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Glazunov1
Glazunov1
Join Date 08/2010
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Your advice sought: 64-bit WinXP or Win7

September 3, 2012 7:43:50 PM from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

I do want to get a computer at some point in the next year (probably a year away) that has 64-bit capability.  That's not an issue.  The question for me is, what advantages does Win7 offer over WinXP that go beyond a few apps that I already own separately?  Can Win7 manage memory better than WinXP?  Can it handle more RAM than WinXP?  Can it do serious, deep things that WinXP can't?  Or is it largely a case of a few free programs, a prettier taskbar, and Windows Touch?

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Glazunov1
Neil Banfield
Join Date 04/2001
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Reply #1 September 3, 2012 7:50:53 PM
from Stardock ForumsStardock Forums

Win XP 64 bit should be avoided as you will find app support was poor even when it was current.

Go with 64 bit Win 7 or 8.

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Glazunov1
Daiwa
Join Date 07/2001
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Reply #2 September 3, 2012 8:42:47 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

I held out for a long time with XP (on the "Why fix what ain't broke?" theory) until forced to buy a new rig, with Win7 as the only option.

Go with Win7.  Don't look back.

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Glazunov1
Ryat
Join Date 06/2006
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Reply #3 September 3, 2012 8:47:03 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Win7. It is worth it. Besides WinXP is no longer supported by Microsoft so any issues that may come along (like more viruses) will be all on your own to fix.

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Glazunov1
Pupetier
Join Date 10/2009
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Reply #4 September 3, 2012 8:48:39 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

win 7

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Glazunov1
RedneckDude
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Reply #5 September 3, 2012 9:01:44 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Win 7 no doubt!

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Glazunov1
SpardaSon21
Join Date 04/2008
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Reply #6 September 3, 2012 9:11:07 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Win 7 definitely.

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Glazunov1
starkers
Join Date 05/2004
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Reply #7 September 3, 2012 9:14:27 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Win 7 no bout adoubt it.  XP is so yesteryear that even Moses refuses to use it.

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Glazunov1
Jafo
Join Date 03/2001
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Reply #8 September 3, 2012 9:15:08 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

The question for me is, what advantages does Win7 offer over WinXP that go beyond a few apps that I already own separately? Can Win7 manage memory better than WinXP? Can it handle more RAM than WinXP? Can it do serious, deep things that WinXP can't? Or is it largely a case of a few free programs, a prettier taskbar, and Windows Touch?

Win7 is the first MS OS that actually works....

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Glazunov1
BOTA99
Join Date 02/2008
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Reply #9 September 3, 2012 9:27:22 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Yeah, Win7 is really good. I understand misgivings updating from XP, but thier really is no downside to the upgrade. Win7 is the new XP

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Glazunov1
Daiwa
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Reply #10 September 3, 2012 11:19:01 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

Quoting Jafo,
reply 8
Win7 is the first MS OS that actually works....

Not just the first.  Quite possibly... the first and only.

Although XP kinda works.  But kinda's a long way from actually.

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Glazunov1
kona0197
Join Date 02/2003
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Reply #11 September 4, 2012 1:21:47 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Ryat,
reply 3
Besides WinXP is no longer supported by Microsoft so any issues that may come along

Not true. MS will still support XP until 2014. Do your homework.

I would say go for a Mac. If you can't then go with Windows 7 and stay away from the disaster called Windows 8.

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Glazunov1
psychoak
Join Date 07/2007
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Reply #12 September 4, 2012 1:46:39 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Windows is a lot like milk.

When it's past the use by date, Microsoft updates tend to leave a funky aftertaste.  Performance rapidly degrades as they hose the OS with each update.  Once they don't care, it goes downhill pretty fast.  You're stuck reinstalling every few months when they corrupt this or that file on a botched update and cripple performance.

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Glazunov1
Snowman
Join Date 03/2001
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Reply #13 September 4, 2012 2:04:03 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting kona0197,
reply 11

I would say go for a Mac.

Only insane and clinicaly braindead individuals makes such a choice.

Quoting Jafo,
reply 8

Win7 is the first MS OS that actually works....

For some, maybe. Definitely not for all.

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Glazunov1
Uvah
Join Date 05/2006
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Reply #14 September 4, 2012 6:22:13 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Go for Win 7 then leave 8 by the wayside and hope 9 is just as good.

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Glazunov1
Jafo
Join Date 03/2001
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Reply #15 September 4, 2012 6:47:26 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Snowman,
reply 13
For some, maybe. Definitely not for all.

For everyone except people whose name starts with 'Snow' and ends with 'man' ....

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Glazunov1
DaveBax
Join Date 10/2007
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Reply #16 September 4, 2012 7:09:50 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Win 7 however you say that you may not be doing this for a year. May not be easy finding a machine with win 7 on it a year from now as win 8 will be out soon.

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Glazunov1
benmanns
Join Date 12/2005
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Reply #17 September 4, 2012 8:20:23 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

win7 is worth it also if you buy it now and want to upgrade to windows 8 you only pay 15 USD

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Glazunov1
LightStar
Join Date 12/2002
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Reply #18 September 4, 2012 11:58:59 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Windows 7 accesses and manages a lot more memory in an efficient manner for sure.

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Glazunov1
Star Adder
Join Date 04/2006
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Reply #19 September 4, 2012 11:59:45 AM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Windows is a lot like milk.

Good idea for a new windows ad: Got windows?

 

As for the idea of getting Win8: *shivers*

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Glazunov1
ARESIV
Join Date 05/2011
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Reply #20 September 4, 2012 12:26:34 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting BOTA99,
reply 10
Yeah, Win7 is really good. I understand misgivings updating from XP, but thier really is no downside to the upgrade. Win7 is the new XP


Assuming you dont pirate it, there is ...... Win 7 costs money. And for what it does cost, there is little you get for that money, as most functionality that is actually better in 7 than in XP can be easily upgraded to XP free of charge. IDK what Win 7 cost ATM, but I doubt it is cheap enough to justify its price tag.



Quoting LightStar,
reply 19
Windows 7 accesses and manages a lot more memory in an efficient manner for sure.



True - for the 64 Bit version.


As you need 64 Bit support for what you are doing, there is however NO point at all in getting Win XP 64 Bit. As it has been mentioned before, XP64 has suffered from poor support from the beginning....


If you need 64 Bit now... go for Win7 64


Considering how terrible Win 8 is (I played arround with the preview version) buying a - not locked to the machine version - of Windows 7 now might actually not be a bad idea...

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Glazunov1
Glazunov1
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Reply #21 September 5, 2012 3:36:27 PM
from Elemental ForumsElemental Forums

Thanks for all the responses.  I have a quick followup question:

 

Does Win7 manage memory better intrinsically than WinXP, and if so, how?

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Glazunov1
Rosco_P
Join Date 07/2009
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Reply #22 September 5, 2012 4:10:29 PM
from GUIChamps ForumsGUIChamps Forums

Quoting kona0197,
reply 12
Not true. MS will still support XP until 2014.

Not the 64-bit version.  That was swept under the carpet a while ago.  Didn't even get SP3...

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Glazunov1
Daiwa
Join Date 07/2001
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Reply #23 September 5, 2012 4:43:58 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

XP is limited to accessing 4MB of RAM max.  Win7 64-bit can access 8MB in Starter & Home Basic, 16MB in Home Premium, and up to 192MB for Pro & up.  Whether it's 'better managed' or not, I can't say.

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Glazunov1
Wizard1956
Join Date 01/2008
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Reply #24 September 5, 2012 5:02:03 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Daiwa,
reply 23
XP is limited to accessing 4MB of RAM max

Well, that explains why my laptop is so slow.

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Glazunov1
ARESIV
Join Date 05/2011
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Reply #25 September 5, 2012 5:19:57 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting Glazunov1,
reply 22
Thanks for all the responses.  I have a quick followup question:

 

Does Win7 manage memory better intrinsically than WinXP, and if so, how?

 

The memory management of an operating system is a very complex matter.

 

An awesome article about Memory in general and windows memory management can be found here:

 

Pushing the Limits of Windows by Mark Russinovich

 

In general, since Win Vista and Win 7 system core is built on the foundation of Windows XPs system core, changes are good they tried to improve it.

If those improvements have been made,  are they noticably to the end user? I personally doubt it, but that an opinion.

 

For your personal situation Win 7 64 is the choice to go.

 

For a discussion about the deeps of operating system memory management, there are probably better forums out there though^^.

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