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Finally time to upgrade to Vista from XP? If so, why?

S

sofakng

Senior member
This thread was unfortunatley derailed by one user, so its now locked.
bsobel

I've owned Windows Vista Home Premium for about a year now (I think?) and I've stuck with Windows XP because Vista's gaming performance was almost always slower than XP (even if it was by a very small amount).

I'm not really sure why I purchased Vista, but I do really like the Aero interface and the memory management does seem much better than XP (eg. switching between windows that weren't "used" in a while, etc).

However, what other advantages does Vista offer me over XP?

How many of you own both XP and Vista and are still on XP?

My machine is used 90% for gaming (with my DirectX 10.0 8800 GTX card) and about 10% programming (C#, etc).
 
I strongly suggest that you to not bother with Vista. Vista's gaming performance has been improved, but it hasn't been improved enough to justify an upgrade. XP still beats Vista when it comes to games. As for other things, I really haven't noticed anything here to make me want to move "up" from my trusty XP.

My biggest complaint is the annoying "Are you sure you want to...?" messages constantly popping up in Vista at every step. I googled this issue, and was able to reduce the frequency of these popups, but they still happen quite often, and are annoying enough for me to not want to use Vista. I really dont see anything special about this new version of windows aside from lots of bloatware and useless eye candy. If you want aero, and other bells and whistles, most of them can be added to XP through 3rd party addons.



As stated in an article in the PC Magazine, "Microsoft wants to forget about Vista as soon as possible, and move toward a new, better version". This is NOT a quote, but the original sentence was similar to this. The article further says, that Vista is basically a failure, and the new Windows which is codenamed Windows 7 will keep Vista's core, but will be a whole new breed of animal. It will improve in areas where Vista failed, and will introduce many new USEFUL features.
Again, the above is mostly a summary and my interpretation of the article, not what was said exactly word per word. According to some, this one will truly be a groundbreaking new version of Windows which will truly make people want to upgrade.

One reason to move to Vista that I can think of is that it supports a lot more RAM than XP. This could be important depending on what you do.
 
I have both vista and XP, and I run XP. This is largely just because I like the interface though, and not because of any performance gains. Vista runs perfectly well on any system that's not like 4+ years old. I know a lot of people that run Vista because of improved security, but a careful user on XP shouldn't have any problems..
 
Originally posted by: sofakng
I've owned Windows Vista Home Premium for about a year now (I think?) and I've stuck with Windows XP because Vista's gaming performance was almost always slower than XP (even if it was by a very small amount).

I'm not really sure why I purchased Vista, but I do really like the Aero interface and the memory management does seem much better than XP (eg. switching between windows that weren't "used" in a while, etc).

However, what other advantages does Vista offer me over XP?

How many of you own both XP and Vista and are still on XP?

My machine is used 90% for gaming (with my DirectX 10.0 8800 GTX card) and about 10% programming (C#, etc).
Click to expand...

I actually have XP,Vista x86 SP1 HP,Vista x64 SP1 HP on 3 systems and the one I use the most for general use and gaming is Vista x64,why you may ask?.... longer life span and DX10/DX10.1 support not to meantion DX11 down the road,there is no upgrade path DX wise for XP, bascially the usual well known improvements like improved memory handling,security etc....and its nice to be able to use 4GB+ on Vista x64 too,all my software works fine so another plus point .


My XP PC to be honest has been made redundant now for well over a year,I have no further need for it ,drivers on Vista x64 have been solid in my experience and the so called performance gap between XP and Vista in my experience does not exists.

I use my Vista machine a lot for gaming (about 85 games installed) and its nice not to worry about limited DX support like in XP.


The truth is there's a lot of FUD spread about Vista,its a very good solid OS ,UAC is nice and a lot of people especially here make a big deal out of it when in truth its not an issue.


I'm looking forward to Windows 8 more then 7 🙂.


 
I keep hearing this statement about FUD being spread about Vista, yet no real compelling reason to make the change. What are the new features that an everyday computer user will get that make the OS so much better?
 
Originally posted by: scttgrd
I keep hearing this statement about FUD being spread about Vista, yet no real compelling reason to make the change. What are the new features that an everyday computer user will get that make the OS so much better?
Click to expand...



Well... Some nice management/logging tools which XP doesn't have. A thousand bucks worth of speech recognition software built right in to the OS. The new search is VERY nice - returning results as fast as you can type. Built in Shadow Copy, and better system backup/recovery... The ability to use a Thumb drive like added memory (mostly usable on marginal systems), and an extensive memory caching system (Superfetch) that learns what you use, and when, and puts unused RAM to work making sure your computer is ready to respond when you ask for these things. Networking has been improved - better I/O prioritization and better self-repair than used to be the case.


Complaints?? People complained about Windows security, so MSFT added User Access Controls to stop things from installing (more "Are You Sure" pop ups). But Geeeeez... You'd think Microsoft poisoned the family dog with antifreeze and forced the kids to watch it die, if the virulence of the hatred for this was to be believed. God forbid you have to make a few clicks to shut it off...

People also like to freak out that Vista us "Using" more resource - This is mostly due to Superfetch using memory that would otherwise be sitting idle, and some extra hard drive activity involved in filling said cache and from Indexing the contents of the HDD for the new Search functionality.

3rd party drivers at release were poor and poorly optimized - Performance suffered, as you can imagine. Fixed now. Unless you like really old peripherals and.or Creative products.

Microsoft moved things. People hate it when you move things, and rather than figure it out, they (often... apparently) claim it doesn't exist any more and use that as more excuse to spread hatred.

Also, you can't continue to use all those ancient devicesyou may have laying around the house. The makers of said devices want you to by new ones, so they force the upgrade by not writing new drivers. This is also taken as a sign the antichrist Herself has spawned this OS.



I'd agree that there's no "Oh My Gawd, I HAVE to Have This Feature" stuff in there. But neither is Vista the Abortion~That~Lived system that a lot of people would have everyone believe.


 
Originally posted by: scttgrd
I keep hearing this statement about FUD being spread about Vista, yet no real compelling reason to make the change. What are the new features that an everyday computer user will get that make the OS so much better?
Click to expand...

a) The OS is much more secure, period.
b) The ability to use 4+ gig of memory (this is the primary driver of V64 and well well worth it)
 
A) Ubuntu is very secure as well, and if making the switch is going to entail a learning curve why not go linux.
B) The need to use 4+ gb of memory is also a Vista trait, so is this a need without Vista or just something users just want?

Also, I think a feature of a good OS is that everything works. The old hardware and the new. There should be a bridge to help move people to the next level, not a "buy all new hardware and peripherals". And I understand alot of this blame falls to the lack third party drivers, but who wants to put themselves through that on purpose?
 
Originally posted by: scttgrd
A) Ubuntu is very secure as well, and if making the switch is going to entail a learning curve why not go linux.
B) The need to use 4+ gb of memory is also a Vista trait, so is this a need without Vista or just something users just want?

Also, I think a feature of a good OS is that everything works. The old hardware and the new. There should be a bridge to help move people to the next level, not a "buy all new hardware and peripherals". And I understand alot of this blame falls to the lack third party drivers, but who wants to put themselves through that on purpose?
Click to expand...

The op is a gamer and uses his PC for gaming. Ubuntu is a no go if you want to game on your system.
 
Originally posted by: scttgrd
A) Ubuntu is very secure as well, and if making the switch is going to entail a learning curve why not go linux.
B) The need to use 4+ gb of memory is also a Vista trait, so is this a need without Vista or just something users just want?

Also, I think a feature of a good OS is that everything works. The old hardware and the new. There should be a bridge to help move people to the next level, not a "buy all new hardware and peripherals". And I understand alot of this blame falls to the lack third party drivers, but who wants to put themselves through that on purpose?
Click to expand...

You could say samething to 2K users why upgrade to XP?..they would have a more valid point then XP to Vista users,besides he is a gamer so DX10,DX11 support will only be with Vista and future Microsoft operating systems,DX upgrade path in XP is dead.
 
Originally posted by: scttgrd
A) Ubuntu is very secure as well, and if making the switch is going to entail a learning curve why not go linux.
Click to expand...

This is close to trolling giving the OPs question.

B) The need to use 4+ gb of memory is also a Vista trait, so is this a need without Vista or just something users just want?
Click to expand...

And this further makes me think you don't know what your talking about.

 
Isn't that why they make consoles? I stopped playing games on my computer with sim city 3000. I guess it's a matter of preference. With windows I just got tired of the activation, having to do a fresh install every 6-8 months and decided to give PClinux OS and Ubuntu a try. With Vista on the horizon it seemed like a good time to switch. I still have a dual boot, but I can't remember the last time I booted into windows. I even installed virtualbox and XP so I didn't have to reboot and I haven't had a use for that either. I guess it depends on your needs. I personally like compz fusion better than Aero.
 
Originally posted by: sofakng
I've owned Windows Vista Home Premium for about a year now (I think?) and I've stuck with Windows XP because Vista's gaming performance was almost always slower than XP (even if it was by a very small amount).

I'm not really sure why I purchased Vista, but I do really like the Aero interface and the memory management does seem much better than XP (eg. switching between windows that weren't "used" in a while, etc).

However, what other advantages does Vista offer me over XP?

How many of you own both XP and Vista and are still on XP?

My machine is used 90% for gaming (with my DirectX 10.0 8800 GTX card) and about 10% programming (C#, etc).
Click to expand...

What is it specifically you think you are looking for in upgrading? Answering this question might help us give you better advice if the switch from XP to Vista is right for your needs.

Here are a few advantages to switching to Vista.

1. 64 bit support is excellent. XP 64 bit still suffers from some driver issues that 64 bit Vista does not have. 32 bit programs run flawlessly in Vista 64 bit.

2. Security is a whole lot better in Vista to the point if you are willing to run as a limited user and enable DEP for all programs, you can safely skip installing anti-virus software. ( I only recommend this for experienced users and only if you are behind a hardware firewall, like a router.) The resources saved from not having to use AV software makes up for some of the extra resources Vista itself uses.

3. Less time spent managing and tweaking the system. Vista has a number of self tuning improvements that save you time including the ability to schedule defrags, (On by default) self tuning networking for better performance and the ability to better manage memory resources compared to XP. Heavily tweaking Windows is a thing of the past with Vista.

4. More stability due to the improved driver, networking and sound stack. The improved security also adds to the stability of Vista compared to XP.
 
Originally posted by: scttgrd
Isn't that why they make consoles? I stopped playing games on my computer with sim city 3000. I guess it's a matter of preference. With windows I just got tired of the activation, having to do a fresh install every 6-8 months and decided to give PClinux OS and Ubuntu a try. With Vista on the horizon it seemed like a good time to switch. I still have a dual boot, but I can't remember the last time I booted into windows. I even installed virtualbox and XP so I didn't have to reboot and I haven't had a use for that either. I guess it depends on your needs. I personally like compz fusion better than Aero.
Click to expand...

Why can't you wrap your head around the fact that a lot of people prefer to game on a PC and are not looking to switch to linux?

Have you even used Vista? If not, then how would you know what you like better? Compiz is very buggy beta software and is no where near as smooth as Aero. I have been using Compiz since the day I was hacking it to work on Dapper Drake. (DD was in Alpha at the time.)

Product activation is something most PC users never experience since oem's have the code in a chip on the motherboard.

Vista does not require a fresh install because of bit rot. Microsoft has fixed this issue in Vista, proving you have never used it for any length of time. You just don't know what you are talking about.

Most people don't even know what virtualization software is, much less how to use it.
 
Yes I have used Vista and it simply didn't impress me. And as far as the gaming thing, it's cool. I understand that PC gaming is a different animal.

But I have been hearing people say things about Vista that you usually only heard about Linux, configure drivers, bad drivers crappy sound handling, etc.

Im not a Linux fanboy by any means, it has it's own issues. But moving to linux is less of a pain and expense than Vista. My current hardware works just fine, I don't want to go buy all new stuff to run it "properly".

Im very glad you are happy with Vista, im happy with what I have. Telling me I don't know what i'm talking about because I am not in lockstep agreement with you is funny. It's a new OS, there are going to be problems and issues. I'm sure in time it will mature and most issues will be worked out. I just don't see the need to replace all my hardware so I can "upgrade".

There are other things that caused me to make the move that had nothing to do with Microsoft, I made the right move for me. And there are alot of other people who choose to stay with XP and they are happy. I suppose in your mind if you aren't jumping on Vista and singing the praises you don't know what you are talking about.
 
Originally posted by: scttgrd
A) Ubuntu is very secure as well, and if making the switch is going to entail a learning curve why not go linux.
B) The need to use 4+ gb of memory is also a Vista trait, so is this a need without Vista or just something users just want?

Also, I think a feature of a good OS is that everything works. The old hardware and the new. There should be a bridge to help move people to the next level, not a "buy all new hardware and peripherals". And I understand alot of this blame falls to the lack third party drivers, but who wants to put themselves through that on purpose?
Click to expand...

With all due respect to Linux, which I use daily for development (Debian sid) and run on several machines here at home (Debian etch), the learning curve for transitioning from XP to Vista is not even in the same category of pain as what the user would experience transitioning to Linux, unless they use the machine for only the very simplest tasks and have someone to set it up for them.
 
Originally posted by: scttgrd
Yes I have used Vista and it simply didn't impress me. And as far as the gaming thing, it's cool. I understand that PC gaming is a different animal.

But I have been hearing people say things about Vista that you usually only heard about Linux, configure drivers, bad drivers crappy sound handling, etc.

Im not a Linux fanboy by any means, it has it's own issues. But moving to linux is less of a pain and expense than Vista. My current hardware works just fine, I don't want to go buy all new stuff to run it "properly".

Im very glad you are happy with Vista, im happy with what I have. Telling me I don't know what i'm talking about because I am not in lockstep agreement with you is funny. It's a new OS, there are going to be problems and issues. I'm sure in time it will mature and most issues will be worked out. I just don't see the need to replace all my hardware so I can "upgrade".

There are other things that caused me to make the move that had nothing to do with Microsoft, I made the right move for me. And there are alot of other people who choose to stay with XP and they are happy. I suppose in your mind if you aren't jumping on Vista and singing the praises you don't know what you are talking about.
Click to expand...



Hear say means jack, so much FUD spread about Vista over last 18 months its a joke like its not stable and drivers are not mature ,I could go on but its just FUD.

You have been given reasons why some people have upgraded to Vista,in the end nobody is forcing you,but its obvious there are benefits.
I prefer better security of Vista, I prefer its superior memory handling ,I like its index searching,I like to have future DX support in my gaming,do I need to go and tell you why I prefer Vista over XP,for the record I have been using XP since day one,same too with Vista,for the record my favourite Microsoft OS of all time was DOS 6.22 ,however I have moved with the times and can see what Microsoft is trying to do with improved security etc..
In the end you can't please everybody,was XP a big jump over Win98SE or 2K well not IMHO however Vista was,problem with XP is it has been around too long (thanks to Microsoft) and people have gotten too use to it.

As a gamer myself Linux I'm afraid is not even an option for a PC gamer,he only has 2 or 3 real choices and they are 2K/XP or Vista,Vista having the better DX support.


Its going to be interesting to see the feedback and what people expect from Windows 7 when it finally arrives.










 
Originally posted by: sofakng
I've owned Windows Vista Home Premium for about a year now (I think?) and I've stuck with Windows XP because Vista's gaming performance was almost always slower than XP (even if it was by a very small amount).

I'm not really sure why I purchased Vista, but I do really like the Aero interface and the memory management does seem much better than XP (eg. switching between windows that weren't "used" in a while, etc).

However, what other advantages does Vista offer me over XP?

How many of you own both XP and Vista and are still on XP?

My machine is used 90% for gaming (with my DirectX 10.0 8800 GTX card) and about 10% programming (C#, etc).
Click to expand...

From a gaming perspective, Vista is not better than XP. They both run games at around the same speed.

I have used both Vista and XP, and I choose to use XP on my personal computer, mainly because there's nothing about Vista compels me to actually purchase it. I already know how to run a secure system, and I don't think superfect and aero are worth $200.
 
I imagine if you buy a new computer with Vista OEM, you are right no problems. But if you install on existing hardware are you telling me there will be no issues at all? Even if the hardware requirements are met? All the peripherals will work out of the box after install?

As far as linux goes, I installed it, added some packages that were included and was up and running in an hour or two. This was my first install since Mandrake about 4 years ago. I'm a linux noob and had no problems. Until now I have been eager to move to the new OS, just not this time. I made the right move for me and others will do what they want. I just don't see how those of us who have no interest in Vista are wrong and are spreading FUD.
 
Originally posted by: scttgrd
I imagine if you buy a new computer with Vista OEM, you are right no problems. But if you install on existing hardware are you telling me there will be no issues at all? Even if the hardware requirements are met? All the peripherals will work out of the box after install?

As far as linux goes, I installed it, added some packages that were included and was up and running in an hour or two. This was my first install since Mandrake about 4 years ago. I'm a linux noob and had no problems. Until now I have been eager to move to the new OS, just not this time. I made the right move for me and others will do what they want. I just don't see how those of us who have no interest in Vista are wrong and are spreading FUD.
Click to expand...

Because you go around posting things like

But I have been hearing people say things about Vista that you usually only heard about Linux, configure drivers, bad drivers crappy sound handling, etc.
Click to expand...

If you really have no interest in Vista then you should kindly remove yourself from this thread IMHO.
 
Originally posted by: scttgrd
I imagine if you buy a new computer with Vista OEM, you are right no problems. But if you install on existing hardware are you telling me there will be no issues at all? Even if the hardware requirements are met? All the peripherals will work out of the box after install?

As far as linux goes, I installed it, added some packages that were included and was up and running in an hour or two. This was my first install since Mandrake about 4 years ago. I'm a linux noob and had no problems. Until now I have been eager to move to the new OS, just not this time. I made the right move for me and others will do what they want. I just don't see how those of us who have no interest in Vista are wrong and are spreading FUD.
Click to expand...

As a matter of fact, I do not have a single device which Vista does not either already have a driver for, or one is available through Windows Update. I can do a fresh install and not need to find any CD's or look on the internet for drivers.

Last time I tried Linux (Ubuntu 7.x), it was still a pain to find and install drivers.
 
I am reading the other threads in this forum and I guess people are just imagining there problems. In your experience Vista is fine, in my experience Ubuntu is fine. Both have various issues, linux more than Vista I guess. But if you buy a computer with Ubuntu preloaded I imagine it would run without issue just like Vista. I'm not even saying anyone should jump ship and switch to linux, i'm just saying it works great for me.
 
What I don't understand is why people btch about driver issues. They take you a few hours to find the first one or two days of your life on that OS. It's an insignificant amount of effort for anyone on AT to be complaining about.

If you're really that uncomfortable about googling and finding the drivers you need, then you should work on that before you start debating OSs. If your hardware is really old enough that drivers are completely unavailable (the 32 bit version, because you really really don't need 64 bit OS with old hardware), then it's probably time to upgrade anyways.

Imho, issues like security are way more important than the difficulty of finding a few drivers...
 
Drivers are a pain in the a**, that is a vendor issue. If the vendors would provide better drivers for the hardware all OS's would run much better and with less issues. I just wish vendors would provide better drivers for linux or at least decent documentation so they can be made by the community. It doesn't matter if it's windows or linux the drivers make all the difference.
 
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