Microsoft to stop selling Windows XP today

It is ram intensive, but so is XP unless you have a fast processor. They just recommend 2, but 1 will work. 512 is minimum.

For Vista system requirements CLICK HERE

See facts on Vista by CLICKING HERE

I recommend home Prem.

For those interested, 5 ways to speed up your PC

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

I recommend home Prem.

That leads me to yet more questions....is there really any difference between the versions? I've always used regular XP but there's also XP Professional. I never new what the difference was other than one had a green box (basic) and one had a blue box (professional). Professional costs twice as much so I never went for it.

There's four versions of Vista
EDIT: A very brief search for computers on Amazon and Vista Home Premium seems to be the standard one. Is that basically the same thing as the regular XP - unless you specifically ask for something else that's what you get?

Also, that 5 steps thing is a good article. I used to defragment from time to time but it's been a long time. Maybe I'll do that tonight?

I think I'm about convinced that I will go ahead and get Vista when I get a new computer....I'll probably wait a while on the new computer. I might as well wait until after I get a job first.

I mean I don't like Vista, but eventually I won't have a choice. I remember when we got Windows 95 back in the day I hated it so much. Windows 3.1 was perfect, no need for Windows 95. Good luck trying to use Windows 3.1 in this day and age

Here's a 3.1 screen shot...this confuses the hell out of me. I'm not sure I could even still use 3.1 :haha:

catbox_9 wrote:

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

I recommend home Prem.

That leads me to yet more questions....is there really any difference between the versions? I've always used regular XP but there's also XP Professional. I never new what the difference was other than one had a green box (basic) and one had a blue box (professional). Professional costs twice as much so I never went for it.

XP PRO has a server built in and is for businesses. Home users do not need the extra stuff and would waste money buying it.

catbox_9 wrote:

There's four versions of Vista
EDIT: A very brief search for computers on Amazon and Vista Home Premium seems to be the standard one. Is that basically the same thing as the regular XP - unless you specifically ask for something else that's what you get?

Regular Vista is = to XP, Vista Home Prem, is much better, and normally come with computers now.

Vista Home Premium is the version you want. It has Media center build in, plus other stuff. Media center is great. If you add a tv tuner to the computer, Media center is turned into a TIVO actually. I added tv tuners to my last 2 laptops and set it to record programs for me. Most tv tuners are now digital, but if you have cable tv or direct tv or Dish, a regular computer TV tuner will work fine and both digital and regular are low cost now.

catbox_9 wrote:

Also, that 5 steps thing is a good article. I used to defragment from time to time but it's been a long time. Maybe I'll do that tonight?

I thought the article would help everyone! Vista automatically does the defrag and a bunch of other stuff automatically for you. Live desktop is great too, I have the weather channel widget and a memory/processor monitor on my desktop all the time. There are 1000's of widgets now including clocks, games, sportlines ect that you can have on your desktop.

That media center thing sounds kind of cool for hooking them up to TVs.

Speaking of that, what's the best way to hook a computer to a TV?

My screen re-died last time I went home and I didn't have my monitor there. I used an S-video cable to hook it up to my TV directly but the TV looked absolutely awful. If I sat in front of the TV with the mouse the screen was so distorted I couldn't even begin to use it. I could watch video fine, but for computing - no way (and it didn't matter what resolution I set the computer at).

Is that just how TVs work when hooked up to computers?


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I'm beginning to feel kind of stupid with all these questions. I'm not that dumb though. I have built two computers from scratch (with Windows XP), and I was even able to replace the backlight on my laptop (lots of fun taking a laptop screen apart ).

S-Video sucks! The last time I hooked my computer up to the TV, I used the DVI slot on the TV, and the Digital Video out on the video card. That seemed to work pretty decently, but would have been better if I could have figured out what settings to use on the TV....damn thing has to have at least 9 different aspects I can change it to! LOL

catbox_9 wrote:

That media center thing sounds kind of cool for hooking them up to TVs.

Speaking of that, what's the best way to hook a computer to a TV?

My screen re-died last time I went home and I didn't have my monitor there. I used an S-video cable to hook it up to my TV directly but the TV looked absolutely awful. If I sat in front of the TV with the mouse the screen was so distorted I couldn't even begin to use it. I could watch video fine, but for computing - no way (and it didn't matter what resolution I set the computer at).

Is that just how TVs work when hooked up to computers?


-------

I'm beginning to feel kind of stupid with all these questions. I'm not that dumb though. I have built two computers from scratch (with Windows XP), and I was even able to replace the backlight on my laptop (lots of fun taking a laptop screen apart ).

The TV Tuner with media center turns your computer INTO a Digital TV. You can watch tv ON YOUR COMPUTER WITHOUT HOOKING IT TO A TV. I buy the Widescreen model laptops for this reason.


If you get a model with Blu-ray DVD writer you have a base for a Hi-DEF TV and DVD Machine! The 17" fujitsu computers have a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) Port to hook to Hi-Def TVs. If this is important, look for models with a HDMI port.

Otherwise you need to use the S-video cable port. I have used mine with a regular tv with S-Video and it was great for movies and regular computing. I think your problem is that you were using XP and not VISTA in multi monitor mode. It autodetects the TV and looks fine on my old 19" tv.

I have the 15.4" Fujitsu LifeBook A6120 Notebook.

I find Fujitsu and Toshiba Computer are the best built. When I took my lightening damaged on in to a local computer company for an estimate to repair it, they only recommend these two brands also and said any other computer would have been TOTALLY DEAD. Mine just lost the audio, a couple USB ports and the power transformer. BUT since laptop audio is built into the motherboard, I will have them put a new motherboard in.

Another that is built well and lower cost is the ASUS brand. I used Asus motherboards in at least 200 computers that I built for a college, they turned out to be one of the best build motherboards I have ever used. Many companies have checked over different brands, and the ASUS has rated high.

I was using an oldish TV (3-4 years old) that's not HD or anything like that. S-video was pretty much my only choice...that or component but I have no idea how to hook up component to a computer.

catbox_9 wrote:

I was using an oldish TV (3-4 years old) that's not HD or anything like that. S-video was pretty much my only choice...that or component but I have no idea how to hook up component to a computer.

The tv I hooked my laptop to is....... get this 16 years old, I hooked it to the dvd players svideo. That may be why it looked good, it was a dvd player and not directly to the tv. (my tv only has a regular cable connection and stereo R & L plus video rca jacks, no s-video.)

I'm so computer illiterate. How would I hook up a laptop to a tv using S video? I have an S video cable, do I need anything else? Not that I would do this often, I would just like to know how to do it.

bobrob2004 wrote:

I'm so computer illiterate. How would I hook up a laptop to a tv using S video? I have an S video cable, do I need anything else? Not that I would do this often, I would just like to know how to do it.

If your laptop has an S-video jack and your computer has one hook up the jack to both the computer and TV (or DVD player, etc.). Next, there's probably a button on your keyboard somewhere that allows you to change the video source. Press that and there you go. Depending on how you hook it up to the TV you'll almost certainly have to change the input.

catbox_9 wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

I'm so computer illiterate. How would I hook up a laptop to a tv using S video? I have an S video cable, do I need anything else? Not that I would do this often, I would just like to know how to do it.

If your laptop has an S-video jack and your computer has one hook up the jack to both the computer and TV (or DVD player, etc.). Next, there's probably a button on your keyboard somewhere that allows you to change the video source. Press that and there you go. Depending on how you hook it up to the TV you'll almost certainly have to change the input.

Ok, I'll try that. Yeah, they both have an S video jack, I checked. I'm not that stupid! :haha: I hooked it up and nothing happened, so I knew that I was missing something. I thought I had to changed something on the tv, not the computer.

bobrob2004 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

I'm so computer illiterate. How would I hook up a laptop to a tv using S video? I have an S video cable, do I need anything else? Not that I would do this often, I would just like to know how to do it.

If your laptop has an S-video jack and your computer has one hook up the jack to both the computer and TV (or DVD player, etc.). Next, there's probably a button on your keyboard somewhere that allows you to change the video source. Press that and there you go. Depending on how you hook it up to the TV you'll almost certainly have to change the input.

Ok, I'll try that. Yeah, they both have an S video jack, I checked. I'm not that stupid! :haha: I hooked it up and nothing happened, so I knew that I was missing something. I thought I had to changed something on the tv, not the computer.

You'll have to change both. If your laptop is like mine there's a button on there that lets you change what it does with the video. On my laptop the button is the same as F6 but you have to simultaneously press the FN key to make it work. There's a picture of a computer with a slash and a picture of a TV on that button.

catbox_9 wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

I'm so computer illiterate. How would I hook up a laptop to a tv using S video? I have an S video cable, do I need anything else? Not that I would do this often, I would just like to know how to do it.

If your laptop has an S-video jack and your computer has one hook up the jack to both the computer and TV (or DVD player, etc.). Next, there's probably a button on your keyboard somewhere that allows you to change the video source. Press that and there you go. Depending on how you hook it up to the TV you'll almost certainly have to change the input.

Ok, I'll try that. Yeah, they both have an S video jack, I checked. I'm not that stupid! :haha: I hooked it up and nothing happened, so I knew that I was missing something. I thought I had to changed something on the tv, not the computer.

You'll have to change both. If your laptop is like mine there's a button on there that lets you change what it does with the video. On my laptop the button is the same as F6 but you have to simultaneously press the FN key to make it work. There's a picture of a computer with a slash and a picture of a TV on that button.

I figured it out!

Nice job!