I need to replace the XP64 OS on my Dell laptop as there’re just too many things it can’t do, like run newer Flash versions, connect to my wireless printer etc

So, do I go to Windows 7, or consider Ubuntu, which is something I’ve only ever heard of and haven’t a clue what it is.

Laptop gets used for occasional web-browsing and office type stuff, but mainly for using Autocad, Inventor and Memory Map.

Incidentally, the XP64 may be a little, ahem, warm as it was installed for me by friendly IT guy as it originally came with Vista Basic, which I didn’t fancy. Any issues with an upgrade? I think I need to do a full clean install anyway.

You have to ask???

Go Hackintosh or go home!!! 🙂

I was about to say ubuntu until I saw you wanted to do autocad and memory map, which I’m not sure whether they have linux licenses. You might get away with running them under Wine but ultimately 7 is probably your best bet.

go for windows 7 unless you have a touch screen device, windows 8 on a normal PC/laptop is horrible.

Stick with Windows. The fact you don’t really know much about linux suggests you should really be going down the windows route. And the fact you need to run AutoCAD and memory map ties you to windows.

Getting ubuntu to talk with wireless printers could be interesting as well.

Just get an upgrade to windows 7. Google ‘windows 7 double install’ to see how it works as an upgrade but doing a clean install….

As I’m getting fed up with waggling the cooling fins on the graphics card to make it go again, my faithful old PC may finally have reached the end of its life. Most of the replacements I’m looking at have Windows 8. Could someone who’s used it for more than a few minutes give a run down on why it’s horrible without a touchscreen.

It’s not just the touchscreen thing, the way you have to dig around to do simple things like shutdown, the way the start screen seems to be a separate entity to the desktop, the lack of a start menu, there are lots and lots of little iratating things.

I think they have just tried to be fashionable in creating a new IOS type interface, but its change for the sake of change, the desktop is very much a matter of form created by functionality. The requirements for usage of a desktop haven’t changed and windows 8 just doesn’t fit right.

Hopefully MS will come to their senses and offer the metro interface as an option rather than a requirement.

Thank you, MSP. So now I have the option of trawling the Net for a second-hand grpahics chip/card or putting up with an unsuitable OS. 🙁

Edukator. I don’t think it’s horrible without a touch screen. For me, it works with the mouse to the corners, and there’s an awful lot you can do by just starting typing – stuff appears as you type.

Or, just try these instructions to make it look like W7

http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/software-and-web-apps/how-to-make-windows-8-look-like-windows-7-50009546/

I’d always recommend going for the latest version of Windows. Aside from UI changes they also incrementally improve and streamline the underlying OS, which is always worth it imo.

I bought windows 8 for the current special offer price, but I will be going back to windows 7 this weekend. Hopefully they will sort out the problems with 8, it really depends how pig headed they want to be in forcing users down the path MS have chosen to take.

Thanks, Molgrips, that link is quite encouraging. Do you know if all my Vista drivers will work OK? External sound card, old cameras etc.?

Edit: I’m not being rude if I don’t acknowledge replies, it’s just I fancy a swim now.

It is 30 euros for the pro version to download from Microsoft at the moment, plus a free media center upgrade license is available. So its not a massive loss to backup you current system and upgrade just to try it out.

I think most drivers will be compatible, again if you go to the offer page on microsoft you can run a compatibility test before purchasing.

Umm.. I dunno if the drivers themselves will work (they might – Vista drivers usually worked with 7), but for most things I would expect there to be new drivers for W8 included with it.

I would say be open minded though and give 8 a try. It may be different, but don’t let the small niggles put you off ocmpletely. There is good stuff in there; and MS UI people do know what they are doing, so even if it seems weird at first there’s (usually) a well thought out set of ideas behind it.

There is good stuff in there; and MS UI people do know what they are doing, so even if it seems weird at first there’s (usually) a well thought out set of ideas behind it.

I think they have got it wrong this time, and I am usually quite a fan of Microsoft stuff. I think they will have problems persuading corporate customers to adopt with the metro interface.

If you watch lots of internet filth, Ubuntu all the way

It is 30 euros for the pro version to download from Microsoft at the moment.

Only for an upgrade, and if as the OP says his XP is a little dubious the upgrade may not work so he’ll have to pay full whack. Even so, going to Win 7 would be a bit perverse given that Win8 has several improvements under the GUI, and as others have pointed out you can always remove “metro” if you don’t like new things and put it back again if it becomes the norm. In practice although I was a hater at first I’ve found it only takes a couple of days to get used to it after which the old ways seem a bit clunky.

windows 8 on a normal PC/laptop is horrible.

I thought you could run Win 8 in a more conventional mode, which is more suited to non-touch screen PC and Laptop users?

I don’t imagine corporate people will have a problem with it. Just imagine the start screen with tiles for your business apps on it. No problem there.

If you have to ask, then just get Windows on it. I’d opt for V7 until SP1 is available for Windows 8.

cheers all. Will go for Windows i think. Just need to check if my hardward will cope with Win8, with a full clean (legal) install. Quick google implies its ok with non touch-screens.

oh, and druidh, ygm.

with a full clean (legal) install

Just re-read your original post – if you’ve still got the Vista basic it came with then you should be able to upgrade that (with a full new install) at the bargain price.

Windows 8. Could someone who’s used it for more than a few minutes give a run down on why it’s horrible without a touchscreen

Windows 8 is fine, you just need to change the way you work a little. Key to making it working is putting the things you need often on the start screen. After that you just need to press the Windows key to flip between the start screen and your regular ‘desktop’. If you need to search for something press the windows key and start typing. If you want to bring up the ‘charm bar’ on the right you can either mess around dragging your mouse up to the top right hand side or press Win-C.

It will make you swear a little to begin with but it isn’t all bad

I found keyboard shortcuts more useful than in other versions, which isn’t a bad thing necessarily. They are quick, but you do have to move your hands 🙂

Oh and for those who care about such things it looks absolutely beautiful. A real work of art. I love this.

if you’ve still got the Vista basic it came with

I doubt it. 🙁 i bought the laptop as a full refurb from an online shop on ebay. Had Visat installed, but no backup disk. When I got XP put over the top, I’ll have effectivly lost it.

ah well, found somewhere selling 8 for £68, which isn’t too bad considering.

Upgrade version is £25 direct from Microsoft.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/buy

XP64 was OEM only IIRC, for specialist applications – like CAD/Digital workstations (vid editing, modelling, etc).

Joe Public couldn’t buy it…

Probably for the best, TBH. (-:

Does the computer have the windows vista licence sticker on it anywhere?

Cougar – Member
Probably for the best, TBH. (-:

Yep there still using it @ work, i7 Xeon workstations with 12GB of ram, with XP64 it’s unbelievable slow in it’s general performance.. no idea how well the CAD apps work on it though.

Why limit yourself to a single OS? You can have as many as you like, at the same time, without the performance sacrifice.
VMware Workstation

VMware does cost performance. You have to split the processor cores available to the guest and host, don’t you?

VMWare Player is free – for non-commercial use mind…

And you don’t have to split the cores manually between guests. My workstation (Quad-core Xeon 3.2G / 12GB RAM) can happily run 6 Guests concurrently…

Does each guest see a 6 core machine?

Depends what you assign to them (or at least, it does on Server).

No, in VMWare Player you can allocate ‘cores’ to the guests. At the moment, they can all see 4 cores.

Some guests run .NET applications which are multi-threaded.

Had zero issues so far with it.

Yes you can allocate cores, usually not necessary in the laptop / desktop world, unless you are running something particularly fruity. The processor simply deals with the VM as another app. Each guest will indeed see the physical cores presented.

Now using Windows 8. It’s a bit like playing hide and seek, or looking for frogs under stones by the river; you know they’re there somewhere. I gave up trying to find Outlook and downloaded Thunderbird so I could change my forgotten password on STW.

Outlook? Wasn’t that replaced by Windows Live Mail some years ago?

Windows 8 is only £25 with the upgrade offer so the choice looks pretty straight forward to me. You can try Linux right now if you want, it’s free.

I gave up trying to find Outlook

If you haven’t installed Office it won’t be there. Use the Metro mail client instead.

Outlook? Wasn’t that replaced by Windows Live Mail some years ago?

Outlook.com has now replaced Windows Live Mail. Keep up…