Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

XP,Vista or W7 ?

well dont even consider vista for one. so its between win 7 n xp. personally if you can afford it, go win 7 as its the latest n with all the updated graphics for games, it ll be worth it ;) but if you just want a pc to work on and light gaming, then xp should be fine!
 
I currently have Windows 32 bit Vista installed on my MBP. Actually I've been happy with it's performance. I also have the 64bit Windows Vista install DVD. I'm holding off on 7 for now so the question is there any reason to upgrade my 32bit Vista install to 64bit, and would it break anything?

Thanks!
 
Huntn said:
I currently have Windows 32 bit Vista installed on my MBP. Actually I've been happy with it's performance. I also have the 64bit Windows Vista install DVD. I'm holding off on 7 for now so the question is there any reason to upgrade my 32bit Vista install to 64bit, and would it break anything?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
It could. I upgraded from XP x86 to 7 x64 and most games could simply be dragged over from the old install to the new. You may have to google a bit if you run into trouble.
 
Kurrosh said:
Which OS would you recommend for games and maybe a little schoolwork? Vista, XP or Windows 7? And I would also like to be able to do school work on it (my school uses XP and Office 2003). For example I need to be able to run MS Access 2003 on whichever OS i am using and I need to be able to save it so that it will run on XP as well.

I was edging towards Windows 7, but any input would be greatly appreciated.

-Kurrosh
Click to expand...

Nothing has changed since the last five million people have asked the same question here. Use 64-Bit Windows 7, preferably a Professional or Ultimate edition. That also allows you to use the "XP mode" to run Office 2003, in case it has compatibility issues with native Win 7. (The XP mode is basically a seamless Windows XP Virtual Machine; it's not available in the Win 7 Home editions.)

Win 7 performs better than its predecessors Vista and even XP, and it provides a much better user experience than any other version of Windows -- and -- pre-Leopard versions of Mac OS X. The only feature that you will miss from OS X is Quick Look; but it offers many other features instead that OS X does not even remotely have - but, which I must admit, are mostly only relevant in business/corporate/large network environments; in other words: In professional IT.
 
Winni said:
Nothing has changed since the last five million people have asked the same question here. Use 64-Bit Windows 7, preferably a Professional or Ultimate edition.
Click to expand...

For gaming what do you think about 64 bit Vista vs 32 bit Vista? Yes, I know 7 is better :), but regarding Vista, would games perform any better as 64 bit Vista? Thanks!
 
Think about this. Apple upgrades smooth Leopard with Snow Leopard and charges customers $29 while MS fixes it's problem prone (or so I've been told) Vista OS with basically an update (7) and charges $120 to upgrade. Hmmm. Who is the better company? ;)
 
flopticalcube said:
I only got charged $50 to go from XP to 7.
Click to expand...

Where? I've looked around and have not seen that price. That would make me consider an upgrade. :)

MS Upgrade.

edit: ok just found one at $50... wait, that is with a computer purchase... so they are making you pay to buy a computer and then upgrade it's OS? Apple does not do that, really. Apple offers free upgrades with new computer purchases.

Just curious any complications upgrading? Did you do fresh? Sometime in the future, I would prefer to not go fresh if that is possible.
 
flopticalcube said:
Pre-release sale in August. I got mine from Amazon. With XP you aren't given an alternative to a fresh install but most apps just slid over without many problems. Since it was a 32 bit to 64 bit transition, I reinstalled some of the apps.
Click to expand...

Thanks! The best price I saw today was $100 at Amazon.
 
flopticalcube said:
Pre-release sale in August. I got mine from Amazon. With XP you aren't given an alternative to a fresh install but most apps just slid over without many problems. Since it was a 32 bit to 64 bit transition, I reinstalled some of the apps.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I ordered back then. But I kinda wish I didn't because I would buy the family pack upgrade for $150 and upgrade my kids computers as well. But since I already spent the money on one; it's a bit annoying to buy more licenses then I need now. :(

I guess I could sell the copy I have and then buy the family pack... sounds like more work then it is worth.
 
personally i am a XP fan. However if you want to utilise more then 4 GB of ram when you will need Vista / 7 64bit.

Vista was a epic fail - i never used it personally. Only endured it trying to support my customers.
 
I have Windows XP Home installed on my mbp. All games running seamlessly (Fallout 3, NWN 2, Assassin's Creed etc.). Been considering an upgrade to Windows 7 x64 to take advantage of more RAM usage, but i guess i'll hold off for a while longer. The 20Gb install space is a little too much for me to take (i partitioned 50Gb for Windows as XP takes less than 10Gb install space). I use Windows exclusively for gaming and couldn't care less for the its other applications.
 
razorboy1969 said:
I have Windows XP Home installed on my mbp. All games running seamlessly (Fallout 3, NWN 2, Assassin's Creed etc.). Been considering an upgrade to Windows 7 x64 to take advantage of more RAM usage, but i guess i'll hold off for a while longer. The 20Gb install space is a little too much for me to take (i partitioned 50Gb for Windows as XP takes less than 10Gb install space). I use Windows exclusively for gaming and couldn't care less for the its other applications.
Click to expand...

The nudge will be when new games come out that no longer run on XP. ;) I like XP too, but currently am using 32bit Vista.
 
Huntn said:
The nudge will be when new games come out that no longer run on XP. ;) I like XP too, but currently am using 32bit Vista.
Click to expand...

Kinda goes with my thinking on this. Have never run Windows on my iMac, but am sorely tempted to start doing so shortly. As much as I'd get away with XP for current PC games, I'm leaning heavily towards getting Windows 7 Home with an eye on the future. Though all new games won't run at max settings on my iMac, many probably will.
 
gregorsamsa said:
Kinda goes with my thinking on this. Have never run Windows on my iMac, but am sorely tempted to start doing so shortly. As much as I'd get away with XP for current PC games, I'm leaning heavily towards getting Windows 7 Home with an eye on the future. Though all new games won't run at max settings on my iMac, many probably will.
Click to expand...

I travel a lot and since I like playing games, and generally speaking you would not find me doing anything serious on Windows, a dual boot computer was the answer for me. I've been very satisfied with 32bit Vista for the games I've played, everything from Oblivion to Crisis.
 
Huntn said:
I travel a lot and since I like playing games, and generally speaking you would not find me doing anything serious on Windows, a dual boot computer was the answer for me. I've been very satisfied with 32bit Vista for the games I've played, everything from Oblivion to Crisis.
Click to expand...

That you say "you would not find me doing anything serious on Windows", is interesting. :) I'm neutral on this as I've yet to try Windows 7, but the little I know I find encouraging & I'd be surprised if I occasionally didn't do at least some "serious" work on it.

Though I see myself having Macs always (overall I rate them very highly!), I'm not sure I'll ever buy another iMac. Frankly, the graphics even on the high-end 21" (& I don't want 27" on my work desk) leave something to be desired for the price.

A Mini & a Windows 7 desktop PC may be the way for me to go in future. Another reason why I'd probably go for Windows 7 over XP now is 7's OS X-like design.
 
gregorsamsa said:
That you say "you would not find me doing anything serious on Windows", is interesting. :) I'm neutral on this as I've yet to try Windows 7, but the little I know I find encouraging & I'd be surprised if I occasionally didn't do at least some "serious" work on it.

Though I see myself having Macs always (overall I rate them very highly!), I'm not sure I'll ever buy another iMac. Frankly, the graphics even on the high-end 21" (& I don't want 27" on my work desk) leave something to be desired for the price.

A Mini & a Windows 7 desktop PC may be the way for me to go in future. Another reason why I'd probably go for Windows 7 over XP now is 7's OS X-like design.
Click to expand...

Maybe W7 has turned a corner, but if there is a registry floating round in there somewhere, it will be substandard to the MacOS imo. My guess is there is a element of prejudice involved, but there is a feeling of comfort I get in the MacOS that simply is not there in Windows. I've been in Windows from W95 to Vista and any OS that constantly requires system utilities to keep things running smoothly is highly suspect. :)
 
Huntn said:
Maybe W7 has turned a corner, but if there is a registry floating round in there somewhere, it will be substandard to the MacOS imo. My guess is there is a element of prejudice involved, but there is a feeling of comfort I get in the MacOS that simply is not there in Windows. I've been in Windows from W95 to Vista and any OS that constantly requires system utilities to keep things running smoothly is highly suspect. :)
Click to expand...

Quite agree, having read quite a bit about Window 7's registry. Some W7 users are enthusing about how fast it runs now, but I expect a different story to emerge later as the registry gets clogged up. That said, you're probably reasonably okay if you're not downloading loads of stuff on a regular basis. Presumably, I'll likewise be using it mostly for gaming.
 
Huntn said:
XP is very well regarded. It has less overhead that Vista/7 and is supported until 2014?. For Vista or 7 you need 4GB RAM. 7 is supposed to be new and improved as compared to Vista, but there are savvy users out there who won't try a new Windows OS until the first service pack comes out.

When I got my MBP (see sig), I went with Vista because I was thinking DX10* was must have and I did not wait for the first service pack. :) Vista has worked well for me. I've had no problems or headaches with it. It runs Crysis in the low 20's fps. However based on what I've read, today if I was to buy a new WindowsOS for gaming I would pick 7. Of note, I just read a 7 article in PCWorld and it's performance (speed) is not significantly better than Vista.

*In my case DX10 was not must have because I've ended up playing most of my games in low/med settings and I just don't think the difference at low settings is significant. However, when I purchased, DX10 was brand new. Because DX10 is now the standard it is a non-issue. I guess my point is, if you can afford it and you are a big gamer, get a video card with at least 256VRAM and have at least 4GB system RAM installed.
Click to expand...
Heh, I have the exact same specs in my Macbook Pro as you do. I never thought I would be able to play Crysis, but I guess you proved me wrong!

As to OP, it's hard to say. The choice is definitely XP vs 7, there's no reason to bother with Vista. XP is familiar, lightweight, and functional. There's nothing wrong with it being 8 years old, this is just evidence of its stability and the fact that MS has had a hard time coming out with anything worth upgrading for. Windows 7 is… different. I'm sure some people love all the glam and glitz but to me it just looks amateurish in the GUI department. For my uses, which is occasionally gaming on Steam, there really is no difference between XP and 7. It just looks different. And they moved around the control panel AGAIN. I would go with whatever you can get for cheaper. Or if you want to future-proof, 7 might be preferable.
 
I personally found a decrease in FPS when I went to Windows 7 on my MacBook Air.

I've been playing DiRT2 for a few week now and so far, under Windows Vista, the same settings gets me an average of 25-30 fps. Under Windows 7, my FPS is dropped to only 15-20 fps, nearly unplayable.

Both OS are 64-bit, and drivers are the newest nForce 195.something drivers. For me, Vista seems a better choice over Windows 7. Of course I wouldn't consider Windows XP due to their crappy support for SSD.
 
wallaby said:
Heh, I have the exact same specs in my Macbook Pro as you do. I never thought I would be able to play Crysis, but I guess you proved me wrong!
Click to expand...

Give it a shot! Sometimes the frames did drop into the teens, though...

ayeying said:
I've been playing DiRT2 for a few week now and so far, under Windows Vista, the same settings gets me an average of 25-30 fps. Under Windows 7, my FPS is dropped to only 15-20 fps, nearly unplayable.
Click to expand...

Probably a driver issue, but THAT SUCKS. What would motivate me to upgrade to 7 would be better performance. I've seen no indication of that. Even the reviews that fawn over 7 admit that performance is not significantly improved, and it sounds like for gaming you might be disappointed.

gregorsamsa said:
Quite agree, having read quite a bit about Window 7's registry. Some W7 users are enthusing about how fast it runs now, but I expect a different story to emerge later as the registry gets clogged up.
Click to expand...

Hence the need for one of the many utilities I was referring to. System Suite does a good job of cleaning the registry. ;)
 
Huntn said:
Probably a driver issue, but THAT SUCKS. What would motivate me to upgrade to 7 would be better performance. I've seen no indication of that. Even the reviews that fawn over 7 admit that performance is not significantly improved, and it sounds like for gaming you might be disappointed.
Click to expand...

No, nVidia put out the same drivers for both Vista 64-bit and Windows 7 64-bit. It's the exact same drivers... just reduction in performance in Windows 7, most likely an OS fault here rather than drivers.

I'm not sure if this is relevant but I've always found a Aero lag under Windows 7 that I didn't get in Windows Vista.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back