Windows Vista/XP question...

[elenore19]

So I'm going to get a laptop this summer for myself and such. And I want to be able to do my recording on it. I heard that vista absolutely blows, so I was thinking about this...

I would get the laptop, which would have vista installed right away, but I would reformat the instant I get it and install windows XP. I already have an XP CD available for me.

Would this be a good idea? Bad idea? Pros? Cons?

Comments are encouraged. Thanks!!

-Elliot

 

[TimOBrien]

Unless you can find something that's been sitting on a shelf, you will have a hard time finding something that DOESNT have Vista on it. Micro$oft is making sure that their user base (at this point, I'm still calling Vista users "beta tester base") is expanding.

Since I won't use an OS until it's been out for at least a year and has the first round of update service packs on it, I'd be wiping it and putting XP on too.

(Just save that Vista CD for a later install... I'm sure that M$ will stop giving out XP authorizations in a year to FORCE the rest of us to upgrade....)

 

[elenore19]

Unless you can find something that's been sitting on a shelf, you will have a hard time finding something that DOESNT have Vista on it. Micro$oft is making sure that their user base (at this point, I'm still calling Vista users "beta tester base") is expanding.

Since I won't use an OS until it's been out for at least a year and has the first round of update service packs on it, I'd be wiping it and putting XP on too.

(Just save that Vista CD for a later install... I'm sure that M$ will stop giving out XP authorizations in a year to FORCE the rest of us to upgrade....)

Ha, alright, sounds like a plan.

So in doing this whole reformatting and installing xp thing, do I need to make sure I get any certain disks with the laptop? Like hardware disks? Or will they most likely come with it...

It has been a long time since I've gotten a computer, haha.

Thanks for the help!

 

[jarocho]

I would probably do a clean OS install on any laptop I bought. You will need specific drivers for your laptop. They might provide you with a CD but I'd rather download them from the companys website just to make sure I have the latest drivers.

 

[danny.guitar]

I would keep any CDs/disks that come with the laptop, so at least you know what kind/brand of hardware is in there, and if XP doesn't have the drivers for them it will make it easier to find them on the net.

I once reformatted and forgot what kind of network card I had in my computer. I didn't have the driver disks for them, and XP didn't have the drivers. I couldn't use the internet without the network card working, so I had to use another computer to find them and download them.

Just keep all the disks.

 

[pacman9000]

I think XP seems relatively stable, I would not f with vista...I think XP has been one of the more stable windows os's from what I've read and my friend has it and his pc never crashes or freezes.

 

[RWhite]

Bad news for you: its about 99% likely that your laptop won't come with a Vista CD. In an effort to save every penny they can, most laptop manufacturers no longer include media. Some of them will gratiously allow you to buy the media from them at an extra cost.

Most simply put an "image" of the OS install CD / DVD, or an alreay installed image, in a hidden partition on the hard drive. If your "work" partition is corrupted you can often restore from it. But if the hard drive is damaged - or if you decide to re-format and install XP - that info is gone, baby gone.

I'd say check with the manufacturer or the retailer before you buy and make sure you can get a copy of the Vista media before you blow away the drive. While most of the people you talk to will be idiots, its most likely they will have heard the same questions plenty of times by now and they will be able to tell you want to do.

 

[elenore19]

Bad news for you: its about 99% likely that your laptop won't come with a Vista CD. In an effort to save every penny they can, most laptop manufacturers no longer include media. Some of them will gratiously allow you to buy the media from them at an extra cost.

Most simply put an "image" of the OS install CD / DVD, or an alreay installed image, in a hidden partition on the hard drive. If your "work" partition is corrupted you can often restore from it. But if the hard drive is damaged - or if you decide to re-format and install XP - that info is gone, baby gone.

I'd say check with the manufacturer or the retailer before you buy and make sure you can get a copy of the Vista media before you blow away the drive. While most of the people you talk to will be idiots, its most likely they will have heard the same questions plenty of times by now and they will be able to tell you want to do.

Alright, not sure how to do all that image stuff...but I'm pretty sure I'll get a vista CD with my laptop, it costs like 20 bucks extra. And I'm just assuming it will come with driver disks and whatnot...or at least information on what types of things I have in the comp.


Thanks everyone for all the comments. Hopefully all of this goes well this summer...I'll definitely keep all disks I get and then completely reformat and install xp. Getting necessary drivers from the internet.

Thanks again!


-Elliot

 

[wheelema]

So I'm going to get a laptop this summer for myself and such. And I want to be able to do my recording on it. I heard that vista absolutely blows, so I was thinking about this...

I would get the laptop, which would have vista installed right away, but I would reformat the instant I get it and install windows XP. I already have an XP CD available for me.

Would this be a good idea? Bad idea? Pros? Cons?

Comments are encouraged. Thanks!!

-Elliot

Laptop HDD are cheap and easily installed. Personally, I would just pop the HDD that came with the box out (keeping your Vista install intact), pop a new one in, and format that.

Seems every time I format a HDD with licensed software on it I get bit on the ass. YMMV.

 

[pacman9000]

Laptop HDD are cheap and easily installed. Personally, I would just pop the HDD that came with the box out (keeping your Vista install intact), pop a new one in, and format that.

Seems every time I format a HDD with licensed software on it I get bit on the ass. YMMV.

lol, what does that mean "bit on the ass"? are you saying that it ruins your hardrive or something?

 

[RWhite]

Alright, not sure how to do all that image stuff...but I'm pretty sure I'll get a vista CD with my laptop, it costs like 20 bucks extra. And I'm just assuming it will come with driver disks and whatnot...or at least information on what types of things I have in the comp.


Thanks everyone for all the comments. Hopefully all of this goes well this summer...I'll definitely keep all disks I get and then completely reformat and install xp. Getting necessary drivers from the internet.

Thanks again!


-Elliot

That will be $20 very well spent.

Getting the second drive to load XP on isn't a bad idea either, although it depends on what brand laptop it is. Some laptops I have worked on make it very easy to swap the drives (Dell Latitude C and D series), while others make it a huge pain (some Toshibas).