XP or Linux

Arkcon · #1 January 3rd, 2005, 09:53 PM

I just bought an OEM Version of Windows 2000 pro, based on the opinions of the people on this board. I'll install it, then maybe someday later I'll try Linux again.

Linux is excellent for the web. Mozilla is great, Opera is fun to play with. And you can use a variety of email programs. If your favorite web site only works with IE's ActiveX, you're out of luck. But I just see that as an exploit waiting to happen, so don't mind.

Mplayer comes with Linux, and Gnome and KDE provide graphic front ends. It will play my DVD's and Online video clips. There's no way to view stuff encoded with Microsoft's Digital Rights Management, AFAIK, but I hate that snooping codec and just don't keep videos that rely on it anyway.

SE4 runs under WinE, but it is a little slow. And it hangs sometimes. This is one area where lots of tweeking is needed, and I am a little disappointed.

But DirectX games won't work without a commercial package called Cedega. Some people claim its also needs lots of tweeking, and will slow down a game. I kinda don't care, buying a commercial package to layer over a free copy of Linux just to play a game seems wrong.

If SE5 has a native Linux Version (hey, I can dream, can't I?) then I may dump Microsoft brand OS's for good.

Aiken · #2 January 3rd, 2005, 10:58 PM

OS Ready status, according to independent research conducted by AIII (Aiken's Imho International Incorporated)
Linux:
DVD video: 99% (-1% because of DRM and other closed stuff, which rarely used)
Web: 99% (-1% because of ActiveX, doesn't matter unless you go for bank services Online)
Games: 10% (directX support is pathetic, but some games go multiplatform these days, ie Doom3, UT 200x).

Win NT 5.x (xp or 2k)
DVD: 80% (-20% because _really_ good dvd soft is nonfree)
Web: 20% (-80% due to spyware, trojans, viruses, blackholes....)
Games: 99% (-1% because linux games don't run in windows

).

Ed Kolis · #3 January 3rd, 2005, 11:34 PM

FYI, the developers of wine, the free package on which WinEx was based, *are* working on a port of DirectX, so Linux gaming should improve... sometime

In the meanwhile, there's always the free CVS "bleeding edge" Version of WinEx - no guarantees like the commercial Version, but you can't beat the price

Combat Wombat · #4 January 4th, 2005, 12:32 AM

I would go with XP Pro

Instar · #5 January 4th, 2005, 02:08 AM

XP Pro. Has the best featureset and UI I've used with any OS, and that includes MacOSes. Of course, XP Pro is what I've grown used to.
Win2k is another good option, but its not as good as XP in my opinion. Don't buy XP Home.
If you do go Linux, use KDE UI

Wardad · #6 January 4th, 2005, 12:57 PM

Thanks everyone, it took a while to read through all of the Posts.

XP seems like the only reasonble choice for a gamer, in the near future.

Actually - being able to play old Favorites like MOO 1 is a requirement.

Why XP pro over XP home? I thought that pro just had some remote admin hooks in it.

What about dual boot Linux and XP? Which installs first? Are different drive (formats) needed?

Fyron · #7 January 4th, 2005, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Wardad said:
XP seems like the only reasonble choice for a gamer, in the near future.

Not at all. 2k plays modern games and a lot of older games without issue, 98 plays all older games without issue. XP costs you a lot of money and won't be able to play all older games anyways.

Quote:

Wardad said:
Actually - being able to play old Favorites like MOO 1 is a requirement.

Games like that you can likely get working in Wine or Cedega (with a bit of work). A lot of DOS games run under 2k, but others don't. It is hit and miss. No guarantee that it will run under XP either. 98 is the only way to be safe for old DOS games. With 2k or XP, DosBox is a good (and free) DOS emulator for those old DOS games, and assuming you have a computer with more than a few hundred megahertz CPU, it will work just fine.

Quote:

Wardad said:
Why XP pro over XP home? I thought that pro just had some remote admin hooks in it.

Home is terrible. Try to avoid it. I don't remember all of the specific reasons, but a quick google search should turn up plenty of sites about the differences.

Quote:

Wardad said:
What about dual boot Linux and XP? Which installs first? Are different drive (formats) needed?

Not a bad option. Different drives formatted with different methods are certainly needed. Install XP first, as Linux is fine recognizing XP as another OS, but XP doesn't like Linux... Of course, there is no need to get XP just for games. Just set up 98 as the other OS for your games.

Quote:

tesco samoa said:
as for linux package. suse mandrake etc... are good distro's

Nah. Debian all the way. Start coming by #SpaceEmpires again and you will know why.