What operating system do I get tomorrow??

me

[Sungirl]

I would appreciate any advice.....

Tomorow at noon is a big day.....
Do I get Windows 98....Windows 2000.....Windows ME?? Windows XP is OUT!

I just want it for home use...no networks....no administrators. Simple, efficient and stable.

PLEASE ADVISE.

[LibWhacker]

I heard WIndows 2000 is for office use?? Is this true?

I think the reason people say that is that Win2k is considered overkill for home use; i.e., you have to pay manufacturers a lot more for it (I think Dell is charging $70 if you request it on a new machine), it's got all kinds of networking and security capabilities people don't need at home, and most of the popular action games, for instance, will not run on it. I've got it at home. Works fine. And I'm not sorry I got it. However, if you're buying a new machine, hold onto your old machine for games if you have kids, or like to play yourself. :-)

[CheneyChick]

OS X of course. Amazing that it is even a question. What's up with Billy's bangs? Yikes. Lose the SuperCuts TupperWare Bowl haircut......

[redhead]

I deleted "administrator" when I first turned it on. What's the reasoning? ...Interested and curious

[Richard Kimball]

I think you should boycott computers and give a beaver a place to sleep

Is that like one of those "Ward, I think you were a little hard on the Beaver last night" type puns?

[ironman]

Recently upgradecd from NT at work to Win2K and to XP on new very fast machine at home. Both much more stable. Taking a while to get used to new XP interface, but I like it a lot.

[det dweller too]

If you have multiple machines you must buy extra copies or XP will shut the program down.

No kidding, Sherlock. If you want an OS on another machine, pay for it. They days of freeloading are over.

Bill, your mask is slipping.

[Sungirl]

So you can't play games on win 2000? I played Myst or Grand Theft Auto...not a big player but if the need arises....I'd like to be able to play. I hope it would support some of those? I thought it was mostly up to the video card or processor and ram that actually determined this? SO much to know....

[ElkGroveDan]

Windows 3.1

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Well you cant actually delete it, but you can enable guest and logon as that. If anyone goes into your PC from outside, they won't have administrative rights (do whatever they want). Just a small security tip.

[TomServo]

BTW, Windows 2000 has a Win98 style interface..

So does XP, if you know how...very easy to fix.

[Hajman]

Thanks....I guess I don't like the shell either. It is a hassle to get to everything...there is two of everything and I have to give myself permission to get to me! Does that make sense?

The XP interface is a bit guady, I agree. However, you can switch it to feel like the normal 98/Win2000 interface. A major thing about XP is how big it is. Win98 takes about 300megs. WinNT can take 800megs-1gig (depending). WinXP (basic install) can take over 1.5gigs of HD space (1gig if you don't include driver cabs...which store all future XP drivers you may need.)

It looks like Windows 2000 is the winner so far in here...which is what I was leaning too in the beginning. NOT 'ME'..just plain windows 2000. Hopefully it is not a network...and I can get to me...without going through the administrator..which is also me. Win2000 is quite solid, and NT has much better memory and HD managment (if you install Win2000, I suggest going with the NTFS file system. It's smaller and faster then FAT32).

The easiest way in WinNT to make sure you have full access is to create your login, and make it an Administrator. You shouldn't have any problems with this. Win2000 is good for networking, but in no way requires it.

-The Hajman-

[Capt. Tom]

Sounds like you had the same experience with WIN ME that I did . What a disaster!

My computer guru also recommends Win 2000 professional. He wants to put it in my computer but I am willing to stick with 98 se. - Tom

[Hajman]

So you can't play games on win 2000? I played Myst or Grand Theft Auto...not a big player but if the need arises....I'd like to be able to play. I hope it would support some of those? I thought it was mostly up to the video card or processor and ram that actually determined this? SO much to know....

Actually, alot of it depends on OS graphic driver support (and existance). NT is built around security, stability, and such. Not games. It'll play a good number of games (I play Quake, Half-Life, Descent3 and Unreal, amoung others. They work just fine). However, if you have more modern games that require heavy graphics support, Win2000 may not (and probably doesn't) have said graphics support. The programs simply won't run (or they won't run right: slow, grainy, blocky, ect). However, games like Myst should run just fine on Win2000.

-The Hajman-

[RiVer19]

I never get this hatred of WindowsME. I know it's out there a lot of places, but I don't understand why based on my experience. I have it on 4 PC's in my house and no problems. And, the TCP/IP stack was taken from Windows2000 and is much faster than Win98 (measurably so).

So, can someone give me some examples of what WindowsME has done to you to make you hate it so bad? I've installed it on every computer I've built for friends and family the last year and have not lost a system yet. I have to support these machines too (that's what you get for being a nice guy that is a computer "expert" ha!). Again, I've never had a bit of trouble with my machines running Windows ME so I recommend Windows ME for a game playing - MS Office typical PC.

OK, let me have it. ha! :-)

[savedbygrace]

I'm posting from a 733MHz P3 running WinXP Pro, but to my right is a DP800 G4 running OS X. Tre Cool. OS X is basically BSD Unix with a Mac UI. Very stable. The 22" Apple Cinema Display ain't too shabby either.

For a PC, I would strongly recommend WinXP, either Home or Professional. Extremely stable & the stability is worth the nanny-features, IMO.

[Sungirl]

if you install Win2000, I suggest going with the NTFS file system. It's smaller and faster then FAT32).

I have no idea how to do that......is it done before installation of the new OS? SO what does it do give more memory to the programs?
I am having a friend to this for me...I don't have the confidence to FDISK my drive alone. Did it once..never want to do it alone again. LOL!

[Gun142]

Don't you know how much of the environment is destroyed to provide for Internetworking cabling being run along the ground? ......
I think you should boycott computers and give a beaver a place to sleep.

What the heck are you talkin about?!?!?!
There's beaver all over the internet.

(and it seems to me they have no problem sleeping around)

[RiVer19]

No DirectX support for Windows 2000 from what I understand. Unless something has changed recently, that is what makes Windows 2000 an unfriendly game machine OS.

[Sungirl]

No directX support? IS that legal?
Seriously...I see that alot....I think I see it when viewing web pages?? THats BAD. IS THIS TRUE?