Comparing Windows XP to Windows Vista.
Original page = Black, Update on 2008-04-27 in red
Today, 2008-04-27, i am editing this page since I have recently noticed how popular it has been for the past year or so, the initial page was written long ago when Vista was a release candidate, yet, the basic conclusions are the same, As you can see the document started with the following conclusion, no editing necessary.
Quick conclusion: It is not time to buy Windows Vista to most people, Unless you need something available in vista and not in XP,
Don't buy it until you need it.
It may be true that Microsoft has been working on vista for over 5 years now, but this does not mean that vista is better in every way,
It is to a certain extent better, but is the difference worth your $400 ??
Not long ago, Microsoft released Windows Vista Service pack 1 to the public, very little was added or changed,
the service pack contained mostly security fixes, among other performance upgrades especially in the field of file transfer, but all in all,
this document still holds true.
Let me start with a scenario that fits most of us, You have been using XP for some time now, you have software for XP that probably
already does what vista does, You are more familiar with XP and you do not waste time, i will be comparing windows Vista VS Windows XP
so that you can make a more educated decision on weather you need windows Vista or not.
I have used vista since the early days of LongHorn, The Beta editions, every released build, and i have to tell you that when it comes down to business, Vista does not offer a hell lot more, And if you have not been going through trouble using XP, It is NOT the time to upgrade yet.
Some day, developers will start ignoring XP and developing software for Vista only right ? Not necessarily, Microsoft is developing tools and patches for XP to run software written for Vista (so it won't have glass in it, you don't really want to pay money for that right ?), But microsoft does not give you the bottom line that easy, Once we know we will tell you, but for now it looks like most the stuff that is going to be developed for vista will run on XP once XP gets its windows updates (the ones that are about to come out). Just like the conclusion says, if you are like most, you need to buy it when you really need it
UPDATE to the above: It seems with the current software trends, and the availability of the Avalon platform for XP, XP will serve most people at least the scheduled 4 years remaining in it's life, Vista will not offer much when it comes to third party software, And in 5 years you may be able to skip Vista all together and go straight to Vienna / Blackcomb / Windows 7, or whatever microsoft will chose to call it.
Yet some of us Just want the latest, they don't care if the older still works fine, they want the latest, in this case you would probably want to see what changed from Vista through XP, and then you need to find out what edition of Vista you need since it comes in 6 flavors (probably 4 to you since enterprise edition and Starter edition are not open for public retail).
So, on this page i will compare vista to XP in simple terms, starting with the things that make up the real difference to most people and going down through the less in demand features, The comparison grows as the website grows since we are like everyone else, still experimenting with Vista.
A Note to the above: Since we already write software for both Vista and XP and are no longer experimenting with it, We feel more confident that our opinion will be useful to you, and this is why we are updating this Vista Versus XP page.
So, buckle up, here we go
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| Windows XP professional edition with service pack 2 |
Windows Vista Ultimate edition |
Price - Cost: Price is a very complicated issue, For example, If you have Windows XP, you have already paid for it, So when you buy Vista you are not really saving, You are paying #380 and shelling what is now worth $280 (opportunity cost), Also, for the extra features in Vista, You may already have software that ads that functionality, and if the extra software is not free, you have already invested in XP, are you ready to invest again when your XP is still worth its money ?
If you buy a new computer though, you may want to know that getting it with Windows Vista is the wiser thing to do knowing how OEM versions of the operating system are cheaper
Also, Vista BOXED is licensed for 1 machine, and one time transfer to another machine, Meaning You buy vista and install it, Then you can only Move it to a different machine ONCE or sell it ONCE (the buyer can not sell it) |
| $280 (See Here) |
$380 (See here) |
Compatibility: Although at the minute if software runs on an OS best it will run best on Windows XP , but we don't know how long it will take for the tables to turn, For at the minute most of the software that runs on XP also runs on VISTA (to an extent, Vista is backward compatible) , And even those that run on vista will run on XP when Avalon is launched.
As a rule of thumb, Most non system software do work in Vista (Sometimes through a compatibility mode), When it comes to system software, there is a good chance they do not work. Device drivers of windows XP may or may not work as they should, or may not work at all. |
| Most windows software on the market today was written for XP (the latest version of software), While software manufacturers will keep making editions of there software for XP for quite some time, we don't know how long it will last, Also that software we are talking about here will probably be compatible once Avalon (Windows Presentation Foundation) |
Compatible with most software written for XP, but there will probably come a day where software will be compatible with Vista alone, Like XP today.
We changed our mind on that (Due to new info), XP will probably run most software written for vista for years to come |
| Graphics, Looks and interface: Windows XP was a looker in its days, What really changed is the Graphics technology, now windows Vista is being rendered in the Direct3D engine of the operating system (See Windows AERO) , The bottom line is that Both are not so flexible when it comes to themability, But Vista has that new Glass Look thing, And although more efficient in this area, it's minimum requirements are nearly Double that of XP. |
| Windows Defender: For some time now, Others have been making business filling the gap that microsoft created when they released XP, all those anti-spyware programs and third party spyware removal tools, Now windows released Windows Defender, But will it fully replace other anti-malware software. |
| Solutions for XP will exist for years to come, you will not be left behind, and Vista does not spare you the need for antivirus software |
Comes with Vista, But can be redundant since most of the threats defender can catch will probably also be handled by your antivirus software. And it really does not cover much from the area of responsibility covered by antivirus software |
| Internet Explorer 7: Although some still prefer 6, and many prefer Firefox, IE7 does take into account many of the problems that were in IE6, those problems that usually centered around safety are probably the main reason FireFox became so popular (and i still love it better than IE7). |
| Needs to be installed on XP, an XP version is available of IE7. |
Ships with Vista. |
| Windows Medial Player 11: You still did not find out what benefits upgrading from 9 to 10 brought you ! (unless you have a ZEN hard disk MP3 Player with updated firmware), You will probably not notice the difference in this one either, in vista it does come with the glass interface, But what's in that for you ? |
| Can be installed on XP , is available. |
Ships with Vista |
| Windows Sidebar: It may be a useful thing with all the gadgets you can install on it, But google Desktop beats the sidebar in every area of the competition, Some time later there may be more gadgets for the Sidebar than for google desktop, but i would not rely on that |
| Same functionality can be achieved with Google Desktop |
Sidebar ships with Vista |
| Thumbnail previews on the taskbar and on your Alt+Tab, Something not available in XP and there is no software we know about that can achieve it, And even if it was achieved it would be very resource intensive to implement on XP (Because XP does not cache the outputted window) and redraw is necessary |
| Not available and we do not know of any software to achieve it, Even if it was/is achieved, will probably not be very efficient (Speed wise) |
Available |
| Windows Photo Gallery: We know of allot of software to achieve this functionality on XP, and the best ones are free ! |
| Available from third party providers |
Available on Windows Photo Gallery |
| Automatic Disk Defragmenter: Software to do this has already been on the market for XP for some time, Not free, but available, Also, i simply schedule my defrags to happen at night for example, Not a critical thing. |
| Available from third party providers , And the defragmenter that ships with XP shows more detail than the one that ships with vista. |
Ships with Vista, But lacks display of detail like XP did, In general i do not like it, i like the XP one better, and you can have that run automatically with a few tricks |
| Improved sharing (folder and per item): SMB does not work (the linux system) with The default networking settings of vista, and most Network storage devices use that, you need to modify things in vista to make compatible, Also, if you have been using sharing in XP for some time, you probably will not benefit much from the simplification. |
| You already know how to use it |
Simplifies, yet Breaks compatibility with Linux based SMB systems (your NAS/lan drives for example) |
| Parental Controls: The parental controls feature that ships with XP is good for some tasks, and not the best for others, for example when it comes to blocking bad websites, Vista's system works by only allowing a list of websites you make, those from other providers work by actually having a list of the bad websites |
| Available from third party providers. |
Available, Very restricting and degrades the web experience, some usability issues, See here (parental controls review) |
| Hard disk space: Windows vista is many times bigger, and grows much faster, saving redundant versions of files to repair itself, And being full of files you will probably never use, Big Video's to teach you how to adjust your TV, Wallpaper collection with not so optimized files (deliberately not compressed much), etc.. |
| Much smaller than vista |
Much larger than vista |
| Native DVD Video Playback: Comes out of the box in Vista, Needs to be installed (Not native) In XP |
Can be installed, usually ships with your DVD Player - Super Drive, Etc...
In short: Can not without DVD/MPEG-2 Decoders
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Can play DVD video out of the box, ships with DVD/MPEG-2 decoders |
| Burning data DVD disks: Windows Vista CAN burn DVD data disks out of the box, Windows XP requires 3rd party tools |
| Third party software required |
Windows Vista can burn Data DVDs with no third party software |
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From: Ganesh
Subject: vista | | Hai im a computer seller so most of pupils accepting window vista but the problem is window vista need powerful ram. | From: Slezz
Subject: I read about your comparison!! | | I think you have a point in that, I mean WinXP is the best even today, I dont see a point in upgrading to WinVista so early, maybe in 2010.
Although the WinVista is so "Beautiful"
its just a matter of personal preference.
But hey, you got a point.
Please keep me up to date with anything that relates to WinVista, or you can e-mail me Wallpapers of WinVista if you have ones.
My email is: ekmina@galmail.co.za
Hey did you hear about VistaPackInspirat.
Its an upgrade for WinXP system files that turns the look of XP to WinVista,but the version is still XP.
I also have that program. | From: mieko
Subject: the best and the worst | | what is the best and worst in using windows xp and windows vista???and what is the compared between it??? | From: Alex
Subject: by vista-get place in hell | | oh just in case/today i by vista unlimited
in METRO(the underground) / it cost 5$ | From: wayne brodsky
Subject: xp vs vista | | As for me i just want to say i dont care how pretty an os looks,i demand ease of use and performance.Any system you can buy as an upgrade like you can with vista is NOT a new operating system also all the security that is built into vista is NOT for the user but for Bill Gates's operating system.Dont get me wrong I love new operating systems but vista dosent feel like mine maybe someday i will try to load it again in a few of my pcs and take the time to make it work but for now i will beat this old horse xp to death,benchmarks show that games and applications run 18% to 24% faster in xp and i hate resource hungry operating systems that need alot of memory just to run a desktop and who cares about thumbnail previews,really.One last thing it took microsoft 5yrs to develop vista in which time they scraped all the good things a truly new vista should have in it just to meet a deadline,,it also took 5yrs of updates to make xp what it is today a good operating system...Now heres truly the real answer to all this its about making money helping hardware companies like hp compact,dell,gateway,emachines sony,acer,toshiba loading a new os has bolstered their dying pc lines.Vista is bill gates operating system not yours.Bill Gates should have stolen all of apples ideas,this way he would have put together a system that is efficient as well as pretty... | From: turnerthetank@aol.com
Subject: vista | | why can i not get vista to work with bt voyager modem for the internet | From: DON Faree
Subject: bullshit | | i install vista and most of my devices dosnt work properly... the matter is drivers (modem, camera etc).. my system is not too old, its p4 with 512 mb of ram. but vista does not accept drivers.. so i give 0 marks out of 10 to vista and 9/10 to xp.. | From: JZ
Subject: vista | | From what I can see, Vista is just a lot of chrome. I'm just at the point where I'm considering upgrading my hardware, and I don't want to waste my $$$ with all the upgraded performance being sucked up by a fancy do-nothing OS. I think I'll stick with XP (even though I'll have to BUY another darn copy.) | From: Rice
Subject: Horrid | | I recently got an HP laptop with Vista, 2GB Ram... If you run vista with no other software you're good. It's a beautiful OS. but if you plan on using it for what an OS is built for, running apps etc... FORGET IT! I've loaded the Adobe CS2 suite on it and man alive the crashes are HORRID. Blue Screen, Random Program Shut downs... compatibility issues left and right. Top that off it's SLOW! Slower than an XP system on 1GB of Ram. I don't recommend Vista to anyone who needs uptime. | From: Punkin
Subject: ME to XP or Vista? | | If considerint an upgrade from Windows ME
shall it be to XP or Vista? | From: Vishnu
Subject: Alt Tab in XP | | There is a program that emulates the same effect, its called TaskSwitch XP. Google it. | From: prettygirl
Subject: windows vista | | i have windows vista ultimate and i love it because its extremly easy to us. a caveman could use it! | From: Vincent Chin
Subject: Vista OS Premium | | Hi..I'm from Malaysia,recently i brought an Asus laptop shipped with Vista Home Premium..It's was nice but yet when I come to playing games,shit,it do nothing..May be Microsoft should do something about it...Or may be the third party software company should do something about it...Help us..Poor consumer... | From: ...
Subject: article above | | You really arent backing up any of your claims - it is true that Vista is probably not worth the money for most small-time users, but that does not mean you can go into a general rant like you did above...you should probably use some kind of data available from benchmarkers to back up your claims. | From: Tom
Subject: windowblinds | | Keep XP is my advice to anyone. WinVista has to many compatibility issues, program shutdowns and well mine, randomly shuts down ever since i installed Vista. If you buy stardocks windowblinds, you can do the same glass effects, and themes. so many themes to choose from. Do not buy Vista yet. like someone else said, maybe in 2010. | From: Ken
Subject: firewall | | Does the Vista have a firewall? | From: Anna
Subject: Lunux emulators/Vista? | | Thanks! Very useful. It seems that Vista prevents third-party Linux subsystems and X-Windows from running freely. It would help to know how and why and what's their policy in terms of compatibility with Linux-like applications - if you know anything about that... | From: aaron
Subject: its cheaper to buy | | its cheaper to buy windows vista basic than to buy windows xp so basicly i can get basic for 40 after shipping but xp is like 120 after shipping with coa.. i cant get wife to move over to linux whixh what i use but she likes windows i can care less on windows because of the lack of safty and viruses | From: Keropi
Subject: XP is hacker n virus's pray | | My recent customer said that windows xp is lack of security. everytime he surfing he always caught by viruses. and somemore he needs to spent some few hundred bucks for some antivirus. so i recommend linux such as red hat, ubuntu, and mandriva. its doesn't need any antivirus and its completely save.
so why need to spent more rather than using that money making OS? choose linux now! | From: Arkwright
Subject: English | | wi iz evry1 riting in shit inglish? iz itt u fashn aw r u orl f****** illiterate? | From: Arkwright
Subject: English | | wi iz evry1 riting in shit inglish? iz itt u fashn aw r u orl f****** illiterate? | From: Doug
Subject: Saved from vista | | 2007-08-16 I bought a new laptop five months ago with Vista Basic on it. I've had five months of pain trying to run the software I need for work. This week I finaly walked into a computer store and bought a new hard drive and for a few dollars more got them to install XP SP2 on it. Life is good again! | From: Kevin Black
Subject: Lotus SmartSuite 123 | | Thank you, for taking the time to post what appears to be the best Review I have seen on XP versus, Vista.
I still use Lotus SmartSuite 123. Will the Vista operating system still allow Lotus Smartsuite 123 to run?
My e-mail is catax@sympatico.ca
Kevin Black
President
Concorde Accounting & Tax Inc. | From: jega
Subject: nice | | i..im also computer dealer. i found that my clients happy with vista...its better u move to vista now cause in future may be all ppl r use that. | From: JeffTree
Subject: Unimpressed with Vista | | Thanks for your comparison. I recently bought a basic laptop with Vista Home Basic. OpenOffice won't work and the OS uses so many resources that I started turing off the fancy animations. (Why try to make a PC look like a Mac...just buy a Mac if you want it to look like that AND it will work.) At this point, I see no reason why I shouldn't reformat the hard drive and install XP. Vista gives me nothing of benefit except wasting time and proving again that MS thinks that people want to putz with computers instead of using them to get something done. I have a similar laptop at the office with XP and everything ticks along nicely. I can barely get the Vista machine to do anything other than have gadgets tell me what time it is (they say something about time I downgraded to XP). | From: Zweistein
Subject: Education vs. Idiocy | | Kree 8 oor awn languitsh...fuggg propr Inglish...mayk 1 big impreshn
I is impresst | From: Robert A Hill
Subject: Vista | | Hi all I'm using vista home premium, but I used the beta version also "longhorn" anyway, I'm running a 1GB ram machine and it's as slow as hell. What bugs me is the fact that the minimum requirment are 512MB and I don't even want to know how slow that is. Robert Hill | From: naishal parekh
Subject: graphical user interface | | hi there is a project on GUI for which i require some help, so could u plz tell me wat all comes in GUI as a sub topic ?plz its urgent | From: Terry
Subject: Transfering | | I'm looking to buy a new computer. If I was to purchase one with vista, can I transfer all my data from xp to vista. I was told I could'nt. | From: Dreamz
Subject: Linux not completely safe | | There are viri out there for Linux just not as many of them. Nothing is completely safe unless your not on the internet. | From: LOHITH
Subject: Add it.. | | hey..
You have missed one feature in Vista, that is Bit locker. | From: Khawarizmi & Eda
Subject: compact | | i think we better use windows 98.bcoz it very classic.very different.it very powerful if u want play a games.but i dun like their grapic.look worst than shit.shit very nice than windows 98..damn windows 98..go to hell la 98..xp & vista is the best 4eva n eva..-Khawarizmi | From: Mags
Subject: xp vs. vista, which one should I buy? | | Looking to purchase a newer pc and I would like to know what type of o.s. should I get. Have kids, one in starting high school and my job still works with xp. Dazed and confused over which o.s.to get. | From: Austin Coté Williams
Subject: Dick Space | | I'm surprised that you haven't mentioned Disk space. I know from experience than an install of XP takes about a 1.5 GB of hard drive space, but from what I've read about Vista, it takes 10 to 15 GB's. That's insane! It's just an operating system!
I know that disk space now is cheaper than it's ever been, but given that Vista currently has no real benefit over XP, I can definitely find better things to do with that space. | From: DM
Subject: Vista | | If you have a lot invested in XP third party software, you should stay with XP. I have Vista and I am going back to XP. Many of my software packages do not even have a patch available. | From: Farhan
Subject: XP for games, Vista for looks | | The subject pretty much summarises what I'm saying here. Vista, being the more demanding of the two, means that your games won't run as smoothly as they once did on the XP. This may not be an issue however if you have a powerful computer, but Vista has another major downfall. Compatibility. I try to play COD2 Multiplayer on my computer, Vista simply won't have it.
I will however say, Vista is flat out gorgeous. If you're not really into gaming, and you have a powerful enough computer, then I recommend Vista. The transparency, the transitions, the whole look of the system is both beautiful and elegant. I would even go as far as saying it looks better than the Aqua look of the Mac.
By the way, I am using Vista at the moment and it runs smooth as butter. It is a FAST operating system given the right hardware. My specs are, for those want to know: AMD Athlon X2 64bit 5600+ Duo Core, 2GB RAM, 320gb hdd, Nvidia Geforce 8600gt graphics (lame i know). | From: Josh
Subject: In response to Don Faree | | In order to install drivers for your hardware onto vista you must download the vista compatible versions. XP compatible versions will not work on vista, even though both OS's use the same kernel.
To the world in general: Don't forget that when XP first came out people slated it, for much the same reasons people are slating Vista today. It took five years of upgrades, patches and service packs to turn XP into a half-way decent OS. It will probably do the same with Vista.
To Microsoft:
You had 5 years to make Vista. 5 years of delay, pontification, red tape and annoyance. And at the end of it all, what we have been "given" for our money is, at the kernel level, almost exactly the same as Windows NT.
Yes, the graphical improvement is nice, and I don't doubt that there are many minor improvements over NT and XP in Vista. But why use the same kernel again?
The world needs to turn open-source. Let us collaborate to turn Linux into the main operating system for the world and bring down Microsoft's dominance on the market. | From: fred
Subject: vista or nothing | | I recently purchased a Toshiba that fit what I needed and had the ability to go fast enough and hold enough. It had vista on it but I thought that removing it and putting in xp home would not be a problem. I am apparently wrong because no one has the right drivers to do this. the retailer does not want to deal with it the toshiba people don't want to deal with it the hard drive manufacture does not have the drivers I seem to be stuck. It does not do what I want and now I can't get rid of it. Got any ideas? | From: badboy
Subject: xp vs vista | | xp is the best. and will be the best windows ever. Vista only have 3D effects n aero glass. Who cares? you can most of those things in XP too | From: Cameron
Subject: Comparison of GUI | | I see now that vista is to XP what ME was to 98. It has a shiny new interface and a few little useless widgets, but the best value for money is still XP. And if you REALLY want the new interface, you can get it for free (like I did). Just download a free upgrad-o-matic called Vista Inspirat 2 to get the interface. But make sure that when you are installing it, you DON'T check the "Windows Movie Maker" checkbox, xos it deletes the title effects, transitions and effects, as I found out the hard way. | From: Ahmed
Subject: Good Comparison! | | There is no point for anyone on Windows XP to buy Windows Vista but It would be better for anyone who is buying a PC now to get Vista because compatability issues will arise in few years time.
And there are always issues with new versions of Windows, I have been hearing the same when Windows 2000 came after Windows 98 SE,,,and again when XP came after Windows 2000. Looks really don't matter but are you going to request hardware and software manufacturers to create drivers for your favourite windows XP. | From: Rodbenson
Subject: XP v.s. Vista | | I like still like Vista better.
(in many ways) | From: Terra_incognito
Subject: XP wins it. | | Bought a brand new Dell Inspiron 531 with Vista. Vista is very pretty but couldn't get the system to log onto microsoft.com or half the web sites i visit, including hotmail. Dell wants to charge you for software support, microsoft tells you to go to the system retailer for support and no one could fix the problem even after they gave me software support for free. I sent the system back. Bought an HP Pavillion m8200n. Same thing happened. Returned it. Had a system custom built with XP. Life is good again. Buy Vista and you might get lucky, or it might give you a world of pain right out of the box. It needs lots of patches and tons of driver support. | From: Martha
Subject: I read your comparison!!! | | I just wanted to thank you for your great comparison. I'm doing a report on vista vs. XP and this is the best comparison. I was thinking of going with vista, but now I can see that xp is the better choice, at least for now.
hI. cOACH HaNsEn | From: mayang
Subject: vista | | uhhmmm, for me, vista nids a powerful ram and vista is beauty without brain!!!! i still love winxp! | From: Amy
Subject: XP or VISTA? | | i feel that the xp is overall the best. even though vista is very pretty, I think that the xp does more. | From: Jeton
Subject: Little changes will made big trubles! | | Well, I tried to read all comments and hear all problems, from my point of view Everything has a beginning has an end! So do WinXp but it's still early to do it!
Being honest I'm fan of WinXp and I won't change it till the last day of expire!
Microsoft pushed people to buy new Computers, Change statistics of their Computers because running vista you'll need to force your computer like an horse and still is not going to be able to run vista! It's more or less Microsoft Policy ... | From: LJ
Subject: XP vs VISTA | | I am getting ready to buy a laptop for my son for christmas, he has the option of XP or Vista. Which would you recommend if buying a new computer, not upgrading? He wants a Dell Vostro 1500(2GB 1.6 GHZ) and plans on using it for college, graphic design, surfing the web and etc. | From: ANonymous
Subject: Vista | | Hey guess what. I'm an avid gamer, as well as worker. I use my computer ofr many stuff such as programming, gaming, hacking, etc. (hacking games. Not illegal stuff). I personnaly think vista kicks xp's ass. first of all. You guys are all stupid if u think programs such as cs2 would work on vista...WHY THE HELL DO YOU THINK THEY MADE CS3???? holy crap....i was also surprised at the incompatibility rate of vista when it first came out. Then, microsoft gave vista a few updates. And VOILA...almost every game made for xp works on vista TWICE as good..if u have da specs necessary. Also, the programs run a lot better with minimum crashes. It starts up a lot faster. it is basically wat xp is...but 10 times better...of course...windows SEVEN wil kick vista into hell... | From: customs up
Subject: flipper and thumbnails | | there are emulators for the 3d flipper and three I've seen for the thumnails.
I have windows XP, with alot of customizations on it. basically looks like vista, has glass, thumbnail previews, flipper, fade on close/open, and the startmenu and orb, in full. From what I've seen, you can get all of vistas visual parts for about 20 to 50 dollars, and about 100mbs of ram | From: sdg
Subject: wahjmmicrosaft | | sup | From: Bob
Subject: Vista | | I have a P4 with 512mb RAM and Vista is extremely fast. I have friends that have XP with 2gb and the same P4 and it is slow as snot. Vista is way esier to use and is way more organized. Buy vista you can get Home premium for 100$ at newegg.com with free shipping. | From: John
Subject: dates on articles | | Nice article. When was it written? Please think about putting dates on your articles. Thanks. | From: Tony
Subject: XP it is... | | My laptop recently started malfunctioning due to a memory error, so I was in the market for a new laptop. I wasn't sure whether to get XP or Vista, but after reading your comparisons, I'll go with XP! Thank you! | From: AJ
Subject: dell | | Also, LJ, don't buy your son a Dell. My last two laptops have been Dells (the second was a free replacement after the first one kept crashing). They offer what seems like pretty good 24-hour support and warranties, but really that just means you'll be spending hours on hold only to talk to technicians in India who often can't fix your problems or be understood through their thick accents. Then, once your warranty is over, nobody will touch your pc because Dell's hardware is all proprietary (that means it isn't interchangeable with other stuff and that it's all built in a way that makes it exclusive to Dell and their approved technicians). It may seem nice that they replaced my computer for free, but that's only after a year and a half of constant phone calls and fruitless home visits from their local freelancer technician. Even then, I only got a refurbished model which eventually had it's own problems. I upgraded to a VAIO and I recommend you do the same. Their prices have gotten very reasonable and the hardware is better, more reliable, and lasts longer. Furthermore, everyone I know who has owned a VAIO notebook has never complained about it (aside from complaints that are common to all PCs). | From: skiwiz
Subject: vista vs xp in Dec | | any improvements in vista that says I should purchase it along with new CPU? | From: takuse
Subject: vista is ok | | i have just installed vista ultimate and my computer is running fine. only problem is my sound card wont work(no supported drivers) but besides that my computer runs fine. i have 1gb of ram and AMD proccessor and 180gb HD. im a 16 year old computer tech and have not only done extensive reseach about vista but have personally used it instead of just reading aobut it and claiming it sux. its not the biggest step from XP but it is a start. alot of ppl i have heard that say vista are ppl that either have never used it or try to install it on a computer that nowhere meets the minimum requirements. so lesson here is dont always base ur opinions on the media for its usually ppl that dont know wat they are talkin bout | From: danny
Subject: vista fail | | windows vista is another microsoft failure
more expensive but more slower
some program won't work on vista, then you need to buy latest software that can run on vista
good job!!!! | From: j
Subject: readyboost | | what about readyboost? does that enhance gaming/power heavy tasks at all? | From: Rachael
Subject: Just got a new computer.... | | I actually got into a fight with the gung-ho vista-slave salesperson over this laptop, but unfortunately, that's all that most new computers come with these days. The only reason I got a new one is because the old one was stolen; I had just got XP with that computer less than a year ago. Now, here I am, another new operating system, and an inferior one in my opinion.
Like someone below said, it doesn't feel like mine. After all I've read, I'm afraid to try and load any programs onto it, especially ones we had loaded on my previous computer. I'm seriously considering saving up to purchase a new copy of XP, even though it would render my copy of Halo 2 (technically) useless.
On a computer with better specs than the one I was using not even three weeks ago, vista is slow, ponderous, and asks extra permission for the simplest of tasks. You want to perform a disk cleanup with the software that came with the OS? They'll ask you if you opened this program first, just in case, I don't know... someone remotely hacked your computer and decided to do ma little maintenence? I'm sorry, but that's ridiculous. 2GB of memory should be enough to run an operating system and one game without slowing everything to a crawl. | From: Sidh
Subject: keep both | | guys i am keeping both.....in windows xp games and other applications are used while in vista official work can be donne without a hassle.......so why not keep bith and run whichever is required???
cheers | From: Ronnie Guthrie
Subject: XP 'enhancements' | | If you want a fancy effects task switcher, try TopDesk. Alternatively install the latest Microsoft mouse drivers and your middle mouse button might surprise you.
For a better (and free) disk defraggler, google for diskeeper lite (v7) or 'O&O defrag lite' - they both do a decent job.
Personally, I'll be sticking with XP until software compatibility forces me to downgrade to Vista. | From: Dave
Subject: Thumbnail Previews | | They are available for XP, as I have them installed on both pc's I work with. They come as free downloads.
Look for 'TaskSwitchXP_2.0.11.exe' and/or 'VisualTaskTips_22.exe' | From: Chris
Subject: Looks great but!!! | | I t looks good and really like using it but it just doesn't work! I installed it in March and I've had to rebuild my system 5 times since. I've gone back to XP now as I probably should have done a long time ago. I'll try Vista again after SP2 comes out. | From: Richard Norman
Subject: New machine | | Agreed XP is fine - running here (so are Xandros abd UBUBTU LINUX) but for the buyer of a new machine Vista does not "cost" 400USD so would you say buy XP? I guess not :-) | From: Dave
Subject: service pack | | I'm waiting for the first service pack before I even think about upgrading... | From: Ryan
Subject: Vista | | I have tried Windows Vista it SUCKS!!! Dont buy it. XP is so much better. | From: Avishek
Subject: Its good but.....still xp is the best | | Yes vista is beautiful......but in perfomence looks dont matter.
Yes vista is secured.....but too much security is not good too.
Vista is not user friendly......XP is.
A kid and a old person can use XP easily...... in vista they will sweat out.
still Vista is new and XP is old.....
BUT AS WE SAY......
OLD IS GOLD | From: Steve H
Subject: Vista VS XP | | I've read numerous articles and forum debates regards to Vista VS XP. In fact, I'm using both OS on three of my work laptops (one for full time job, the other one for freelance consulting job, one for vista testing only)and I'm happy with both operating system. I do find the responsiveness is slower on Vista, compare to XP. Here is my 2cents of thought. Vista is fairly do-able for the consumer level users (Internet browsing, e-mail, gaming), however all business-corporate related, including stock brokers, accountants, and users who are still on legacy business applications should stay with XP, and XP won't diminish in our IT society until Windows 7 SP1 will come out, which won't be until 2010 at least, in my opinion. Graphic designers should be on Macs and stay off from Windows. | From: muzzammil
Subject: written work | | what you said is ture I am using vista home P on my laptop and games that were ment for xp works on vista perfectly but you got some spelling mistake and when you wrote But XP has that new Glass Look thing, it's suppose to be vista not xp. | From: Anusha
Subject: Can anyone give me clear information | | Hi,
Is there anyone to help me out on the concepts of Xp and Vista clearly.My email Id is anusha.bathula@tcs.com. | From: chazzo112@optonline.net
Subject: incompatability | | I have been unable to change type sizes and styles with font. Is it my fault? I am far from a computer expert. | From: Trish
Subject: vista privacy | | Tell me who all actually read the contract with microsoft for running the application of vista? Did you know that by agreeing to the contract you have given microsoft permission to go into your computer at any time and be able to access anything that is actually on your computer. That is a total invasion of ones privacy, wouldn't you think............ | From: m.scott
Subject: windows vista | | Recently, I up-graded to vista on my Dell optiplex gx270[re-placing my orig. hard-drive with a new 250gig drive} which did not have an internal DVD drive[Vista did not recognized my external DVD burner!!!]Solution:??....I had to partially re-install Windows XP, and then put the Windows Vista OEM DVD into the external drive, it worked..what a hassle...thanks ...Vista......rroe7@bellsouth.net
p.s. If you have more than one pc, keep one with XP , if it works then why fix it? | From: Ruby Talkington
Subject: Vista loses E Drive | | I have lost the E Drive on the Vista three different times because of data CDs made on other XP programs. Is it not compatible or what goes on here? This is really frustrating. The CDs are read on other machines with no problem. rubytalk@bresnan.net | From: Gordon
Subject: Thanks | | I am about to repace my desktop and wondered weither I should stay with XP or get Vista and you have provided valuabe info that will help with my decision. Since my use is is word processing, e-mail and serching the web and some photo work. I will stay with XP with which I'm sure my existing applications wiil work | From: Brandon Zadel
Subject: xp vs vista | | Oh yea, and just to let all you guys know, it took for months before someone was able to crack XP. Vista was cracked in 2 FUCKING DAYS! | From: Jeff
Subject: vista | | I feel like vista is a good excuse to get a better computer now. I am still wondering where the added functionality is. I guess we are getting to a point where they arent selling functionality anymore. | From: caine95
Subject: Format | | How do I get rid of windows vista ???
So I can install windows xp on a dell
inspirion 1520 laptop. | From: Karinabob
Subject: Comparison | | I have used both XP and Vista, and although Vista is very attractive and it can be a good OS for business-type applications, I would not suggest it for anyone that likes to do alot of gaming, especially if you have older games that you would like to continue playing. Many of them are not compatible with Vista and it is near to impossible to find the right drivers. It might also be a good OS for students who wouldn't use it for more than typing papers and reports and watching movies. | From: Jorge
Subject: XP is better | | I am a certified Network+, A+, and security+ professional and in all honest opinion, Vista is the worst operating system since the introduction of Windows ME. They are saying on June 10th that all XP OEM installation disks are no longer going to be distributed, for what, a lousy operating system that has more flaws, horrid start up times, and does not support older hardware and software. All in all, most would agree with me that this is one monster of a big mistake. | From: Fritz
Subject: Alt+Tab Window Preview | | There is a Power app available to view thumbnails when using Alt+Tab. Its called Taskswitch. | From: j4
Subject: not a neutral comparison | | Most of your comparisons were obviously slanted to favor XP. Mocking the UI features of Vista served no purpose other than to make it clear you give little regard to Vista.
For those who think you did a "great job" on your comparison, they do so in ignorance of a true technical comparison. I have read some true comparisons of XP vs. Vista, and many of the results favored Vista.
I have been a Vista user for over a year. My only issues have been with software not designed to work with Vista. As this has been a source of frustration, it is a natural growth pain. The complaints should be directed more to the software vendors for not supporting Vista. When I complained to one of my vendors about their software not working on Vista, I got results in a matter of weeks.
It is easy to jump on a bandwagon of ignorant complainers. It would be nice if the community would redirect their energies toward making progress vs. holding on to a deprecated OS. | From: xabhijitx
Subject: Nice comparision | | You forgot a lots of points where XP wins.
Memory usage, Gaming performance, Application performance, etc... etc...
Vista looses in almost every thing.
Looks matter to little childern, not grownups ! | From: Earl Sorrells
Subject: COMPATIBILITY?? | | The more I look, the more confused I get. My Problem: Is Lotus SmartSuiter compatibility with Window Vista Premium with 32 bit os? The positive answers are not really positive. They are like a "tentative maybe" What's going on" Big Secrets? More importantly, what is the "real answer'? YES or NO? |
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