So I'm thinking about buying a new computer. Pretty much everything but the monitor, keyboard, mouse, case, SATA hard drives, and speakers will be new. I have an external (USB) enclosure for IDE drives so that's how I'll transfer my old data over.
Key point: I don't really want to go to Vista but this thread is about the pros & cons of doing so. I know most people hate Vista (if I could do without it I would) but this is more about what's the downside to using XP vs. Vista on a new computer. I had been hoping to hold out until the new Windows comes out a couple years down the road but my current computer woes look like that's not an option.
I currently have an original OEM Win XP Home and I anticipate it won't work with the new system as too many components will be changing, so I'll very likely have to buy a new OS one way or the other.
1) From what I understand, the biggest problem is that XP can only handle 32-bit capability but Vista uses 64-bit. So if I use XP, I won't be utilizing the full capabilities of the system. How big an issue is this? If I'm not even going to notice, then it's not an issue.
2) What about old software? I have a bootleg Adobe Pro (which I actually use a fair bit, vs. just the Reader) and a bootleg Microsoft Office. Will these work with Vista? I'm thinking not, which means I'll have to replace them both. That means more money.
3) One of my biggest concerns is I keep hearing Vista isn't compatible with a lot of things. I'm usually not a front-of-the-line, get the latest and greatest type of guy. I usually wait a couple years until the kinks have been worked out as I don't need high performance computer parts. World of Warcraft is the most advanced game I've played and otherwise I just use my computer for word processing, surfing the net, and other basic tasks. No high-end graphics usage here.
What are people's thoughts on the above?
Key point: I don't really want to go to Vista but this thread is about the pros & cons of doing so. I know most people hate Vista (if I could do without it I would) but this is more about what's the downside to using XP vs. Vista on a new computer. I had been hoping to hold out until the new Windows comes out a couple years down the road but my current computer woes look like that's not an option.
I currently have an original OEM Win XP Home and I anticipate it won't work with the new system as too many components will be changing, so I'll very likely have to buy a new OS one way or the other.
1) From what I understand, the biggest problem is that XP can only handle 32-bit capability but Vista uses 64-bit. So if I use XP, I won't be utilizing the full capabilities of the system. How big an issue is this? If I'm not even going to notice, then it's not an issue.
2) What about old software? I have a bootleg Adobe Pro (which I actually use a fair bit, vs. just the Reader) and a bootleg Microsoft Office. Will these work with Vista? I'm thinking not, which means I'll have to replace them both. That means more money.
3) One of my biggest concerns is I keep hearing Vista isn't compatible with a lot of things. I'm usually not a front-of-the-line, get the latest and greatest type of guy. I usually wait a couple years until the kinks have been worked out as I don't need high performance computer parts. World of Warcraft is the most advanced game I've played and otherwise I just use my computer for word processing, surfing the net, and other basic tasks. No high-end graphics usage here.
What are people's thoughts on the above?
