Should I upgrade my XP to 7?

[HappinessNow]

Simple, honest question: Should I upgrade my XP to 7? or keep XP?

[Bucky Ball]

Simple, honest answer: Why are you asking on a Linux forum?

[HappinessNow]

Simple, honest answer: Why are you asking on a Linux forum?
Simple, honest answer: because as a Linux user I trust the advice of fellow Linux users over those who do Not use Linux. Even in matters concerning other Operating Sytems ie: Windows, Apple, BSD, etc. etc. :P

...I suspect you already knew this. ;)

[tom66]

What hardware are you using? Will Win7 run on it?
Are there new drivers for it?
Will you use the new features?
Will you still be using XP Home during 2009, when mainstream support ends? (no more security updates)
Will you still be using XP Pro during 2014, when extended support ends? (no more security updates)
Are there updates to your older incompatible programs?

These questions you should ask yourself.

[HappinessNow]

What hardware are you using? Will Win7 run on it?
Are there new drivers for it?
Will you use the new features?
Will you still be using XP during 2014, when extended support ends? (no more security updates)
Are there updates to your older incompatible programs?

These questions you should ask yourself.These are all very good questions overall.

2014 is about 5 years away even under planned or perceived obsolesce I hope to stretch my hardware out enough to keep my XP systems running beyond that, what new features is Windows 7 supposed to have? I honestly have not kept up with it.

[Bucky Ball]

Simple, honest answer: because as a Linux user I trust the advice of fellow Linux users over those who do Not use Linux. Even in matters concerning other Operating Sytems ie: Windows, Apple, BSD, etc. etc. :P

...I suspect you already knew this. ;)

Point taken. :)

[binbash]

I have upgraded my friend's xp to 7, it was like a new install after deleting windows.old directory. But i would trim windows 7 before installing it unless you have a high tech box.

[automaton26]

I would keep XP - it already works on your machine, so why risk it?

Microsoft always advertise their latest OS as easier, faster & more fun (see Windows95 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7LATE3b8Ts&feature=related) advert), but in reality it might have changed things that you already like, or run slower on older hardware. Also, most importantly, you won't have to spend any more money !

As long as security updates continue until 2014, there's some reassurance there. There's an old saying : "If it ain't broke, don't fix I.T."

[racerraul]

I wouldn't fix what isn't broke.

[thisllub]

My recollection of the early days of XP was a virus ridden disaster that didn't work very well with hardware and broke nearly every application you owned.

My experience with the W7 beta was very different.
Depending on how much you are likely to use it, it might be worth the money.

[Grenage]

Unless you have software that needs Win7, no.

[HappinessNow]

I would keep XP - it already works on your machine, so why risk it?

Microsoft always advertise their latest OS as easier, faster & more fun (see Windows95 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7LATE3b8Ts&feature=related) advert), but in reality it might have changed things that you already like, or run slower on older hardware. Also, most importantly, you won't have to spend any more money !

As long as security updates continue until 2014, there's some reassurance there. There's an old saying : "If it ain't broke, don't fix I.T."

I wouldn't fix what isn't broke.

Both good points.

My recollection of the early days of XP was a virus ridden disaster that didn't work very well with hardware and broke nearly every application you owned.

My experience with the W7 beta was very different.
Depending on how much you are likely to use it, it might be worth the money.

I have upgraded my friend's xp to 7, it was like a new install after deleting windows.old directory. But i would trim windows 7 before installing it unless you have a high tech box.

Both good counter points.

[ctrlmd]

if you have a good hardware then Certainly go for win 7

[HappinessNow]

Unless you have software that needs Win7, no.

Not aware of any software that needs 7.

if you have a good hardware then Certainly go for win 7

I have very, very good hardware and seriously doubt I would need to upgrade anything.

[racerraul]

My recollection of the early days of XP was a virus ridden disaster that didn't work very well with hardware and broke nearly every application you owned.


XP is far more mature now, with many of its early day security holes patched if kept up to date...

Regardless of that, it still needs 3rd party apps for further protection, which may or may NOT work with Windows 7.

[HappinessNow]

XP is far more mature now, with many of its early day security holes patched if kept up to date... +1 I have found this to be true and have zero problems with XP


Regardless of that, it still needs 3rd party apps for further protection, which may or may NOT work with Windows 7.

Both computers I have XP on have free (as in included) further protection; one from the cable company, and one from the University.

[ctrlmd]

Not aware of any software that needs 7.



I have very, very good hardware and seriously doubt I would need to upgrade anything.
i guess you are one of those people who don't like to change that much

to me i wouldn't go back to xp i escaped vista cause i found its nothing but garbage
win 7 have different view


enjoy your xp :D

[Giant Speck]

I'd say yes, but I'd also advise you to wait a while before upgrading. That way, if there are bugs in the operating system once it gets in the hands of the public, they'll be fixed (or at least addressed) before you upgrade. That's what I do for service packs.

[HappinessNow]

i guess you are one of those people who don't like to change that much

to me i wouldn't go back to xp i escaped vista cause i found its nothing but garbage
win 7 have different view


enjoy your xp :DI might be willing to venture into 7 (but I honestly never even took a serious look or try of Vista)

I'd say yes, but I'd also advise you to wait a while before upgrading. That way, if there are bugs in the operating system once it gets in the hands of the public, they'll be fixed (or at least addressed) before you upgrade. That's what I do for service packs.

Giant Speck I think this would be most reasonable and prudent and very good advise overall.

If XP has support until 2014 then I can run it as close as possible to that time and then upgrade to 7 in 2013 or 2014 by then they should a few bugs ironed out of it.

[schauerlich]

I'm reminded of the band OK GO.

D-D-D-DO WHAT YOU WANT! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUE-4FbM_XI)

(C'mon c'mon, what could go wrong? Do what you want!)

[HappinessNow]

I'm reminded of the band OK GO.

D-D-D-DO WHAT YOU WANT! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUE-4FbM_XI)

(C'mon c'mon, what could go wrong? Do what you want!)Yet, still I am cautiously optimistic.

I honestly think that XP may be the best that Windows can do and I fear change (at least when it comes to Operating Systems by Windows). The Vista fiasco makes me wonder if there even will be a future for Windows (at least on my desktop/laptop)?

It more reminds me of the song by The Clash ~ "Should I stay or Should I go":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqH21LEmfbQ

Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
An if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me knowhttp://www.lyricsfreak.com/c/clash/should+i+stay+or+should+i+go_20031789.html

[automaton26]

The Clash ~ "Should I stay or Should I go"

Exactly. :)

But if you were to upgrade, at least you'd have the benefit of hindsight - if it went OK it was the "right" decision, and if it went badly it was the "wrong" decision.

Good luck !

[HappinessNow]

Exactly. :)

But if you were to upgrade, at least you'd have the benefit of hindsight - if it went OK it was the "right" decision, and if it went badly it was the "wrong" decision.

Good luck !
Thanks and your wise thoughts and input is very much appreciated.

[scratman]

Well, personally, I'd be very hesitant to return to Windows. XP was OK, but not great, Vista was an abomination IMHO. That said, plenty of people that I know disagree. A few friends and acquaintances have been testing Windows 7. Most of them have upgraded directly from Vista, and a few have moved over from XP. Frankly, every single one of them has been impressed by 7, which I have found surprising. I've not heard this many people say really good things about Microsoft in the best part of a decade, if not longer.

The points raised by other people are relevant and worthy of consideration, but anecdotally Windows 7 is actually pretty damn good.

[GoldenSun]

Win xp was great when it came out. It is Microsofts fastest os still. When compared in benchmarks, xp still beats win7. This may change with a service pack or two.

Win7 uses the same kernal as vista, just has less stuff.

[RabbitWho]

My favorite windows was 98. I didn't like the fact that you couldn't search for things efficiently on XP.

I'd stick with XP on an old computer, (if I wasn't replacing it with linux) but that's me.

[khelben1979]

I'd stick with XP on an old computer, (if I wasn't replacing it with linux) but that's me.

Agreed. Are Windows 7 really a better alternative than XP on modern hardware?

[gn2]

Windows 7 will cost you money but will provide absolutely no additional functionality whatsoever over Xp, depending what peripherals you own, it could provide less.

If you already have Xp there is no reason to purchase another MS OS until April 2014 when security update support expires.

[schauerlich]

Windows 7 will cost you money but will provide absolutely no additional functionality whatsoever over Xp, depending what peripherals you own, it could provide less.

[citation needed]

[gn2]

[citation needed]

Maybe have a look here (www.google.com) and see if you can find some task that can be done with W7 but not Xp.

[konqueror7]

i think no. i think windows7 is a little bit overhyped because its better than vista. let it mature and especially let the price go down atleast.

your xp is running fine, you have a linux box (which you probably loggged in more than your windows. i assume =)), so why upgrade to something you wouldn't use fulltime for a high price? just stop, look and listen, then make your decision. its not always good to be first...=)

[schauerlich]

Maybe have a look here (www.google.com) and see if you can find some task that can be done with W7 but not Xp.

"Here's a link to google" isn't providing a source for an absolutist statement. It's passing the burden of proof to the other person.

[omar8]

I say you should definitely if you have a computer built within the last 3-4 years as drivers will be available and the hardware should run it well, if your computer is older, first check to see if you can get all the drivers and also give a quick search to check whether your hardware can run it well.

My computer is fairly modern and Windows 7 runs amazingly, Opera, Chrome, WMP 12 etc all run instantly (less than 1 second cold boot and then instantly after that), with XP I don't have programs opening that fast. In actual benchmarks W7 might be slower but in actual use W7 feels much faster than Vista and slightly faster than XP and even Ubuntu when running programs (Ubuntu boot is about 5-10 seconds faster).

I tried out a few games when W7 RC came out and XP does infact give 1-2 FPS more than W7.

[defacto]

Before you do an upgrade, take a look at this ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPIgEFIv5MI ) video :p

[gn2]

"Here's a link to google" isn't providing a source for an absolutist statement. It's passing the burden of proof to the other person.

It is you who challenges my assertion, therefore it falls to you to find evidence to disprove it.
If you think I'm going to spend time doing your research for you, think again. :)

[LowSky]

Windowws 7 works really well. Its my primary Os at the moment..

I will even bet I will be buying a few copies of 7 once its out.

I'm thinking of my Desktop and HTPC, my Dad's PC and my netbook should Linux not fullfil my needs. 4 copies are going to cost me... LOL

flame suit on :twisted:

[Tristam Green]

I'd say yes, but I'd also advise you to wait a while before upgrading. That way, if there are bugs in the operating system once it gets in the hands of the public, they'll be fixed (or at least addressed) before you upgrade. That's what I do for service packs.

So far, the only bug I've encountered is random crashing of programs that are minimized to the system tray, but only after coming out of Hibernation.

Otherwise, it's been rock-solid for me (Windows 7 Professional).

[Tipped OuT]

These are all very good questions overall.

2014 is about 5 years away even under planned or perceived obsolesce I hope to stretch my hardware out enough to keep my XP systems running beyond that, what new features is Windows 7 supposed to have? I honestly have not kept up with it.

Windows Live Thumbnail Previews, Windows Peek, Windows Shake, Windows Aero, Windows Dream Scene, Super Bar, Gadgets, etc. etc.

Some useful, some just for the "WOW".

[Paqman]

Depends what you use it for. If it's your main system, then i'd say probably yes. But if you just use it to run the occasional Windows app, i'd say don't waste your money. XP might be getting pretty old and clunky, but if it's just access to the Windows environment you need, then it's good enough.

Personally there are only two things that make me shift from XP to 7: migrating from HD to SSD, or the end of XP support. I use it as a gaming platform, so appreciate its light weight.

I've got the Win7 RC in a VM, but don't really find it that impressive. It's just a tweaked Vista. I've seen more changes in a 6-monthly Ubuntu release.

[schauerlich]

It is you who challenges my assertion, therefore it falls to you to find evidence to disprove it.
If you think I'm going to spend time doing your research for you, think again. :)

Prima: This is true!
Secunda: O rly?
Prima: Prove me wrong!


I don't think that's how it works...

[-grubby]

I haven't read any of the other posts in this thread, but I have to say, Windows 7 would be a good upgrade. It only takes a little bit more resources than XP too, and you can probably have it running just as well on older systems if you don't use Aero

[gn2]

Prima: This is true!
Secunda: O rly?
Prima: Prove me wrong!


I don't think that's how it works...

Can't see any reason why it shouldn't work, seems perfectly feasible to me, this is only a chat forum after all.
I notice you haven't come up with anything to disprove my statement yet.......?

[schauerlich]

Can't see any reason why it shouldn't work, seems perfectly feasible to me, this is only a chat forum after all.
I notice you haven't come up with anything to disprove my statement yet.......?

The generally accepted approach is something like this:

Prima: This is true!
Secunda: O rly?
Prima: Yes! Look at this! It means it's true!
Secunda: PARTY TAJM

[gn2]

Nonsense, here's how it should be:

Prima: this is true
Secunda: o rly
Prima: yeah, rly

Still nothing from you to disprove my statement :)

[schauerlich]

Nonsense, here's how it should be:

Prima: this is true
Secunda: o rly
Prima: yeah, rly

Still nothing from you to disprove my statement, so as we say in these here parts when debating, get it right up ye! :)

Everything you've said is false.

Prove me wrong.



You are really a potato, you've just convinced yourself you're human.

Prove me wrong.


Reality isn't real.

Prove me wrong.



See why that doesn't work?

[gn2]

Everything you've said is false.

Prove me wrong.



You are really a potato, you've just convinced yourself you're human.

Prove me wrong.


Reality isn't real.

Prove me wrong.



See why that doesn't work?

No.

[HappinessNow]

I haven't read any of the other posts in this thread, but I have to say, Windows 7 would be a good upgrade. It only takes a little bit more resources than XP too, and you can probably have it running just as well on older systems if you don't use AeroWhat is 'Aero'?

[schauerlich]

What is 'Aero'?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Aero

[HappinessNow]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_AeroAero actually looks very nice, I may want to use it.

Is it really that bad?

Also, perhaps the bugs in it will be ironed out by 2014? but by then we will have Windows 8 or 9 or 10 or French-Horn!

[-grubby]

Aero actually looks very nice, I may want to use it.

Is it really that bad?

Also, perhaps the bugs in it will be ironed out by 2014? but by then we will have Windows 8 or 9 or 10 or French-Horn!

Aero may have been buggy or slow when Vista came out, but when I ran it, it performed almost acceptably on the GeForce 6100 I tested. (The only problem was that moving windows around felt kind of slow.)

[koleoptero]

Windowws 7 works really well. Its my primary Os at the moment..

I will even bet I will be buying a few copies of 7 once its out.

I'm thinking of my Desktop and HTPC, my Dad's PC and my netbook should Linux not fullfil my needs. 4 copies are going to cost me... LOL

flame suit on :twisted:

You can remove that flame suit now.

[Slug71]

Short answer, No. XP is supported untill 2014 and Windows 8 will be out in 2012. Save your money.

[HappinessNow]

Short answer, No. XP is supported untill 2014 and Windows 8 will be out in 2012. Save your money.
Good Point.