Macworld: Which version of Windows should I get? ...

11 Replies Last post: Mar 16, 2008 7:06 PM by smax013

GeckoGuy

15 posts since
Sep 8, 2007

Sep 9, 2007 3:02 PM

Which version of Windows should I get?

What version of Windows should I get to run Boot Camp?

Windows Vista 64-bit?
Windows Vista 32-bit?
Windows XP Pro?

Which version will work the best?

Where do you suggest I buy it from?

Typhoon14

2,125 posts since
Feb 2, 2001

1. Sep 9, 2007 5:01 PM

in response to: GeckoGuy

Re: Which version of Windows should I get?

That depends somewhat on what you're planning to do with it. My general recommendation would be Windows XP Pro. Of the three you mentioned, XP pro has the:

best compatibility
least bugs
best price

sefton

73 posts since
Mar 24, 2005

2. Sep 9, 2007 6:50 PM

in response to: Typhoon14

Re: Which version of Windows should I get?

If you're going to go with Vista make sure you have 2GB memory as a minimum.

minischneides

311 posts since
Dec 14, 2007

3. Dec 26, 2007 3:59 PM

in response to: GeckoGuy

Re: Which version of Windows should I get?

It depends on what you are going to be using the computer for. However although by no means reliable, Windows XP Pro will be MORE reliable then Vista

2GHz Core Duo Black Macbook - 10.5.2 - 16GB iPod Touch - 30GB iPod Video - LaCie Big Disk Extreme+

icerabbit

1,006 posts since
Mar 28, 2002

4. Dec 26, 2007 4:54 PM

in response to: GeckoGuy

Re: Which version of Windows should I get?

Which mac do you have?
Generally my answer is XP PRO SP2. You can order it from places like Newegg.com. With a very well equipped system you could get away with Vista ... but honestly it is a very big annoyance and a huge peformance hit. My newest computer has XP and I will be ordering another disc next month.

PM G5 DP 2.5 - G4 Cube - G3 iMac - iPod 4G & 5.5G

KPO'M

1,222 posts since
Nov 29, 2001

5. Dec 26, 2007 5:17 PM

in response to: GeckoGuy

Re: Which version of Windows should I get?

Considering that most Windows users haven't switched to Vista yet, you are probably safest sticking with XP. Microsoft is readying an SP3 for XP that should keep it relatively stable and secure for a casual Windows users for quite a while. XP certainly is the most compatible version of Windows out there, so if you are running Windows to run a legacy application, that would be my recommendation as well.

Rigger

2 posts since
Mar 16, 2008

6. Mar 16, 2008 12:51 PM

in response to: GeckoGuy

Re: Which version of Windows should I get?

My new Notebook will be a MacBook Pro 2.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo.

My question on this thread is: What about Windows XP Pro *64 bit*?

I will be running on the Windows side, as I already have them:
Windows Office Enterprise 2007
Windows Adobe CS2.

I am so very leery of Vista anything yet. Had good luck with XP SP2 (32bit) On Windows Desktops systems.

Everything else will be Leopard friendly. I will throw this out here, too. Should I stay with the Boot Camp scenario? Seems the sensible way over the Parallels or Fusion methods with what I will be doing.

TIA

Rigger

smax013

1,520 posts since
Jul 6, 2007

7. Mar 16, 2008 1:02 PM

in response to: Rigger

Re: Which version of Windows should I get?

Rigger wrote:
My new Notebook will be a MacBook Pro 2.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo.

My question on this thread is: What about Windows XP Pro *64 bit*?

I will be running on the Windows side, as I already have them:
Windows Office Enterprise 2007
Windows Adobe CS2.

I am so very leery of Vista anything yet. Had good luck with XP SP2 (32bit) On Windows Desktops systems.

TIA

Rigger

I would stay away from 64 bit versions of Windoze. The only benefit is that ability to use more memory basically, but you can be faced with a lot more problems with finding drivers for hardware that work (I honestly don't know if Bootcamp has 64 bit compatible drivers or not...you should verify that) for things like printers, etc and compatibility with programs. If I recall correctly, Micro$oft does not even yet offer a true 64 bit version of Office.

If you don't mind me asking, why would you want to run those programs on the Windoze side of things? Kind of defeats the purpose of getting a Mac. If it is because you have Windoze versions and don't want to pay for the Mac versions (or don't have the cash for it right now), I will note that I want to say that Adobe offers a cross-platform "upgrade"/transfer...at least I think that they do...my memory is a little less than reliable these days. If you can get the Mac version of Adobe CS2 (or CS3), then running Micro$oft Office in either Parallels or Fusion is very doable. You can do it with Adobe CS2 (or CS3), but you might notice more of the performace hit in those programs than in say Word or Excel or Outlook. Bootcamp is great, but the real problem is that you have to reboot to switch OSs.

Member of the "Crazy Mac Users who run Anti-virus on their Macs" club - come join us and you too can be snickered at!

Martian

1,256 posts since
Sep 27, 2001

8. Mar 16, 2008 1:54 PM

in response to: GeckoGuy

Re: Which version of Windows should I get?

I believe that one of Vista's
security improvements over XP is that the default for Windows Firewall is ON
for Vista and OFF for XP. So just turn it on in XP and
you have closed some of the gap.

Interesting—my son's new company supplied ThinkPad has Vista
stickers on it, but happily, it boots into XP.

smax013

1,520 posts since
Jul 6, 2007

9. Mar 16, 2008 4:57 PM

in response to: Martian

Re: Which version of Windows should I get?

Martian wrote:I believe that one of Vista's
security improvements over XP is that the default for Windows Firewall is ON
for Vista and OFF for XP. So just turn it on in XP and
you have closed some of the gap.

I don't believe that is quite true. While the basics are true (i.e. firewall on vs off), the Vista firewall is more advanced than the one in XP...by a fair margin. The Windoze XP firewall is rather pathetic...it did nothing with outgoing traffic. I am pretty sure the Vista firewall now deals with outgoing traffic.

Martian wrote:.

Interesting—my son's new company supplied ThinkPad has Vista
stickers on it, but happily, it boots into XP.

Most companies have ZERO desire to use Vista at this point. As a result, they will tend to order their computers with XP...or if they cannot get them with XP, they will wipe the Vista OS from that drive and use a "standardize" image to install XP (along with their standard configuration and apps). The end result is that a lot of computers will have the Vista sticker because either the computer supplier or the company itself will replace Vista with XP. This is fairly SOP. The company I work for just got a bunch of new leased computers. All have Vista stickers on them, but have had Vista wiped off and XP installed instead.

Member of the "Crazy Mac Users who run Anti-virus on their Macs" club - come join us and you too can be snickered at!

Rigger

2 posts since
Mar 16, 2008

10. Mar 16, 2008 6:36 PM

in response to: smax013

Re: Which version of Windows should I get?

smax013:

<The Windoze XP firewall is rather pathetic...it did nothing with outgoing traffic. I am pretty sure the Vista firewall now deals with outgoing traffic./>
I deactivated it on my machines. I use Scotty (Winpatrol) and ZoneAlarm.

<Most companies have ZERO desire to use Vista at this point./>
A PC Place in town builds custom towers and sells several brands of Windows laptops. He told me just yesterday that, except for two machines, every thing that has went out the door in the last six months has been XP. They do a lot of stripping of Vista. People who use their machines don't use Vista.

You are the third person who has mentioned the driver issue with 64bit. It's a headache I certainly don't want to deal with. Thanks.

I will look into the cross platform transfer with adobeCS. It is a Cash Thing right now. The MacBook is setting me back. might be Late August before I think about or get Full Mac Software. I need the system burned in and running right by mid April as I have a 1 month prep and a 3 month run coming up that I DON'T want to have to deal with Software problems.

I ran a G4 powerbook last year and I had a slew of problems with the PB and Windows files that were sent to me. Compatibility was an issue. Trying to keep that monkey off my back this year.

Rob't

smax013

1,520 posts since
Jul 6, 2007

11. Mar 16, 2008 7:06 PM

in response to: Rigger

Re: Which version of Windows should I get?

Rigger wrote:
smax013:

I deactivated it on my machines. I use Scotty (Winpatrol) and ZoneAlarm.

Same for me...I run ZoneAlarm on all my Windoze computers (and NetBarrier on my Macs). The XP firewall is worthless. The Mac OS built in firewall is MUCH more robust, but by default is not too configurable unless you monkey around in the Terminal...which is why I like NetBarrier.

Rigger wrote:

A PC Place in town builds custom towers and sells several brands of Windows laptops. He told me just yesterday that, except for two machines, every thing that has went out the door in the last six months has been XP. They do a lot of stripping of Vista. People who use their machines don't use Vista.

And that PC Place likely mainly caters to small businesses and home users. If they catered to large businesses, then there likely would not have even been those two machines with Vista installed!

The enterprise world is notourious slow to adopt new OSs. The company I was working at was still using Windoze 2000 on most computers up until about 2 to 3 years ago.

Rigger wrote:

You are the third person who has mentioned the driver issue with 64bit. It's a headache I certainly don't want to deal with. Thanks.

64 bit Windoze is not quite ready for the primetime just yet...at least not in desktop environments. It might be more workable for a server type situation. I am guessing that 64 bit OSs with be all the rage in a couple of years.

Rigger wrote:

I will look into the cross platform transfer with adobeCS. It is a Cash Thing right now. The MacBook is setting me back. might be Late August before I think about or get Full Mac Software. I need the system burned in and running right by mid April as I have a 1 month prep and a 3 month run coming up that I DON'T want to have to deal with Software problems.

I figured as much. That is the joy of major OS and/or computer upgrades...all the extra things that you have to upgrade as well to get back to a fully functional system.

Member of the "Crazy Mac Users who run Anti-virus on their Macs" club - come join us and you too can be snickered at!

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Sep 9, 2007 3:02 PM

Which version of Windows should I get?

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