Should I Switch to XP on My New Laptop? Pros & Cons

[kcjodih]

Can anyone tell me the pros and cons? Is there any problems with PP (we don't have P3 here) and Vista? I thought I remembered problems mentioned here before.

I'm about to replace my 3 yr old laptop - giving my hubby this one and I'm getting the new one. It has Vista on it but the store said they could put XP on it instead if that's what I needed but it would cost me more - $80-$100. I'm just chicken because I'm comfortable with what I know as opposed to what I don't and I swear I saw people had problems with PP or P3 and Vista.

What's the difference between XP and Vista anyway? I just got home from a 13 hour work day and I'm too tired to start investigating online (and sorting through fact or fiction) so I thought I'd go straight to the ones who would know for sure. I'm heading to bed to do it all over again in 7 hours time UGH!

I will check online here before I head to work though since I can't check all day. I have to let him know by Thursday morning at the latest but preferably tomorrow night since he had 3 of these great laptop deals and only has one left (which he's holding for me). He just needs to know if I'm changing to XP or not..

Thanks for any and all help and opinions

 

[candiejayne]

Word in the computer world is that Vista will be no more soon, and they are working on a beta version of a new OS that goes back to more of the XP style of things. Vista is a huge flop and honestly, I do not recommend it to anyone. I have vista on my laptop, and I hate it. I find myself working more and more on the desktop here at home because it is XP. For me, it would be worth the extra money to get XP.

As for P3 with XP, I don't know, I've never used it on there, only my vista...

 

[PampChefJoy]

I hate Vista but I am too lazy to go back and reinstall XP right now. I just started putting together a gaming computer for my husband and I am installing XP on it instead... he's ecstatic - the current one he uses, the family computer - has Vista and it's crashed and done all sorts of weird things that XP never had issues with.

 

[kam]

My vote goes to XP.

I bought my laptop before I was ready just so I could get one with XP (right on the cutoff of them stopping selling PCs with XP).

At home, I was worried about my laser printer not working with Vista - it is an older laser printer that works just fine.

At work, my co-worker always has to try to get the latest and greatest. So, as soon as he could upgrade to Vista, he did. He had so many issues printing and getting many programs to work. We both had to upgrade a Paint Program and mine took minutes to upgrade. It took him most of the day - all I know it was a hassle to get it to play with Vista. Our computers are exactly the same, ordered on the same day, etc, etc. The only difference is that he upgraded to Vista. He has so many issues upgrading some of our older programs. It eventually works, but it takes awhile.

I will not buy another computer until the NEXT OS comes out.

 

[pckellyd]

In my previous life I was a computer guru. I swore I would NEVER put vista onto any machine I would need to work with. Fast forward 10 months and I'm starting my business. I needed a new laptop but was too cheap to buy the same machine that was $300 more just because it had xp. So I bought the vista machine and actually... I love it. There were a few things I had to relearn how to do, but if you're not a technogeek like me those things aren't going to matter all that much. I really think they resolved MOST of vistas issues. Some things are in slightly different places, but oncce again it's not that big of a deal to me at least.

I would heavily caution anyone against jumping onto a new OS as soon as it's released... if you remember when XP came out and even back when 98 came out it was a NIGHTMARE! Never ever jump onto a new Microsoft OS w/in the first 6 months to a year after it's been released... I truly believe that the public as a whole are the true betas for Microsoft in those first 6 months to a year.

 

[AlowayFamily]

I have Vista on my laptop and I intensely dislike it!! When I had to replace my desktop last year I bought a refurbished computer so I could get XP rather than Vista.

As far as P3 goes, I use it on 3 computers with XP and Vista, and I don't have any problems with it operating correctly.

If MS is going to dump Vista are they going to give us Vista sufferers a new OS?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Vista will be gone in 2010. I have a friend who is testing the new OS right now. He says it's much better than Vista, and more along the lines of XP.

However, he still much prefers Mac - and that is what he uses for his personal computer.


(He runs a large computer department for a local company...and deals with lots of PC's on a daily basis. Mac's never need to be repaired or cleaned of viruses.)

 

[caraighan]

Last year when I bought my new laptop, I paid an extra $10 and got XP. I'm ever so glad I did! Then, again... it was only $10!!! I don't know if I would fork out an extra $80-$100!!!

 

[Ish]

I use both and dont really have a preference... I am more familiar with XP but they both work well for me... What I have an issue with is MS office 2007... I cannot stand it!!! It is a pain in the neck to format, build and transfer documents and you cant send documents to older MS office users unles the are in rich text format because the wont be able to open them!!!! ok, sorry for my rant....

 

[Leth]

I have XP at work and Vista on my personal laptop...and although I don't have any problem with either I really do like Vista. It took a little getting used to at the beginning but now I much prefer it.

 

[kcjodih]

Thanks to everyone who shared their opinion. I ended up going with the majority and paying the extra to get XP put on it. I figured I trusted the advice on here and also felt better going with what I already know and am familiar with.

Now to just take it out of the box and get playing on it