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General discussion

Which version of Windows do you mainly use?

Oct 3, 2005 10:36AM PDT

If you use Microsoft Windows, which version do you mainly use?

Windows XP Professional
Windows XP Professional SP2
Windows XP Home
Windows XP Home SP2
Windows 2000 Pro
Windows Me
Windows 98
Windows 98 SE
Windows 95 (really?)
Other Windows (which one?)

Discussion is locked

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Window Version Pole
Oct 4, 2005 2:54PM PDT

Survey says: More people use Windows Professinal with SP2. Why WinPro as opposed to WinHome?

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Pro vs Home
Oct 4, 2005 5:13PM PDT

That is strange ... of course many Home users might not be as apt to read CENT & do poles .. And maybe some don't know the diff?

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Home is not catered to corpoation sized businesses
Oct 5, 2005 12:47AM PDT

Hi

I think that Home is much more popular both because of the price and for the features useful to those on a home account. Active Directory is rarely a concern of a home or even a small business without an IT department.

I don't think Home users have much more use for a computer than of just getting their work done (thus, the basic software bundle that comes with every new PC).

I think everyone should be happy that people are using Windows

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xp professionals
Oct 4, 2005 5:32PM PDT

winxp pro gives you more network features, such as login into a domain or if u need to be connected to more than few compures in a workgroup, it really worth it spend few more bucks gettin the professional version, and the most important, the most of us cant handle the idea that someone else's has more than what we got, even thought my favorite OS is win 2000 pro because i think works better than xp but i have 4 users at home and i rather prefer to hibernate the computer instead of shut down, and with win 2k pro i cant use the multi-user interface, i waited till i got the cnet review about the SP2 coz all of us know that Microblows project (microsoft) dont fix all the problems with their patches

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98SE
Oct 4, 2005 7:24PM PDT

Still like the interface of 98SE BUT have stability issues and memory handling problems. With my ABIT board have had shutting down problems for a long time and also start up probs. Found work arounds for both BUT not for the other 2 probs. Wish MS had fixed up 98SE as I find it easy to understand. Having memory clash probs with IE 6, the old general protection faults.!!!

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Abit shut downs
Oct 5, 2005 1:19AM PDT

I have Win98 2n ed. And an Abit MB. And had the same problems wih windows suddenly shutting off. Go into the power saving feature and set it(both hard drive and monitor) to never shut off, during inactivity. This may solve your problem. If you do have to put it in stand by. Shut off all running programs, and do it manually.

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Damn shame about Win98SE
Oct 6, 2005 10:40AM PDT

Yea, had they fixed 98SE properly (don't think it was possible lol) I would've never switched to anything else (for home use), like I will never go higher then XP. No need period. 2000 for office work; end of story Happy

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Windows 98SE
Oct 10, 2005 1:52AM PDT

Windows XP (professional) is fine, but:

1 - the price is outrageously high!

2 - other older applications just don't work that well with it.

Furthermore, I'll bet that Windows Vista will be just like 'XP', ie: unfamiliar, more complicted, and won't accept older applications, nor older hardware.

I certainly would lihe MS to really improve on Windows 98SE and correct its stupid defects. But what can you do, migrate to Linnux?

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i use Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
Oct 5, 2005 5:36AM PDT

i like the x64 technology.. its much more efficient and powerful....

RiversK

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64-bit drivers
Oct 5, 2005 1:06PM PDT

x64 edition isn't bad. Finding 64-bit drivers for some hardware has been a problem though. It almost seems as if some hardware manufacturers are ignoring the 64 platform for the time being...

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Windows XP Pro X64
Oct 6, 2005 12:45PM PDT

I am using Windows XP Pro X64 as my basic operating system - But a lot of drivers for certain things are not yet available , so I have gone to dual boot system and have to reboot to Windows XP Home to use my Logitech Cam and my scanner - Hopefully the manufacturers will get on the job and start the new drivers soon - Macromedia Flash is not available for X64 yet , and even Microsoft does not have a Windows Media Player 10 for it . Realtek does have a great new audio driver for the AC'97 audio system - Hope more manufacturers follow their footsteps - The Avast anti-virus works great with X64 Windows - Larry

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Still stuck on 98
Oct 4, 2005 3:03PM PDT

Started with 95 years ago, went through the list. (Actually I started on a massive Wang when the 'modem' was your telephone receiver in a sound cradle and all you could access was the Burroughs or Amdahl main frames.) Still think 98 was the best all around home use system developed. I do not feel that it is possible, with the current level of expertise sniping at Windows, to build a perfectly safe, secure or whatever system. I also wonder how many dollars the 'newer system" nets Gates as the prices now preclude many users as he attempts to outdate much of ones additional software. I use 2 towers and a lap top at home one with 98, one with XP and another with SP2.

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Still happy with Win 98
Oct 4, 2005 3:16PM PDT

I use my computer to chat on IM and Email along with a program for my family tree. It mainly acts as a fancy word processor and meets all my needs. My system is an IMB type 300 MHz and I use a 56K modem. I have been a computer tech since 1958 and moved thru all the systems and languages. I don't have a need for more capability I won't use, but fear they will quit supporting Windows 98 and I will be forced to move up.

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Win98SE
Oct 5, 2005 4:45AM PDT

I knew there was a good reason why I stuck with this OS.

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still on windows 95
Oct 4, 2005 3:09PM PDT

believed it or not , our company is still using windows 95 as desktop client....these are used for light users and still doing its purpose...so how do u convince finance people.....

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my version of windows 98SE
Oct 4, 2005 3:25PM PDT

The main reason because it is simple and easy to set things up. Also i've used for quite some time and am more familiar with this version: however if a better operating system is available it would be interesting to see what it is like. With most of the newer versions require better computers and more disk space in order to operate. And not everyone can afford to go by new or to upgrade. I've done stuff with XP and it is ok but things are setup very different and to find things are harder for people that do not know a lot about the way windows is setup. I have thought about up grading but why would it be all that better.

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Windows 98 Se
Oct 4, 2005 6:06PM PDT

i use windows 98 because its great for playing my games that i can't play on XP all you get with xp is your system dragged down i think i have a pretty good set up with win98se im running a 2gig amd cpu 128 meg nvidia graphics card and 764 megs of ram awesome for games

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Windows version poll
Oct 4, 2005 6:47PM PDT

I have used Windows 2, 3.0, 3.1, 3.11, 95, 98, 2000, ME, XP Pro, XP Home, XP Pro SP2, XP Home SP2.

When I bought my most recent desktop I asked for Win 2000. I had been running 98 (with all updates) on my previous 166MHz m/c. 2000 was much more stable (being in the professional NT line) but had no drivers for my home-use peripherals - colour printer and scanner - being in the professional NT line. So I got ME instead. It did drive my peripherals, being from the 98 line. But it fell over, sometimes about every 40 minutes, being from the 98 family! So when XP came out, with many promises of compatibility, I got it. Can I drive my peripherals? No! But it is the best MS have done yet - rock solid, plug and play rather than plug and pray, with automatic recognition of a vast range of peripherals from cameras to external disc drives. I shall need a lot of convincing that I need got to Longhorn/Vista.

How do I drive my peripherals? They are still hooked to my old 98 machine, which networks happily with XP Pro by wire and XP Home on my laptop by wireless. It keeps my retired brain from going rusty to have a mini network.

PS: Is the definition of a windows user someone who doesn't know a poll from a pole?

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my version of windows 98SE
Oct 6, 2005 10:42AM PDT

Dude, the year is 2005 you know that right?..

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dude you know it's 2005
Oct 7, 2005 12:22AM PDT

Yes i know but I have had to wipe my computer twice because of twits that think sending viruses are fun. So this version of windows is easier to setup up because of being familiar with it. It works for everything that I need or use so why change something that works well.

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To quote you
Oct 7, 2005 12:28AM PDT

"why change something that works well"?

Because OTHER people send you viruses, you obviously have no aversion to clicking on everything that shows up in your email and that's not the fault of the operating system no matter what year it is.

If you go by the logic of "don't fix what ain't broke", W98 works just fine for other people with proper common sense and security measures in place.

TONI

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Yea, stupid joke I guess
Nov 5, 2005 11:13AM PST

.. but XP or 2K has at least 2 great advantages over 98, like not having to restart 200 times a day for memory leaks and NTFS, not that they aren't bloatware ..

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Win Home XP SP2
Oct 4, 2005 3:44PM PDT

Win Home XP SP2 is good and compared to other Win OS' it is fairly stable. However, this long time Win user is tired of dealing with fixing problems more than actually using my computer, so I'm switching to Mac asap. No OS is perfect but... my research indicates more Mac users speak about stability. Not to mention I won't have to sink so much money into anti-this/that software and waste time scanning my PC as much as I do with Win OS. However, Win XP is a good improvement to the previous Win OS' released.

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Windows operating systems
Oct 4, 2005 5:49PM PDT

I've had 12 years of using Microsoft operating systems and a lot of software and programs. Doss 3 95 98 and Me till I finaly saved up enough to buy a new computer that had the wonderfull XP Home installed by the manufadturer, means I have no software to use. I found from the manufacturer that none of my software is useable cause the XP has a revised bookeeping system and it will cost a fortune to replace all the programs and software. To replace my Road Trips program that cost me 40 dollars can be replaced with a new program for only two hundred sixty dollars. Can you imagin what all my two hundred program CD'S will cost to bring me back to all the programs I have. Why anyone would want this OS is beyond me. chasyen@aol.com

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If you don't want to replace your programs, why don't you...
Oct 4, 2005 10:19PM PDT

simply run the apps in the compatability layer that they are intended for? I use it all the time for my daughter's games that we bought when my son was little and Windows 95 was "it" for game publishers.

Simply right-click the program file, select Properties and then select the Compatability tab, and select the settings for the version of Windows you need for that program.

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Because Windows gives you ominous warnings!
Oct 4, 2005 10:38PM PDT

When you try to install an older program, you get this ominous warning that you could cause your system to become "unstable" if you proceed with the installation. How many people will be bold enough to proceed anyway, after getting that warning?

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Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
Oct 4, 2005 4:06PM PDT

This operating system has all kinds of bugs. But you learn to live with them. Microsoft blames the OEM, and OEM blame microsoft. I give my operating system a B+

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You grade high
Oct 4, 2005 8:47PM PDT

I'd give it a C-

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Windows Media Center 2005
Oct 5, 2005 7:42AM PDT

I give it a B-. It works but definitely has it's problems.

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2003 is on my Toshiba Qosmio
Oct 5, 2005 1:03PM PDT

What kind of bugs do you see? Office Pro 2003 has an Outlook program that freezes up but that is an Office problem.

But what should I look out for in the way of bugs?

ONE THING I DON'T LIKE ABOUT 2003 MEDIA CENTER is that the DVD recording from TV feature is not worth anything because the format can't be played back on a regular DVD player.

Can I convert their format to a regular format? Or is this feature a total loss?

Libby