit.

I guess I will skip vista and goto windows 7 when it gets released.

I hope 7 is only 64 bit. Maybe then people will stop using 32 bit and start making 64 bit programs. It might also fix problems with not finding 64 bit drivers, since your only choice is a 64 bit OS.
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: sgtevmckay on April 08, 2009, 10:14 PM
Agreed
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: bgd77 on April 09, 2009, 01:50 AM
From what I have heard, Windows 7 will be the last Microsoft OS that will have both a 32 and a 64 bit version. The next one will be only 64, probably.

If I were in your place I would do what sgtevmckay suggested: wait for Windows 7 (the 64 bit version ;)).
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: Deozaan on April 09, 2009, 02:14 AM
Another Example, how long have game consoles been 64 bit?
-sgtevmckay (April 08, 2009, 08:14 PM)

From my understanding, game consoles were only 64-bit for 2 generations. PS2, N64 and Nintendo Gamecube were all 64-bit. Oh yeah, and the Atari Jaguar, if you consider that a game console. If I recall correctly, all of the major consoles are already on 128-bit processors (and the Dreamcast was 128-bit ahead of its time!).
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: bgd77 on April 09, 2009, 02:23 AM
So, when will we see 128 bit PCs? Are there any 128 processors on the market, for servers (and OSs)?
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: Dormouse on April 09, 2009, 02:44 AM
64 bit is probably where the future is going. Though Microsoft has never been good at predicting the future - not even its own behaviour in the future. But, if you want well supported now, then 32 bit is the only place to be.

I have both types of OSs. All the machines can run 64 bit. But apart from looking out of curiousity, I only run 32 bit Windows. Linux 64 bit. Only running 32 bit Windows 7. Although the future may be going in that direction, the performance advantage is not noticeable in real life and the driver/compatibility issues that come up from time to time make it not worth the effort. No such problems at all with 32 bit.

That said, it is really, really good for other people to be running ahead of the game. ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: f0dder on April 09, 2009, 07:37 AM
Why are you considering switching? Is XP64 giving you problems?

Personally, XP64 does the job fine. If my machine crashed today, I'd probably install Vista64 on it, though. But if it doesn't, which I kinda hope :), my next upgrade will be Win7-64.
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: nite_monkey on April 09, 2009, 07:27 PM
Why are you considering switching? Is XP64 giving you problems?

Personally, XP64 does the job fine. If my machine crashed today, I'd probably install Vista64 on it, though. But if it doesn't, which I kinda hope :), my next upgrade will be Win7-64.
-f0dder (April 09, 2009, 07:37 AM)
well I'm not having problems with xp x64 (other than my stupid bluetooth adapter) I just wanted an operating system that was still supported by the world.
You can look at different programs, and they will have a 32 bit version, and then the only 64 bit version is vista, not xp. (one example microsoft's live writer, vista x64 only, not xp x64)
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: f0dder on April 10, 2009, 06:22 PM
If it works on Vista64, it'll likely work just fine on XP64 as well...
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: nite_monkey on April 15, 2009, 08:39 PM
If it works on Vista64, it'll likely work just fine on XP64 as well...
-f0dder (April 10, 2009, 06:22 PM)
lol, try telling that to an installer designed to chew you out if you don't run the installer on vista.
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: DDRAMbo on April 21, 2009, 12:57 AM
I personally think that the os is primarily used as a backbone for the Real software, the games and apps that make life great, and not at all otherwise important. I fail to see why anyone has to have all the fancy graphics (isn't that included with the games?), or use the crappy utils included with the os which are outdated rather quickly and can't keep up with the new features that become available with pro apps. Do you really need to Play a movie in your windows explorer, or use the os to burn your discs because you don't like the free Nero that comes with Every burner?
And as far as the os being 64-bit, how big are those letters you type, how many equations do you have in your spreadsheet, how much imperceptibly smoother does that movie have to play, and are you really so good at that fps that you have to have lightening fast graphics to make those incredibly subtle moves that keep you in the top 10 of players? Give me and everyone else that's Average a break! Because you Think you need 64-bit, that doesn't mean you're automatically getting the props for being Worthy of the additional speed or processing power that I'm sure you can't possibly Need, and even if it's 32-bit like Most people, you probably wouldn't use the full potential of a modern day system produced within the last 6 or 7 years. We are talking about a 'general purpose' computer aren't we? Get Real!  8)
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: Kimitwo on April 21, 2009, 02:03 AM
I just bought a laptop with 32 bit OS. Does that mean I will be unable to run windows 7 on it when it comes out? Will a 64 bit OS run on a machine with 32 bit? Is it the chip that makes it a 32/64 bit machine or the programs?
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: f0dder on April 21, 2009, 04:11 AM
I just bought a laptop with 32 bit OS. Does that mean I will be unable to run windows 7 on it when it comes out? Will a 64 bit OS run on a machine with 32 bit? Is it the chip that makes it a 32/64 bit machine or the programs?
-Kimitwo (April 21, 2009, 02:03 AM)
AFAIK, Win7 will still come in a 32bit version.

It's the CPU that decides whether the computer is 32- or 64bit. But if you run a 32bit OS on that CPU, you won't be able to run 64bit applications.

And as far as the os being 64-bit, how big are those letters you type, how many equations do you have in your spreadsheet, how much imperceptibly smoother does that movie have to play, and are you really so good at that fps that you have to have lightening fast graphics to make those incredibly subtle moves that keep you in the top 10 of players?
-DDRAMbo (April 21, 2009, 12:57 AM)
Moving to 64bit doesn't give much speed advantage in the general case, and can even cause slowdowns if developers are careless about porting their code. But memory demands are growing, and to access lots of memory 32bit just isn't enough. Games are getting closer and closer to the edge, and it's not just about bad programming - datasets are becoming huge.

Obviously you don't need 4GB RAM or more to surf the net and write some documents, but if you do software development, need an SQL server running, a few virtual machines for compatibility testing, heavy development tools etc, it all adds up.
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: mwb1100 on April 21, 2009, 04:22 AM
I just bought a laptop with 32 bit OS. Does that mean I will be unable to run windows 7 on it when it comes out? Will a 64 bit OS run on a machine with 32 bit? Is it the chip that makes it a 32/64 bit machine or the programs?
-Kimitwo (April 21, 2009, 02:03 AM)

Any machine that runs Vista should be able to run Windows 7 (that's Microsoft's stated goal).

Windows 7 will have both 32-bit and 64-bit support (just like Vista).  Also, even though you're currently running a 32-bit OS, it's quite possible that your machine can run a 64-bit OS. x64 machines can be set up with either a 32-bit or a 64-bit OS (but there are definitely machines that are only capable of running a 32-bit OS).
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: Carol Haynes on April 21, 2009, 04:30 AM
Windows 7 is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavours (I have them both installed on a test machine - not that I have spent that much time with them).

If you want to use a 64 bit I don't see it makes much difference whether you use XP or Vista at the moment as there isn't a huge amount of support out there for native 64 software.

Personally I still use 32 bit XP as my workhorse (and I have finally moved to Vista on my laptop because I need to be familiar with Vista for work). AIUI there are few performance gains moving from 32 to 64 bit (in some cases it appears they are slower than 32 bit - which is ludicrous) the only advantage of 64 bit is being able to add more memory and if you have 4Gb you will probably get to use 3.5Gb of it (depending on your graphics card) so to me it isn't really worth the effort.

MS are hinting that Windows 7 will be released in the late summer so I wouldn't spend another penny on upgrading or changing windows for the time being - having said that I personally avoid every version of Windows until Service Pack 1 is released as there are normally loads of compatibility issues and bugs with new operating systems. Having said that Windows 7 should really be called Vista SP3 so it shouldn't be too much of a problem from the off in terms of compatibility.

I guess MS want to move to 64 bit only but they are currently stuffed by 32-bit legacy software issues (including many users with MS's own earlier products that don't work well in 64 bit) and the fact that many companies are still aiming at the 32 bit only market because that is where the sales are and the vast majority of end users.
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: Carol Haynes on April 21, 2009, 04:32 AM
I just bought a laptop with 32 bit OS. Does that mean I will be unable to run windows 7 on it when it comes out? Will a 64 bit OS run on a machine with 32 bit? Is it the chip that makes it a 32/64 bit machine or the programs?
-Kimitwo (April 21, 2009, 02:03 AM)

Any machine that runs Vista should be able to run Windows 7 (that's Microsoft's stated goal).

Windows 7 will have both 32-bit and 64-bit support (just like Vista).  Also, even though you're currently running a 32-bit OS, it's quite possible that your machine can run a 64-bit OS. x64 machines can be set up with either a 32-bit or a 64-bit OS (but there are definitely machines that are only capable of running a 32-bit OS).
-mwb1100 (April 21, 2009, 04:22 AM)

If that machine came with Vista pre-installed then it will almost certainly allow the choice of 32 or 64 bit operating system. Whether you want to use 64 bit is another matter (at least in the short term).
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: f0dder on April 21, 2009, 04:46 AM
AIUI there are few performance gains moving from 32 to 64 bit (in some cases it appears they are slower than 32 bit - which is ludicrous) the only advantage of 64 bit is being able to add more memory and if you have 4Gb you will probably get to use 3.5Gb of it (depending on your graphics card) so to me it isn't really worth the effort.
-Carol Haynes (April 21, 2009, 04:30 AM)
Why is that ludicruous? Pointers double in size, and the native integer size does as well. Code size increases a bit... all that means higher CPU cache pressure. Don't port your applications to 64bit just for the heck of it :)

Having said that Windows 7 should really be called Vista SP3 so it shouldn't be too much of a problem from the off in terms of compatibility.
-Carol Haynes (April 21, 2009, 04:30 AM)
IMHO it falls somewhere between a service pack and a "full new OS". There's enough kernel changes that simply calling it a SP is unfair, and there's enough UI changes as well. It's not as much of a change as Vista was from XP (UAC and all that), though.
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: Carol Haynes on April 21, 2009, 05:04 AM
I think 64 bit being slower is counter intuitive (at least it is to me). Surely one of the major reasons to expand the CPU bus to 64 bits is for speed and I would have thought at the very least reading 64 bit words would be the same speed as 32 bit because all 64 bits are collected in exactly the same cyclical way that 32 bit words are on a 32 bit processor.

I don't know enough about 64 bit CPU architecture - but I would have thought a 64 bit processor would expect 64 bit words (even if the the OS is 32 bit) so I assumed there was some sort of transformation between the OS and the CPU to ensure that only 64 bit words got into the CPU - surely that transformation should slow down 32 bit OSes rather than make them faster ??
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: DDRAMbo on April 22, 2009, 11:15 AM
Windows 7 is going to be awesome! The average person will notice a complete turn-around in the time it takes to do virtually Everything. Many folks new to computers will experience the shallowest of learning curves compared to previous OS's, because the souped up GUI will make operating a computer as easy as using a toaster. Windows 7 will make a tremendous difference in the productivity cycle of anyone in the software development industry because of it's enhanced intra-layer communication with the hardware and distinctly superior memory handling. Gone will be most of the pre-Windows DOS elements that limit memory and I/O throughout the typical PC system. Apple is expected to take a tremendous financial hit by the end of next year as most of the corporations now sticking with XP or thinking of moving off-Windows will jump on the Windows 7 bandwagon as review after review of systems with Windows 7 are expected to prove its worthiness beyond any previous OS used in a business setting. This includes the new enhanced security layers that some experts are calling 'armor-ware' compared to any previous OS.
Stephen Hawking has even been quoted as saying that if Windows 7 demonstrates what early studies already indicate about its speed and dependability, he will for the first time install a version of Windows, Windows 7, on his speech-control system. The future is very bright for this wonderful new OS.
And I'm taking requests for 3 wishes from everyone that supports my Wish List site for only 99 cents a wish.  :D 
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: Carol Haynes on April 22, 2009, 12:16 PM
So you like it then  :greenclp:
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: Vinny on April 22, 2009, 05:16 PM
I would stick with what you have for now unless you want to go to XP 32 bit to get your bluetooth adapter working.  XP is a great operating system and unless you are running an Exchange or SQL server and have hundreds of users then the next generation Windows is  only going to slow you down.

As for Windows 7 being faster, it might be slightly faster than Vista but it still runs like a tortoise compared to XP and its not surprising as it is still based on the Vista code base. 

Testing the Windows7 beta I expected big things but was quite disappointed with the speed, it felt just as slow as Vista.

To be fair to the developers though it has loads more drivers for existing hardware so installed flawlessly and isnt annoying with all the popups like Vista was. 

Would I shell out money to go to Vista or Windows 7 - not a chance !!!



Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: Carol Haynes on April 22, 2009, 07:15 PM
As for Windows 7 being faster, it might be slightly faster than Vista but it still runs like a tortoise compared to XP and its not surprising as it is still based on the Vista code base.
-Vinny (April 22, 2009, 05:16 PM)

Not really my experience. Out of the box Vista 'seems' slower because it is doing things (like automatic Windows Defender Scans) without asking the user and loading pointless crap such as the Desktop widgets. Once you strip away the rubbish it runs fin and just as fast as XP. My experience with the Windows 7 beta is that is seems faster (and probably even faster than XP).

At the end of the day I suppose it depends on how you have your system set up - 10 minutes of tweaking makes all the difference with Vista. It used to disk trash but that doesn't seem to happen having stripped out some of the sill processes. They even seem to have fixed the 'confused network adapter' bug/feature these days which was a really annoying gripe.
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: f0dder on April 23, 2009, 03:12 AM
Visual Studio seems to start up faster on my Vista laptop which is in every way more limited than my XP workstation (2GB vs 8GB ram, 7200rpm laptop drive vs 10k rpm raptors, dualcore vs quadcore). In fact, everything runs pretty smoothly on this Vista machine... dunno where people are getting that "dog slow" nonsense from (yes, it'll be slow if you don't have enough RAM and the pagefile gets involved, but whatever :)).
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: mwb1100 on April 23, 2009, 12:29 PM
dunno where people are getting that "dog slow" nonsense from
-f0dder (April 23, 2009, 03:12 AM)

I think one of the primary reasons people tagged Vista as slow was because of changes MS made to file copy operations (possibly in Explorer only).  The changes were supposed to make copies both faster and more reliable (I think in particular over the network), but also the copy operation didn't complete until the operation had been committed to disk which I think was different behavior from XP.

MS is supposed to have again significantly reworked the file copy operation in Vista SP1 to remove this problem (which I think they claimed was more of a perception problem than an actual 'copies take longer' problem).

Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: DDRAMbo on April 23, 2009, 03:29 PM
Diet after diet and people continue to complain that one is Better than the other. Well, the ultimate fact is that if all comes down to caloric intake: the more calories you take in, the more you have to burn off to stay the same weight.
The same goes for your typical OS. Ultimately it comes down to how many things are you expecting it to do at the same time. The more processes you pile into a given input/output operation, the more clock cycles you're going to have to 'burn' to get something done. If you burn more cycles, the whole operation is going to appear 'slower' because the OS is using more clock cycles to get the main job done.
Lacking the specifics regarding how many clock cycles it takes for a given operation, you would have to start with a base measure of each OS (i.e. their most basic state of operation) and look at how much processing is being done at any given moment. Now compare that to how long it takes to perform an additional operation and you'll begin to have a measure of how much additional work it takes for each OS to perform that 'type' of task, to load a file, for example.
It's all Very basic on paper, but much more work in real life. I have yet to see anything close to this type of analysis being done, even a basic measure in terms of seconds taken to do this or that, in a comparison of these two OS's. Very weak indeed.
Maybe the discussion should be slanted to "which sites/forums Do have such useful info?" so that we can all go There instead for Real Answers?
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: f0dder on April 23, 2009, 06:19 PM
DDRAMbo: clock cycles is hardly a problem on any even recently modern CPU - even Vista doesn't eat up that much.

The possible performance issues are...
Memory consumptionRun an OS on a machine with too little memory, and it's going to be dog slow no matter  which OS it is - linux included. Vista might require more memory than XP (although a lot of people don't understand filesystem caching and shout their mouths off wrongly). I haven't used it on hardware with less than 2GB of RAM, but from watching my own usage stats I'd expect it to run smoothly with 1GB except when playing recent games.
Disk overheadA lot of people bitch at Vista's disk indexer - but that can be turned off. Other than that, I'd say that Vista feels smoother than XP, probably because of the more aggressive prefetcher and cache system. Might also have something to do with Vista being able to I/O requests larger than 64KB... and I/O prioritization is a nice feature as well.
GUI overheadOn able hardware, the Vista GUI is a lot smoother than XP. It's probably a bit unfortunate that MS decided to implement the acceleration purely with shaders, though, since that leaves some otherwise capable fixed-function hardware without acceleration.

Yes, Vista eats up more resources than XP, which eats up more resources than Win2k, which eats up more than Win9x. Some iterations have brought substantial gains and have made the extra resource consumption worthwhile. To be honest, I'm not sure what the balance is for Vista.

However, for all the Vista hate I've expressed during the past years (and some of which I still have), if my workstation crashed today, I'd be installing Vista (since Win7 isn't final yet). While it be too much for older machines, I very much doubt I'd be able to feel a speed hit on the hardware I use today, and while there's a few annoyances (mostly control panel related), there are several benefits that I'd like to take advantage of:


Apart from that, there's some lower-level features that aren't such a big deal right now (because not widely used), but will eventually be nice: SMBv2 (windows file sharing that can saturate gigabit ethernet), support for >64kb I/O requests, transactional NTFS (data integrity ftw!), etc.

None of these are reasons enough to do a reinstall as long as I have a working system - I do plan on a reinstall when Win7 final hits the streets, though.

Oh by the way, I've used tweaked windows installs since Win2000 - and the default Vista install size is too bloated for my taste.
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: DDRAMbo on April 23, 2009, 11:48 PM
First, for those reading your response and thinking, "oh, this guy's got a 'Honorary' next to his name. He Must speak wisely and truthfully", I must correct your very first statement, oh Wise one. Any OS uses All the clock cycles it is given, whether they are used wisely or wasted; they are All 'eaten up'. Now to the meat.
Aside from your 'general feelings' about Vista, your accumulated 'hate' for some features, bugs, etc. and your specific 'taste' for an OS (I might not want to know the specifics  :huh:), my main gripe is exemplified by your illustrious rendition of an attempt to box me into a corner with guilt that I had dissed this forum, when in fact you've laid the groundwork for my Proof!
As witness to my unfounded ramblings, see where you have used expressions such as 'too little memory', 'dog slow', 'filesystem caching and the shouting of mouthes' (which disses those who may have a point that you fail to invalidate), 'usage stats' ( :huh:), 'expect it to run smoothly' (an unvalidated assumption, probably as reliable as those 'shouting of mouthers' and 'people who bitch'), 'feels smoother than XP', 'able hardware', acceleration purely with shaders, though, since that leaves some otherwise capable fixed-function hardware without acceleration' (simply gobble-d-gook), 'eats up more resources' (what and where, and how is this different from eating up clock cycles and slowing things down, My Point Exactly), 'if my workstation crashed today, I'd be installing Vista' (you would reinstall your OS because it crashed????  :down:), 'UAC..., a trade off between security and annoyance' (doesn't that depend on how often one attempts system functions that call upon this feature?), 'since harddrives is the major bottleneck in my system' (like, your computer is different how? and since when is this not a antiquated bus system issue?), 'More aggressive prefetcher and disk cache. VS2008 starts faster on my 7200rpm...' (apparently you've figured out a way to successfully compare large apples to small oranges), 'Smoother GUI and (non-hacky) live previews' (sorry, but another  :huh:), blah, blah, blah, then, 'default Vista install is too bloated' (by which I assume you mean that it takes up too much space in memory and eats up too many clock cycles doing unnecessary crap).
Seriously, could I refer to this overview as bloat-babble? I rest my case.
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: Carol Haynes on April 24, 2009, 04:59 AM
Any OS uses All the clock cycles it is given
-DDRAMbo (April 23, 2009, 11:48 PM)

Tosh - the clock cycles happen (its the nature of a clock to tick!) but if they are not used they are not used. If the OS used every clock cycle it would be running at 100% power it would be under 100% constant load which is simply not true - if it were you would have far more overheating problems out there.

It is a similar argument to saying that because my heart beats constantly it doesn't matter whether I am climbing Everest or sitting in front of the TV my workload is the same.
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: DDRAMbo on April 24, 2009, 10:41 AM
Geez. I guess 2 moderators do make a right. I bow to your combined wisdom, and hereby grovel in a most earnest and humble expression of regret that I ever whispered a syllable of condescension at the wonder that is this forums top-level experts. From the very depth of my programming ilk I could never have imagined that my heart was as a mere clock cycle of time, never amounting to anything useful unless, dare I say, it's beating to the rhythm of your wise analogies and succinct but yet somehow informative reviews as I read them with breathless anticipation seeking if I be so wise those seeds of genuine interest to all whose eyes fall upon them.
Greater still must be your physical prowess for as you illuminate so clearly you've managed, probably through some manner of ultimate mind control, to make your heart beat the same rate whether you're climbing mount Everest or sitting in front of the TV, a skill I do so wish (dare I believe my attendance to this forum may lend me some partial understanding of this power) to emulate, lo someday master. To this very splendid goal of optimism of what can be if I but shut my crude, uneducated trap and read herewith and learn from thou wisest of the wise, I can only beg the benefits that have given you such a lauded, multi-syllabled monocle of wisdom, and may I someday join your ranks, step as proudly through the posts of those like myself of lesser knowledge and wisen them also.
I will wait with baited breath as an undisciplined child, cowering in shame, but willing to aspire to and learn from your greatness, if you will forgive my insolence.
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: Carol Haynes on April 24, 2009, 01:19 PM
Quite correct too - make sure you know your place  :-* :-* :-*
Title: Re: Should I switch from xp to vista?
Post by: CodeTRUCKER on April 24, 2009, 02:54 PM
In 1984, I worked in the Traffic Engineering Dept. of a municipality.  Eventhough the rest of the departments were upgrading to the new IBM-PC and clones, we, in this department continued to use the humble "Osborne 64," bit to run a traffic signal timing program called "Transyt-7."  To this day, there is no better piece of software to provide a smooth cruise from 38th Street to 4th Street at any time of the day.

So what's my point...

Simply, no one needs to feel the oppressive stress-inducers of adrenaline-laden commentary.  If you are happy with what you have then don't let the gainsayers beleaguer you contentment.  If you want to and can move to something better easily (and YOU know it's better) then more power to you. 

I run Vista 32 and would be delighted to "upgrade" to XP Pro 32*. My previous Toshiba (Vista 32) was a breeze, but this HP is a bear! >:(

Bottom Line:  Two rules...
 
*If anyone can tell me how to get back to XP Pro on this infernal HP Paviliondv6700! (but PM me and I will start a new thread so we don't hijack this one)