windows xp vs vista

[Giz99]

You can legally downgrade to XP the challenge is finding the XP hardware drivers for you new Laptop.

Giz

 

[TConnolly]

I think the "at present" is the issue. I believe June 30 is the last day OEMs can supply new PCs with XP.

OG

June 30 is the last day end users can buy an OEM license with the purchase of hardware, that means if you buy a new hard disk you can't get an OEM version of XP. However, computer system builders such as Dell will still be able to provide it through Jan 31 2009.

 

[jpconard]

I just bought myself a new laptop, just in case MS do not extend the XP availability again. Otherwise, its off to the second hand PC store. They still have quite a few XP pro PCs.

Final choice is for a sub notebook, like an Eee PC or something similar.

Anyone tried to use an Eee for PLC programming?

With XP home, it runs RSLogix5000, RSLogix500, RSNetworx - DeviceNet, fairly well. You need to install to the SD card (purchase 8GB or larger card), which is seen as D: drive. RSView requires XP Pro and that may be a little more than you would want to do.

Keep in mind the 7" screen is difficult, but remove some toolbars, zoom down a little, and remove the sidebar (ALT-0) and you can program a little. It is perfect for the smaller tasks. The 9" and soon 10" versions would be even better.

I wouldn't use it daily for programming (unless connected to larger screen), but for occasional small stuff they work good, fast boot up because of SSD, and stand-by mode works good too. At 2 pounds and all solid state, they seem fairly durable as well.

 

[panic mode]

I am writing this on my "NEW" 1995 Toughbook...I bought it at a yard sale for $5.00, and had the IT guy at work go thru it.
It came with Dos 3.1, but is now running the lightest version of XP (XP for Legecy PC's)...Very cool 'cus it has a REAL com port,and it runs all the programs I need!!!

David:beerchug: :site:

i wish i could do the same and throw some of the @$#!@ out of window but then most of the time we have to use what customers specify. my trusty old D800 is going to be replaced next week by M4300 and I can't wait for it (and of course it's XP). you can get pretty much anything but you need to ask (and sometimes pay) for it. it's not like this

 

[surferb]

lol - that's a good one.

it's not like this

 

[panic mode]

i like this one even better, would look nice on a T-shirt :

http://blaugh.com/2006/12/29/you-ready-for-windows-vista/

 

[BryanG]

I know it has been said before but the answer is to run XP in a virtualised PC on top of Vista, I use Virtualbox which is Open Source and so the right price. I now have a Vista base system with XP, ME and Suse Linux available to run in virtual mode. It has solved problems with Cimrex, Siemens, Moeller and some very old Lotus Database software. It means that if the program you have does the job you never have to worry about it becoming incompatible with a particular version of Windows. If there is a problem you just run it in a different virtual machine.

Download it, give it a try.

Bryan

 

[jprindle]

You can legally downgrade to XP the challenge is finding the XP hardware drivers for you new Laptop.

Giz

driverpacks.net

I have had great luck finding most drivers here...even for laptops. Some things might not work (bluetooth), but with a little research and a program like Driver Magician, they can be found as well.

 

[pandersen]

If you buy a laptop with Vista Business or better, you can 'downgrade' to XP. See http://news.cnet.com/The-XP-alternative-for-Vista-PCs/2100-1016_3-6209481.html?tag=nefd.lede

 

[BobB]

I now have my new Dell Vostro 1710 up and running with Vista Business. Nice machine, great screen, CAD software running well, Omron CX-One running well. Bought a card bus serial port and it works fine to Omron PLCs so far, so does the USB connection to the CP1 PLCs. Bought a USB/parallel cable for printers with parallel ports. It just installs itself as USB printing support and works well also. No software required for it at all.

I have installed Virtual Box as recommeneded. I do have some software that has to run under XP Pro. It will not install under Vista at all.

The instructions for Virtual Box I found slightly confusing. I gather I have to have an ISO file from an XP Pro installation installed or on CD-ROM. Can someone confirm this for me please?

If so how do I make one?

 

[geniusintraining]

Hi Bob,

Yes you need to install XP in the virtual box, I have not used virtual box before but I have used several others and I think they are all close to the same.

There are two ways to install new software on your virtual machine, with a iso file or just by using your cd player.

I have used http://www.magiciso.com/ this software to make iso files before, you would need to use an iso file only if your pc can not see the CD or I had to use it on a machine that did not have a floppy drive and I needed install a old program that was on the floppy

 

[BobB]

Strangely enough Vista would not let me install XP Pro at all - install was blanked out. I did a quick Google search and found that a PC mag here in Ozz had a very good article on how to do a dual boot system with Vista already installed.

Used a Linux free disk partitioner to reduce the size of the Vista partition and then just installed XP Pro into the partition I created. Did a repair on Vista to get it to boot and installed a piece of software to create the dual boot system. Working like a charm so far.

Here is a link on how to do it
http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_vista_and_xp_with_vista_installed_first__the_stepbystep_guide.htm

 

[BryanG]

The big advantage of using a Virtual system over a dual boot system is that you can have any number of Operating Systems running at the same time. I have one machine where some of the setup is easier in XP and some in Linux, with a multiboot system I would be forever re-booting to get to the system I need.
The VirtualBox instructions are confusing, below is a step by step, hope it helps.

Start Virtualbox

Click on New and the New Virtual Machine Wizard opens.

Click on Next.

Give your new virtual machine a name i.e. WinXP and select OS Type as Windows XP.

Depending on how much memory your system has acccept the 192 suggestion or increase it to whatever you want. I use 256 on on my system. Click on Next.

You now need to create a virtual hard drive so select New.

The Create New Virtual Disk Wizard opens. Click on Next.

Accept Dynamicaly expanding image, click on Next.

Give the virtual hard disk a name i.e. WinXP, accept the 10.00GB size. Click on Next

Click on Finish to go back to the vitual machine setup.

Click on Next and then on Finish.

You will now have a Virtual Machine called WinXP in the list of machines. Click on it.

Click on CD/DVD-ROM and tick the Mount CD/DVD Drive.

Select Audio from the list and tick the Enable Audio, select Windows DirectSound from the drop down box.

Click on USB and Enable USB Controller, enable the USBEHI Controller.

Click on Shared Folders and then click on the thing that looks like a camera on the right side, it actually a + sign on top of a folder. Choose which bit of your existing system you want to share data with, click on OK, click on OK.

You are now ready to install XP. Put your instalation disk into the CD/DVDdrive and Click on Start to start the virtual machine. Vista will ask about autoplay the CD, just dismiss the dialog.

XP installation will start.

Once XP is installed and until you install the Additions, press the right hand CTRL key to free the mouse from XP control back to Vista control.

Formatting may takes a while even when it gets to 100%
Wait for XP to install.
Answer XP questions and setup XP as normal.
Wait for XP updates to download then install them
Wait for XP updates to download then install them

Mount the guest additions ISO image by going to Devices, Mount CD/DVD-ROM, CD/DVD-ROM Image and select VBoxGuestAdditions.iso from the list.
If a Window opens then double click VirtualGuestAditions, otherwise go Start, My Computer and double click VBOXADDITIONS_x_x_x_xxxxx. Continue anyway when XP complains about a license.

With Guest Additions installed the mouse will auto-capture and release and you can drag the sides of the VirtualBox window to change the size.

Start, Control Panel, Classic View, Network connections - Set up Home or Office network, Turn On File and Print sharing.

Start, My Computer, My Network Places, Add a network place, Choose another network location, browse and select Entire Network, VirtualBox Shared Folders and the the folder you choose to share earlier and then OK, then Next. Give this a few minutes to work though sometimes it stalls, if it stalls then just re-run.

Start, My Computer, Tools, Map Network Drive Browse to Entire Network, VirtualBox Shared Folders and select the folder you chose to share, sometime you have to go back and select again to get OK to appear. Finnish.

Create shortcut to Device Manager C:\Windows\System32\devmgmt.msc on the desktop to give easy access to the Device Manager.

Install USB to Serial drivers on XP system, then Devices, USB Devices and choose the USB to Serial device from the list. Test the USB to Serial Converter if it doesn't work try a different make/type.

 

[geniusintraining]

... below is a step by step.....

WOW! thanks...

 

[ghettofreeryder]

The other advantage of running machines in a vm is portability and disaster recovery. Make the vm, then copy it to a secure backup incase you lose or destroy your laptop