W2K or XP?

[areid 0]

I'm just about to purchase a new laptop pc, but I'm torn between having W2K pro or XP pro as the pre-installed operating system. I already have W2K on my desktop pc and I am perfectly happy with it, but I am being pushed towards XP by the vendors. Has anyone good or bad experiences of either?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Many thanks,

Alan Harris-Reid

[Davros 0]

You will definitely like XP's Clear Type font on an LCD. XP is more user friendly overall, with many of the advanced features of W2K hidden from normal users. XP boots much faster, and has better multimedia support. And if you don't like the new GUI effects, you can selectively turn them off.

[areid 0]

Davros,

 

Many thanks for the reply.

 

Alan

[clutch 1]

If you buy XP Pro, you are allowed to install Win2K Pro in place of it as the license is backward compatible; all you need is a media kit (CD and serial number) to install any of the previous NTx operating systems. Basically, unless you can get a great deal on an earlier version of an OS, you should always get the current one from MS, as this license backward compatibility carries over to most (if not all) of their operating systems and applications.

[areid 0]

Clutch, thanks for the reply.

 

>If you buy XP Pro, you are allowed to install Win2K Pro in place of it as the license is backward compatible...<

 

I'm not quite with you. Whatever version of an OS I have pre-installed, surely I can install any other OS on the same machine if I have the original disks, can't I?

 

Put another way, if I have NT4WS or W2K pro on a pc, what's to stop me loading XP pro if I have the original disks? Am I missing something?

 

Regards,

Alan

[CUViper 0]

Quote:

Put another way, if I have NT4WS or W2K pro on a pc, what's to stop me loading XP pro if I have the original disks? Am I missing something?

Having the disks does not give you the license to install the OS as often as you like. When you buy the OS, you are allowed to install it on one computer, and installing it on any other computer is then piracy.

To clarify what clutch said: You've already got one Win2k license for your desktop. If you get WinXP on your new laptop, then you get one WinXP license. That license means that you can legally put WinXP, Win2k, NT4, or even earlier NT versions on that laptop if you want. So if you can find a Win2k disk somewhere (from your desktop), then it would be legal for you to have it on both the desktop and the laptop, since you have two licenses that both cover at least Win2k.

[areid 0]

CUViper, thanks for the reply.

 

>If you get WinXP on your new laptop, then you get one WinXP license. That license means that you can legally put WinXP, Win2k, NT4, or even earlier NT versions on that laptop if you want. So if you can find a Win2k disk somewhere (from your desktop), then it would be legal for you to have it on both the desktop and the laptop, since you have two licenses that both cover at least Win2k.<

 

I understand now. What about the (unlikely) scenario that I didn't like XP pro at all, and wanted to remove it from the laptop completely in favor of W2K. Would the XP license cover the additional W2K installation in this case, or does XP have to be installed on the same machine (ie. not just on a CD lying around in my office)?

 

Many thanks,

Alan

[CUViper 0]

Just having the cd is enough - you could completely remove XP if you want...

[clutch 1]

Yep. Just format the system and do a fresh install of the older OS.

[Atreyu 0]

Well if you care.... I've attempted to use XP about 4 times now and have had problems every time. Actually I became quite irritated with the OS. I've been using Windows 2000 since the day it came out two and a half years ago and swear by it. I don't have the problems with Windows 2000 that I have with XP. For me, 2000 is a ROCK and the only way to go right now.

[Admiral LSD 0]

Actually the reverse is true for me... When I used to plug my Logitech USB Whell in under 2k my MS Intellimouse would die requiring a switch off to get going again and I'd get random IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL_TO BSODs when starting programs that used EAX since 2k "helpfully" assigned everything the same IRQ (and nothing I tried to stop it worked) including my SBLive! and I had to install stuff three times to ensure proper replication of registry settings (although this'd be less of an issue now thanks to multiuser-aware installers, something that probably would never have happened if it weren't for XP). After all of that, I'm thankful for XP. My 2k CDs will forever just sit around collecting dust.