Desktop PC "do over" - Win XP, or Win 7

[Stuka]

After 3 years of daily use, install this, uninstall that, etc., my home-built Windows XP Pro desktop PC is indicating it's time for a fresh install. I've done this a time or two over the years, and I know I'll need to backup up everything and reinstall all my current programs "from scratch".

My big question is which OS to use this time around, since according to the "Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor", it meets all the minimum requirements (and then some) for all versions of Windows 7. I use this PC for all my day-to-day activities, including digital music & video editing, Pangolin laser applications (QM2000 & FB3), gaming, etc. I'll need to maintain functionality for quite a few XP programs and compatible hardware.

SO, looking for recommendations, pros / cons:

XP Pro?
Windows 7 Pro, 32-bit?
Windows 7 Pro, 64-bit?

Thanks in advance!

[Doc]

Win7 64 all day long

[blowfly]

+1. Win7 64-bit is super solid.

M

[Grix]

Buying XP today is like buying windows 95 a few years ago. And 32-bit is outdated too.

[Phredy1]

My vote is XP Pro 32 bit. Why reinvent the wheel when XP Pro works just fine? Plus you should get better performance from XP. Win7 is power hungry.

Windows 7 is good for 1 thing: making Microsoft lots of $$$.

[VJ AIWAZ]

xp it just works

in my opinion win 7 is just vista re branded and we all know how long that lasted i just dont trust it yet maybe in a few years when all the software that is around works stable

[LaNeK779]

i'd say win xp as well, not power hungry and tested rock solid over the years

(if i was alone and none watched, i would definately say win2000 professional, but i don't want to sound too weird)

[colouredmirrorball]

I'm a new and happy user of Win7 x64. So far no considerable flaws, but I had some issues installing some old games. My old laptop with XP had the attitude of crashing everywhere (quite literally) I brought it, even when I did a theatrical show with my laser :-( Windows just crashed very slowly (oh, Norm's laser show doesn't work... and now my MIDI controller doesn't react... even starting up Notepad is too hard for him! And there goes Freestyler *quickly replug the DMX-cable into my other DMX controller* and there is the blue screen. Worked perfectly later at home of course).
I don't think I'll have that issue again with this new laptop.

XP doesn't work for me. Not anymore.

[Banthai]

this thread is on topic for me this week ..... as i have just had 5 days of win7 / Xp woes

Depends on what applications you are running .... some aplications especially ones that do certain hardware calls wont run under the XP mode in windows 7

i found this out this week after my nice n flashy Alienware M15x laptop turned up from DELL ... because of my work with servo motor systems i need to run a rockwell package that cost over a £1000 a year for the licence ... Prior to ordering the laptop i had checked with my Rockwell Software department about running it under Windows 7 .... they informed me that some applications might run but the main ones like RSview and factory talk would not ..... also the activations are keyed to the hardware and when running under a vertual machine they can not do certain hardware calls

So they sugested the only option is to install XP pro on the laptop ....

I checked with Microsft and the Win7 Licence allows you to downgrade to XP using the Win7 licence ( which then allows you to revert sometime in the future to Win 7 with no licence problems )

Great i thought ....... WRONG

when the laptop arived i found that the Alienware drivers which control the keyboard ... wireless .... grafix ..... DVD .... are only available from DELL in windows 7 format .... and they wont warranty the laptop if i load 3rd party drivers ( which most probably wont work anyway )

so after a few days of being thrown around the dell call centres .... DELL Kindly agreed for me to return the Laptop for a full refund .... today i ordered a Dell Precision 4500 which after carefully talking to the techs at dell have told me that i can downgrade the operating system to XP pro and all the hardware and drivers will run under XP pro .....

so i now have to wait 2 weeks for it to be built and delivered .... and hopefully will all be plain sailing ...

So my advice speaking from experience is .... if you are running critical aplications for your work ... check first that they will run under Windows 7


all the best ... Karl

[flecom]

win 7 64bit

3gb limit in 32bit sucks

I run it on my desktop and it flies... although I am sure that has to do with the desktop too