I've been running on 98 for ages now, and I'm being given an OS for my birthday on the eighteenth. The most accessible options for me are XP, ME, and 2000. I've seen XP and know that I don't want it, but I'm not certain about the general strengths and weaknesses of 2000 and ME. So, if anyone could give me opinions, or unbiased breakdowns of the pros and cons of each system, it'd help me a lot.
Also, this is a very stupid question I'm sure, but what exactly is the difference between Professional and Home?
Don't. Get. ME.
It's the most unstable OS that Microsoft have ever released - It BSODs waaaay too frequently. Plus, the clipboard is somehow screwed up (every time I've used ME, copying about 1000+ characters would bring up a "not enough memory" dialogue, even on a machine with 1gb+ of ram). 2000, however, is the second-most stable OS they've made (next to Server 2003). Get that instead. Now.
Also, any OS with Professional in the name is going to be a more recent (and thus more stable) build, whereas any "home" edition will have a few features truncated and that standard "decaying software" feature Microsoft like to use so much.
ME = Gay version of 98. No real good way to put it. It's buggy, doesn't support a lot of stuff, and highly prone to crashing.
2000 = Sauver version of NT, flexible, stable, and lets you have the control to do what you want (assuming you're getting Pro ((also assuming there's something other than Pro))).
I've had both. The computer with ME is dead because it caused me so many problems and I just got tired of it. My 2000 box is my favourite of all because, like I said, it doesn't stop you from doing alot (and it has better disk compression, as well as encryption, etc). It's been tweaked into a pretty good unit considering it's run on a six-year-old Laptop.
So, 2000 Professional is what you want. XP is like an overprotective manny (I hate it even though I'm using it right now) and ME is like an instable and complainitive child.
ME isn't that bad.. except for the instability.
I've used ME for about 5 years, and put simply, it's ****. Get 2000.
2kPro arrived in the mail today, now I'm all upgradified.
First new operating system for me in almost seven years now.
I would have recommended Windows 2000 Professional also, but Windows XP wouldn't have been a bad choice to go with, either. I have every Windows operating system that has been released, so I'm familiar with all of them. I wonder, why is it that you decided you didn't want to go with Windows XP?
because it doesn't run too great on a computer with 192 mb of ram, as I myself would know from experience.
192mb? How the hell would you bank that?
I have 2000. At least you have something that most programs are available for that version.
[quote=Sabredog]My brother's got it on his computer, and it doesn't sit too well with me just in general layout and style...
Windows XP does have the "classic" style theme and start menu option, you know.
Yeah, I'm aware. I've used that, as well. My first experience of XP was in Classic style I think, at that. Doesn't sit well, still. System layouts (my computer etc.), doesn't allow as free access to everything, and a huge ramwhore. Too many frills and stylistic aspects on the OS altogether that don't suit me; the absence of a pretty start menu isn't going to change that particularly (though it is a start).
I'd choose Windows 2000, simpily because it doesn't crash as often.
Home (Assuming you're talking about XP) just doesn't include encryption and server stuff, you don't really need Professional.
More like
Haha, I know this thread is old, but I just wanted to mention that I'm like the only person in the world who used Windows ME for years without any problems.
But it seems it likes to crash for everyone else, so I would go with 2000 which I also like a lot.
Windows ME isn't crashing for you because you aren't using it properly. It's all a façade; underneath the surface it's having system halts and critical errors like a kid with epilepsy. Try not to bump old threads unless you absolutely must say something worthwhile - you'll find people won't attempt to flame you as much.
With the large amount of anti-Windows ME threads I've seen circulating the Internet, it makes me wish there were an equal amount of threads for the other operating systems that no one dares to use anymore. DOS 6.0 and Windows 3.1 for example...
This is coming from a guy who has Spam in his signature to advertise a dismal forum.
I'm not disputing that.