Windows XP vs Vista??

[sherri]

Ok. You people are the smartest, most tech savvy people out there. I want to get a laptop for myself, so my kids don't throw me off the pc for homework. I need/want it mainly for internet, downloading and transferring music to the Q, and downloading/transferring my Tivo recordings from my wireless network to the laptop so I can watch them anywhere.

I don't want to spend a fortune (as low as possible, but something decent). I have read about many problems with Vista, so I think a Dell is the only pc manufcturer that offers a "downgrade" for extra money to install Windows XP Professional. They include backup discs for both XP and discs for Vista.

Can you offer some reccomendations? XP over Vista? I searched on the pc before kids got home from school, and googled "XP vs Vista". Obviously, Microsoft is touting how wonderful Vista is, but most other "unbiased" sites likes XP.

I have Windows Office student and teacher 2003 edition, and I was told this won't work with Vista, so I would need to purchase Word 2007. My discs include Word 2003/Excel/and Powerpoint. Is it true this won't work on Vista?

Any help and thoughts is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[Vazguard]

I used XP for a long time and I probably had more problems with it than Vista. But then again, I installed a lot of software and never bothered to clean it. When I got my new laptop for college, it came with Vista. So far, I've probably had the same amount of random problems as the next person. I really don't see anything better in either. One thing you have to keep in mind is that Vista is the newer OS, so newer software will likely be more compatible. Also, its superfetch feature allows the computer to 'break in,' taking your usage and tuning itself to work faster.

XP has been established as a great OS though. It is pretty solid and is smaller in total file size.

So I think it all comes down to what you like. Maybe someone with more expertise has better points to share.

As for Office 2003 on Vista, I did a quick search of "MS Office 2003 on Vista" and there are plenty of sites that show you how to install it and get it to run, such as this one. If it doesn't work for you, at least you tried it. A good alternative if you don't want to pay for MSO2007 is OpenOffice.org, which is free and includes entire suite of programs extremely similar to the MSO suite--and it looks a lot like MSO2003.

[sherri]

Originally Posted by Vazguard

I used XP for a long time and I probably had more problems with it than Vista. But then again, I installed a lot of software and never bothered to clean it. When I got my new laptop for college, it came with Vista. So far, I've probably had the same amount of random problems as the next person. I really don't see anything better in either. One thing you have to keep in mind is that Vista is the newer OS, so newer software will likely be more compatible. Also, its superfetch feature allows the computer to 'break in,' taking your usage and tuning itself to work faster.

XP has been established as a great OS though. It is pretty solid and is smaller in total file size.

So I think it all comes down to what you like. Maybe someone with more expertise has better points to share.

As for Office 2003 on Vista, I did a quick search of "MS Office 2003 on Vista" and there are plenty of sites that show you how to install it and get it to run, such as this one. If it doesn't work for you, at least you tried it. A good alternative if you don't want to pay for MSO2007 is OpenOffice.org, which is free and includes entire suite of programs extremely similar to the MSO suite--and it looks a lot like MSO2003.

Thanks, Vazguard. The Dell looks like it has all I want. I'll make a decision in the next couple of weeks!

[Vazguard]

Good luck!

[rudeboy]

i am running Offices 2003 on a Vista laptop... it installed without me having to preform any "tricks", so far Vista has been treating me very good.. only one issue with a Lexmark all-in-one printer. everything else i throw at it (which is alot) works without problems...

people just seem to wanna b*tch when ever M$ releases a new version..

Vista has been around long enough for most if not all problems to be resolved..

good luck.

[Boycan]

sorry bout the caps again when I reply mobile I have to guess when I am in caps because my display shows all caps all the time a 6.1 thing I think :-\<p>Funny I have problems with my lexmark and my vista laptop too everytime I HOOK UP TO IT IT ACTS LIKE IT IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS SEEN IT AND DOWNLOADS NEW DRIVERS EVERYTIME, NO PROBS WITH ANY OTHER PRINTERS I have hooked to tho :-)

Originally Posted by rudeboy

i am running Offices 2003 on a Vista laptop... it installed without me having to preform any &quot;tricks&quot;, so far Vista has been treating me very good.. only one issue with a Lexmark all-in-one printer. everything else i throw at it (which is alot) works without problems...</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>people just seem to wanna b*tch when ever M$ releases a new version.. </p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Vista has been around long enough for most if not all problems to be resolved..</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>good luck.

</p>

[rudeboy]

it appears to be a Lexmark issue, as other printers i have work fine...

oh the issue i have with the Lexmark, i can print one job which does not delete and just sits there in the spool and prevents other jobs from printing, a reboot spits out the next job.. which of course is pretty annoying... hence why i now use another printer :}

[sherri]

Do you think Dell is a good computer then?

[mike250rs]

had a simmilar print issue with W2K + lexmark. Ended up using a generic HP driver as suggested by the lexmark tech guy. *shrugs* Worked just fine after that


only issue I hve with Vista is that it likes to import every pic & video I have when using the card reader. This is after selecting for it not to. Glad I checked behind myself, else..... :/

[Geekster]

Originally Posted by sherri

Do you think Dell is a good computer then?

Dell is a good computer...
I/we have fixed Dell PC's in the past & a very easy company to work with.
I don't like Vista all that much, it creates more problems than it should but once you "turn off" some stuff it's not bad. * Vista= XP ME*
Widge-it (or whatever it was called) side bar was the first thing to go!!!
If it comes pre-installed with Norton, dump it, get the clean-up tool from Norton's site and run it and get a better/different anti-virus software.
Have fun with new PC, sherri!!!!
*refraining from saying that stupid commercial thing*