Saxmeister

XP or Vista for Small Business? (Download Squad)

Sep 1st 2007 6:29AM I have an unusual hardware advantage for comparisons here at home. I've 2 desktops and 2 notebooks. Without breaking down their entire inventories of hard and soft ware, the basic facts are the two desktops are 10 years apart in technology (i.e., a PIII-450MHz vs. an AMD 64 x2 Duo 4200+) and the two Gateway notebooks are both average current technology boxes (i.e., 1.60GHz Intel Dual Core T2060 vs. 1.73GHz Intel Dual Core T2250) with nearly the same hardware throughout with the exception of hard drives, monitors & a 2nd PCI Root port on the less expensive model. A quick look at the desktops...the old one was built for W95. For W95, the pc is well configured with 256MB RAM & a pair of Ultra IV-ATA drives. But with the OS upgraded to XP, this configuration struggles. The new Gateway desktop was loaded with XP Media Center with the option for a free upgrade to VISTA Home Premium. However, it's current hardware runs the OS comfortably with no noticeable bottleneck beyond the speed of the drives and the Broadband CABLE Internet. Even with the video sharing system memory (2GBs), the new desktop runs efficiently under XP MedCtr. Seeing how even small differences in hardware affect the efficiency of VISTA on my notebooks, I expect a switch to VISTA will yield a noticeable performance on my new desktop compared to it's current OS operations and to how my best notebook operates under VISTA.

Now if the difference in demands of Microsoft's XP OS over the demands of Windows 95 can be used as a predictor of the increasing demands VISTA will have over XP MedCtr, the current efficiency of the XP configured PC will fall when VISTA replaces XP on this computer.

So what are my prioritized demands for this desktop computer? Stability, Reliability, Speed, Capability to run all my current applications, and ability to run all upgrades and new applications. Will the current system meet these requirements? What new or improved functions can VISTA bring to my requirements and those of the other users on my home network?

I am satisfied with how the best notebook runs under VISTA and see no need to change this machine. However, if after I optimize the other notebook and my satisfaction of how this computer performs on VISTA does not improve, a rather inexpensive RAM upgrade will be tried. I see no need to backstep to XP when VISTA brings convenient and powerful wireless networking tools. Alone, these networking tools make wireless and wired networking operations easier to configure than does XP.

The addition of an affordable and highly recommended program called, "Network Magic" removes nearly any need for manual configurations. This is especially helpful for non-techies, like my 76 year old mother who uses the Internet when managing her finances. The only drawback she's had with her Gateway Notebook is learning the VISTA interface. Even this retired techie understands the importance for someone in the family to know how to network XP & VISTA manually. And I'm not stuck doing things the old way to the point that I can't appreciate the convenience of a program like Network Magic.

So when will VISTA become the OS of choice for my desktop pc? Probably when my demands outstretch the capabilities of XP which will occur when I am more familiar with VISTA.

I learned an expensive lesson being an early adopter when I bought my car in 2005. It is a new model for this manufacturer's label. The mfg. took a whole bunch of the good and reasonably priced systems from their "upscale" name-brand car and engineered them to fit in their "common" major-brand car. The car received high review marks and was a classier design than the model it replaced. Two years later, the mfg. has decided to discontinue the new model and is bringing the old model name out of retirement. I should have been more careful and learned a lesson when I ought the BetaMax VCR or the LaserDisc player after DVDs had already been on the market for a number of years. Duh! So when is the right time to adopt a new product? I may never get it right. I guess I'm playing it safe by using both Operating Systems. Now what's that Linux package, UBUNTU?