Windows 7 Home vs Pro

[imported_Cota]

Hi. I'm putting new boxes together shortly, and I'll be moving from XP to Windows 7. These systems will be for Gaming and web/email. I'd like to network the two boxes and have them share a printer.

It looks like the Home version has me covered. I wonder about the XP Mode though of the Pro version? I like to play older games as well as newer ones. Am I going to run into problems playing older games under Windows 7? If so, does this XP Mode help me with that?

Thanks,
-Cota

 

[jhansman]

Haven't used XP Mode since it became available, but when I did, I could not use any USB game input devices with it, which was my only reason for turning to it (wanted to play Mechwarrior 3/4). It would see my mouse, but that was it; no joystick or gamepad. So, I moved on. Good idea, but unless it's been refined (has it?), not much use to legacy gamers.

 

[Anteaus]

XP Mode doesn't have any 3D support and peripherels are limited. Windows 7 actually has better game support with older titles than XP does in my experience so take that for what it's worth, assuming the installers aren't 16-bit.

 

[gmaster456]

Gaming in almost any VM, whether its XP mode or something else, will not be very enjoyable. However for everything else you want to do, it sounds like Home Edition is plenty.

 

[imported_Cota]

Groovy, thanks. I'll get the home version then.

-Cota

 

[grss1982]

XP Mode was mostly for old software that will only run on XP and not for graphic intensive games. I do believe MS targeted this for companies that will switch over from XP to 7.

 

[Steltek]

If you absolutely can't avoid running a game or graphically intensive application in a VM and have a spare XP license for a virtual machine, try either VMWare Player or Virtualbox. Both will run under Win7 Home Premium (unlike XP Mode), and both also include partial 3-d graphics acceleration for Windows guest OSes which will make it a little less painful.

 

[Envian]

imported_Cota, what sort of games do you mean? For example, Quake 3 Arena and Unreal Tournament will run just fine in Windows 7.
Can't say they look less 3D than in windows XP.
And 7 Home will be just fine.

 

[Oyeve]

I only got pro for active directory crap.