XP / Vista / 7 - Which to use for new build?

Chevy-SS

Chevy-SS

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 5, 2007
Messages
265
It's time for a new system. I have been using XP Pro and I love it. I guess it's considered antiquated by many here, but XP suits all my needs perfectly, and that's what counts.

I am worried about compatibility issues with all my XP programs. Will all my existing XP programs work in Vista or 7? I don't want to be forced to buy 'newer' versions of Office or anything else, for that matter.

Also, how about privacy? I have read various articles and it seems like Vista and/or 7 have some level of DRM built into them and will spy on your applications, installations, usage and programs. Or am I just being overly paranoid?

Many thanks

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You'll get an overwhelming "Win7" vote in a tech forum.

The answer is to check with your software..and see if it runs fine in Windows 7. Especially important is it's any business software and you need their support. Most apps run just fine with Windows 7. But it's smart to check ahead first...else you find yourself forced to upgrade all versions or wait for compatible versions to be released.
 
I have one program that won't install on vista or win7. Win7 ultimate virtual machine XP works real nice for my one exception.
 
How much longer will full support be around for XP?

EDIT - found this from June, 2008 - Is this correct? "In a letter sent to customers this week, Microsoft senior VP Bill Veghte said the software maker will provide security patches "and other critical updates" for Windows XP until April, 2014."

Thanks
 
unless you have a specific reason not to use Windows 7, it really is the best choice IMO...
 
agreed on Win7.

If you have an application that is not compatible, then think about getting the Pro version of Win7, as it has XP-mode (essentially a virtual XP machine that is, in a sense, integrated into Win7, without having to open the virtualpc window, boot the virtual OS, etc, to be able to run the app within an XP-environment).

Chevy-SS said:
How much longer will full support be around for XP?

EDIT - found this from June, 2008 - Is this correct? "In a letter sent to customers this week, Microsoft senior VP Bill Veghte said the software maker will provide security patches "and other critical updates" for Windows XP until April, 2014."

Thanks
Click to expand...

that sounds about right from what I remember reading.
 
Chevy-SS said:
I am worried about compatibility issues with all my XP programs. Will all my existing XP programs work in Vista or 7? I don't want to be forced to buy 'newer' versions of Office or anything else, for that matter.
Click to expand...
List the programs you use and I'll tell you which of them I've confirmed to work on 7.

Chevy-SS said:
Also, how about privacy? I have read various articles and it seems like Vista and/or 7 have some level of DRM built into them and will spy on your applications, installations, usage and programs.
Click to expand...
Windows is designed to support DRM and encryption schemes for input and output (via HDMI, for instance). There's no spying on your applications or your usage.

j-sta said:
If you have an application that is not compatible, then think about getting the Pro version of Win7, as it has XP-mode
Click to expand...
My own experience is that XP Mode's performance is absolutely abysmal and almost entirely worthless. It's possible I had misconfigured it in some way (I couldn't say how), but in the time that I tried it, its performance was incredibly poor. VMWare and VirtualBox both performed much, much faster, though they're arguably more complex. Considering I run an i7 which supports hardware virtualization, the performance of XP Mode was perplexing.
 
phide said:
My own experience is that XP Mode's performance is absolutely abysmal and almost entirely worthless. It's possible I had misconfigured it in some way (I couldn't say how), but in the time that I tried it, its performance was incredibly poor. VMWare and VirtualBox both performed much, much faster, though they're arguably more complex. Considering I run an i7 which supports hardware virtualization, the performance of XP Mode was perplexing.
Click to expand...

I personally have no experience with it; was just going by what I've read (I'm pretty sure there have been some posts around here praising it).

depending on the application, may not be a noticeable hit though.
 
I use "XP mode" for work so I can tunnel from the XP VM to my customer's network via Cisco VPN and then RDP into my local servers from the VM and access my applications remotely without having to "split tunnel". I wouldn't call the performance bad for using it in that manner. The host I'm running it on is in my sig. It seems to be reasonably useful. I don't have any apps that "require" me to use XP though.
 
Chevy-SS said:
It's time for a new system. I have been using XP Pro and I love it. I guess it's considered antiquated by many here, but XP suits all my needs perfectly, and that's what counts.

I am worried about compatibility issues with all my XP programs. Will all my existing XP programs work in Vista or 7? I don't want to be forced to buy 'newer' versions of Office or anything else, for that matter.

Also, how about privacy? I have read various articles and it seems like Vista and/or 7 have some level of DRM built into them and will spy on your applications, installations, usage and programs. Or am I just being overly paranoid?

Many thanks

-
Click to expand...

I did three computers, and did not have an issue with any of them
dispite the fact that one app I reinstalled was 9 years old
and works perfectly in Windows 7.

Make sure you run the MS compatibility program wizard
for windows 7 first on your XP box. It gives a nice report
as to what will and will not work.

Windows 7 also has a nice compatiblity mode, where
you can have it run a program in XP mode.

Go for it!
 
Go with Windows 7. If you're worried about some Windows XP programs being able to run on it you can get the Pro version of 7, which lets you run those programs in a virtual Windows XP mode. I'm betting you won't even need to resort to that, as an overwhelming majority of XP software should run fine as-is. But for those that don't the Virtual XP would allow you to use them.

Just be sure you have the hardware for it, as it requires a processor capable of hardware virtualization.
 
Take the plunge on 7. Worst case scenario, even if you're using 7 home premium, just install VirtualBox and use your XP license to virtualize.
 
Yep. Even if XP Mode doesn't do it for you, VirtualBox surely will.
 
I just picked up an OEM copy of Vista Business 64 for $50 on Fleabay. It costs $130 for the equivalent version of Win 7.

My advice: if you are going to use 2GB of memory, go XP. If you are going to use 4GB of memory, use Vista 64 for $50 if you want to save some cash, and use Win 7 if you want the newest and don't mind spending a little more money. I have Vista Ultimate 64 on my HTPC, Win 7 Pro 64 on my main rig, and Win XP Pro on a little PC I keep around just in case I run into a problem building a PC that only XP can solve. Good Luck.
 
7 is the $hit. I have been running the RC for 6+ months on my home system... haven't even bothered to put on the final release because it has had 0 problems. Running 7 ultimate on two of my work systems and no issues what so ever. Fast, stable, compatible with everything. The real reason to move to 7 though is the massive ammount of great little UI enhancements and features. Each one on it's own is handy, saves you a few seconds here and there, makes the experience more enjoyable, prevents you from having to do the same things over and over. Together though, it's a vastly smoother, better, more modern experience.
 
Hello ChevySS,

Windows 7 Pro would work just great for your situation;

I will tell you from first hand experience, all of my systems have been converted to Windows 7. I am not just saying it to say because I am affiliated with Microsoft. I can truly stand behind this product and tell you straight away it works very reliably, fast and extremely stable. The 64bit version is a real powerhouse as well.
Anyways, what to say about Windows 7?
There are several new features that are available with Windows 7 that will assist you with deployment and management of a large number of workstations. Enterprise IT infrastructures are increasingly complex to manage. The Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) is a dynamic desktop solution that is available as a subscription for Software Assurance customers. The solution suite enhances application deployment and compatibility, increases IT responsiveness and end user uptime, and helps reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) of your desktop software and IT management. To learn more about this package, please go here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/enterprise/products/mdop/default.aspx
Also now available is MDT 2010 (Microsoft Deployment Tool) which will help you create images and automate the OS and application installations, data migration, and desktop configuration process. To learn more, please go here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744519(WS.10).aspx
Microsoft does have an official Windows 7 Support Forum specifically for IT Pros located here http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/category/w7itpro/ . It is supported by product specialists as well as engineers and support teams. You may want to also check the threads available there for additional assistance and feedback.
Also, if you would like to read what other users have said about their positive experience with Windows 7, you may want to check out the following sites: http://www.winsupersite.com/ and http://www.edbott.com/weblog/

John M
Microsoft Windows Client Team
 
Windows 7, man. Installing XP on a new computer, would be like installing Windows 95 on a new computer after XP was released. Despite the misinformed hype, Windows 7 is actually faster than XP at most things, and I haven't run into a single thing in 3 years that didn't run on x64 versions Vista and now Win 7. Also, windows is the most scrutinized OS ever, if it was reporting/spying, everyone would be up in arms about it. And consider x64, since it is more secure, even if you have < 4GBs of ram, and of course it will allow you to immediately or whenever you choose to, use more than 4GBs.
 
I have to ask why this wasn't a given for the OP to try....but here goes:

If you are worried about app compatability, your very first step should be to run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor for a full report. If you find that some system utilities aren't compatible, such as your AV software, there are many alternatives, including free ones.

Oh, and whatever sites you've been reading that talk about DRM and how that affects privacy, stop reading immediately. DRM has nothing to do with privacy, nor is it an issue in Windows 7 or Vista.
 
Good suggestions all. Thanks for the comments. ;)

I am still deciding on a new build.

-
 
Chevy-SS said:
It's time for a new system. I have been using XP Pro and I love it. I guess it's considered antiquated by many here, but XP suits all my needs perfectly, and that's what counts.
Click to expand...
As long as you don't want DX10/11 and/or over 4GB of system memory + gpu memory (because XP x64 sucks), then stick with XP I guess. There are other features that are nice but if your happy now, there's no reason to change.
I am worried about compatibility issues with all my XP programs. Will all my existing XP programs work in Vista or 7? I don't want to be forced to buy 'newer' versions of Office or anything else, for that matter.
Click to expand...
Pretty much all Microsoft Office programs should run fine on 7. Is there something particular your worried about not working correctly with it?

Also, how about privacy? I have read various articles and it seems like Vista and/or 7 have some level of DRM built into them and will spy on your applications, installations, usage and programs. Or am I just being overly paranoid?
Click to expand...
You sure you were not reading something on Tech ARP because that was an April Fools joke. Otherwise, your just paranoid.
 
will 7 run on a p4 3.4 Ghz processor with ddr 400 corsair xms pc 3200 ram (2 gigs)?

I haven't updated my machine in a loooong time. See sig.
 
Does Win7 Ultimate do everything Pro does or is Pro special?
 
Ultimate is just that...Ultimate. It has all the features found in all of the other versions of Windows 7. The only point of contention is if you need to pay extra for those features, or if Pro or Home Premium will do the job for you and save you a few bucks.
 
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