Vista vs. XP

[legocitytruck]

I will be building a new computer soon and am choosing an OS. For daily computing tasks, such as email, word, excel, adobe, and AutoCAD, which is a better operating system, XP or Vista? I know the seemingly common response, Vista will recognize more than 3.5 GB of Ram but is much slower due to all the fancy visualization options and the more stringent software licensing requirements. After about a week, I would imagine that this features will become transparent to the typical user.

Beyond these, what other advantages or disadvantages or to be had with each one? For daily computing needs, is it worth moving to 64 bit processing?

 

[bsobel]

but is much slower due to all the fancy visualization options and the more stringent software licensing requirements

Not on any remotely current hardware. On any decent hw Vista's 'fancy visualization' actually runs faster than the xp gui since it's offloaded to the gpu

 

[Excelsior]

I love Vista64. If I was recommending a build to anyone right now, it would include A dual or quad core intel + 4GB of RAM or more and Vista64.

 

[Maximilian]

Well very simple computing task probably wont need more than 3.5GB of ram so just stick with XP. Check out windows 7 when it comes out, i tried the beta of it and its everything vista should have been, good stuff! If you do go vista though get the 64 bit version, everything 32 bit will run on it only some very old 16 bit stuff wont run or some 32 bit stuff that used old 16 bit installers.

 

[zerocool84]

Vista is much faster than XP for regular computing and I haven't noticed that it's slower in games. Maybe it one or two fps lower but I don't notice it but it turns off the GUI when you're gaming full screen anyways.

 

[F1shF4t]

As most said on current hardware its as fast if not faster than xp. Vista will also get quicker after a few days when it finished indexing all the stuff.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: Dark Cupcake
As most said on current hardware its as fast if not faster than xp. Vista will also get quicker after a few days when it finished indexing all the stuff.

You mean Superfetch cus indexing is only for when you're searching for something.

 

[F1shF4t]

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: Dark Cupcake
As most said on current hardware its as fast if not faster than xp. Vista will also get quicker after a few days when it finished indexing all the stuff.

You mean Superfetch cus indexing is only for when you're searching for something.

Initially all those files for fast searching need to be indexed after thats all done it'll only update the changes. (Though I'm not sure how long this is supposed to take) Superfetch does also become more effective ovetime.

For the first couple or so days after fresh instal my hardrives will be grinding away when ever the system is idle, after that it all settles down.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: legocitytruck
For daily computing tasks, such as email, word, excel, adobe, and AutoCAD, which is a better operating system, XP or Vista?

In general, Vista. Longer support life, better security.

Beyond these, what other advantages or disadvantages or to be had with each one? For daily computing needs, is it worth moving to 64 bit processing?

64-bit is more secure, go for it.