Win 98 --------> Win XP Professional: Is It Worth It? (1 Viewer)

[Andre F]

Then I told him that some fellas I know (HTF) recommend doing a clean install. Is that the same as installing onto a totally empty HD?

Yes, when you boot to XP (or and most other Win OS packages that I remember) and atttempt to install you have the option of deleting a drive(s). You then format the drive and then install the OS on it. In your friends case especially, I would recommend starting from scratch and not trying to install over whatever may be left on the drive if anything.

 

[Jeff Peake]

Well Windows XP just KILLED my buddy's computer. He tried to uninstall Novell client for Windows, and his entire system failed.

It sounds like Novell Client killed your buddy's computer, not WinXP.

 

[Chuck C]

true.

 

[Max Leung]

I bash all operating systems equally, just so you don't get the wrong idea!
And yeah, I'm a software developer. I even wrote a few device drivers for Windows, and fiddled with Linux device drivers too.
Device driver programming is deceptively easy...no wonder computers crash so much! "What do you mean I have to handle 4 power-saving modes in my device driver? Screw that! People don't need that crap!"
Windows: "Check stop: IRQL_LESS_THAN..." -- D'oh!
Linux: "Kernel dump..." -- D'oh!
Embedded system: "Hey, the heartbeat LEDs stopped blinking!" -- D'oh!
The device driver developers will be the first against the wall when the OS revolution comes! Just follow the trail of cola cans and nerf ammunition...

 

[Chuck C]

I've had WinXP for 25 minutes now, and I like it. Stay Tuned.

 

[Chuck C]

Man, I like the fast boot-up on XP! I also like how you don't have to restart the computer twice a day. I am also enjoing the "you have updates ready to download" feature that pops up on the toolbar. The GUI is also a nice update from previous versions. Now who was it that said XP was Win2000 for soccer moms?

 

[Robert_Gaither]

The only problems I had with ME was that with it and XP on another Partition, it took away too much space so I went back to 98SE and XP.

Personally I think XP is great and it seems to run better on every maching I've installed it on ME on down (the most primitive computer I set it up on was a P2-266 with 64M of ram and it was more stable though it was sluggish here and there it never locked up). XP, like Andre said is great for those friends of yours who really know nothing of computers since it will do things such as actively seek drivers (instead of having to personally browse and pick the right sections of an installation disk) and pretty much tells most beginners "hey there's an update for your system" (most people seem to never go to Windows update from what I've seen that have not at least taken a technical course or not technically inclined as some many people really are not "DIYers"). It also does simple things such as having a better, more, "lower browed" help menu that seems to actually help some of my friends (and admitted myself a time or two...) that they thought were more intuitive. It also cleans up start menu and desktop so the screen is reduced of clutter on a regular basis as well.

The main thing I can say about any OS is that if your job doesn't require it don't buy them when they first come out as them seem to filled with bugs that relate to stability, reliability, and hardware compatibility. Unless you are an avid computer tweeker it would be a major mistake imho as some people that I know who made such mistakes usually had me repair their mistake (but always at my convienience) and luckily they learned not to make another similar error after I reoffered my advise with an "I told you so..." added to it.