had enough of mac, looking for new OS and laptop

[Peter Korsten]

Op 1-8-2011 22:07, Paul Maddox schreef:

> i'm totally open to OS, windows7/ubuntu/whatever and machine.

Well, the good thing about Windows is that about imaginable software 
package on the planet runs on it. What you have to decide is whether you 
want to run XP or 7.

With XP, I can honestly say that I've never had a crash. However, XP is 
no longer supported by Microsoft, so automatic updates will come to an 
end. That's a consideration.

With 7, I've had maybe one or two crashes. Now I build my computers 
myself, and although I only use high-quality components (Supermicro 
motherboard, sort of thing), you'll never get matched components like in 
a pre-built system like a laptop. And indeed, the Dell desktop at work, 
which is very similar to the one I have at home (Core i7 860 instead of 
960, 6 GB memory, optical drive, discs are different) never had any 
problem. On the other hand, that machine doesn't run as many background 
tools as this one.

Another thing I've noticed with my computer at home (and never with the 
one at work) is that, sometimes, an application freezes. Windows notices 
this, too: the application window becomes grey, the mouse pointer 
becomes this rotating blue circle, and it takes 10 to 20 seconds to come 
back. No data is ever lost. I suspect it may have to do with my discs, 
but XP never showed this issue.

Perhaps I should re-install it, because at one point I simply swapped 
the motherboard on my installation.

Other than that, Windows 7 is a very comfortable operating system. It's 
pleasing on the eye, it has all these little gadgets, and the enhanced 
task bar is wicked. It does, however, have greater system requirements 
than XP (but that is 10 years old!), even if you switch of Aero.

As for hardware, I cannot help you there because I don't like laptops 
very much.

- Peter