XP or Vista for new laptop?

[Claymore]

Hi,
Quick question, which is best/least trouble for new laptop XP or Vista? I will be using PS7 and Elements 4. I have heard many reports about Vista being unreliable and as the Laptop won't be connected to internet i don't want to download fixes every few days:C
If Vista is the way to go will Elements 5 work ok? seems a shame when i have spent ages studying Elements 4 to start all over again:C
Cheers
Brian
Ps will you Yanks stop sending your Gales over to Scotland:C its bending the trees at the moment:eek!:

[postcardcv]

I changed from XP to Vista when I got a new PC a couple of months back and have had no trouble with it at all, if anythink I prefer Vista.

[ikw101]

Vista is probably the last operating system Microsoft will produce. Whilst there's been a few teething problems ultimately market forces will ensure all hardware and software manufacturers have no choice but to ensure their products are 100% compatible with Vista.

If using a laptop be aware they are far more difficult to upgrade than a desktop. Upgrading the graphics for example is often impossible. If the laptop you're buying doesn't far exceed the minimum spec for Vista you may be better off with XP. Certainly a laptop that only just meets Vista's minimum requirements will be not be very good for image editing. However, in general the people who are insisting on new PC's with XP are businesses who have invested thousands on licencing incompatible software and unlucky people mis-sold low spec pc's (and laptops) incapable of running the full version of Vista.

[GR Triever]

I ran the beta testing versions of Vista in both flavors (32- and 64-bit), and enjoyed its capabilities. That being said, I still run XP on both the desktop and laptop. When Vista releases Service Pack 1, and the non-Microsoft vendors have all their drivers, etc. Vista-ready, I'll probably make the upgrade. But not until then; I got burned too badly on XP 64-bit to make that early-adoption mistake a second time... and besides, despite (or because of) its age, XP is a very stable and capable OS.

[K-Lex]

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP. Vista is horrible. This is my first computer with Vista and I'm desperate to get rid of it and go back to XP or my old favourite 2000 Pro.

[RAH]

If you can still get an XP machine, that's what I would get. If you use any old software, you might be forced to upgrade (for $) if you get a Vista system.

[postcardcv]

If you can still get an XP machine, that's what I would get. If you use any old software, you might be forced to upgrade (for $) if you get a Vista system.

I've not had any problems running older programs on Vista, presumably using the backwards compatability (like XP has) you coudl get round problems anyway.

[Clive Watson]

[QUOTE=ikw101;1065681]Vista is probably the last operating system Microsoft will produce. QUOTE]

Why do you say that? Why don't they just continue to bring out new ones every few years?

Personally, I've not got a huge problem with Vista, but then I don't do anything fancy on my computer like gaming, I just process photos and view t'Internet.

[Claymore]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for all the help, the laptop will be highest spec possible so may give vista a try. The main thing i am concerned is i will be using the Laptop for my studies and want it as reliable as possible.
Thanks again
Brian

[YellowBudgie]

Hi Claymore,

Good choice getting something that can handle Vista. If you did find out some software or hardware that you need to run doesn't run on Vista you could re-install a fresh build of XP.

Some major laptop vendors offer a restore CD/DVD that rebuilds your system with a fresh version of XP or Vista if something major was wrong with the operating system. Maybe such a XP restore CD/DVD could be purchased from the vendor if you wanted to go to XP after the fact. It would be at least the cost of a new license of Windows XP.

I just built up my new work laptop with Vista. After I installed all the drivers I went to install eEyes Blink Pro, a security package that protects against a good deal of security threats. They didn't have a version ready for Vista yet.

I installed the Palm software for my new Treo phone and had to use a Beta version. (Ya I know the palms are dying a slow death but I love mine.)

Vista itself wasn't bad once I did some searching to find out how to activate certain toolbars that were off by default and played with it some. It may take some time to get used to.

In the end I blew it away and went back to Windows XP because I really want to have Blink running.

I hope your happy with your new toy! ;)

See ya,

Dana

[RAH]

I've not had any problems running older programs on Vista, presumably using the backwards compatability (like XP has) you coudl get round problems anyway.
No, I don't agree. Many vendors had to modify their software to run under Vista. This means they brought out new versions that are Vista-ready. So, you are forced to upgrade, usually by paying an upgrade price, if you want to run their software under Vista. For example, Filemaker Pro, a database program we use at a museum I volunteer at - you need to upgrade to the latest version if you are running Vista. The latest version upgrade costs about $200. We were perfectly happy with the older versions.

Another example - Vista does not support the old .hlp/.cnt help style. So, if you have a program that uses it, it will break under Vista (see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917607 ). You can download a fix but it just shows that there are issues. I myself am currently working on a fix for some freeware software that I have written.

[YellowBudgie]

No, I don't agree. Many vendors had to modify their software to run under Vista. This means they brought out new versions that are Vista-ready. So, you are forced to upgrade, usually by paying an upgrade price, if you want to run their software under Vista. For example, Filemaker Pro, a database program we use at a museum I volunteer at - you need to upgrade to the latest version if you are running Vista. The latest version upgrade costs about $200. We were perfectly happy with the older versions.

Another example - Vista does not support the old .hlp/.cnt help style. So, if you have a program that uses it, it will break under Vista (see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917607 ). You can download a fix but it just shows that there are issues. I myself am currently working on a fix for some freeware software that I have written.

I guess if going back from Vista to XP is something someone would want to do they would have to choose a laptop with identical hardware that has drivers for XP and Vista available.

I hear what your saying, the vendor may not even offer the XP drivers.

I work for a large company and there's so many custom built web sites, variations of software and custom built software that it's not possible to allow anyone to upgrade to Vista.

I wonder what MS is going to try in the future to get people over from XP to Vista.

See ya,

Dana

[JohnZ]

I had a lot of problems with incompatibility on Vista. My Nikon scanner software would not load, my printer software would not load, my external hard drive software would not load etc., etc.
I am not the sharpest tool in the box when it comes to computers but Vista just gave me lots of problems.
Even Dell are now offering new PCs with the option of either XP or Vista. Rumour has it that they were more or less forced to do this after a lot of folks complained about the lack of choice.

[K-Lex]

I had a lot of problems with incompatibility on Vista. My Nikon scanner software would not load, my printer software would not load, my external hard drive software would not load etc., etc.
I am not the sharpest tool in the box when it comes to computers but Vista just gave me lots of problems.
Even Dell are now offering new PCs with the option of either XP or Vista. Rumour has it that they were more or less forced to do this after a lot of folks complained about the lack of choice.

Snap. I had a load of things that didn't work too - a printer, Capture One software, Spyder, Printfix and so on. I had to scour the interweb for updates to them all. Not a disaster I know, but irritating nonetheless.

[rozinante]

"A spokesman for Heaven has announced that God the Almighty, the Creator of the Universe, has taken the plunge and upgraded from Windows XP to Windows Vista."

http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s3i27402

[PWG]

If you have an existing machine with your applications running on it that you want to use on the new machine then MS have an app on their website to download that checks for compatability. It'll check hardware and software and give a report if it works with Vista. CS doesn't but CS3 is supposed to.

[ChrisSearle]

Just got a Dell XPS 1330 for traveling, my first vista machine and was slightly concerned, however, thus far, absolutely no problems, it is happily running Lightroom, Neat Image, Photoshop, Canon software, sees my cameras as soon as I connect them. Two weeks in and not a single problem.

Then theres the operating system itself, when you finally get used to it, its really rather good! I HATED it at first but now I don't think I'd go back to XP.

Chris

[paulwfromtheden]

Just got a Dell XPS 1330 for traveling, my first vista machine and was slightly concerned, however, thus far, absolutely no problems, it is happily running Lightroom, Neat Image, Photoshop, Canon software, sees my cameras as soon as I connect them. Two weeks in and not a single problem.

Then theres the operating system itself, when you finally get used to it, its really rather good! I HATED it at first but now I don't think I'd go back to XP.

Chris

The only problem I have had with Vista is opening photos using Photodraw that I have previously downloaded on my old machine running XP.
Other than that, it has been first class, but I have a very chuncky laptop which helps.