Conclusion
We've spent a long time poking, prodding and stress-testing these three operating systems, but it's still remarkably difficult to pick the outright best of Windows XP and Vista. XP is mature, still current enough to be compatible with most recent hardware and software, and a good all-round performer. But Vista fights back with a much better feature-set, especially in key areas such as security and error handling. On balance, we prefer XP for basic systems and would move to Vista only as hardware needs demanded – but that's a fine line to tread.
The good news is that you won't have to spend long agonising over the whole 'XP or Vista?' decision, because Windows 7 generally outdoes them both. Microsoft really does appear to have learned its hard-taught lessons and, while it hasn't fixed everything, the latest incarnation of Windows does show significant improvements over its predecessor – impressive for a pre-release version. The finished Windows 7 can only be better, and it should finally give long-standing XP fans a reason to upgrade.
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First published in PC Plus issue 283
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Your comments (24) Click to add a new comment
razor102
January 3rd
24. windows 7 is alot faster than vista and it has a new feature windows xp mode to run programmes what does not work in vista all you need is a prosscer wat can do intel virtualization in my opinion windows 7 is alot better i hate windows xp i was on windows 98 till vista launched windows xp would never resond when programes stopped responding but you still have windows xp mode to run older programes in windows 7
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lamotti
December 20th 2009
23. New OS? Sorta. I keep hearing everyone complain that it's so early that Windows 7 came out when Vista just came out. Years and years ago, just when XP was new, the project names were Longhorn (Vista) and Blackcomb (Seven). I forget the others but even the server names and so on have had their names and been in development for years before release. Microsoft decided the way Vista was built was the way to go, however, a test market was needed, and all of you who've put money into Vista (sounds like the same issue sorta with Windows 98 and 98SE) have helped Microsoft see what is good about Vista and what is horrible about it. Thus they made the changes and "finished" the Vista product which is now Windows 7. Support for Vista won't be as long as support was for XP. The ol' sayin' is Seven is just Vista done better, or done right, well that was the intent! Windows 7 won't get the slanders as Vista and it will take the credit for being a more polished product. Everyone should skip Vista and bump from XP to Seven anyway (if you don't want the hassle (hence windows 2000/XP) That's my two cents, No one should be surprised about this, Vista's intent was practically a beta version for Seven.
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jbasile
December 3rd 2009
22. Well its just the same old thing everytime a new OS comes out..skeptics and optimist...lets be realistic for once OK...Windows XP was a workhorse operating system and was probably the best thing microsoft has ever created..but its time is passed..hardware does more and people want more..demands on the internet call for more secure systems and better multimedia..XP will eventually not compliment the needs..Vista has had 2.5 yrs to work out the bugs and not doing a bad job but has more to go..7 well not much can be judged on a mere 2 months in the open market..let the fixes and updates come before we say its our new savior...Meanwhile if what you have works dont fix it yet..ya never know whats around the corner
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tech89
November 30th 2009
21. Try these benchmarking tests on machines that have been around the block a bit.
No way that XP shuts down in 33 seconds on pc/laptop thats been in use for a few years.
Get machines that have been running XP for 3-5 years and run the tests.
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tech89
November 30th 2009
20. It would be a bad decision to buy XP seeing as Microsoft is very soon about to stop updates for XP (that includes security updates).
Vista has the advantage over windows 7 in that its been around longer and so the glitches and bugs have been fixed.
Windows 7 needs a little while to fix any remaining bugs and glitches, but will win more users than vista probably.
Can microsoft publish its grand scheme of things in the future? So I can know when to buy a laptop before its OS is outdated in less than a year.
I'm a little disappointed in that less than a year ago I bought a new laptop with vista (vista was still relatively new)and less than year later another new OS is released. It took microsoft 6 years until vista was released but then less than a year or two windows 7 is brought out, what the hell?. I won't be upgrading to windows 7 purely for the reason I got vista and until windows 8 is out in in 2012 I'll save money for that.
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kf160k160
November 6th 2009
19. "But don't trust me, check it out your self. Have a nice new FAILUR OS."
For this fellow who said this such thing is primitive and narrow minded. We to need see big picture here. In future, soon, windows XP gradually no longer will support for most software and hardware(if not mistaken, i read in article, XP will be stop update in 2014). I admit that windows XP does simple to use than others due it is matured. But we can not win after market industries mindset, they always greed for better features and they keep demand and create more "powerful" stuff. I can predict that mostly next generation software and hardware will put XP in nightmare (it's just matter of time).
What I am saying is, no matter what, when it is time, we need to change for future coming. For example, for those stubborn said windows 7 is never good, you cannot do anything, your say will not change the world. Eventually you put yourself in agony.
So for now, still early to judging and decide, but soon windows 7 will take over like XP taken over older windows(windows 95, ME and etc)
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