Should I switch from xp to vista?

[nite_monkey]

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?

[4wd]

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?

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.

[Dormouse]

if you want 'supported by the world', it has to be XP 32bit.

[sgtevmckay]

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

[Deozaan]

As I understand it Windows 7 will be a 64 bit environment only.

Isn't that what they said about Vista? And if it is true, then why are there 32bit Windows 7 beta versions?

[sgtevmckay]

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!

[nite_monkey]

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.

[sgtevmckay]

Agreed

[bgd77]

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 ).

[Deozaan]

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

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!).

[bgd77]

So, when will we see 128 bit PCs? Are there any 128 processors on the market, for servers (and OSs)?

[Dormouse]

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.

[f0dder]

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.

[nite_monkey]

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.

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)

[f0dder]

If it works on Vista64, it'll likely work just fine on XP64 as well...

[nite_monkey]

If it works on Vista64, it'll likely work just fine on XP64 as well...

lol, try telling that to an installer designed to chew you out if you don't run the installer on vista.

[DDRAMbo]

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! 

[Kimitwo]

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?

[f0dder]

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?

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?

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.

[mwb1100]

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?

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).

[Carol Haynes]

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.

[Carol Haynes]

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?

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).

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).

[f0dder]

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.

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.

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.

[Carol Haynes]

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 ??

[DDRAMbo]

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.