My windows XP pro 128 megs RAM cannot be upgraded further. This PC was originally Windows 98 upgraded to xp pro.
I have a Tech who will make me a new PC with windows Vista Home premium but after reading the pros and cons, which I don't understand, I get the idea that Vista is not all that it's cracked up to be.
All we want is a PC that will provide great graphics for games and a sound card for excellent quality music. Plus of course the basics.
We are not very computer literate and are getting on in age so wonder if Windows XP Pro will be around for the next ten years or so and if so, would it be best to get a new PC made with that.
Would be grateful for any suggestions, particularly stuff I could feed my Tech.
I don't necessarily have to understand it all but please keep it plain.
Many thanks. Ralph

I use Vista, and wouldn't go back to XP.

Support will evevtually stop for XP of course.

Most comments against Vista are, like the time XP came out, because it is different, and people are resistant to change.

Eventually of course all new games will be made for Vista, so why stay behind the times.

It's just my own comments, so good luck whatever you decide.

In my opinion stay with XP. You can use your same copy and put it on the new computer.

Vista is already slated to be replaced in 2 or 3 years so both these operating systems will be obsolete in ten years. They will still function of course but what will replace them is probably only imaginary at this point.

http://www.windowsvienna.com/

Anyway if you do change to Vista be aware of the various editions:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...ns/choose.mspx

Just a recent note from a poster was the discovery that you cannot use a Fax machine on any version beneath Business. Just one detail of how various editions remove functions.

My own pet peeve is that you can only reinstall Vista on ONE hardware change whereas XP is unlimited in this respect.

The EULA of VISTA plainly states this and if you find your hard drive or motherboard fails more than ONCE you will need to buy a whole new version of VISTA.


...

Jephree and Fingees; Thanks very much for your input. The more I read about it the more confused I get. :>}
Tell me Jephree... If I were to get my Tech to put together a new machine using Windows XP pro and use high grade sound and graphics cards with tons of Ram or whatever, would this machine be all I need for the next 10 years or so? Does one have to keep getting stuff from MS to make the system work? In other words whats to stop your system working for the next 20 years??
As you can see I don't know a H**l of a lot about these things. Many thanks, Ralph

The hardware of today is years ahead of the software. It is at such a gap now that I think you find a lot of people in "limbo".

And yet hardware also keeps progressing faster than software. Perhaps the mechanical is easier to develop than the intellectual.

If you got a "state of the art" hardware system today it will work better in a few years. After a few years although it will continue to work there will be major upgrades that you could move to.

Most trends over ten years have people moving away from PC's into portable devices. Most trends over twenty years are totally Sci-Fi as in embedded systems etc.

Microsoft will support XP for quite a while. SP3 is due out by the end of the year. They supported '98 for 9 years. By support we are talking about plugging holes. As hackers move on to Vista etc. they too will leave XP alone.

The operating system will work regardless of "support".


Perhaps the most important question is the hardware.

Let us know what you are planning to use and we can advise.


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And just going back to the Vista issue: In my opinion Vista was released as a compromise to the above mentioned Vienna.

Microsoft could not get close to their goal so they released an interim system aka Vista.

On the Microsoft scale I think you will find Vista in a similar position to the release of ME prior to launching 2000.


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I agree with jephree that Vista may in fact be a compromise, rather like ME.
However when I had ME, I found it far better than 98, possibly because it was different.

But perhaps I'm easily pleased.

All the best.