XP vs 2K -- Let the Windows Battle Begin!

[racketboy]

Ok, I just got my new PC built and booting.

Now I'm trying to make the decision on what OS to use.

I've used both XP and 2K a lot but can't really make up my mind which one I want.

XP has some small features which are nice, but when it comes to overall speed and stability, I think 2K is better. I have no scientific stats to support this though.

Also, MS and others claim XP is fast at almost everything than 2K.

I try to take comments like that with a grain of salt though.

So anyway, share you comments on which you think is better and WHY.

Don't complain about the XP eye candy -- assume all that is turned off.

Also don't worry about old hardware/software support.

Mostly new stuff will be used (except my Matrox Marvel card -- except both 3rd party 2K/XP drivers are availible and still under development).

Assume the PC it is running on is like my specs:

2.4Hz P4 w/ Hyperthreading and 800Mhz bus

1GB RAM

120GB 7200RPM HD w/ 8MB cache

Gaming is not a big issue.

But heavy duty tasks like photo editing, video editing, video encoding/decoding, data compression, large file transfers are the important things.

Ease of use and stability are another high priority.

 

[racketboy]

ok this is stupid:

http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/systemreqs.html

The new Adobe Premeire supposedly requires XP w/ SP1.

What the heck? They can't get it to run on anything else?

 

[Tindo@heart]

Originally posted by racketboy@Sep 8, 2003 @ 11:40 AM

Also, MS and others claim XP is fast at almost everything than 2K.

I try to take comments like that with a grain of salt though.

So MS actually tries to compare XP to 2000pro? . . as if there is a difference?

Hmm? that makes me suspect that MS is even aware of the benefits of 2kpro.

.. are you sure about those hefty Adobe requirements? maybe it meant XP or higher?

 

[Gallstaff]

Hey I just found a way to get windows of my choice and I was wondering wh ich you guys prefered? But insteadc of XP i was wondering about xp pro. So 2k or xp pro which is best?

 

[Scared0o0Rabbit]

I love the stability of 2k pro, and how it runs and looks and feels. Alas, I find that xp pro tends to have better support for more of my older programs and games. If you have a software library of older stuff I'd say go xp pro, but if you plan on having your pc on all the time go 2k pro.

 

[Scared0o0Rabbit]

racketboy, I'd go 2k if I were you, assuming premier runs on it (I hate adobe products lol). 2k is going to give you much more support... I just shut my other pc off after being on for a month the other day. That was on for a month without restarting or logging off or anything, and remaining connected to the net and aim the whole time.

edit: other pc is running 2k.

 

[MasterAkumaMatata]

Originally posted by racketboy+Sep 8, 2003 @ 02:19 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(racketboy @ Sep 8, 2003 @ 02:19 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'>ok this is stupid:

http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/systemreqs.html

The new Adobe Premeire supposedly requires XP w/ SP1.

What the heck? They can't get it to run on anything else?[/b]

<!--QuoteBegin-Adobe Premiere Pro

System requirements

Windows

• Intel® Pentium® III 800MHz processor (Pentium 4 3.06GHz recommended)
  
• Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional or Home Edition with Service Pack 1
  
• 256MB of RAM installed (1GB or more recommended)
  
• 800MB of available hard-disk space for installation
  
• CD-ROM drive
  
• Compatible DVD recorder (DVD-R/RW+R/RW) required for Export to DVD
  
• 1,024x768 32-bit color video display adapter (1,280x1,024 or dual monitors recommended)
  
• For DV: OHCI-compatible IEEE 1394 interface and dedicated large-capacity 7200RPM UDMA 66 IDE or SCSI hard disk or disk array
  
• For third-party capture cards: Adobe® Premiere® Pro certified capture card
  
• Optional: ASIO audio hardware device; surround speaker system for 5.1 audio playback
  

[/quote]

I have the recommended RAM and video support, but damnit, I seem to be short of 0.06 GHz. 😀

 

[racketboy]

well I'm not locked into Premeire yet.

I'm also seriously considering Vegas -- heard good things

 

[Scared0o0Rabbit]

what if you have dual monitors running at 1280x1024?

Edit: Can you even buy UDMA 66 drives anymore?

 

[racketboy]

Originally posted by Scared0o0Rabbit@Sep 8, 2003 @ 08:10 PM

(I hate adobe products lol).

Even Photoshop???

:slap

I couldn't live without Photoshop.

Never got much into Pagemaker or Illustrator.

Up to this point, I'm a Macromedia Freehand man.

Premiere never looked good to me until this new version came out.

But even now, I'm not quite sure.

Wish I could see a good features/performance comparison between it and Vegas

 

[Scared0o0Rabbit]

I use photoshop for my job, but that's the only reason, and even then it's only briefly. I personally believe that acrobat is a scourge adobe has released upon humanity and should burn in hell for it. They have the commercials of "is it better to give a pdf or receive one", and personally that's a tough choice. I mean, receiving a pdf sucks, because then you have to install acrobat, but giving one is probably worse... cause then you're inflicting said scourge on someone else.

 

[racketboy]

you have a better alternative to PDF?

I don't see a problem with it as long as its supported well in the future.

 

[Scared0o0Rabbit]

Yes, yes I do. Short of buying a piece of software that is like $200 you can't do anything with a pdf except look at it. You can't extract text out of it, you can't edit it.

 

[racketboy]

Originally posted by Scared0o0Rabbit@Sep 8, 2003 @ 09:54 PM

Yes, yes I do. Short of buying a piece of software that is like $200 you can't do anything with a pdf except look at it. You can't extract text out of it, you can't edit it.

well you didn't mention your alternative

anyway.... back to the subject...

One thing I forgot I hate about XP is the activation.

I did a new HD and RAM install for a client and put XP back on it.

I had to call up MS and read back this 100-digit code back to some MS employee over the phone and convince them I wasn't doing anything wrong.

 

[schi0249]

I hear people talk about that, but I have never had to call MS about my activation. I even replaced everything but the hard drive and video card.

 

[Scared0o0Rabbit]

Yeah, xp is a bizzatch, but anyone who doesn't get their copy through the usual means usually doesn't have to go through with it.

 

[racketboy]

if you mean Pro Corporate edition, yeah

but I think once you go to SP1, you're screwed.

 

[Scared0o0Rabbit]

You'd be surprised 😉

 

[IBarracudaI]

Go for win2k pro, you won't have that Activation probs 😛

 

[mtxblau]

Having used both 2K and XP Home and Pro, I have to say, I cannot go back to 2K. XP is outstandingly reliable, and after tweaks it absolutely flies. (Once I tweak it, I back it up so that I don't have to keep reformatting/reinstalling and all that - I highly recommend Norton Ghost 2003, it's outstanding).

XP has better backwards compatability support, and with SP1 it's rock-solid.

I never had to worry about that activation business either - nor has anyone I know that runs XP (but maybe it's just my luck).

In any case, XP (personally) is the way to go.