# Win XP: Why should I buy it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 28, 2001, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-why-should-i-buy-it/90168 "2001-10-28T22:23:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![EandCDad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e274bd/32.png) [@EandCDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EandCDad)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-why-should-i-buy-it/90168/41 "2001-11-05T00:21:04Z")
I have XP, but it came loaded on a new computer. I’m a complete computer no-nothing but everything I had from 98 on my old machine that I had to install on XP worked fine. The look is ok. I wouldn’t pay to upgrade if I hadn’t bought a whole new machine but the stability is really good compared to 98. ---
**Author:** ![emorphien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@emorphien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emorphien)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-why-should-i-buy-it/90168/42 "2001-11-05T00:51:23Z")
Lets get things straight folks. Macs aren’t any more stable, OS X, OS 9.1 OS 9, whatever, they aren’t any better than windows. THey’re different, yes. And if we want to look to Linux, yes, that’s great if you get it working. Some people never do. Linux is more of a project than an operating system. ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-why-should-i-buy-it/90168/43 "2001-11-05T01:02:21Z")
> [@](#): > > I hear the installation process is grueling, and I’m SURE I’d mess something up there Rest your fears, Ms. **Babe**. Win XP installation is much, much simpler than any Windows installation previously. All you do is tell it which drive to install on, and it does it all automatically. (It installs all your hardware as well, and converts your original settings from the prior WinOS you were running if you upgraded). But, I must concur with the “If it ain’t broke” statements I’ve read. Although, personally, I much, much prefer Win XP over any other OS I’ve tried. > [@](#): > > The only “reason” is to edit home videos, which you can do now with cheap shareware. They just wanted to squeeze the Mac crowd from any feelings of superiority. And this is the most pathetic statement I’ve read in this read. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-why-should-i-buy-it/90168/44 "2001-11-05T10:07:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monster104 \* > **It installs all your hardware as well…** Thank god. I didn’t feel like installing my new HD myself. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-why-should-i-buy-it/90168/45 "2001-11-05T10:58:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by emorphien \* > Lets get things straight folks. Macs aren’t any more stable, OS X, OS 9.1 OS 9, whatever, they aren’t any better than windows. THey’re different, yes. > And if we want to look to Linux, yes, that’s great if you get it working. Some people never do. Linux is more of a project than an operating system. What, pray tell, has any of this to do with the OP? ---
**Author:** ![Mersavets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@Mersavets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mersavets)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-why-should-i-buy-it/90168/46 "2001-11-05T11:41:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by emorphien \* > \*\*Lets get things straight folks. Macs aren’t any more stable, OS X, OS 9.1 OS 9, whatever, they aren’t any better than windows. THey’re different, yes. > And if we want to look to Linux, yes, that’s great if you get it working. Some people never do. Linux is more of a project than an operating system. \*\* I don’t agree. I’m familiar with all versions of Mac OS from system 7 up until OS X. I would say that any of those versions would be more stabl e than any version of Windows I’ve used. I’ve used all of them with the exception of XP so unless XP is revolutionary with respect to stability and ease of use I hope to not have to return to it if I can help it. GNU/Linux is indeed a project as much as i t is an OS. However, the fact that it is a project takes nothing away from its role as an OS. I’m not sure what point you were trying to make there. I managed to get it working and on a Macintosh to boot. Pardon the pun. The latest distributions make inst allation very easy and if you do run into a snag, a little perserverance and effort will pay off. Anybody of average intelligence shouldbe able to do it I believe.‡ ---
**Author:** ![yelmalio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a5b964/32.png) [@yelmalio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yelmalio)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-why-should-i-buy-it/90168/47 "2001-11-05T14:15:15Z")
Just upgraded to Win XP and found it OK. Yes, Nortons stuff does not work realiably. Know I now there is a patch I’ll get it. Roxio Easy CD burner has to be re-installed. You can get updates from [Roxio.com](http://Roxio.com) though. But, MS have provided a CD burner with XP. It does not support MP3’s well but will if you get a MP3 ripper/burner. I had to re-install drivers for my Creative Labs sond card and Hauppage cards. So am I annoyed, no! My win TV card works better, my webcam works better, my CD-RW still functions as I need it to. XP has 2000 like memory management and actually supports the concept of a user. A process is associated with a username. You can switch between users easily. XP understands the concept of administrator and user. Users (the kids that is) can not install software. It has proper event logging. It has proper kernel traps and crash recovery. It has NT like services including a firewall and shared Net connections. Duff device drivers can be ‘rolled back’, a first in any OS to my knowledge. When installing WSFTP Lite the installation Access Violated causing a debug to be written, this was sent to MS for me, after I agreed to it. As someone said, if what you have works for you don’t upgrade. But if you have blue screens every night at shutdown, conflicts between WDM/VFW drivers, IRQ’s and USB ports causing wierd web cam behaviour and a dodgy Modem driver causing hangs and other assorted ‘odd behaviour’, then upgrade. XP fixed all these for me. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-why-should-i-buy-it/90168/48 "2001-11-05T20:52:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yosemitebabe \* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by emorphien \* > > Lets get things straight folks. Macs aren’t any more stable, OS X, OS 9.1 OS 9, whatever, they aren’t any better than windows. > > What, pray tell, has any of this to do with the OP? Don’t mind **emorphien** – it’s just another Windows user with feelings of inferiority. You’d be pretty cranky too if you were stuck using Windows. 🙂 “Hey, Windows now has a movie editing program! Take that, Mac people!” “But is it as easy to use as the Mac version?” “Who cares?” :rolleyes: Those of us who have experience on both sides of the fence know the difference. ---
**Author:** ![LittleTigger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/58956e/32.png) [@LittleTigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LittleTigger)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-why-should-i-buy-it/90168/49 "2001-11-05T21:13:12Z")
If Linux is a project, it sure is a GOOD one! 🙂 Everything is a project, windows included, its just commercial as opposed to Linux. I don’t want to just knowingly ‘bash’ os’s here, so I will just state that by my own choice, I choose not to support Microsoft, and I choose to use Linux because it is the most useable to myself. ps. I like Mac too, but its too expensive for me right now. Thanks. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by emorphien \* > \*\*Lets get things straight folks. Macs aren’t any more stable, OS X, OS 9.1 OS 9, whatever, they aren’t any better than windows. THey’re different, yes. > And if we want to look to Linux, yes, that’s great if you get it working. Some people never do. Linux is more of a project than an operating system. \*\* [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-xp-why-should-i-buy-it/90168.md?page=2)