david12345 Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 hi if you were buying windows PCs for a new network now, with a windows server 2008 domain controller and 20 PCs for use in school curriculum, would you go for vista or xp? Xp is old, and support for it even on netbooks is planned to finish at some point, with windows 7 versions coming out (autumn 2009?) . Most educational software now has versions for vista, so would you still get vista PCs and roll back to xp or is it now better to use vista in the classroom?
powdarrmonkey Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 I'd still have XP and jump to v7 when it arrives.
Quackers Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 Get XP, we still install XP on anything that comes in with Vista Business. Need the computer to be usable
imiddleton25 Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 I run both and haven't had any major problems with software with new hardware i go for Vista as have rolled a couple of laptops back to xp for teachers and struggled to get the drivers for xp. Windows 7 is vista plus some new bits so not gaining much by waiting that you cant get now.
jcollings Posted February 9, 2009 Posted February 9, 2009 I would buy PCs that have a licence for Vista with downgrade (or should that be upgrade) rights and then you can run XP to start with and upgrade to Vista if you felt like it later.
EduTech Posted February 9, 2009 Posted February 9, 2009 Again, i would get vista licence's and downgrade to windows xp, and then move on to win 7, or windows vista if you really needed to. but personally i would wait for 7 James.
PiqueABoo Posted February 9, 2009 Posted February 9, 2009 Support for it [XP] even on netbooks is planned to finish at some point April 2014.. that's 5 years time.. your new PCs etc. may well be in or headed for WEEE-land by then.
tmcd35 Posted February 9, 2009 Posted February 9, 2009 For now we buy Vista Business PC's and downgrade to XP Pro. We are currently planning to move to Win7 in 2011, well before the April 2014 deadline for XP.
kesomir Posted February 9, 2009 Posted February 9, 2009 I would also get machines with vista licenses and then use downgrade rights to wipe and install XP.
saundersmatt Posted February 9, 2009 Posted February 9, 2009 I run both and haven't had any major problems with software with new hardware i go for Vista as have rolled a couple of laptops back to xp for teachers and struggled to get the drivers for xp. Windows 7 is vista plus some new bits so not gaining much by waiting that you cant get now. Just thought that i'd echo yuor sentiments. Run Vista, really on modern hardware there is no problem at all. You're going to have the gpo configuration headache when you move to Win 7, might as well tackle it now for Vista. Matt
Ex-MGSTech Posted February 9, 2009 Posted February 9, 2009 Same here buy Vista Business PC's and use downgrade rights back to XP We have too much Educational software to update at present (Although it will happen at some point. Out of interest we use Office 2003 (Bought 2007 Licences and use downgrade rights) Has everyone else jumped to Office 2007 ? Steve
Guest Guest Posted February 9, 2009 Posted February 9, 2009 Vista with upgrade to XP licence. Theres really no need for vista, i dont like it, you dont like it, the kids dont like it, the staff dont like it, and most importantly your hardware and software dont like it. Close your eyes, no-one can see you and it will go away.
gshaw Posted February 9, 2009 Posted February 9, 2009 (edited) Vista to XP downgrade for us at the moment - no real need to jump to Vista at the moment (although the possibility of running a choice of either through VDI would be classy ) Wait for 7 (Vista SP2 ) when the performance is up to an acceptable standard but in the meantime test Vista \ Server 2008 GPOs on a test network to get geared up and ready... Edited February 9, 2009 by gshaw
acer-man Posted February 10, 2009 Posted February 10, 2009 As mentioned all PCs and Laptops (except netbooks) have to come with Vista now and as you said you can downgrade. However the ability to downgrade was suppose to stop at the start of this year with support finishing during this year. You can never trust microsoft! From personal experiance installing in schools over the last few months lots of schools are now moving to Vista but some of these schools have done total replacements and thus changed the whole school. I agree if you change some of the PCs and then have a Vista/XP mix you may well have trouble with the children. If you move to Server 2008 (which is much improved on 2003) then Vista is the best way forward. Although this doesn't affect schools as much of all the repairs we do about 70% are virus repairs and to date none have been Vista, all XP. I would move to Vista but leave Windows 7 until SP1 comes out for it, thats when Vista started to work! Hope that helps.
tmcd35 Posted February 10, 2009 Posted February 10, 2009 As mentioned all PCs and Laptops (except netbooks) have to come with Vista now and as you said you can downgrade. However the ability to downgrade was suppose to stop at the start of this year with support finishing during this year. You can never trust microsoft! Having spent far, far, far too much time studying M$ licensing, I think there is a point here that needs clarifying. M$ have allowed OEM's to include a OEM XP downgrade CD/DVD with certain versions of Vista. This arrangement was due to end last month but was extended until mid June. This arrangement is in fact separate from the downgrade rights we already have under M$ Select licensing (and the Schools Agreement). Under the Select agreement we can re-image a machine with the same OS as provided by OEM, or any previous equivalent version. This right continues after the mid June cut-off for OEM's providing downgrade media. In fact the downgrade rights were in place for Win XP, and possibly with previous versions. They are not new to the Vista EULA at all. Previous equivalent versions for Vista Business would be XP Pro, 2000 Pro, NT4 and Win98SE. If you have a Select agreement with M$ and have bought a PC with Vista Business OEM license you can downgrade that PC to any of these versions. 1
acer-man Posted February 10, 2009 Posted February 10, 2009 Thanks to tmcd35. I wrote that message while watching Bob the Builder with my Son, so my mind was maybe not fully on what I was writing! I had forgotten about select agreements this morning but you are correct, I am unsure if an OEM licence will give you downgrade rights under the select agreement?
tmcd35 Posted February 10, 2009 Posted February 10, 2009 Than I am unsure if an OEM licence will give you downgrade rights under the select agreement? See attached. Under 'System Software' and 'OEM' (centre box). List of OS's OEM version has downgrade rights to. The downgrade rights themselves only, logically, work with Select/Open media. So, if you have a PC with Vista Business OEM and a Select/Open XP Pro CD then you can downgrade.licence-product-downgrade-rights.doc 1
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