Well, I gave Vista a fair crack of the whip!

[kregg]

The crucial difference here is that with linux you can still carry on using older versions of the O/S for as long as you want until the newer versions are stabilised or packages fixed. i.e. We can keep the whole corporation on the same O/S for as long as we want, and we can decide when we want to perform the upgrade (after software has been tested).

Why can't you do that with Windows? Just disable automatic updates across the entire network.

I was just about to say the same thing. When I was aged 11-16, the school that I was in was running Windows 95/98 machines with a Windows NT server (I believe). I was there for 4 years, and they still had the same old setup. Then when I had left, they demolished the building to make a new school building (the same school, but just a redesigned building). I remember the Computer guy (that's what we called him) saying to us that if the school wasn't demolished, he would still keep the old format. It's just that it's a new school and the headteacher wanted everything new. I bet you if I go back to that place, they will still have the same XP setup as they've had from the start, and probably will continue to do so.

[SurfDemon]

The crucial difference here is that with linux you can still carry on using older versions of the O/S for as long as you want until the newer versions are stabilised or packages fixed. i.e. We can keep the whole corporation on the same O/S for as long as we want, and we can decide when we want to perform the upgrade (after software has been tested).

Why can't you do that with Windows? Just disable automatic updates across the entire network.

Aha, because when we buy new computers (for new employees) we have to buy a new O/S license. At present, there are still various options for getting XP, but none of them are easy, and I doubt if they will be available for much longer.

Also, when we migrate users to new machines some of the old machines have the OEM version of XP (which means it can't be transferred to a new computer). So again, we have to buy a new license. (Note: The cost of the license is not an issue, to be honest $200-$300 for an O/S license seems quite reasonable to me on top of the cost of the hardware, but it would be highly irresponsible of me to buy an O/S that doesn't do what my employees need it to do, hence we'd rather stay on XP until the issues with Vista are sorted).

[kleinma]

Oh yeah, forgot to mention. Use Windows Server 2008. It has Virtual Server features so that you can simulate a testing lab on a single computer. You can install different OS's there for your testing pleasure.

Virtual Server (Or Virtual PC) is actually a free product that you can download from Microsoft and install on a few different operating systems to do testing.

I have Virtual Server 2005 R2 installed on my XP Pro machine, and I have every Windows OS from 98 through Vista installed as a virtual machine so I can test my software on it.

[kregg]

kleinma, have they solved that issue of the Virtual PCs not being able to install Linux properly?

[Arrow_Raider]

You'll be able to install fine, but the time will go out of sync, you will send multiple keystrokes for one keystroke, and your mouse cursor may not respond.

Use sun virtualbox. It is free and has some nice features. Don't use vmware's free product. Vmware is clunky and it slowed my computer down.

[kregg]

I do use it. Ever since it came with my Linux box I've been hooked too it. VMWare's free proudcts are too bothersome to use. I always have to download a hard drive, set up the file so it reads from the right ISO, etc. I don't remember the free player slowing my computer down, but I don't exactly think highly of their free virtualisation software.

[kleinma]

depends on the linux distro. I was on a beta to try out the tools for Suse Linux and it worked pretty well running in Virtual Server 2005.

You don't get quite the same toolset as you do for Windows, but you get some performance improvements and I have not seen the issue with the multiple keystrokes. I did see that when testing Ubuntu on Virtual Server.

[BillGeek]

kleinma, have they solved that issue of the Virtual PCs not being able to install Linux properly?

I just recently installed OpenSUSE on MS VirtualPC2007 and it was working fine. I recall reading somewhere that the main problem was that Linux runs at 24bit colour depth, and this was causing MSVPC to "garble" the display.

Depending on what kind of machine you have, MSVPC takes very little resources. A few spikes in CPU usage while the virtual machine starts up, but after that, nothing too intense. The only thing I dislike about MS Virtual PC is the fact that you can't change the emulated graphics card. I suppose this is normal and to be expected, but I'd like to at least see two or three options.

Oh well... I guess a Virtual Machine is not really the place to test DirectX development in any case.

[kregg]

Graphics isn't virtual machine's forte. And yes, the 24bit colour depth was my problem, and I always had that problem. I personally like Virtualbox, but I was wondering if VPC had stepped up to the plate.

[tommygrayson]

Virtual Server (Or Virtual PC) is actually a free product that you can download from Microsoft and install on a few different operating systems to do testing.

I have Virtual Server 2005 R2 installed on my XP Pro machine, and I have every Windows OS from 98 through Vista installed as a virtual machine so I can test my software on it.

Thanks kleinma. Forgot to mention that you could also download and install Virtual PC for other versions of Windows.

[penagate]

You'll be able to install fine, but the time will go out of sync

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