I was wrong. Windows XP is a fine operating system, however Windows XP 64 bit is junk. It was never faster or more stable than XP 32 bit. Lately I’ve been getting the blue screen of death for no apparent reason. Everyday my system gets slower. This morning I realized how much at risk I am should HULK go completely dead.
My short list of woes experienced with Windows XP 64 bit:
- Boot time no faster than XP 32 bit.
- For 4 GB of memory, it should have been much faster.
- The first GPS I bought had to be returned as the drivers were never written.
- Netflix’s Watch Instantly feature doesn’t work on XP 64 bit.
- Blue screen of death far more frequent than XP 32 bit.
- My hunch is most software has been weakly or never tested on this OS.
My golden Microsoft operating system rule is to never buy the new operating system until at least 1 year and 1 service pack has been released. My mistake was treating XP 64 bit as if it were a better version of XP 32 bit, when in fact it should have been treated as a new operating system.
I went to the DELL site and quickly ordered a decent machine with VISTA. Why fight it? XP will soon be dead. Resistance is futile.
UPDATE (7/27/2008) : Hulk Update – XP 64 Was Innocent
Vista is the new Windows ME. I’d stick to XP 32 bit until Windows 7. If it’s not too late, make sure you have downgrade rights to XP or a Dell OEM XP disk laying around.
I’ve had Vista on work desktop for over a year. I curse it daily.
Windows 64 bit anything is a joke. No one writes drivers and 95% of the applications are 32 bit. Open task manager, see those tasks that are *32. Yeah, those are 32 bit. Even on Server 64 bit, over half of the MSFT processes are still 32 bit.
I’m done resisting M$ Vista. I held out for over a year. Carry on the battle without me.
If you aren’t happy with XP 64 bit, I am guessing you’ll hate Vista. We have a Vista Machine at work and it is unbelievably annoying. So long as you are throwing in the towel, you may consider running OS X on a new Apple product. For those moments when you absolutely must have access to Windows, virtualization is your answer. My experience is that XP runs better for me in a virtualized environment on my MacBook and iMac than it ever did on my Dell–I’d love to try it out on a MacPro
. OS X is already 64 bit and it works wonderfully well.
My XP 64 bit (HULK) is no longer under warranty and was hand built by a place in South Orange County. When I lived in North County San Diego, I went up there twice for service. That is no longer an option. I have no backup computer. In many ways in ended up being too big and too loud for me.
I’m not expecting great things from my new VISTA machine. I just need stability and VISTA is more stable than XP64 or else there would be rioting in the streets.
Or you could screw all this ridiculous nonsense, pre-empt further frustration and complaining and just go Mac. You’ll never go back, and you’ll never be sorry…. and you’d be fine to run what you need to with emulation software.
Craig came home with his brand new Dell laptop he got for work, which has Vista on it. Damn thing weighs 20 lbs and …well…. Vista. Gag. It’s trying way to hard to be OSX. M$ blows.
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