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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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Windows XP Home
Oct 5, 2005 2:33AM PDT

I like this OS. I haven't had any issies with it. I also liked 98, but I had trouble with lock up & the occational crash. Has not been a problem with XP home edition.

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Which version do I use?
Oct 5, 2005 2:45AM PDT

Trying to download Sp2 was costly enough. The thought of installing a new system is frightening.

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Windows Me superior to Windows XP
Oct 5, 2005 3:21AM PDT

Probably not the greatest OS (I think W 98 SE was more robust) but it works well on my laptop and has survived the latest viral attacks on our company network, wheread Wndows XP machines were all severely affected. I cannot stand Windows XP (which I have as a desktop)relentless messaging and excess display of useless information. Comparing both OS I have found Windows XP allows much more intrusion by spammers and could swear it facilitates the communication of my browsing to commercial parties.

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X64 Version of XP Pro
Oct 5, 2005 4:58AM PDT

I'm finding the 64-bit version of Windows XP pro(trial available for free download) superior to the other versions on this 64 Athlon, and I plan to purchase it when I have to Happy

I always try new versions of Windows when i can get my hands on them, and also run Linux. Unfortunately, there are applications like Dragon NaturallySpeaking that don't have Linux equivalancies.

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Windows Vista
Oct 5, 2005 5:26AM PDT

While I'm Reasonably happy with Windows XP Home Edition,like "MikesandO" I think I will wait for the first ServicePack before upgrading.
Is this just another moneyspinner for Bill G & Co?

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xp home sp2
Oct 5, 2005 5:28AM PDT

I mainly use xp home with sp2 I find it to be one of the best well 3rd best the best is windows media center adition if u ask me but I also use windows 98 on another computer and have a windows 95 system that can be upgraded to win xp home but theres a problem with the cd drive but all in all I recomend win 98 first or second or any windows xp with sp2.

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Windows XP Professional SP2
Oct 5, 2005 6:18AM PDT

I look forward to Longhorn and as I believe that Windows XP was the best operating system they have developed, I except that Longhorn will be twice as good.

I will begin to build a new PC's for my wife and me in the Spring of 2006 in anticipation of the release of Windows Vista.

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Which version of Windows do you mainly use?
Oct 5, 2005 9:08AM PDT

I am still running Win 98 SE with an 850 Mhz CPU on an
Tyan S1830 Tsunami MB and only 196 MB RAM. Security problems are next to nonexistent, that's what I like.
In fact my daughter shares my machine with me, because
her Win. 2.4 gig. XP Home system is next to unusable
because of continuous popups and probable virus in-
fection and inability to connect to the internet as of
now.
I have a Win XP 3.0 Gig. 512 MB RAM and 80 Gig. HD
in an unopened box because I am reluctant to use it.

Paul G. Finster
Hendersonville, TN
teutonuz@yahoo.com

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(really) Windows me, Windows 95
Oct 5, 2005 10:14AM PDT

you put a (really) next to Windows 95. The word should have been attached to Windows me.

Windows 95 was a good operating system. Windows me on the other hand was about as bad as it gets.

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3.1 on RX3115
Oct 5, 2005 10:52AM PDT

I got Windows 3.1 running on my HP iPaq pocket pc with Windows mobile 2003SE. I use PocketDOS to emulate a dos os and I copied the Win3.1 files to the SD card. Windows 3.1 runs pretty slow due to the emulator but I use it to show people that a pocket pc can run a full version of Windows.

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WINDOWS98/UPGRADE
Oct 5, 2005 11:43AM PDT

LOOKING TO UP GRADE WITHOUT INCREASING MEMERY. CAN YOU HELP? LOOKING TO IMPROVE. THANKS.

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I use 3 versions of Windows
Oct 5, 2005 12:11PM PDT

My main computer is using XP Home SP2. I have computer in out guest room with 98SE on it. In the basement family room I have an old Pentium 60 with 3.11 installed on DOS 6.2. This system is just for some old DOS games and my Grandchildren to play on. As I live in rural Missouri and the closest thing to Hi Speed Internet I have is a good connection above 40k, the 2 upstairs computers dont really matter with their os.

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Windows 2000 Professional
Oct 5, 2005 6:32PM PDT

It's like XP, except with Stability.

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I Got Me "Windows XP Pro w/out SPK2"
Oct 6, 2005 10:39PM PDT

I haven't yet upgraded my OS with the latest service pack. My PC has a Windows XP Professional Operating System with-out the Service Pack 2.

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Win version
Oct 7, 2005 12:57PM PDT

I only use W2k Pro. I usually stay 1 or 2 versions behind Microsoft's rollouts to avoid as much as possible of the hassle of installing buggy o/s's.

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Microsoft Windows XP SP2
Oct 8, 2005 3:58AM PDT

I've been building and upgrading computers since 1993. I took a course in computer repair, but I still have a lot to learn. I don't think I have all the answers, however I am entitled to my opinion.

There are good things about this operating system and there are some things that really frustrate and make me angry. The main things I don't like about this bully-boy operating system is: (1) It interferes with every peripheral or component device installation program under the sun. I mean it won't let you alone to install your OEM drivers and software, (YUK), I hate that!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (2) Some genious at Microsoft has taken it upon him/herself to wrest away and eradicate the little bit of controls that existed in Windows 98SE (double YUK YUK), I HATE THAT EVEN WORSE!!!!!!!!!

Get smart Microsoft, put the lousy little controls like the "Startup" utility that can be used to shut a program that is causing general protection faults off, and stuff like that. Could you agree? thanks for putting up with my complaints.

Stephen A. Treat

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Knowledge is Power
Oct 8, 2005 11:04AM PDT

XP Pro with SP2 is the best of the bunch. Data Execution Prevention is what makes it so good. That is why you can have problems when installing certain programs and or drivers. It stops anything that seems to be a process that can harm the system. Once we learn how it works, then Service pack 2 becomes much easier to work with. It is the Safest Pack of the XP Family, and also adds other protective features that most of us will never notice. There are other controls added that make it even easier to setup networks wired or wireless. I say bite the bullet and go for it, once you learn it? you won't go back in time. Always look to the Future, or the past will consume you. Bring it on Vista, let's see what you got.

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WinXP is the best for file operations
Oct 8, 2005 3:27PM PDT

i have been using windows since the Win95 days. though Win98 boots up faster on my pc than WinXP. the real difference is when i want to move some files around in my harddisk.WinXP is uncomparably faster than even Win98 or Win2000 for this case.Further with its management console and group policy editor , which has more features than Win2000 i can virtually change almost any thing in the computer.the automatic update is also another cool feature in WinXP SP2.

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Yes, Windows 9x file operations are slow!
Oct 10, 2005 11:30PM PDT

I've used Windows 98, and found its file operation is really slow especially when the amount of files is large. I guess all NT-based products are faster in this aspect. Besides, Fedora Core 2 (Linux) is also fast with Ext2fs. Windows NT series disk cache performs an important role in this, and it performs very good.

Unfortunately, Group Policy is not available in Windows XP Home Edition.

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Win2K the best - if not by design, by default
Nov 1, 2005 2:52PM PST

Windows 2000 still seems to be the best OS Microsoft has put out. I've been running it without any problems for almost 2 years now. While I am warming up to XP, SP2 still is giving me problems as far as software and hardware compatibility.

One guy wrote that "knowledge is power" with regard to getting around the quirks of SP2. My answer to him is that knowledge should be implemented by the manufacturer, i.e. Microsoft, and passed on to the consumer. It should not be a situation where the consumer has to second guess the oddities of the OS. Microsoft may not be able to fix all the problems hashed up with SP2, but they could at least acknowledge that problems exist, which they are arrogantly not doing.

It would be one thing if the quirks of SP2 were consistent from one computer to the next, but they aren't. Why does Zone Alarm work on my brother's computer and my girlfriend's computer, but not on my sister's computer? Why did my parents' computer totally freeze up with SP2 installed, then miraculously start working flawlessly once SP2 was uninstalled?

Granted, there are scores of websites dedicated to helping you through the SP2 quagmire. That, to me, points to poor software development on the part of Microsoft. And the fact that Microsoft continually ignores the problems with SP2 points to poor public relations and not holding themselves accountable to their customers.

While I agree that computer users should be more acquainted with the operations of their computers, they should not have to work so hard just to be able to use them. The point of the operating system is to intuitively guide you through the various applications a computer is capable of. If, instead, it is a maze and the highpoint of your day is being able to acually use a program on your computer, then the manufacturer of the OS has failed. For all those people who jumped into the computer world with 95 and 98, 2000 delivers the familiar look and feel, but on a much more stable platform.

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Monopoly
Nov 5, 2005 11:18AM PST

.. great thoughts but XP is a business, not a product; in Vista we shall see a significantly smaller percentage of "serious" software being made by the "small guys". Corporate market dominance and monopoly are the terms I belive Wink

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It's so true.
Nov 15, 2005 9:42AM PST

Microsot secretly seems to have it out for Windows 2000, but Windows 2000 isn't going anywhere soon. I wonder why Microsoft likes Windows XP so much more than Windows 2000.

Ironically, Windows 2000 still costs more than Windows XP Professional.