How many computers can i install windows vista on with one disc?

[MilesAhead]

Googling it looks like low powered machines is the pattern for some reason I don't understand. If I could get a good quad core $200 cheaper I'd just boot once to see the system come up and then format and install. I guess there are some things I will never figure out, like why you can't buy a 386 or 486 for $50. It's like the Computer Gods have determined nobody this side of Africa shall use older than a Pentium!

[Alien Bay]

Originally Posted by drfsupercenter

........ The problem there is, who would willingly buy Home Premium when Professional is what does all the cool stuff? (Windows XP Mode, Domain Join, etc.)

Is it me, or doesn't it seem a little weird that we have to pay more for an OS version that let's us emulate a version that is 2 releases old?

[drfsupercenter]

You can emulate XP in Home Premium too, it's just not free.

With Professional they give you an already activated virtual machine of XP, and you don't need to have a valid serial. Whereas on Home Premium you'd have to get one somehow.

[MilesAhead]

If it's a Windows app that needs XP chances are pretty good you could install Linux on a partition and just use Wine for free(say for instance if you didn't own a copy of XP you could install on the partition instead.) Before going to all the trouble just search for Wine compatibility. I haven't done the Linux thing in a serious way for a few years but there was no shortage of information on nntp news groups. Only thing is I would go to some length to lay out what you've done to try to get the info as most of those guys don't fetch anyone's water. They'll help you if they feel like it and think you're trying to get the thing done, not trying to get someone else to do it.

[drfsupercenter]

WINE works with some non-intensive things but it certainly won't run things that are too dependent on Windows runtimes, like any video editors, a lot of games, etc. Surprisingly Microsoft's own Halo runs fine on WINE

But I don't know that doing that is a reasonable alternative to XP Mode - and even so, it's not like Professional is that hard to get... short of if you're stuck with Home Premium from a free upgrade

[MilesAhead]

I don't have XP mode to try it so it's all conjecture on my part. I have XP on multi-boot. I know a lot of people like running virtualized systems or whatever the buzzword is, but to me it's another complication that depends on the host OS. If the host OS has problems then everything else goes down the shoot. With cheap storage and imaging it's not as problematic to get all that running again, but until I use something that's already set up I can't really experience the benefit. If you get to use something then you are more inclined to want to make that thing for yourself. Right now it's just people telling me how good it is, but it's something I don't need.

It may be a valid solution in this case but I wouldn't just assume it will work for the particular software. Should have a "try before you buy" like shareware. Esp. if you are getting it just for one application.