Subject:New PC Shopping, What OS is ok?

Posted by: riceprod

Date:8/13/2009 6:49:44 AM

Hello,

Looks like I'm going to be buying a new PC. It looks like pretty much everything these days is running Vista 64-bit. I'm concerned that my Sony software (which is 99% of what I use) won't play nice with this OS. My software is:

SF8
Acid 6 and 7
Vegas 4 and 8

(SF8 is the one I'm most concerned about, that's why I'm asking in the SF forum.)

Do I need to special-order an XP machine or should I be ok with Vista64? Thanks!

Subject:RE: New PC Shopping, What OS is ok?

Reply by: Geoff_Wood

Date:8/13/2009 3:34:47 PM

They should all operate just fine running as 32-bit mode. Unless somebody reports otherwise ( check the Vista Forum here).

Pretty much everything I've seen around is Vista Home Basic or Premium. 64 seems by special request, here at least. Maybe they are dumping all the old (soon to be redundant) stock.

But why Vista, when W7 is only a month or so away ? Can you wait ?

geoff

Subject:RE: New PC Shopping, What OS is ok?

Reply by: riceprod

Date:8/19/2009 9:10:42 PM

Hi Geoff, thanks for the response.

Pretty much all I'm seeing available now is Vista 64. The reason I'm looking now is because I bought a custom workstation with XP Pro last Nov... worked like a champ til June when the hard-drive died. Since replacing the hard-drive I've had myriad issues with Vegas and SoundForge and even Windows Media Player... pops and crackles and hung apps. The guy I bought it from seems to have disappeared and my IT buddy can't figure it out so I'm thisclose to pulling the plug on it and getting a new brand-name PC.

Subject:RE: New PC Shopping, What OS is ok?

Reply by: Geoff_Wood

Date:8/20/2009 2:15:32 PM

Why not spend <$100 on a brand-new huge fast reputable brand HDD ? Or two ....

geoff

Subject:RE: New PC Shopping, What OS is ok?

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:8/20/2009 5:47:38 PM

It sounds like you may have had Windows reinstalled with all the fancy, unnecessary bells & whistles enabled. Things like window dragging effects and see-through panes can simply flatten your CPU. There are also many default services that may constantly run in the background that should be disabled since you'll have no need of most of them.

Also, what anti-virus/anti-spyware/firewall software got installed after the drive was replaced? A lot of vendors will install Norton as a (*ahem*) "nice little free benefit" for you whether you ask for it or not. Norton AV is a system-killer. Most Windows systems become nearly unusable for audio/visual production with it installed. Check for that, and if you find it download the uninstaller and get rid of it. That alone may account for all your problems. There are numerous other antivirus packages that also are a horrendous drain on your system. Find out which one you've got running and we can make recommendations for a much friendlier one.

Subject:RE: New PC Shopping, What OS is ok?

Reply by: theloniouscoltrane

Date:8/30/2009 3:40:26 PM

AVG (in case you have a better suggestion) and I've had a boatload of problems with SF 9.0 and Vista 64, along with zero help form Sony.

Subject:RE: New PC Shopping, What OS is ok?

Reply by: riceprod

Date:9/8/2009 7:50:17 PM

It's an offline PC, so no anti-anything is installed. Pretty sure the window dragging and see-thru effects are disabled too.

Subject:RE: New PC Shopping, What OS is ok?

Reply by: kitekrazee

Date:9/9/2009 8:32:41 PM

I think most PC manufacturers are offering a free upgrade to W7.