Windows 7 Home Premium or Pro?

[Max]

Sooner or later I plan to replace XP Pro (32bit) with Win7.

Should I consider spending the extra $70 for Win 7 Pro for the sake of getting the XP based software compatibility feature?

Thanks

[cattb]

This is not the exact answer your looking for but I installed wind 7 pro but also kept xp pro...i use a dual boot for now. I also used a upgrade version of wind 7 pro to install my full version of windows 7.
This way I can slowly migrate over to 7, while letting more software and hardware become compatible ( or fix compatibility issues) with 7 and MS do thier updates to any unforseen problems.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

XP mode is meant for busineses running old software it can never replace XP as a gaming platform. Keep both so you can play your older games in case they wont work in windows7.

On the other hand if you're not getting a brand new computer do _not_ upgrade from XP. There's simply no reason to do it.

[BaldEagl]

After two months of helping my brother with Windows 7, and two years of helping him with Vista before that, I can't see much improvement from Vista to Windows 7.   

I had planned on installing Windows 7 but my experiences with it so far have convinced me to keep XP as long as possible.

Unless you have some compelling reason to change I wouldn't.

[Fulmar]

After two months of helping my brother with Windows 7, and two years of helping him with Vista before that, I can't see much improvement from Vista to Windows 7.   

I had planned on installing Windows 7 but my experiences with it so far have convinced me to keep XP as long as possible.

Unless you have some compelling reason to change I wouldn't.

What kind of help did he need?

[BaldEagl]

What kind of help did he need?

Name it.  He's a computer noob but I've grown familiar enough with both OS's to not like either.  For instance, he's here right now and wanted to eliminate the need for a password when loggnig into Windows 7.  Easy enough but then McAfee reports that he's not protected and produces an error when trying to fix it.  Re-enabling the password fixes the McAfee problems.  Bah.

[Spikes]

Solution:
McAfee Blows. Remove it.

[BaldEagl]

Solution:
McAfee Blows. Remove it.

I've got it on three machines (all running XP) and didn't have any of these problems when disabling password protection.  Vista and Win7 blow.

[Spikes]

I've got it on three machines (all running XP) and didn't have any of these problems when disabling password protection.  Vista and Win7 blow.

To each his own, I run Avast and have no problemos with the issue you're having...

[TilDeath]

I run ESET Smart Security Suite and have added and removed passwords on both Vista and Win 7 never an issue.  The problem is within the McAfee not the OS's

[Reschke]

Name it.  He's a computer noob but I've grown familiar enough with both OS's to not like either.  For instance, he's here right now and wanted to eliminate the need for a password when loggnig into Windows 7.  Easy enough but then McAfee reports that he's not protected and produces an error when trying to fix it.  Re-enabling the password fixes the McAfee problems.  Bah.

Well there's your problem right there!

Quite simple actually...I have Win7 Ultimate 64 bit on 2 computers and Vista 64 bit on my wifes laptop and all work great...with whatever virus protection as long as it isn't Symantec or McAfee. On my 2 Win7 systems I am using ESET; on my wifes system she has Trendmicro and it is ok for what she does.

[BaldEagl]

That's not the only problem.  That's just a "for instance".  

Another is that almost every application has to be installed running it as an administrator or it causes problems.  That means for simple apps off the net you have to D/L them to the HD before you can install them rather than just running them.  Furthermore, some apps will cause problems if installed to the programs folder (I thought Win7 fixed that but I guess not) and a lot of apps still aren't compatible with Win7.  

XP simply doesn't have any of these issues and I can't imagine why you'd want to purposefully increase your frustration level with your OS.

Maybe one day MS will get this stuff sorted out but Win7 is no improvement over Vista.  I guess I'll wait to see what they do with Mojavi .

[TilDeath]

That's not the only problem.  That's just a "for instance".  

Another is that almost every application has to be installed running it as an administrator or it causes problems.  That means for simple apps off the net you have to D/L them to the HD before you can install them rather than just running them.  Furthermore, some apps will cause problems if installed to the programs folder (I thought Win7 fixed that but I guess not) and a lot of apps still aren't compatible with Win7.  

XP simply doesn't have any of these issues and I can't imagine why you'd want to purposefully increase your frustration level with your OS.

Maybe one day MS will get this stuff sorted out but Win7 is no improvement over Vista.  I guess I'll wait to see what they do with Mojavi .

With over 200 Vista installs and over 60 Windows 7 in 2009 I have not run into any of these issues.

TD

[MrRiplEy[H]]

With over 200 Vista installs and over 60 Windows 7 in 2009 I have not run into any of these issues.

TD

Then again just installing them doesn't give you the experience of actually using them.

[TilDeath]

Then again just installing them doesn't give you the experience of actually using them.

I own Win 7 pro on 3 systems and Vista on 4 systems and none of these issues.