Operating System

[owensri]

What operating system do you currently use?

I use both Windows XP and 7 on my new laptop. I prefer 7 now...very fast and never had a problem with it at all. Can't stand Vista...undoubtly the worst OS Microsoft ever came out with...

[Smjh1979]

4 out of the 5 computers here have XP SP3. The 5th has Vista, but it's on a computer I can't use, so XP gets my only vote here.

I do want to get Windows 7 really badly though if I can afford to.

EDIT: Only 3 computers have XP SP3 now. One computer now has Windows 7 Ultimate.

[AndrewFields]

Running Mac here.

I had an old Toshiba laptop running XP but it crashed. Since the hard drive had sensitive information on it and everything was already backed up, I removed the drive from the case and smashed it with a hammer. I was astonished at how the platters shattered so readily. The rest of the computer is in primo shape except the battery. In the future I may bring it back into service, depending on the need.

[weatherdan882002]

5 out of our 6 computers at home have XP. The 6th one is my brother's laptop which is a MacBook.

[gedunk]

Vista, which I don't hold in very high regard and am considering upgrading to 7.

[AndyWS]

IMO the problems with Vista are that Microsoft rushed it to market without adequately checking it for compatibility with hardware and older software, and they made it a very resource-taxing OS before most user's hardware had caught up. For example, my current laptop (HP bought new with Vista in 2008) has higher specifications than my old laptop (HP bought new with XP in 2004), but in some respects responds slower than my old one did.

Vista's not bad once you get the stupid UAC shut down (This is MAH computer, AH OWN this computer, AH AM the Administrator, and AH WILL SAVE MY FILES TO THE DIRECTORY I WANT!), but an operating system should NEVER be slower and less responsive than an older OS, on a machine with technically "faster" hardware.

I've heard with Windows 7 you can no longer customize the Taskbar, Start menu, and folders to look like Windows 95/98, like you can with XP and Vista, which is mainly what's stopping me from trying it. I really like the old Windows style, and not the new one so much.

[luke]

IMO the problems with Vista are that Microsoft rushed it to market without adequately checking it for compatibility with hardware and older software, and they made it a very resource-taxing OS before most user's hardware had caught up. For example, my current laptop (HP bought new with Vista in 2008) has higher specifications than my old laptop (HP bought new with XP in 2004), but in some respects responds slower than my old one did.

Vista's not bad once you get the stupid UAC shut down (This is MAH computer, AH OWN this computer, AH AM the Administrator, and AH WILL SAVE MY FILES TO THE DIRECTORY I WANT!), but an operating system should NEVER be slower and less responsive than an older OS, on a machine with technically "faster" hardware.

I've heard with Windows 7 you can no longer customize the Taskbar, Start menu, and folders to look like Windows 95/98, like you can with XP and Vista, which is mainly what's stopping me from trying it. I really like the old Windows style, and not the new one so much.

How do you Shut down the UAC?

[luke]

I now use Windows Vista on an HP Pavilion, and I'm not having much trouble with it.

The computer is nearly two years old, but was rarely used until now; I had to install both Vista service packs.

[Smjh1979]

For Windows Vista users, this may come in handy: http://www.tweak-uac.com/home/

[gedunk]

For Windows Vista users, this may come in handy: http://www.tweak-uac.com/home/

By golly..THANK YOU for that link. I was about to take my shotgun to this damn thing for that.