Best Windows OS.

[CrossLOPER]

I think I'm about ready to attempt a fresh Windows install. I have (legal) access to various 32 and 64 bit versions of XP, Vista, and 7. I want to maximize performance on my laptop. Also, I'm sick of losing 20GB of HD space to Vista's magical void. I am also considering upgrading from 2GB to at least 4GB of RAM. Recommendations?

[Beskar]

Windows 7

[pevergreen]

That or XP.



I bought an OEM copy of windows 7 yesterday, will try dual booting soon.

[Fragony]

Windows7 is a thing of beauty compared to other versions, they did it right this time.

[naut]

64bit Windows 7. Definitely.

[CrossLOPER]

Cool. I'm really bent on XP Professional 64-bit, but I'll try 7 if all of you think it's that great. Thanks.

What about the RAM?

[Lemur]

More RAM is always a good thing. Photoshop just seems to get hungrier with every revision. Even Dreamweaver likes to stake a hefty claim in RAM land. Frankly, everything Adobe makes wants RAM and lots of it.

And I agree with the Team Org consensus, Windows 7 64-bit is the place to be.

[naut]

Of course 4GB RAM if you have the 64bit versions.

[CrossLOPER]

Thank you.

[Hosakawa Tito]

More RAM is always a good thing. Photoshop just seems to get hungrier with every revision. Even Dreamweaver likes to stake a hefty claim in RAM land. Frankly, everything Adobe makes wants RAM and lots of it.

And I agree with the Team Org consensus, Windows 7 64-bit is the place to be.

What they said. I just bought a laptop with Windows 7 Professional, and it's much better than XP or Vista.

[CrossLOPER]

Care to go into a handful of details?

[Fragony]

It works, it doesn't feel like a beta, it's just solid. This is a great 'sorry for Vista' and apology is accepted.

[naut]

Care to go into a handful of details?

Faster boot, reboot, sleep/wake times. About 25-30% faster loading times of applications compared with Vista. Easy to join networks. Better interface than both Vista and XP. Better system management than Vista. Better file management. Runs most Adobe products well. Uh... yeh, there's probably other things good about it, but that's what I can think of off the top of my head.

[LeftEyeNine]

Why 64-bit ? What else do you get other than the compatibility issues ?

[Hosakawa Tito]

Faster boot, reboot, sleep/wake times. About 25-30% faster loading times of applications compared with Vista. Easy to join networks. Better interface than both Vista and XP. Better system management than Vista. Better file management. Runs most Adobe products well. Uh... yeh, there's probably other things good about it, but that's what I can think of off the top of my head.

I've only had this new laptop with Win7 for a couple of days. My desktop runs vista. Boot up time is definitely faster, and I like the user interface better. My son used the laptop to make a video presentation for a school project and he claims the video encoding with Win Live Movie Maker was much faster.

I bought this laptop specifically for the 32 bit operating system, my desktop runs 64 bit. I have older programs, games & other things I use at work, that are incompatible with a 64 bit. To answer your question LEN, I guess you'd have to determine what you are using your system for. Running high end games and such probably requires a 64 bit system.

[naut]

Why 64-bit ? What else do you get other than the compatibility issues ?

If you have more than 2GB of RAM you get to actually use it.

[Lemur]

Why 64-bit ? What else do you get other than the compatibility issues ?

Also, the vast majority of security fixes were applied to the 64-bit version, and not to the 32-bit version. So if you're using Win7 64-bit, you're much less vulnerable.

[pevergreen]

And it looks so darn pretty.

Everything....is....orange...

[LeftEyeNine]

To answer your question LEN, I guess you'd have to determine what you are using your system for. Running high end games and such probably requires a 64 bit system.

Like what kind of benefits, Tito-san ?

[Husar]

Also, the vast majority of security fixes were applied to the 64-bit version, and not to the 32-bit version. So if you're using Win7 64-bit, you're much less vulnerable.

Or maybe it just comes with a lot more holes?

[Lemur]

I'm not sure I follow, Husar, but here's a little overview of the security upgrades applied to Windows 7 64-bit.

It's not going to be an enduring safety buffer, but it's nice for now.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Like what kind of benefits, Tito-san ?

Here's some stuff.
More stuff.

[Husar]

I'm not sure I follow, Husar, but here's a little overview of the security upgrades applied to Windows 7 64-bit.

It's not going to be an enduring safety buffer, but it's nice for now.

What I'm trying to say is maybe 64bit had more security holes to begin with and maybe has more left than 32 bit as well?
Just a guess but I think more patches does not mean more secure, maybe it just means there were more things wrong with it.

[Lemur]

Husar, as I understand it, the newer security models (mandatory signed drivers, random memory positioning (which has a name which I forget)*, etc.) were incorporated into 64-bit Windows, and not into 32-bit. That's what I'm talking about. Also, 64-bit Windows has the same advantage as OS X; it's the minority. So lazy spyware/adware/malware writers in Bulgaria are less likely to target your platform. Something to think about.

-edit-

*Ah, here it is: Address space layout randomization. So obvious I would have never guessed it.

Address space layout randomization relies on the low chance of an attacker guessing where randomly-placed areas are located; security is increased by increasing the search space. Thus, address space randomization is more effective when more entropy is present in the random offsets. Entropy is increased by either raising the amount of virtual memory area space the randomization occurs over, or reducing the period the randomization occurs over; the period is typically implemented as small as possible, so most systems must increase VMA space randomization.

To defeat the randomization attackers must successfully guess the positions of all areas they wish to attack. For data areas such as stack and heap, where custom code or useful data can be loaded, more than one state can be attacked by using NOP slides for code or repeated copies of data; this allows an attack to succeed if the area is randomized to one of a handful of values. In contrast, code areas such as library base and main executable need to be discovered exactly. Often these areas are mixed, for example stack frames are injected onto the stack and a library is returned into.

[Husar]

Well, guess I misunderstood you then, didn't know that.
I use 64bit anyway, and about your last point, why are you recommending it to more and more people then?

[Lemur]

Well, it's not as though recommending it to friends and acquaintances on the Org is going to cause a huge spike in 64-bit adoption. Non-geeks don't even know the difference, and will take whatever comes loaded on the integrated-graphics boxen they get from Best Buy. I think it's safe to recommend to people who should know better.

[LeftEyeNine]

Tito-san, the links you provided agree only on the possibility of utilizing 4+ GB RAM for gaming purposes. The applications still are not optimized and are not looking to be in a middle-term period of time.

So I conclude 64-bit is a bugger, rather than an innovation, for now. Nothing ain't broken and I ain't fixin' it.

[Caius]

Faulty video drivers are now the annoyance of Win7, but UAC is less annoying. UAC is Paradise for those who have a brother who wants to install every program on Internet.

[Beskar]

64-bit Windows also allows applications to run with 3gb of Ram whilst 32-bit is capped at 2gigs. Also, the normal applications are improved in an 64-bit environment by 25% performance increase, apparently. There are a great many of reasons to adopt 64-bit.

So I conclude 64-bit is a bugger, rather than an innovation, for now. Nothing ain't broken and I ain't fixin' it.

Wrong. Those who are not on 64-bit are the s, because they hold back innovation by using internet Explorer 6, etc. Also, let me know how the Horse and cart is getting along in Turkey, as no point getting a car if it isn't 'broken',

[Husar]

64-bit Windows also allows applications to run with 3gb of Ram whilst 32-bit is capped at 2gigs. Also, the normal applications are improved in an 64-bit environment by 25% performance increase, apparently. There are a great many of reasons to adopt 64-bit.

It's actually capped at 4GB in 32-bit but there was some reason I forgot so you can only use about 3.5GB.

Good point about the cars though.
Other than that, 64bit is the way to go.