Vista or XP?

[Snapshot9]

I have heard pretty good things about Ribbit Computers. My son bought systems from them, and he runs Vista at home. I am running XP Pro.

Of course, Best Buy is always an option.

[t7017s]

Build your own and save a shitload of money and literally double the ability of your computer for the same price of a name brand. Plus you will learn a lot and its a fun project. By the sound of what you need to do with it I don't think it would be to hard of a build.

[BA2929]

Build your own and save a shitload of money and literally double the ability of your computer for the same price of a name brand. Plus you will learn a lot and its a fun project. By the sound of what you need to do with it I don't think it would be to hard of a build.

I had a friend of mine build me a tower about 5 or 6 years ago. Got a very capable one for around $500. I wouldn't have built it myself, don't have the time or the knowledge, but if you know someone who can get computer items cheap and build it for you, its a good idea to look into it.

[jocoshock]

I've heard that there are operating systems not made by Microsoft. Probably just a rumor.

The last line in my original post was just for you, LinuxFan316.

As for the slower loading, it's probably due to the ChipIn widget taking a little longer than normal.

My apprehension with Vista is the extra system resources it requires. I could go up to 3GB of memory and bump up the processor but I'm also on a budget that is fairly tight. Doing both would probably blow that budget.

I plan on doing some video editing on this machine but can't afford to go with a dedicated video memory card.

You might want to consider going with XP Pro and putting some extra money in the beefiest processor you can afford. Might allow more bang for the buck by balancing memory requirements with higher processors. I know that a lot of video editing software is processor intensive (minimum 2.4GHZ recommended).

A coworker of mine just bought a mutimedia pc for video editing and he loaded it up with 4GB of RAM, running Vista. Don't know what his processor was, except Dual Core, but I also don't think he was budget constrained. Memory can get expensive if you're buying it from Dell, HP, whoever.... Speaking of brands, while Dell is a good brand, HP will get you more bells and whistles for the money. Although, I doubt you can get XP on an HP...

You should be good to go with XP Pro for 2-3 more years. Consumers who still have Windows XP running after April 2009 will be entitled to five more years of "extended support.

If you need more memory later, try this website. They have great prices.

https://www.kahlon.com

[TurFin]

You should note that Microsoft will be coming out with a new OS for the desktop within the next year and half. A lot of chatter surrounding Vista has forced Microsoft into a corner. XP support won't be going away in a fashion anytime soon that should factor into your decision. A lot of the complaints flying around Vista can be pointed at people allergic to change.

My personal opinion is that if it's your home PC and all of the software you run is compatible with the OS you choose...It's just a matter of personal choice.

I'm with the Moose...Cheap memory can solve a lot of performance issues.

[RoyalShock]

I appreciate all the input. Here is what I think I'm leaning toward:

Dell Vostro (1500 series)
Vista Home Premium
1.6Ghz or 2.0Ghz Intel Duo
3GB memory
160GB 7200 RPM hard drive

I'm leaning toward shared video memory (not into serious gaming, will do some minor video editing), but may go with dedicated if the price is right.

[SubGod22]

I'm holding out for the new OS for my next computer. I have a number of friends with Vista and they don't completely hate it but liked XP better. That and Vista uses up a lot more resources.