The Computer with no name has passed...

[Ghoulish Delight]

I'm considering wiping Vista off our new laptop and going back to XP. I need to do some experimenting with XP to see how well it works with the Vista file server (that is working out great and I have zero reason to change) I've got set up, and I may hold off until SP1 is released, but so far the few convenient bells and whistles of Vista (and there are a few that I'll miss) just aren't worth the crappy performance.

The good news is that since I've set things up so that everything is served from the file server, switching OS's on the laptop is no big deal.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

The good news is that since I've set things up so that everything is served from the file server, switching OS's on the laptop is no big deal.

Ya know, those file servers are going to catch on one of these days.

I'm still running Windows server 2003 at home. I guess I'm behind the times again.


Oh, and speaking of being behind the times... The PC with no name was one of them snazzy all-in-on PC's. So now I have to get a new monitor to boot.

Exactly when did the standard PC monitor get phased out for those idiotic wide screen models? All the stores around here carry exclusively wide screen monitors. What's up with that?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

Ya know, those file servers are going to catch on one of these days.

I'm still surprised it's working out as well as I had envisioned. And having gone with ultra-low power components, having it on 24 hours a day has barely put a dent in our electric bill even.

I'm still running Windows server 2003 at home. I guess I'm behind the times again.

Thought about it, but I don't own a copy. So my choice was to steal a license for server 2K3 from work or *gasp* buy Vista Ultimate. I wasn't going to spring for the cost of a true server OS for my 1-node home network. For some bizarre reason I felt like doing this one on-the-level, so I went with Vista. And on that system, for that purpose, it's been ideal.

Exactly when did the standard PC monitor get phased out for those idiotic wide screen models? All the stores around here carry exclusively wide screen monitors. What's up with that?

About the time game designers started designing with wide screen monitors in mind.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

I wasn't going to spring for the cost of a true server OS for my 1-node home network.

The 2003 license wasn't too bad, what killed me was the Exchange enterprise license. (at one point I was hosting mail for multiple clients)

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

About the time game designers started designing with wide screen monitors in mind.

Damn gamers. There outta be a law. Shameful I say shameful!

[Pirate Bill]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

So now I have to get a new monitor to boot.

It should boot just fine without a monitor.

Bah da *crash*

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

I'm considering wiping Vista off our new laptop and going back to XP. I need to do some experimenting with XP to see how well it works with the Vista file server (that is working out great and I have zero reason to change) I've got set up, and I may hold off until SP1 is released, but so far the few convenient bells and whistles of Vista (and there are a few that I'll miss) just aren't worth the crappy performance.

The good news is that since I've set things up so that everything is served from the file server, switching OS's on the laptop is no big deal.

So, if I still have an option by the time I buy (and I go with Dell), do you think there are any serious ramifications for picking XP rather than Vista?

Oh, and Cherny, Dell is having a sale on the Vostro notebooks, I customized it to upgrade the chip and the RAM and it still came out to be a real bargain. I believe I configured the Vostro 1700. Maybe it was the 1500, I did not save it. But, it was just over 1250

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by Snowflake

So, if I still have an option by the time I buy (and I go with Dell), do you think there are any serious ramifications for picking XP rather than Vista?

Check with your vendor. Some are offering "XP-Downgrades" free with all Vista PC's (so you get Vista and XP). That way you can use XP for now and switch to vista later on if, for example, you happen to go completely daft.

A couple of months ago I received the "downgrade" gratis on a couple of dozen Dell PC's I purchased.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Snowflake

So, if I still have an option by the time I buy (and I go with Dell), do you think there are any serious ramifications for picking XP rather than Vista?

Our experience might not be representative of Vista. We've got it set up to be doing HEAVY network operations on the laptop. Plus, we sorta cheaped out and went with an AMD processor. So I can't tell you how it would run on an Intel box without having several network volumes mounted.

I don't use the file server for general computing a whole lot, but when I do, it definitely is running Vista much more efficiently than the laptop is, for whatever reason. I'm perfectly satisfied with Vista there.