Fresh Install - Vista or XP?

[snwtoy]

So, have my new hdd here after the previous died.

Question is, I now have a dilema - do I re-install Vista (been using this for a while now and quite like it), or go back to trusty old XP?

I have no issues with Vista drivers or anything like that, it just strikes me as Me was to 98.. kinda flakey, even though it's not..


Maybe Linux distro - but is linux up to the user friendliness of xp or vista? I am past the days where I was happy to spend long nights fscking around with conf files and so on to get it working.
Can I join my *nix box to my 2k3 domain, and use NT permissions etc with it?
Is it straightforward to run Photoshop (this is critical as I'm a photog - gimp does not cut it)?
And is has to be uber pretty like those cool demos I've seen wtih the wobbly windows and the 6-desktop cube etc.

So that into account - which distro?

[sergei]

If you are gamer and only Windows user, stay with XP.
if you are open minded and games and other commercial software is not much important to you and you love to tweak your PC, Linux is for you.
(k)Ubuntu is good start.
You can hack around with Wine to get Photoshop working.
Not sure about 2k3 shares, I am sure you can setup SMB users for that.

[rage]

XP

vista and its lack of drivers owns me

[Steelo]

Stick with XP until the service pack comes out for Vista later on this year, I have vista and will be going back to XP until they release it

[solitaire]

If performance isnt an issue stick with vista, i went back to xp because my laptop wouldnt run supreme commander on vista...

[Alex B]

Have gone back from vista to XP pro my self. As steelo has said, will be waiting for SP1.

[solitaire]

Just out of interest what are we expecting from service pack one?

[Alex B]

A complete rebuild of the kernel. Driver support for my mobile nvidia card instead of some crappy hacked one. It not $&#$% out ever time i open a folder with more than 10 .avi's in it.

[solitaire]

[Edited to suit above edited post]

what issues are you experiencing?

[Alex B]

I didn't mean it to sound that way. From what i have read on the always true Internet, the service pack is pretty much a complete overhaul of the kernel (making it windows 6.1), who knows how true this is. And there is no official video card driver for my laptop yet as far as i can see. (Geforce Go7300) and the various problems when ever i opened my music video collection was starting to $&#$% me off

[snwtoy]

Yeah, performance isn't an issue, pc only 6 months old or so.

Leaning toward vista at this point

[solitaire]

Ah gotcha, yeah the look and feel is completely different eh? I still havnt got my head around the new explorer, on the whole i liked it but my laptop cant support it, Unfortunately drivers are not microsofts problem, its up to the hardware manufacturers to have their drivers certified,

I didnt know they overhauled the kernel... is that possible when windows is running?

[sergei]

Ah gotcha, yeah the look and feel is completely different eh? I still havnt got my head around the new explorer, on the whole i liked it but my laptop cant support it, Unfortunately drivers are not microsofts problem, its up to the hardware manufacturers to have their drivers certified,

I didnt know they overhauled the kernel... is that possible when windows is running?

Lol I don't know about windoze but in linux is very common, you can recompile kernel while in gui then reboot and have a choice of previous kernel or new kernel in boot menu. Some updates change kernel version once in a while.

[Chickenman]

If performance isnt an issue stick with vista, i went back to xp because my laptop wouldnt run supreme commander on vista...

I've got a volt modded 7900gt and that game kicks it's arse on full settings at 1600x1200 2xAA, zooming out on the map can take it down to 25-30 fps in a battle but on vista it was in the teens.

My main problem was not enough ram, need 2gig+ or your iceskating up hill.

[Adamal]

When in doubt, dual boot it out!

[Mad Murphy]

If you're needing it for photoshop go XP. I frequently max out system resources working on it even with 2GB of RAM. I wouldn't want to throw any more of it away for a greedy operating system.

[snwtoy]

With a bit of luck I might be able to try OS X68

[snwtoy]

Struggling here...

Adydas.. help? Kubuntu.. booted of cdrom - need acces sto ide and sata hdd's ...

zaaron@hotmail.com - msn ... heeeelp?

[BlakJak]

I'm in the process of trying to sort out a new PC for home, and Kubuntu is where i'm looking at.

If you must use windows, use XP. Vista wont be worthwhile until its first servicepack, if XP is anything to go by. 'Sides, I agree with all those who've pointed out that theres no point in sacrificing more of your system to the baseline OS, when its applications etc that you're really wanting to give priority...