It's Gotta Be Windows...

Windows is the defacto operating system around the world, with over 95% of the computers out there running Bill Gates' software in some form. While Linux exists out there in various forms, it shouldn't be considered at all unless you are willing to spend several weeks tweaking it so everything will run. There's a reason why the rest of the world uses Windows, and there's one answer: compatibility.

With Windows, it's pretty much guaranteed that all of your software will work with it, while any other system, including Apple's, is a dicey proposition.

Windows 7

Windows 7 is the long-awaited replacement to Windows Vista and the rightful heir to Windows XP.

You can check out the official Microsoft 'new' feature list for "7", but here are some of the highlights...

Vista was much-maligned, with many regular complaints concerning its bloated footprint and the fact that Windows XP ran faster than Vista, on the same equipment.

Windows 7, formerly code-named "Vienna", is fast, sleek and provides a lot more of the 'wow' factor than Vista ever did. You can even see the comparison of Windows 7 versus Vista across 3 vastly different system configurations, with "7" coming out the obvious winner.

Microsoft has once again produced a simple comparison chart for Windows 7 so you can figure out which version is right for you. Essentially, unless you are working in a business environment backing up multiple systems over a network, you should be perfectly fine using the Home Premium version. Microsoft continues to make both 32-bit and 64-bit OSs with Windows 7; if you follow my recommended PC parts closely, you should definitely stick with the 64-bit version of "7".

Windows Vista

Vista, formerly known as "Longhorn", was released in time for Christmas 2006, was radically different than Windows XP. You can see how Microsoft itself highlights the differences and new features in Vista.

Vista proved to be a bloated operating system that proved to be incompatible with a lot of features in prior versions of Windows, causing many corporate IT departments to skip Vista altogether.

Vista did introduce several new graphic-intensive options, primarily DirectX 10, which allowed the CPU to be freed up to process other, more intensive operations and leave graphics to a specialized chip and firmware.

Historically, Vista will be viewed as a rushed corporate blunder by Microsoft, as both home and corporate users failed to adopt it and instead relied on reliable Windows XP SP3 far longer than its original planned lifespan.

Windows XP

Windows XP used an entirely different system structure than Windows 98, the prior generation Operating System (OS). This means that probably around 1/3 Windows 98 programs will not work with Windows XP and vice versa. As to networking, the notion of people owning two or three computers was still a vague notion back when Windows 98 came out.

Besides compatibility and networking, Windows XP offered another advantage: stability. Windows 98 was very prone to random lock-ups and such, a problem that has been drastically reduced in XP.

Windows XP must be constantly updated to stay abreast of any new security problems or potential upgrades, so make sure and check Microsoft's Update Page frequently.

Windows XP introduced basic networking and Internet functionalities to the masses, having been built on the foundation of the corporate-focused Windows 2000.

Windows 2000 Professional

This is the OS that I used for quite some time. Windows 2000 is essentially an earlier version of Windows XP, but without several of the 'pretty' features.

Windows 2000 is based on the same structural core as the Windows XP series, so very few compatibilty issues arise (I can't recall an instance where a game hasn't worked in 2000 but has in XP).

Windows 2000 was designed for the business world in mind. That was not a hang-up for me, as usually security and other features are emphasized more in the business world than the consumer world. Windows 2000's networking capabilities aren't as 'plug 'n play' as newer versions of Windows.

 

Windows 98 Second Edition

Windows 98 was a considerable upgrade over Windows 95, with many stability and functionality problems fixed. Windows 98 is a fine choice, I feel, to run on a computer not networked, as it is a pain to configure every setting for the network.

Windows 98 was the last operating system built by Microsoft that was built on a primary DOS kernel. For those who don't remember, DOS was the first operating system (appearing in the early 1980s) built by Microsoft, and it was driven by a text-command interface. Many programs built for Windows 98 or DOS will simply not run in newer Windows, including one of my all-time favorite games.

Also, Microsoft has stopped offering support on this OS. Once the support is gone, all the Service Packs, drivers, etcetra will magically disappear from Microsoft's site, only to be found on out-of-the-way websites on the Internet. For this reason alone, I'd advise you to avoid this OS, unless nostalgia drives you to give it a spin again.

Here again are my complete recommendations for building a computer with a great Operating System at a low price!

Next - Other Computer Hardware - Printers, Keyboards, etc. »

 

Tip: If you still long to run some of your old computer programs or games from the DOS/Windows 98 era (or before), you are actually now in luck. There is an 'emulator', known as Dosbox, which allows you to run these programs, with some very minor tweaking, on all modern computers. For nostalgic people like myself, it didn't come soon enough.