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XP or Windows 7?

post #1 of 54
11/10/09 at 8:10pm
Thread Starter 
Ok, time for a new netbook. I had an acer aspire one, it died, it was under warranty, but I didn't send it back. I'm a procrastinator, and I tried a procedure to fix it that came with a warning "may void warranty", and I always figured I'd send it back just to have them tell me I voided the warranty. Now the time has lapsed to send it in. In the meantime, I bought an older eee pc. It's fine, but I don't care for the linux xandros operating system. I can't stream movies because it won't download flashplayer, and I am very limited to what I can download. I want windows.

I have decided on another Acer. I know, I know, but I really did like the way it performed, spacement of the keys, screen, etc. It was a good machine (until it died).

So I have a choice. The new 10.1" that has Windows 7 and sells for $299. And the one that's on clearance because it has XP instead of windows 7. It is $249. Both have 160 gb hard drive, 1 gb ram, same processor (atom?).

I get along well with XP. I don't love my sister's vista (she has had no problems with it, doesn't seem slow, etc, it's just different). The windows 7 computers I have played with look like Vista.

I am leaning toward the XP, but is 7 going to be a whole lot better? Will I be missing out if I don't get the 7?
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post #2 of 54
11/10/09 at 8:15pm

have your ever listened about the disavanges about 7?....
Just wondering... I still having XP....






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post #3 of 54
11/10/09 at 8:16pm
I would get the XP, no doubt about it!
Vista is a disaster, 7 is a revamped version of it, but way too new to know... Plus it will be a while until all the bugs are worked out from this version.
XP is a great OS, I miss it SO much!
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post #4 of 54
11/10/09 at 8:23pm
I've actually heard that 7 is a cleaned up version of vista, a lot of unnecessary things taken out and that it takes less space. I'm not sure though because I'm far from knowledgeable about computer..this is what my boyfriend has said, who is a mac person in general but works with XP at his job, and his job is going from XP to windows 7 although they chose not to get vista.
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post #5 of 54
11/10/09 at 8:23pm
Thread Starter 
I was thinking along those same lines as 7 being so new. XP had problems too at first.
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post #6 of 54
11/10/09 at 9:31pm
I've been using 7 on and off since the beta version was released, and thus far, it's not bad. But, the Win 7 that is being loaded on netbooks is the "Windows 7 Starter", which is a majorly stripped down version.

I'd go with the XP myself, they'll be continuing support for it out of necessity for quite some time to come.
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post #7 of 54
11/10/09 at 9:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skippymjp View Post
I've been using 7 on and off since the beta version was released, and thus far, it's not bad. But, the Win 7 that is being loaded on netbooks is the "Windows 7 Starter", which is a majorly stripped down version.

I'd go with the XP myself, they'll be continuing support for it out of necessity for quite some time to come.
Listen at the experience voice!...
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post #8 of 54
11/11/09 at 3:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by badkelpie View Post
In the meantime, I bought an older eee pc. It's fine, but I don't care for the linux xandros operating system. I can't stream movies because it won't download flashplayer, and I am very limited to what I can download.
Are you sure about this? Unless you have an old distro or haven't done an update your reps should have almost everything you need. You should be able to get information for everything you need either in the linux community itself or the distro's man pages.
What you can't get from repositories should be easy enough to get in tar and turn to a deb.

ETA: Double checked, you're in a limited/stripped version of xandros? If so, yuck, no wonder you're having issues with your current pc. If you're willing to install/upgrade the full version you'll at least have something to hold you through till a new pc comes.


Personally I wouldn't put any newer windows on something with only 1gb of ram, no matter how stripped down it is. But then again I don't like windows anyways.
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post #9 of 54
11/11/09 at 3:38am
7 is nice. I have a relative who helps create Windows software; he's been using 7 for a while now (they get to test drive the new OS before the rest of us) and converted his personal machines to it. He's betting it will be the next business standard like XP has been for the past few years.

Personally at this time I would not get a laptop that is only capable of running XP, they will be obsolete in a year or two and that's why there's a firesale on them right now.

I got to play with his laptop running 7 while on vacation together. It looks good so far. (Of course his computer always runs well because he can afford a nice machine and can troubleshoot just about anything.) most of the reviews have been positive as well, confirming what my relative said before it came out.

I also owned a Vista running laptop for 3 days. Loved the computer, hated the OS. since that was all they were selling at that point, I packed it up and sent it to my bro to install XP instead.
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post #10 of 54
11/11/09 at 4:21am
I'd go with XP if you already know and like it. I had the same choice between XP and Vista and decided to stick with XP when I built my PC last year. My reasoning was that if I decided I wanted to move to Vista later, I could, but XP wouldn't be available to buy for much longer. I don't know what their schedule is, but I'm betting that MS will stop selling it soon now that it's 2 OS's old. And then there's the newness factor. I would personally never buy an OS until it's had the first service pack released. Maybe 7 is the exception to this rule, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
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post #11 of 54
11/11/09 at 4:23am
I would go with 7 just because it is new and it must be new for a reason..like it must be better?
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post #12 of 54
11/11/09 at 4:58am
I have an Acer notebook too, and really, I like the Acers. I haven't had a prob with this in the 3yrs I've had it.

While I have not experienced W7 myself, from others I have heard that it is a much better OS than Vista. When it comes time for me to change (when programs stop supporting XP so a long time from now) I'd go for W7 over Vista.

Now if it came down to my laptop frying and I had to choose between XP and 7, it would be a difficult choice but I think I would give 7 a try because as of yet I haven't heard many negatives.... completely different than Vista.

IMO
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post #13 of 54
11/11/09 at 5:06am
I have an acer lap top, with Vista. I bought it a year ago, coming from a really ancient machine, an HP windows 98. I loved my HP but windows 98 was obsolete.

Anyway, I am no computer expert but I really do not understand all the hype about how awful Vista is. I have no trouble with it at all, none.

I love this machine and probably will keep it for some time, maybe not as long as my HP (11 years) but a few years, at least. By then I'm sure there will be some other OS.
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post #14 of 54
11/11/09 at 5:31am
I have Vista, have had for about a year now and I havent had a single problem with it ( I have a Dell)
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post #15 of 54
11/11/09 at 7:20am
This is tough. I LOVE XP. We've been through a lot together. But Vista has grown on me (and I think the only issues I've seen, personally, really have to do with the fact that I didn't format my laptop when I got it. I left the manufacturer's install on it).

If Windows 7 really does have the stability of XP, but the features that make Vista cool, I'll switch. In fact, I'm just waiting until next month when I have the $$ to get it with my staff discount.

Also, while we can HOPE that XP will be supported for a long time, it's already 8 years old. Microsoft is known for forcing the public to switch by no longer offering patches, etc.
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post #16 of 54
11/11/09 at 8:19am
We got windows 7 last week. So far, I like it. I don't know much about computers though so I don't know if its actually any good.
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post #17 of 54
11/11/09 at 8:26am
the Beaus sister had 3 acers in 3 years and all of them had problems. All of them were replaced under warenty but this last one she was without a laptop for 6 months and thats a really long time when you are in college and half of your classes depend on turning in papers online...

And honestly I dont understand the issues with Vista. I had XP on my laptop but it recently died so I am using the Beaus spare laptop which is vista and ubuntu and I love vista! It took a little getting used to but other than that I have had no problems what so ever! And from what I've heard 7 is great. Im sure he will be upgrading his very soon to 7.
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post #18 of 54
11/11/09 at 9:38am
Just got a new laptop with 7, Im waiting for the wifi guy to come set the wifi and my printer up to it, but should be using it later today. I heard its a lot better than vista.
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post #19 of 54
11/11/09 at 10:58am
I don't anything about the new 7 but I am very happy with XP and if you are too, I would stay with it. I heard horror stories about Vista and if 7 is anything like it, I'll just stick with what I know and like. Just my opinion.
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post #20 of 54
11/11/09 at 11:08am
I'm on Vista, I miss XP but would like to try windows 7, I personally think though the more complex the more that can go wrong
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post #21 of 54
11/11/09 at 11:13am
My husband beta-tested 7, we're both on 7 now, and I'm working on setting up some test machines in the office to run 7, pending how they do with AutoCAD and 3D rendering/design software.

I'm impressed with it so far. It is a LOT faster than Vista, which was one of the big complaints. It has some really cool little features that the typical user will notice and use a lot. It has a lot of backend work that just plain makes it better. I would very much recommend it.

That being said, however, there is a big learning curve from XP to Vista or 7. It isn't necessarily that one set up is that much better, it's a matter of what you're used to. I really like the Vista/Win7 interface now that I'm used to it, but it did take a while.

And the netbooks do come with Win7 Starter, like Mike said, which is really stripped down. Not sure if the XP version is the full version, but I think it's close.

Personally I think it comes down to which one you personally like more and use more. If all the computers you use are XP, then stick with it. If most of the computers you use are going to Win7, spend the extra $50 and go to that so you're on the same type of OS. They are different enough that it would be somewhat difficult, IMO, to switch back and forth.
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post #22 of 54
11/11/09 at 11:37am
From what I was told the starter win 7 ....... is home version friendly and the full version is office friendly. You can also upgrade to the full version.
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post #23 of 54
11/11/09 at 11:47am
I'm with Heidi on this. We skipped Vista entirely, and I hate learning new technology. But my laptop died, and we replaced it with a new one with Windows 7. It only took a day or two to get used to working with it (to do the stuff I needed to get set-up).

The only problem is that it doesn't support a lot of drivers for stuff already (being new), so I spent a lot of time downloading drivers. Those using it later wont' have that problem.. but being you need it now, that may be an issue.

...but now that I'm used to it, I like it better than XP, and I'm having fun exploring stuff I didn't even bother with when I had XP.
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post #24 of 54
11/11/09 at 2:23pm
UGH that doesnt sound like fun, Laurie. Do you remember what programs you needed drivers for? Would someone like me who doesnt use my laptop for many things need to download drivers? I mean I go online and add pics and print things, thats about it for now.
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post #25 of 54
11/11/09 at 3:15pm
I doubt it Pam. The main problem was the new printer and the device we use to connect to the Internet (a Verizon USB - we have no other Internet access available out here except plain old telephone lines ). ...and the issue with the printer was wireless printing, not with the USB cable. With the USB, all we had to do was turn on the printer and plug it into the laptop - Windows 7 saw it right away and we didn't even need the disc that came with the printer.

...and if anyone has printer issues, at least HP has drivers up and ready for Windows 7, and they're easy to download and automatically do the right stuff. They'll have the drivers for the wireless printing done by the end of November I think they said. (But it has to be a printer that's wireless ready to begin with).

Haven't had any software compatability problems (yet).

...but almost everyone has drivers available for download for Windows 7 now that it's out if you find out you need any, and everything is run by auto install programs now, so you really don't need to be computer "literate" in that sense to do any of it.
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post #26 of 54
11/11/09 at 4:19pm
Well Im on it now. Its connected to the wireless printer and to wi-fi with no issues at all. I havent been on it long enough to make any kind of judgments, but so far so good.
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post #27 of 54
11/11/09 at 4:26pm
Beautiful!
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post #28 of 54
11/11/09 at 8:34pm
The good thing with Windows 7 too is that if there are drivers available for Vista but not specifically for 7, the Vista drivers will work.

Another plus with Windows 7 for laptop/netbook users is that it uses less energy than XP (or Vista), which means longer battery life.

As far as compatibility issues with software, Windows 7 also has a super-beyond-way-cool feature - Compatibility Mode. You can tell it to run an older piece of software in XP mode, so it sees it the same as XP would. So all those proprietary pieces of software that weren't reconfigured for Vista but that people still use can actually be run on Windows 7.

Do I sound like a commercial yet? Honestly, I did go to a pre-launch event where they taught us IT people about the new features and such, but it really is a cool system. If it lives up to a good percentage of the hype, it will be the new XP.
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post #29 of 54
11/17/09 at 9:13pm
I have a new laptop for work and honestly, it is taking me time to get used to it!

But so far, so good - its so much faster and very efficient.

I am just not used to the layout - going from xp to 7 So it will be good practice for me when I finally replace this laptop.
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post #30 of 54
11/18/09 at 4:20am
I'm having a hard time imagining that there are any XP machines available, even as remainders. After all, XP was replaced by Vista what, 4 years ago? And XP is no longer supported with new updates. Once you download the news Service Pack, there's nothing new coming out; no virus patches if a vulnerability is found, no new drivers, nothing.

This computer has Vista, and the only thing I haven't liked about it is no fax program (but you can download one for free).

Those using Windows 7 are saying they're very happy. Dottie's computer is eligible for a free upgrade to 7, and I expect to install it when it comes.
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