Recommending Windows 2000 Pro for Home Users

[owensdj]

Should I recommend Windows 2000 Pro or Windows 98/ME to home users that ask my advice? This is assuming the OS is preloaded onto a machine that has the minumum specs of a 600MHz Duron processor and 128MB of memory. Assume also that there is Windows 2000 driver support for all of the new machine's devices. I'm thinking that the only potential downside to Windows 2000 Pro would be that some games might not work. On the other hand, the greater stability and networking speed of Windows 2000 outweights this disadvantage. Most people are getting home computers these days just for Internet access, and Windows 2000 Pro is the ideal Internet client machine.

 

[Shudder]

That's a tough call.

I rarely use win98 these days and I know becauase I purposely set the resolution up all weird or stuff like that just so I'm reminded how little I need it.

If they're advanced I'd say win2k, but if they're just your average user, probably winME

 

[Ausm]

Well I have been thinking about it for soemone who has a home based business..requires someone with more computer savy skills or more money for me to make the house call

Ausm

 

[thirdkind]

There's a lot more stuff in Win2k for a user to potentially play with and mess up, like system services for example. Also, a default installation is kind of fat. Plus, I don't think 128 megs is enough to run Win2k effectively. I'm using 192, which I think should be the bare minimum, preferably 256.

I'd say if you tweak the installation a bit to get the memory usage down, and make them understand that there are certain things that you just don't touch unless you know what you're doing, it's a fine OS for personal use.

As far as stability goes, Win2k destroys 98/SE/ME. Maybe you should explain the ups and downs of each version and let the user weigh the options. To me, it really comes down to stability vs speed and usability. And the usability argument is quickly going down the toilet since most manufacturers are stepping up and producing Win2k drivers for their devices.

 

[InfectedVoice]

Win 2k Pro

After using Windows 2000 Professional for about a month now, I would never, ever go back to a 9x based operating system. I recommend Win 98/ME for the casual/newbie user, but if the person wants to learn a little more about OS's and have more options at their fingertips, then they would be wise to go with Win2k.

When Direct X 8 is released, it will hopefully fix some of the problems with games, but that is nothing that should be discouragingm the user.

BTW-Just to let you know how much I love Win2k Pro, I stayed up until 7 am one night to fix some driver problems I had. I couldve said "screw this" and gone back to Win ME, but I knew I could troubleshoot the problem and fix it.

Bring on WHISTLER

 

[BCYL]

I guess you would really have to talk with your clients and see what they want to do with their PC... if they want some games, win2k is not the way to go... but if they only use it for business applications, I would definitely recommend win2k...

So the best way would be explain to them what they can/can't do in each OS and let them decide for themselves...

 

[Auric]

If cost is not object there is no reason not to go with W2K. The license costs more and it requires more RAM. 128MB would be ideal for most people with Win9x, while 256MB prolly is with W2K. Any game issues will fade fast with time (patches & obsolesence), as will the lack of good drivers as providers learn to write them. I don't agree with the notion that W2K is particularly more complicated and only for advanced users. It is not much different to the user and certainly is less of a difference from Win95 than that and Win31 (for example). As far as assuming there is driver support well that isn't too difficult to imagine but good video driver support is not necessarily so and that is the thing that tends to blow it for game performance.

 

[Rand]

I really don't think Win2k is a very good choice for the average home user. if they are an advanced user and know what their doing than it's a great choice otherwise stick with recommending WinME/98. There is just too many things that they can play around with and accidentally mess up their system or block themselves access to the system.
WinME isnt the most stable OS but for regular homse users I don't think Win2k is advisable.