Best Version of Windows Poll

[Roadbloc]

I know this isn't directly anything to do with Ubuntu, just wondering, as Ubuntu users, which version of windows you think is best. I personally am rather keen on 98SE. What's your view?

[skymera]

95 - ugly
98 - ugly
ME - slow
2000 - pfff don't remember it
XP - slow, ugly and old
Vista - lol
7 - Vista

[Linux_Kid66]

I like vista, it ran fast, but not as fast as ubuntu =-), i think 2000 was okay, but lets be honest, i'd rather stick my head in dog crap.
The others (besides 98, were also generally rubbish.

[theozzlives]

Windows 3.1 with The RAMBar Shell instead of Program Manager, and DOS 6.21.

[Linux_Kid66]

Windows 3.1 with The RAMBar Shell instead of Program Manager, and DOS 6.21.

Yeah you could do that, but most other OS's out of the box are fine, 3.1 is okay, but the GUI wasn't G enough for me, even with RAMBar, the "updated look" is outdated now.

[Roadbloc]

2000 - pfff don't remember it


Lol. Windows 2000 is just like xp but without rubbish like the tellitubbies style GUI, shocking startbar redesign and "security centre" that just sits in your tray insisting that you dont have an antivirus.

[Linux_Kid66]

Lol. Windows 2000 is just like xp but without rubbish like the tellitubbies style GUI, shocking startbar redesign and "security centre" that just sits in your tray insisting that you dont have an antivirus.
Id rather it insists i dont have an antivirus than it insisting i restart now because of some non existant updates to my computer which if not restarted could mess it up (*cough*XP*cough*).
:guitar:<--2000 :confused:<--XP

[Jimmyfj]

I'd say 3.1 - Win7 being THE most exspecive service pack for V$sta.

[theozzlives]

XP was my last Windows EVER! With some tweaking it can be made palatable. Never been a Windows fan, I liked DOS with Directory Magic.

[jaithehulk]

XP ran on my PC wid no problems for 2 years!!!..after tat i stumbled upon Linux and nvr looked bak...

[etali]

I still have a Windows 2000 box that I installed in 2001, and have had running 24/7 365 since then. It's only been switched off to do minor upgrades, because of a power cut, or because I was moving house.

I hated 95/the 98s / ME. I had a fair bit of trouble with XP.

My work machine runs Vista - for me, it's not actually as slow / buggy as many other people have complained.

I tried Windows 7 in a VM and it seemed even more annoying UAC wise than Vista is. That could just be the version of the beta I tried though.

I use Xubuntu at home (I installed it on an old machine and prefer the interface to the other flavours).

[tracerbullet]

http://xkcd.com/528/

[khelben1979]

I voted: Windows XP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_xp). Although it's a slow operating system, it works.

[scottuss]

Windows 95 FTW! :guitar:

It was a breath of fresh air back in the day. Then look what happened! haha.

[Paqman]

"Best" is pretty subjective. Personally I use XP, but that's because I only use it for games, so I want something light. If I was using it as my main OS i'd probably go for Vista or 7. XP's security situation is pretty dire.

[LequidMetal]

XP , still using it (along with Ubuntu ofcourse :P )

vista was a headache , but from what i hear windows 7 is shaping up to be a pretty good os .
but the prescribed anti-viruses/spywares and firewalls do make sure that no windows OSes however fast, can ever rival any of the Linux distros w.r.t performance

[baracuda68]

MS BoB

LOL :)

[Paqman]

vista was a headache , but from what i hear windows 7 is shaping up to be a pretty good os


If you didn't like Vista, you won't like 7. They're very similar.

[Niniel]

I think OS/2 was the prettier NT. :)

[remco_t]

Voted Win7, even the RC appears to be working smoother than Vista. Installed it on my laptop (Dell Inspiron 1501) and it runs even faster than the original XP, and is still better looking.

Must admit I'm still primarily a Win user. Only use Ubuntu for my lil' home server for giggles.

[Mortus Pryde]

I voted for Windows 2000 as it is the fastest, most stable NTFS desktop OS so far in full release. Its not a cruffed? up as XP though I admit other than the "New" control pannel layout that makes no sense at all to me it is more user friendly the "End Users". I have used XP for years with little to no issue, except for that bad run in with Blaster in the Windows Updates! LOL Vista I have not and will not ever use, it just triples the length of the job when I have to reintall it for a customer, and there is no way to be found on google to recover e-mails from the hard drive of a non-functional machine using Windows Mail. I hear good things about 7, but I would much rather used Ubuntu and see more of my common restricted apps available for it.

[Brian_the_King]

I have been a Windows person since MSDOS/Windows 95, and voted XP because it seems to have given me the least trouble of any operating system. And maybe this wasn't true when XP was first released, but based on hardware that came out soon after its release it is stable and quick.

It was also a nice [read: necessary] breath of fresh air for anyone who owned Windows ME, which I see as the worst OS on the list.

I am liking Ubuntu more and more as I use it though.. too bad I need Vista on my laptop for more than just one or two proprietary programs.

[samjh]

I'm testing Windows 7 RC, and have been impressed by it so far.

Aside from Win7, I'd say Windows XP Professional was the best.

[NCLI]

Win7 RC is pretty awesome, so that gets my vote. I love the new taskbar, ripped from OSX, but a good addition nontheless.

[dragos240]

Windows 98, absolutely stunning and it only costs about 64 ram, thats better than most of our desktop environments.

[Marlonsm]

I voted to XP, but 7 looks good too, although we'll need to wait to see if it will really be as good as XP.


XP ran on my PC wid no problems for 2 years!!!..after tat i stumbled upon Linux and nvr looked bak...

Same here.

[Simian Man]

Vista and Windows 7 are practically the same. The major reason for Vista's poor reception was the fact that they actually changed things (unlike 7 and previous versions, for the most part). So some things didn't go so smoothly. That and Microsoft invested quite a lot in PR since Vista. I have little problems with any versions of Windows (though prefer Linux). But people who say Vista sucks and 7 is so much better are pretty much just repeating crap they haven't bothered to think about.

[thisllub]

Windows 98, absolutely stunning and it only costs about 64 ram, thats better than most of our desktop environments.

98 all the way.

I used to be able to mix about 20 audio tracks with soft synths in 512 kb of ram.

The driver model was simple and everything worked.

XP was no better for security and a whole lot worse for speed.
Since then things just seem to be getting worse.

[-grubby]

Windows 7

[dragos240]

+1 I would load 98 onto a crapbox comp anyday.

[monsterstack]

Can you believe it? All three Vista fans post on the ubuntuforums. I mean, what are the odds?

[dragos240]

3/79

[monsterstack]

3/79

3/whoosh

[Bölvaður]

They all sucked big time. Xp sucked the least, but I still had memory problems which translated into blue screen few times, but yes... that is an improvement over the others... ME comes close with constant blue screen.

XP was and still is unusable because it doesn't allow people to overwrite audio config to allow sterio headphones.... it is forced on 5.1 because of drivers... so either I cannot hear where the enemy is comming from and do not hear half of the sounds, or I have no sound at all..... great 1.
It still the best one even thugh it is unusable for me.

Dunno about vista or 7 (common it is same kernel so it should be called Vista7)

[I-75]

1. XP Pro
2. Windows 2000
3. Windows 98 SE

XP pro has been the business defacto standard for many years now. I been using it since it was released. Windows 2000 is highly underrated , it has low ram requirements and yet it can still run some modern appliccations and best yet...has no WGA. Windows 98 SE a distant third.

Windows 7 didn't make the list because it has not been officially released yet. Vista? lets not go there,,,, lol :P

[danbuter]

Vista. Haven't tried 7 yet. Vista was pretty bad when it first came out, but with new hardware and the SP, it works great. And it's a heck of a lot more secure than XP out of the box.

[Corelogik]

Windows 2000. It was XP without the crayons.

[Roasted]

Windows 2000 SP4 was solid as a rock and very stable. We still use it in a few of the labs at work.

Windows XP SP3 is solid as well, and it's what we're migrating the remaining Windows 2000 SP4 machines to now.

Windows Vista runs good on my computer, but gives me enough issues here and there that I'm glad we're not deploying Vista to be mainstream. I can't imaging having to manage a "Vista" network.

Windows 7 - Haven't used it much, but let's hope the rumors are true. Otherwise we'll happily stick with XP forever.

[LookTJ]

I would have to say Windows 7 RC over XP Pro.

[lvleph]

Personally, I didn't like Windows from the get-go and stayed on dos until all my games required Windows.

[mobilediesel]

Windows XP Pro. I was going to dual-boot Ubuntu and XP. Internet Explorer crashed a final time so I wiped the disk and made it Ubuntu-only.

[lethalfang]

My favorite Windows was Windows 2003 Server, configured to run like a workstation. It was quite a bit faster and more stable than XP.
2003 Server was the last Windows partition that I've wiped out. I would've dual-booted with it. The reason I got rid of it is that I could not find a driver for my dated video card to display properly on a wide screen monitor.

[gnomeuser]

I remember a friend of mine brought home a beta of Windows 95 from a trip to the US. Boy was that a major step ahead from what we knew.

Regardless I have been playing with Windows 7 quite a bit and I think they can be very proud of that release. It is very solid and provides some nice little additions. Even me who hasn't used Windows in over a decade find enjoying the Win7 experience.

I am very impressed.

[scottuss]

Windows 2000 SP4 was solid as a rock and very stable. We still use it in a few of the labs at work.

Windows XP SP3 is solid as well, and it's what we're migrating the remaining Windows 2000 SP4 machines to now.

Windows Vista runs good on my computer, but gives me enough issues here and there that I'm glad we're not deploying Vista to be mainstream. I can't imaging having to manage a "Vista" network.

Windows 7 - Haven't used it much, but let's hope the rumors are true. Otherwise we'll happily stick with XP forever.

What rumours? That it's just Vista with some bells and whistles? Yup, that's true alright. You heard it here first ;)

[Roadbloc]

Aside from Win7, I'd say Windows XP Professional was the best.

since xp sp3 thee isnt really much o a difference between home abd professional

[BuffaloX]

Windows 3.1 with The RAMBar Shell instead of Program Manager, and DOS 6.21.

Yeah DOS 6.21 the one they had to release because 6.2 was illegal. :---)

The best Windows is a dead Windows, the most dead Windows is 3.11, so I voted for that.

[doorknob60]

Win7. More stable and quick than any other version of Windows on my box. Anything less than 1-2 GB of RAM I'd still go with XP though.

[Roadbloc]

Yeah DOS 6.21 the one they had to release because 6.2 was illegal. :---)


What is wrong with dos 6.3 and why is dos 6.2 illegal?

[bashveank]

2000 was great, I think 7 might surpass it though.

[Deamos]

I don't want to vote for it, but Vista IMHO was the most secure version for public consumption. Over the years from 2001-2008, I saw more malware than ever infesting XP systems. I did see some on Vista as well, but nowhere near the numbers of XP.

In the ending though, I would rather be on a UNIX based system :)

[Giant Speck]

If we're talking about currently available stable releases, I would say Windows Vista. If we're talking overall, I would say Windows 7. It's faster than Windows Vista, uses less RAM than Windows Vista and has a much more polished interface than Windows 7. Hell, I hate to admit it, but IE8 is starting to grow on me. Google Chrome is still my primary browser, but IE8 is pretty nice.

[Orlsend]

This is madness some people voted for Windows Me!

[SunnyRabbiera]

Win2K was my favorite version, barely a bluescren or error!

[greatgreatnathan]

vista... vista... vista... I miss those bluescreen shutdowns and not responding problems.. but at least it didnt trouble me wit viruses... thanks to defender..!! though it took 1.2gb of my ram..:D

[MellonCollie]

Out of the versions I've used, I'd rank them...

1) 7
2) Vista
3) XP
4) 98se

[cmat]

Window 98SE was the best. If it was still supported I'd still be using it. That thing was quick on new PCs.

[BuffaloX]

What is wrong with dos 6.3 and why is dos 6.2 illegal?

MS-DOS 6.2 was illegal because Microsoft Doublespace copied what Stac were doing too closely, Microsoft had to pay damages to Stac and pull MS-DOS 6.2.
This forced Microsoft to release MS-DOS 6.21 which was MS-DOS 6.2 with some features removed, so actually a downgrade.
Later Microsoft release MS-DOS 6.22 with the features reimplemented, but renamed to Drivespace instead of Doublespace.

I know nothing about MS-DOS 6.3, since 6.22 was the last MS-DOS I used.

[Roadbloc]

This is madness some people voted for Windows Me!

I know! it is madness. I nicknamed it windows Mistake Edition when i had it.

[Sand & Mercury]

Ok, let's see.

Windows 3.1 - I never used this extensively but it seemed fine for its time. There was not much to it that couldn't be done just as easily in DOS, though

Windows NT - Never used it.

Windows 95 - I grew up on this OS (I was about 5 or so when we bought our first PC, and it had 95 on it) and I like the idea of tinkering with it in VirtualBox just for nostalgia. Many fond memories of Paint, Hover!, messed up drivers leading to screwed up sound, multe de blue screen of death, and hundreds spent at the repair shop.

Windows 98/98SE - 98SE is easily the best of the 9x series of Windows. I actually had to spend a month at my gf's cousin's joint and she still was running this beast. I was actually surprised at just how well it's stood the test of time.

Windows NT 4.0 - Not much to say. Felt like Win 95, but was a bit faster and hardware config was even more of a nightmare.

Windows 2000 - like NT but it worked.

Windows ME - Let's just forget it ever happened.

Windows XP - I can dig it. XP is the workhorse, and it still does its thing pretty well to this day, though it's showing seams for sure. Running in admin mode by default is unacceptable behavior though in this day and age, but as long as you invest some love in working out the kinks in its default behavior, and as long as you're not an idiot, it serves you very well.

Windows Vista - RTM was a disaster. It's alright these days though after SP2, no matter what people say. Its most defective component as of now is its reputation.

Windows 7 - Best Windows release thus far, bar none. I was tempted to even switch to it from Linux, but it lost me when I found I just couldn't achieve the same workflow. Gets my vote.

[Roadbloc]

I dont get it? Am i missing something becuase it appears windows 7 is becoming a bit of a dark horse. Is it really that good?

[Linux_Kid66]

I dont get it? Am i missing something becuase it appears windows 7 is becoming a bit of a dark horse. Is it really that good?
It is the OS vista should have been (even though it's only a beta) you should try it, it's like ecstacy when your drunk on love and high on heroine while stoned on weed watching heroes or smallville(sexy chicks.)
Vista however, was fail.
Ubuntu is win though IMO.

[sharks]

Where is the option " None" ? Any version of window$ $uck$

[Linux_Kid66]

Where is the option " None" ? Any version of window$ $uck$
And you sir, fail.
It isn't asking if it's good, just which is best, and XP and 7 were/are actually good OS's but not a patch on Ubuntu.

[Giant Speck]

I dont get it? Am i missing something becuase it appears windows 7 is becoming a bit of a dark horse. Is it really that good?

It greatly depends on who you ask. There seems to be five prevailing type of people in this thread:

1) They think Windows 7 is the best release ever.
2) They already liked Windows Vista and didn't find many differences in Windows 7.
3) They already hated Windows Vista and didn't find many differences in Windows 7.
4) They already hated Windows in general, and didn't try it.
5) They already hated Microsoft in general, and refused to try it.

There seem to be more people in the first and fifth categories than anything else.

[Linux_Kid66]

It greatly depends on who you ask. There seems to be five prevailing type of people in this thread:

1) They think Windows 7 is the best release ever.
2) They already liked Windows Vista and didn't find many differences in Windows 7.
3) They already hated Windows Vista and didn't find many differences in Windows 7.
4) They already hated Windows in general, and didn't try it.
5) They already hated Microsoft in general, and refused to try it.

There seem to be more people in the first and fifth categories than anything else.
Agreed, windows can be good sometimes, but fanboys annoy me, i hated Vista but 7 is so much different, i always try to try all the OS's incase one i like is released, luckily i have a windows fanboy friend who has all windows releases so i can try before i buy.

[Roadbloc]

There seem to be more people in the first and fifth categories than anything else.

Yeah. I think im in the 5th catagory. haha.
Im personally fine with ubuntu.

[Linux_Kid66]

Yeah. I think im in the a gay 5th catagory. haha.
Im personally fine with ubuntu.
I'm fine with it but have an open mind and am willing to try them.

[LequidMetal]

If you didn't like Vista, you won't like 7. They're very similar.

I know they use the same kernel ...... But i hear its way more improved ........ like better UAC , better resource management , faster boot times etc ..... these are the things i have been hearing from the testers and if xp virtualisation really does work as it should then it would def be a great come back for M$

[maflynn]

I think XP was probably the most well rounded and stable OS of the lot. Windows 3 and 3.1 was the breakthrough hit that made Microsoft what they were. Prior to windows, people were talking about how Lotus (remember them) was acting like a monopoly. After windows, people starting focusing on how badly MS was Lotus faded into the sunset

While I've been a Mac user for a very long time, one of my first computers was an IBM XT running dos. I've also worked at computer stores when MS was releasing windows 3 and 3.1. It was quite a commotion back then.

Vista is a joke, they over promised, under delivered and produced an OS that runs worse then XP. I've played with the beta of win7 and found it an improvement to vista (but not quite as good as xp) but at this stage I could care less. I'm using Ubuntu and I have no desire to give MS any more money nor do I care to load the POS operating system on my computer. Ubuntu does more then windows, faster and with less resources. I don't have to worry about it phoning home and suddenly thinking I'm a thief and lock me out.

[forrestcupp]

Everyone loves XP, but in my opinion, it's an old, ugly, corroded piece of crap.

I tried Windows 7 RC, and I loved the UI changes. But it regularly locked up on my requiring hard resets. That's a deal breaker, and they're too close to the final release for it to be like that.

Everyone hates Vista, but in my opinion, it's UI is light years beyond XP, and with SP1, it's very stable and quick on a modern machine.

For me, despite people's prejudices, Vista wins.

[chucky chuckaluck]

98 and ME are the only ones i've used extensively (preferring ME). i've never liked xp. vista looks great and it's the first windows to do so. i've only used it on my neighbor's work computer and she had gotten enough machine to run it. i liked it (vista business). i'd like to try 7, but i'll probably not get around to it until my neighbors get new laptops and screw them up.

[terabyte1]

I voted 3.1 cos I do most of my stuff on the command line like 3.1 was once I use graphics a bit - and I sometimes switch to the desktop Enlightenment or E16 cos its pretty minimalist and gives me more power and speed... Power is everything - now where's that Tyneside Lug handle...?

[Mehall]

Loving Win7 right now, it's a great OS thus far, but we'll see what the Windows slow down is on it.

XP is great, except that it bloats out at the 6month mark, and needs a reinstall.

I voted 98SE, because it is by far one of the best OSes I have ever used.

These days there are barely any viruses for it either, so a simple AV and sensible browsing keeps you safe as anything.

[Ozor Mox]

I've always thought Windows 2000 was the best version of Windows. I found it to be rock solid and light. Windows XP would probably come second. Windows 95 and 98 were horrible, unstable garbage. I also find Windows Vista to be a big load. Not tried Windows 7 yet, but I'm a little curious I have to say.

[forrestcupp]

I voted 98SE, because it is by far one of the best OSes I have ever used.

These days there are barely any viruses for it either, so a simple AV and sensible browsing keeps you safe as anything.

As long as you don't mind being stuck in 800x600 mode and not having any drivers for newer hardware. :)

[lisati]

I've had 98SE, XP and Virus Vista on my machines, no major arguments with any of them. I once had a look at 3.1 but it was "too different".

As I type, I dual-boot 32-bit Vista Home Premium with 64-bit Jaunty on one of my laptops. The main reason I keep it round is for some video-editing software that I paid good money for and that I haven't managed/bothered to get working with Wine.

EDIT: I also have 98SE on an older machine that I don't use much. Still haven't decided what to do with that machine yet.

[Roadbloc]

I voted 98SE, because it is by far one of the best OSes I have ever used.


Agreed.

[jarrah-95]

i say 3.x as its the only one that fixed bugs so far not made tones of new ones
but i dont know about 7 yet

[Sand & Mercury]

I'm using Vista SP2 and actually liking it a lot. I'll be happy to switch to Windows 7 when it comes out, but the community takes a while catching up to it in terms of customisation and that kind of thing.