XP, 7 or 8?

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Wingsofglass

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Wingsofglass
I have a Mac. I currently run XP in Parallels so I can use Quickbooks, Quicken and run the Garmin sim. That's all I use it for and it works fine. I own the discs for the XP operating system. I'm getting a new Mac. Should I put a more recent version of Windows on this one, which means I need to buy it, or stick with XP even though it's going end of life? If I should put a new version on which one? Thanks.
 
Does you XP have access to any network?

If not, stick with what works.

If it does, then use caution. M$ will no longer be releasing security updates, so if some hacker figures out a hole still remaining in XP, they can exploit it and MS will not fix the problem.
 
If you plan to upgrade quicken or quickbooks, go with at least 7. With MS dropping support, you can expect software vendors to follow suit in short order.
 
Win 7 Pro or 8.1. If you don't like the "tiled/metro", new, interface... Just install the free program from iobit.com called "start menu 8".
 
BigSam said:
If you plan to upgrade quicken or quickbooks, go with at least 7. With MS dropping support, you can expect software vendors to follow suit in short order.
Click to expand...

Yep.

I run Windows 7 on my Mac and I'm as happy with it as I could be with any version of Windows. I'll probably wait until "9" before upgrading again.
 
JeffDG said:
M$ will no longer be releasing security updates, so if some hacker figures out a hole still remaining in XP, they can exploit it and MS will not fix the problem.
Click to expand...

I think that's when, not if. There are apparently millions of computers still using XP, so the incentive for malware writers is still there.

I'm in the process of divorcing a computer that still needs to run XP from the Internet, and I just got through upgrading the others to 7. From what I've heard, the start menu is not the biggest issue with the 8/8.1 user interface.
 
I run 8.1 on my mac in parallels.



Run 7. Do not attempt 8. :)
 
I like 8. I hate Metro (or whatever they're calling it this week). But given a couple of hours and some freeware, you can pretty much banish Metro.

Other than the horrid Metro interface and the lack of the Start Menu (both of which can be rectified), 8 is a superb OS, in my opinion.

-Rich
 
You can now boot 8.1 to the Desktop directly by default. Works well under Parallels.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I pick 'none of the above'

Running bloatware on a Mac....shame on you!! ;)
 
Is it true that 8 or 8.1 won't let you have more than one window displayed on the screen at the same time?
 
8.1 improved some of the more painful changes of 8. But, I have both 7 and 8 running, and 7 gets my vote for staying out of my way so I can get work done. Within a VM, 8 may behave better though that requires more research. Supposedly better with memory.
 
Palmpilot said:
Is it true that 8 or 8.1 won't let you have more than one window displayed on the screen at the same time?
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Not really. The Metro "Apps" do fill the whole screen, but the desktop is still available.

The biggest problem for most "traditional" users is that MS stubbornly refuses to give them their Start Menu back. They restored the Start Button in 8.1, but it takes users back to the hated Metro interface. There are, however, third-party ways to restore the Start Menu functionality and other missing features, such as Classic Shell.

It's hard to come up with any rational reason why MS is being so stubborn about the Start Menu, even to the point of completely removing it from the code base when people started figuring out how to re-enable it in the Registry. Considered together with how hard they try to get you to use a Microsoft account rather than a local account to log in, I suspect that it has to do with user tracking and whatever commissions they're getting on "Apps" downloaded through the Microsoft Store.

Whatever the case, it's resulted in a small cottage industry for geeks in need of lunch money: making users' computers act the way the users want them to. I've been called for quite a few of these jobs, and I'm not even reaching out for them. These were just friends, neighbors, and a few existing clients who know what I do for a living, and decided to call me when they realized how much they hated Metro. I probably could make a nice little pocket-money sideline business out of it if I wanted to.

-Rich
 
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Palmpilot said:
Is it true that 8 or 8.1 won't let you have more than one window displayed on the screen at the same time?
Click to expand...

No you can display two apps on the screen at the same time. Use the Windows key and the arrow keys.
 
If you run Classic Shell (which I do) you can have as many windows open as you want.
 
My first thought is that the security "holes" should be plugged by now, but I would not want to use use financial software on it. I use it mostly for writing and research on the Internet.

But, really, how safe is the newer operating systems? They've been out for fewer years and any weaknesses have not yet been exposed.
 
RJM62 said:
It's hard to come up with any rational reason why MS is being so stubborn about the Start Menu, even to the point of completely removing it from the code base when people started figuring out how to re-enable it in the Registry.
Click to expand...

Speaking of the Registry. I haven't had a reason to edit one in years, until last night that is.


Wow Microsoft really screwed around with a lot of things in this OS!
I have GoFlight modules hardware for my flight simulator and after a fresh install of Windows_8.1, I couldn't get any of the LED displays to work. The switches and rotaries all worked great.

After a little reseach, I found out that Windows_8 defaults to "Power Management" settings, which under-powers and throttles down the USB devices. Device manager appears to allow you to disable this but it doesn’t really work. I found out that the only workaround is to disable those settings in the registry (individually!). Now I finally have all of my displays back.


So instead of giving the user the option to enable these new 'features', they decided to break things that didn't need fixing and mess with our heads:mad:.

Other than that, I'm getting great performance but only slightly better than Win7. Definately not enough to justify the hassle of upgrading. I only use this PC for flightsim. I have a laptop (Win7) and iPad for everything else.
 
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You'll be happier with Windows 7 I'm sure. It's time to ditch XP, that was a good OS in its time, but that time has passed.

Just be grateful that (unlike Apple's Mac OS's), MS supported XP for so very long.
 
Ubuntu supports and distributes patches for tens of thousands of software packages
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You say that like it's a good thing! Ok ,well it's kind of good, but also kind of bad.

It seems like everytime I boot into Ubuntu it wants to update tens of thousands of software packages. Ok, today it's only 514.

The Ubuntu updater doesn't seem nearly as smart as the Microsoft Updater.
 
JimNtexas said:
You say that like it's a good thing! Ok ,well it's kind of good, but also kind of bad.

It seems like everytime I boot into Ubuntu it wants to update tens of thousands of software packages. Ok, today it's only 514.

The Ubuntu updater doesn't seem nearly as smart as the Microsoft Updater.
Click to expand...

That's because the Microsoft updater doesn't update all the software you install on your system and most of the software you have installed is probably outdated and has updates problem is you have no good way to install them.

It's not that the Ubuntu updater isn't smart it's that it's responsible for a LOT more software and makes it WAY easier for you to keep a completely updated system. In the Microsoft ecosystem Windows Update just updates Windows not all the software you've installed. That is changing over time though with the introduction of whatever the hell Microsoft calls their App Store.
 
jesse said:
That's because the Microsoft updater doesn't update all the software you install on your system and most of the software you have installed is probably outdated and has updates problem is you have no good way to install them.

It's not that the Ubuntu updater isn't smart it's that it's responsible for a LOT more software and makes it WAY easier for you to keep a completely updated system. In the Microsoft ecosystem Windows Update just updates Windows not all the software you've installed. That is changing over time though with the introduction of whatever the hell Microsoft calls their App Store.
Click to expand...

It does updates on other Microsoft software such as the Office Suite as well.
 
None of this will matter soon, as MS goes to the SAAS model, and you'll pay by the month.
 
EdFred said:
It does updates on other Microsoft software such as the Office Suite as well.
Click to expand...

Correct but still not a fair comparison since Microsoft does not update, ship, or support thousands of software programs with Windows.
 
JimNtexas said:
You say that like it's a good thing! Ok ,well it's kind of good, but also kind of bad.



It seems like everytime I boot into Ubuntu it wants to update tens of thousands of software packages. Ok, today it's only 514.



The Ubuntu updater doesn't seem nearly as smart as the Microsoft Updater.
Click to expand...


Uninstall the crud you're not using. :)
 
I am in the same situation. Where can I get a real copy of W7Pro? I bought one on eBay for $200 that turned out to be counterfeit (a very good copy, but using a developer key). I got my money back and sent the counterfeit one to MS… but it still leaves me without the software and wary of trying to buy another on eBay.
 
DesertNomad said:
I am in the same situation. Where can I get a real copy of W7Pro? I bought one on eBay for $200 that turned out to be counterfeit (a very good copy, but using a developer key). I got my money back and sent the counterfeit one to MS… but it still leaves me without the software and wary of trying to buy another on eBay.
Click to expand...

Here you go, definitely not counterfeit:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832416804

Yes it's an OEM version. Technicalities aside Microsoft isn't about to go beat up people for buying legal copies because they bought an OEM copy. The only negative to an OEM copy basically is you can't call Microsoft for support (since you're the OEM).
 
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Not that calling Microsoft for support usually results in much useful anyway... ;-)
 
jesse said:
Here you go, definitely not counterfeit:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832416804

Yes it's an OEM version. Technicalities aside Microsoft isn't about to go beat up people for buying legal copies because they bought an OEM copy. The only negative to an OEM copy basically is you can't call Microsoft for support (since you're the OEM).
Click to expand...

How will the OEM work with installing it under Parallels on Mac? Note that Parallels is a virtual machine so Windows will run in a, ahem, window. :)

I was looking for the retail version if possible so it is not tied to a particular machine… since it is to be run in a VM.
 
DesertNomad said:
How will the OEM work with installing it under Parallels on Mac? Note that Parallels is a virtual machine so Windows will run in a, ahem, window. :)

I was looking for the retail version if possible so it is not tied to a particular machine… since it is to be run in a VM.
Click to expand...

Technically? Afaik It'll work just fine. From a pure licensing perspective it's probably an issue but like I said Microsoft isn't about to use you for paying them.
 
jesse said:
Technically? Afaik It'll work just fine. From a pure licensing perspective it's probably an issue but like I said Microsoft isn't about to use you for paying them.
Click to expand...

Way back when Win 95 was new...I used to work in a place that had a storefront. We'd sell OEM windows, but the rule was it had to be tied to hardware...so we'd sell a mouse that included Win95
 
DesertNomad said:
How will the OEM work with installing it under Parallels on Mac? Note that Parallels is a virtual machine so Windows will run in a, ahem, window. :)



I was looking for the retail version if possible so it is not tied to a particular machine… since it is to be run in a VM.
Click to expand...


I have an OEM in Parallels that works fine.

Once I gave it more RAM and played who the VM settings and it triggered one of those "contact us you changed hardware" Windows Genuine Disadvantage pop ups. I called the 800 number and some drone in India asked what changed

I said I gave the virtual machine more oomph and they said, "ok have a nice day" and a code to type in or something.

Total non-event. There looking for illegal mass copiers, not the guy who's running a virtual and messing with settings.
 
JeffDG said:
Way back when Win 95 was new...I used to work in a place that had a storefront. We'd sell OEM windows, but the rule was it had to be tied to hardware...so we'd sell a mouse that included Win95
Click to expand...


The local MicroCenter does that. They sold me one copy of Windows with a Mac, and one with some RAM, but won't sell it without a hardware purchase.

I thought the Mac as qualifying hardware was particularly funny. And I wasn't putting that copy of Windows on that machine.
 
jesse said:
Technically? Afaik It'll work just fine. From a pure licensing perspective it's probably an issue but like I said Microsoft isn't about to use you for paying them.
Click to expand...

I thought I read that the OEM version would fail activation if you needed to transfer it to a different machine than the one you first activated it on. :dunno:
 
Palmpilot said:
I thought I read that the OEM version would fail activation if you needed to transfer it to a different machine than the one you first activated it on. :dunno:
Click to expand...

Not going to happen unless out drastically modify the van and if it does you just call the activation phone number and they resolve it (as Nate says).
 
jesse said:
Not going to happen unless out drastically modify the van and if it does you just call the activation phone number and they resolve it (as Nate says).
Click to expand...

What does "van" mean in this context? :confused:

I got the impression that an OEM license didn't allow transferring the OS to another machine, so that they would not activate it for you if you tried to do that.
 
I don't know "van", but he's saying the Virtual machine characteristics. Changing the number of processor cores, etc. Leave the VM settings alone, Windows Genuine Disadvantage doesn't think you moved it to new hardware. Can even copy the virtual image to a different physical host. If you do change something all you have to do is tell the nice lady or gentleman in India it's a virtual machine and you gave it more cores. They'll give you a code to type in and you're done.
 
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