Which Editions of Vista or XP? Should I Buy?

It is time for me to move either to XP or Vista from Win98SE. I have the habit
of reformatting my HD and clean reinstall Win98SE, whenever my computer becomes
too clutter. Win98SE allows unlimited clean reinstallation without permission
from anyone, other than type in the key. I am using Opera for my browser and my
wife using IE. I am very happy with Win98SE. However, I cannot upgradeto the
latest Opera or others Utilities and limit many things I like to do. There are
so many XP and Vista editions available. I need advise and comments which
editions I should buy? Thanks.

"CC" <ccen@cvrd.com> wrote in message
news:n7SdncKhj-HbHmTanZ2dnUVZ_umlnZ2d@comcast.com...
>
>
> It is time for me to move either to XP or Vista from Win98SE. I have the
> habit
> of reformatting my HD and clean reinstall Win98SE, whenever my computer
> becomes
> too clutter. Win98SE allows unlimited clean reinstallation without
> permission
> from anyone, other than type in the key. I am using Opera for my browser
> and my
> wife using IE. I am very happy with Win98SE. However, I cannot upgradeto
> the
> latest Opera or others Utilities and limit many things I like to do. There
> are
> so many XP and Vista editions available. I need advise and comments which
> editions I should buy? Thanks.


With retail versions of XP and Vista, activation is required, but as long as
your copy is legal, it's not a problem. At most, it's a toll-free phone
call that takes 5 minutes. As long as you don't do this more than every
quarter or so, you should be able to do it online.

As well, regular reinstall as was helpful with Win3x and 9x is simply not
needed. One of my main systems ran XP Pro nearly 24/7 for three years
before I felt any need to replace the installation, and that was because I
wanted to upgrade the drives.

As to the version you should choose, examine the software you need to run.
If you need to connect to domain-based networks (this is seldom the case if
you are using the computer at home), do not get *any* version of XP or Vista
with the word "Home" anywhere in the name (for XP this means XP Pro, for
Vista it means Business or Ultimate). If you don't need to do this,
chances are that you can use the Home versions, which are less expensive.
The Media Center Version of XP was available basically as OEM preinstalled
and has a number of problems, in particular when you want to run
media-specific apps like audio recording software.

What you don't say is whether you're replacing the computer completely or
doing an upgrade install. If your plan is to do an upgrade install and
keep the existing hardware, chances are that your existing system just can't
handle Vista.

If you are doing this kind of upgrade and don't need advanced networking,
get an XP Home Upgrade disk from a store, not from online. The last times I
have bought these, it's been around $130. You can do both a clean install
and an in-place upgrade with these discs; in the case of the clean install
you need to have the Win98 CD on hand to prove qualification.

If you're buying an entirely new PC, do some real reasearch first and be
sure that it has the horsepower to actually run Vista. Systems with
Vista Basic are often underpowered. Get the fastest processor and the most
memory you can.

But again, if you are not replacing the hardware, chances are high that the
appropriate version for you is XP Home.

HTH
-pk

"Patrick Keenan" <test@dev.null> wrote in message
news:ex$JBeFmIHA.2396@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> The Media Center Version of XP was available basically as OEM preinstalled
> and has a number of problems, in particular when you want to run
> media-specific apps like audio recording software.

Funny you mention that. XP MCE I have found to be flawless from the day I
bought it, the best most stable and nimble MS-Windows yet. Only problem I
ever had with it was ATI Video USB 2.0 capture thing, but it didn't work
well on W2000 or XP Home very well either.

But more on licensing:

http://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/ProductActivation.htm

The more I hear about OEM editions, the less I like.

But a question, if XP x64 is listed in a local store, and a full version is
not available, is it like Dell, HP, etc? How do these "OEM" versions know
the BIOS lock?

On Sun, 6 Apr 2008 22:31:34 -0400, "Patrick Keenan" <test@dev.null> wrote:

>What you don't say is whether you're replacing the computer completely or
>doing an upgrade install. If your plan is to do an upgrade install and
>keep the existing hardware, chances are that your existing system just can't
>handle Vista.

Thank you for replying. If one ask too many questions at one go, it will get
sidetracks and ended up even more confusing. I plan to assemble a completely
new computer base on AMD's 6400 AM2+ processor.

>If you are doing this kind of upgrade and don't need advanced networking,
>get an XP Home Upgrade disk from a store, not from online. The last times I
>have bought these, it's been around $130. You can do both a clean install
>and an in-place upgrade with these discs; in the case of the clean install
>you need to have the Win98 CD on hand to prove qualification.

My present setup: Win98SE - Four partitions: "C" - (Win98SE installed), "D" -
(Internet, email, etc.), "E" - (Archives files, etc.), "F" - (Archives files,
etc.) One USB removable secure disk (problematic drive connected during
boot up in Win98SE). Cable broadband connecting two XP computers. When I
formatting and clean installation my Win98SE, I only format "C" drive, keeping
other partitions un touch.

Planned setups: New Gigabyte 6400+ AMD AM2+ Mobo. Either Vista or XP - Two
or more partitions with two removable drives (a secure disk and a removable hard
drive). Onboard wireless networking connection to a Win98SE (present computer)
and two other XP computers.

If you ask why so many computers? We have only two computers. My wife and I
share Win98SE computer. My kid doing her school work on her XP computer.
Occasionally my other kid came home and connecting the computer to our Win98SE.

I cannot decide XP or Vista and which editions. I am not familiar with XP or
Vista. I heard many horrible stories about XP and Vista. The present Win09SE is
getting more problematic as the days go by, forcing me to built and new
computer.

Below is what I found in Newegg. I would like to set up it up as my presently
setup in Win98SE in "C" drive. Reformat "C" drive and clean reinstalled when the
clutter becomes unbearable, probably not more than twice a year. I do not mind
calling MS whenever I need to reinstall.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...icrosoft+vista

Which one will suit my need? Off course, I will try to buy the cheapest
possible. :-)

>If you're buying an entirely new PC, do some real reasearch first and be
>sure that it has the horsepower to actually run Vista. Systems with
>Vista Basic are often underpowered. Get the fastest processor and the most
>memory you can.
>
>But again, if you are not replacing the hardware, chances are high that the
>appropriate version for you is XP Home.
>
>HTH
>-pk

Patrick, you have been a great help and I really appreciate it. Any other
comments and advices would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

"CC" <ccen@cvrd.com> wrote in message
news:n7SdncKhj-HbHmTanZ2dnUVZ_umlnZ2d@comcast.com...
>
>
> It is time for me to move either to XP or Vista from Win98SE.

If by that you mean on the same machine, then you may need to re-think. Your
W98 machine /may/ just about run XP with some hardware upgrades such as more
memory, but it certainly will NOT run Vista at all.

"CC" <ccen@cvrd.com> wrote:

> It is time for me to move either to XP or Vista from Win98SE.

I should say so! Win98SE is not able to handle today's software, networking
and security requirements properly, and Microsoft has not been offering
updates for it for almost two years now, making it increasingly vulnerable
and unstable.

> I have the habit of reformatting my HD and clean reinstall Win98SE,
> whenever my computer becomes
> too clutter.

Which indicates you are running software on it that it is not really able to
handle, or at least pushing it beyond it's limits as far as RAM, processor
and HD resources goes.

> Win98SE allows unlimited clean reinstallation without permission from
> anyone,
> other than type in the key.

So does retail and all the renowned OEM's editions of both XP and Vista. It
is perfectly legal, but at some point you may be forced to do the activation
by phone.

<snip>
> There are so many XP and Vista editions available. I need advise and
> comments which editions I should buy?

I strongly recommend you buy Vista. It is a good, feature rich, very secure
and stable OS - particularly after SP1 was released. Although XP SP2 was a
major improvement in it's day, in perhaps as little as one or two years it
will run into the very same problems as the old Windows versions did,
something which I do not think you wish to experience again soon.

Also, there is the learning curve consideration. Why bother to learn a soon
outdated OS when you can jump straight to the most recent one?

In the Microsoft Communities newsgroups, you will find lots of Vista
criticisms and plain Vista bashing. A lot of it is spam and flame wars
spilling in from other places on the Usenet, but most are about genuine
problems, reported by sincere users. Just remember, this is where people go
when they have a Vista problem, those who have the OS running flawlessly on
their computers do not bother to post (and why should they?).

I read about your new machine's hardware specifications in a different post
of yours, and I think this rig will work just fine with all Vista editions.
I recommend you get at least 2GB of RAM and a modern ATI or Nvida graphics
card to get the most out of it. Of course it will more than suffice for XP,
I doubt you will need more than 1GB of RAM and a cheaper/older graphics card
on that OS.

As for what edition to buy, it is a matter of what functionalities you
desire.

Vista Home Basic offers an OS with Internet software, on which you must add
most software you like to use. Home Premium adds media and entertainment
features suited for personal and family needs. Business has all the features
a small business needs, including fully featured server and VPN software,
but not media and entertainment. Ultimate has it all + more, such as
multilingual interfaces and shiny stuff.

The XP editions are similar, albeit fewer. Home has the basic OS and
Internet features, Media Center edition adds media and entertainment (the
editing software is nowhere near Vista's). Professional is best suited for
businesses and education. There is no all-features equivalent of Vista
Ultimate. (This is very simple and inncomplete descriptions.)

Windows Vista: Choose an edition
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...s/default.mspx

Charlie42

While I would have no hesitation in recommending Vista Home premium...in
your set up I'm going to recommend going to XP 32bit.

If you are thinking of replacing the whole desktop with a new PC then I
would recommend Vista (pre-installed)

Before migrating to vista... check if your other peripherals will cope
with Vista. E.G. Printers, scanners and even that old camcorder.

Check these things first.


--
Clevo

If you need extra networking and sharing features, get Vista Ultimate or XP
pro. If the networking isn't needed get Vista Home Premium and XP Media
Center

--

Bob Eyster
MS Windows Vista Home Premium



"CC" <ccen@cvrd.com> wrote in message
news:n7SdncKhj-HbHmTanZ2dnUVZ_umlnZ2d@comcast.com...
>
>
> It is time for me to move either to XP or Vista from Win98SE. I have the
> habit
> of reformatting my HD and clean reinstall Win98SE, whenever my computer
> becomes
> too clutter. Win98SE allows unlimited clean reinstallation without
> permission
> from anyone, other than type in the key. I am using Opera for my browser
> and my
> wife using IE. I am very happy with Win98SE. However, I cannot upgradeto
> the
> latest Opera or others Utilities and limit many things I like to do. There
> are
> so many XP and Vista editions available. I need advise and comments which
> editions I should buy? Thanks.
>
>

On Mon, 7 Apr 2008 13:00:57 +0200, "Charlie42" <Charlie42@spam.me.not> wrote:

>I should say so! Win98SE is not able to handle today's software, networking
>and security requirements properly, and Microsoft has not been offering
>updates for it for almost two years now, making it increasingly vulnerable
>and unstable.

>handle, or at least pushing it beyond it's limits as far as RAM, processor
>and HD resources goes.

"Vulnerable" that is what worrying me most! My present Mobo with AMD processor,
HD with Cable Broadband are more than adequate for our need, but the 512MB RAM
and 64MB Video memory cause frequent hanging.

>So does retail and all the renowned OEM's editions of both XP and Vista. It
>is perfectly legal, but at some point you may be forced to do the activation
>by phone.

Approximately, at which point or when do I needed to reactivation by phone?

>Also, there is the learning curve consideration. Why bother to learn a soon
>outdated OS when you can jump straight to the most recent one?

Right!

>I read about your new machine's hardware specifications in a different post
>of yours, and I think this rig will work just fine with all Vista editions.
>I recommend you get at least 2GB of RAM and a modern ATI or Nvida graphics
>card to get the most out of it. Of course it will more than suffice for XP,
>I doubt you will need more than 1GB of RAM and a cheaper/older graphics card
>on that OS.

I am out of touch now, are you familiar with hardware's? I am dead certain of
getting AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ Windsor processor with 2GB RAM. I am not a gamer.
I am thinking of Gigabyte's SLI Mobo, do I *HAVE TO* install two graphic boards
instead of just one? I asked many vendors they usually gave me a dirty look and
feel so stupid. At Fry's computer (SFO), they are not much help either, "You ask
too much questions, go to the website and find out." That is why I start here
with XP or Vista questions.

>As for what edition to buy, it is a matter of what functionalities you
>desire.
>
>Vista Home Basic offers an OS with Internet software, on which you must add
>most software you like to use. Home Premium adds media and entertainment
>features suited for personal and family needs. Business has all the features
>a small business needs, including fully featured server and VPN software,
>but not media and entertainment. Ultimate has it all + more, such as
>multilingual interfaces and shiny stuff.

This is what I found from you links: For OEM builder edition, you cannot
transfer the O/S to another computer. Do I need to buy a new license (with an
OEM edition), should I replace/add hard drive(s), increasing RAM or maybe
replace/change Video card? A few years back, my mainboard failed and had to
replaced it, keeping all peripherals, do I need a new licence?

And finally, I presume whichever edition I buy, I could have other computers
connecting to the new computers for Internet connection?

>The XP editions are similar, albeit fewer. Home has the basic OS and
>Internet features, Media Center edition adds media and entertainment (the
>editing software is nowhere near Vista's). Professional is best suited for
>businesses and education. There is no all-features equivalent of Vista
>Ultimate. (This is very simple and inncomplete descriptions.)
>
>Windows Vista: Choose an edition
>http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...s/default.mspx
>
>Charlie42

Many thanks Charles, now you can understand why I remain for so long in Win98SE.

"CC" <ccen@cvrd.com> wrote:

> Approximately, at which point or when do I needed to reactivation
> by phone?

In theory, never. You are entitled to an infinite number of reinstalls, as
long as the OS is installed on only one computer at any given time. Should
online activation fail for some reason, you can always use the phone
activation service, where you can even talk to a live operator in case all
else fails.

An OEM version is restricted to the computer it came with. Should you decide
to make "major changes" to the hardware setup on such a computer (hard
drives and motherboards in particular), the online activation will probably
fail, and you will have to talk to someone at the phone activation service.

> I am dead certain of getting AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ Windsor
> processor with 2GB RAM. I am not a gamer. I am thinking of Gigabyte's
> SLI Mobo, do I *HAVE TO* install two graphic boards instead of just
> one?

You only need one graphics card. I took a look at the spec's for this
motherboard, and like I wrote in my previous post, it should handle Windows
Vista perfectly well. This motherboard seems to be prepared for Nvida cards.
There have been some problems with Nvida's drivers for Vista SP1 being late,
but I believe it has been taken care of now.

> I asked many vendors they usually gave me a dirty look and
> feel so stupid. At Fry's computer (SFO), they are not much help either,
> "You ask too much questions, go to the website and find out." That is
> why I start here with XP or Vista questions.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

> This is what I found from you links: For OEM builder edition, you
> cannot transfer the O/S to another computer. Do I need to buy a new
> license (with an OEM edition), should I replace/add hard drive(s),
> increasing RAM or maybe replace/change Video card? A few years
> back, my mainboard failed and had to replaced it, keeping all peripherals,
> do I need a new licence?

If you intend to install Vista over a legacy OEM Windows, I suggest you buy
Vista retail, alternatively a retail Vista upgrade, then perform a clean
install. If you purchase an upgrade, you will have to keep the legacy
installation media in case you need to reinstall. The upgrade will only work
if it finds a previously installed OS on the computer.

2GB of RAM is sufficient for ordinary home use. Both AMD's and Nvida's
modern video cards work with Vista. Vista requires at least 15GB disk space
to install, but I recommend you have at least a 60GB hard drive. If you
store lots of pictures and movies, you need a lot more disk space, say 250+
GB.

> And finally, I presume whichever edition I buy, I could have other
> computers
> connecting to the new computers for Internet connection?

Could you please provide some more information on how you intend to set this
up? The only general answer I can give, is "pretty likely".

> Many thanks Charles, now you can understand why I remain for so long in
> Win98SE.

You are welcome.

Charlie42