Author Topic: Need O.S. advice (Read 778 times)

Scootter · « **on:** June 20, 2002, 08:05:01 AM »

I could use some advice, I am going to upgrade my O.S. from Win. 98 2nd edition to ..... well thats the advice I need.
This will be for my game box that is also used for Internet stuff (E-mail and surfing)

Any advice on Windows based OS upgrades would be most helpful.

Pros and Cons. on M.E. ect.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Scott

FOGOLD · « **Reply #1 on:** June 20, 2002, 09:42:18 AM »

There are lots of moans about XP, but I have it on my gaming rig and it's great. Much better at memory management etc.

I would go for XP, although it does struggle with some "older" games. Tomb Raider springs to mind but who plays that anyway.

THE ONLY THING. Refresh rates. Check that issue. OpenGL games default to 60Mhz which is useless. I use Powerstrip to overcome this but there are other fixes.

This is only my opinion. I think 98 was probably the worst OS of all. I still use 95 on my work machine and played games for years on it (inc AH) with hardly a crash or bother. You just have to nurse it a bit more carefuly. I know nothing of ME. I went from 95 to XP. My son has 98. It drives me mad:

Someones going to post saying XP is crap for games though:D

Eagler · « **Reply #2 on:** June 20, 2002, 10:58:25 AM »

depends on your hardware set and your needs

I keep 98 (dual boot 98 or XP) on my box for my Saitek X45. As soon as drivers are available which give rotor control, I'm switch totally over to XP as it is the better OS

Skuzzy · « **Reply #3 on:** June 20, 2002, 11:09:32 AM »

Between the more modern MS OS's, I would go with w2k over XP in a heartbeat.

Basically, the 2 are very similar, but (and a big but IMHO), W2K software license is like the 98 software license which basically means you can run it for life, if you chose to.
XP software licenses (including coporate versions) expire 2 years after installation/registration. This means you are forced to dole over more money to MS just to keep the same OS alive you have been running for 2 years, or you have to buy a full version of the current OS, should MS chose not to build anymore XP.
After 7/31/2002, MS will no longer offer software upgrades to any of thier products (yes, you will get patches and updates). In other words, you will only be able to purchase full versions of any MS product except for W2K. It is excluded from this for the time being.

BigGun · « **Reply #4 on:** June 20, 2002, 11:37:23 AM »

Had ME on a machine & thought it was total piece of garbage, to many problems. XP pro now on a new machine...never had a glitch.

LePaul · « **Reply #5 on:** June 20, 2002, 11:41:54 AM »

Windows 2000 Professional here.

Have a XP Pro machine at work, its running really well too....but the fairly constant stream of updates are annoying...at least I have a T1 at work to get them all. Home is dialup

My vote, Win2k

Stable, known and very much hassle free

Wanker · « **Reply #6 on:** June 20, 2002, 01:29:06 PM »

Running WinXP Pro here, Corporate edition. No need to register, and it's a stable gaming platform. Although like Eagler mentioned, if you used Saitek equipment, you'll have to do some extra work to be able to use it in XP until Saitek gets on the ball.

I went from Win98SE to WinXP Pro and have not regretted it....yet!

Soulyss · « **Reply #7 on:** June 20, 2002, 03:31:15 PM »

What sort of issues with Saitek exactly?

I posted a similar thread which I now suppose should have been put here instead of in techinical support but too late now

I'm trying to decide with to go with XP or 200 (pro in both cases) and I"m using a X36 saitek stick for AH.

Skuzzy · « **Reply #8 on:** June 20, 2002, 05:09:40 PM »

Hehe banana,...in 2 years you will.

funkedup · « **Reply #9 on:** June 20, 2002, 05:17:29 PM »

Windows 2000 Professional. It's a no brainer if you have multiple PCs or upgrade a lot.

SKurj · « **Reply #10 on:** June 20, 2002, 05:50:49 PM »

in 2 years u will...

hmm well, i didn't register or activate this copy of XP.. so how will the 2yr thing affect me?

SKurj

Skuzzy · « **Reply #11 on:** June 20, 2002, 06:17:31 PM »

Skurk,..If it is the corporate version, the time started when the license was acquired and is embedded in the installation key. Basically, if the company that purchased the license lets you go or goes under, then at expiration time you will have to purchase a new copy of XP, or whatever they are shipping.
You can read the license agreement from MS to find all this out, by the way.

If it is the hacked copy, then you better not be using MS Upgrade site, as they already have a patch to render those hacked copies invalid and will be releasing it in the next service pack for XP.

Oh, forgot to add, if you have a BETA copy of XP, which did not require any registration, it will also be updated to require registration in the new service packs.

Those pesky demons at MS are not missing a trick when it comes to makin ya fork over yer money. Too bad they are not as attentive when it comes to security and quality of product.

bloom25 · « **Reply #12 on:** June 20, 2002, 07:41:41 PM »

I use Win2k as well. If this is a workstation and used for business this is the OS of choice. It offers everything XP Pro does that's worth having and is more mature at this point. The only thing is that some older games and hardware may not work with XP. Take a look at http://www.ntcompatible.com (this goes for XP as well) to find out about software and hardware compatibility before you do anything.

WinXP is stable, but Win2k is even more stable. It's already had 2 service packs (have someone download the approx 150 mb network install of service pack 2 and burn it to a CD), which have by this time resolved all major issues. Windows XP is still full of bugs and is about as secure as a padlock made out of plastic.

(To be fair, Win2k is not that secure without SP2 and putting a login password for the administrator account either.)

Windows XP is a rental OS. You guys are just renting it from Microsoft. Mark my words, the minute you go to download an upgrade or replace ANY piece of hardware in that system once you've had it installed 2 years it will deactivate or require purchasing an "upgrade."

As soon as Windows 2000 is obsolete, I'm switching to Linux.

Eagler · « **Reply #13 on:** June 20, 2002, 07:45:06 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Soulyss
What sort of issues with Saitek exactly?

I posted a similar thread which I now suppose should have been put here instead of in techinical support but too late now

I'm trying to decide with to go with XP or 200 (pro in both cases) and I"m using a X36 saitek stick for AH.

rotors
As far as I know you can't program the rotors under xp or 2000. As I use them for trim, I'm waiting on saitek to come out with drivers instead of using the hazard scripts.

Skuzzy · « **Reply #14 on:** June 20, 2002, 07:52:29 PM »

Yep bloom,..you and I are on the same page for sure. Funny thing, is you have to do is read the license.

I think a lot of people do not beleive they are going to have to fork over more money to MS 2 years after they have XP. A lot of people I talk to simply do not beleive it. I cannot call it apathy as it is spelled out in the license.

Like you bloom,..once 2K dies,..Linux is finding a home with me on my desktop. I figure I have purchased my last MS OS.