I don’t want Vista on my new PC
I do computer work on the side, actually it is what brings in the beans and rice right now, and a friend asked me a question. “I am buying a new top of the line laptop and would like XP instead of Vista on it, can you do that”? Of course I told him the truth… “most people downgrade from vista”. Don’t get me wrong, there are those out there that love Vista, this is not about Vista vs. XP fanboy chatter. This is from my experience.
So I start looking into what it will take to complete the task for this particular Laptop, a HP Pavilion dv7-1273cl, and of course HP said:
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Heath McConnell : I own a computer repair and recovery service and my client wants the above mentioned computer downgraded from Vista to XP. This is one of our common requests, however this particular unit is new to me. What should I need to know?
[An agent will be with you shortly.]
[You are now chatting with Maximo .]
Maximo : Hello Heath.
Maximo : Welcome to HP Total Care for Notebooks.
Maximo : How are you doing today?
Heath McConnell : fine
Maximo : Nice to hear that you are doing fine.
Heath McConnell : are you still there?
Maximo : Yes, I am with you.
Maximo : Just for your information. Let me inform you that, HP does not recommend to downgrade the system, That may give rise to some unsolved driver problem, as the internal architecture is designed for the pre-installed Operating system.
Maximo : Your notebook hardware is designed to work with only Vista operating system. HP does not recommend Windows XP on this notebook.
HP strongly recommends only Vista factory installed operating system on HP latest notebooks. Your notebook contains latest hardware and Windows XP can?t see most of the hardware components. As these components are designed to work with Vista operating system.
If you install a Non – OEM version of windows, you will no longer will be able to access the recovery partition.
The HP Quick launch button’s will no longer work.
The HP Quick Play option will also not work.
Remote / and some special hardware like web cam, finger print reader will also not work.
Maximo :
Issues you will experience if you downgrade from Vista to XP
Heath McConnell : Where can I get a complete list of hardware manufacturers with Hardware installed in this device?
Maximo : Heath, all the parts on the Notebook are designed by HP and with the help of these specifications and design with varios tie-ups with manufacturing companies the parts are made.
Maximo : So, the brand name is HP for all parts.
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Interesting. So I let my friend know that I could do it. I also let him know that there is a chance we may not find drivers for everything.
I hadn’t heard from my friend in a while so yesterday I shot him an email. He replied today saying he has been giving it a lot of thought, but is unsure what to do. He has 90 days on the laptop to figure it out. He said that he is contemplating a mega desktop since he can use his old laptop for the few time he travels.
My friend asked: Q:”is it true that a desktop is faster than a laptop”? A: No. This all depends on things like RAM, Drive Speeds, OS, etc, etc. Operating systems play a major part in perceived computer speed/performance. My opinion is that Linux uses up the least resources. the next OSX version (Snow Leopard) claims it will use a fraction of the resources. But there are other things to think about. Well, first, I love laptops. I want all my computer to be where I am (Mobile Me and OSX help a LOT). That is the number one reason people love laptops. Portability.
A desktop on the other hand is cheaper (I can build one for a fraction of the price), can be configured, changed, and expanded more easily. Laptops can still be modified, it just takes a whole lot more work. You usually have way more ports on a desktop, and if you don’t… just pop a cheap card in. In contrast my laptop has only two USB ports. I have two hubs for all the USB devices I need at the desk. You really can’t add any more ports to a laptop. I use the express card slot for drives, so it can not be used for more (more than 2) monitors, or anything else for that matter. A desktop can have quite a few hard drives installed while the max on some laptops is two.
You could Google all day long, but it is about personal use. So, really, it is up to you. I choose the Laptop, but the desktop has more options. Who are you and what is important to you? In his situation, I would suggest the desktop. Everything I do is in my laptop. I need to have it with me everyday when I leave, so I need a laptop.
Comments are welcomed.
