What is Vista Basic good for? (need help as a friend wants to buy it!)

Diss · 3 Mar 2007 at 08:30

Hi

I have a friend who is asking me about a new PC. They have a limited budget and obviously with vista basic you don't need a fancy graphics card (or as much RAM?).

She only wants it for email/surfing and word processing - which i assume will be fine BUT she also has a digital SLR camera and wanst to do some photo editing (probably nothing to complex - maybe only using Picasa).

The MS site says whats 'in' the basic version but it doesn't really say anything about whats NOT there (other than Aero and Media Centre *).

So, do you reckon Vista will be OK for her?

thanks

Diss

* edit the MS site says "Experience photos and entertainment
in your living room with Windows Media Center" - but does this mean that without it i can't install Picasa or photoshop for that matter??

the-void · 3 Mar 2007 at 10:05

See if you can get a discount on XP, rather than Vista Basic.

Priapus · 3 Mar 2007 at 11:41

Windows XP Pro would be a lot better then Vista Basic..infact any version of XP would be better then Vista basic. (Except XP Basic, (of course!)

If you went for that, you can still install PS or Picasa.

GraemeUK · 3 Mar 2007 at 11:51

What is the pc used for? If not for games then why not try Ubuntu linux or similar. Its very easy to use, free and you will find a program free for just about anything you need. www.ubuntu.com

PinkPig · 3 Mar 2007 at 12:01

Ice On Fire said:
Windows XP Pro would be a lot better then Vista Basic..infact any version of XP would be better then Vista basic. (Except XP Basic, (of course!)

If you went for that, you can still install PS or Picasa.

There's nothing particularly wrong with Vista basic - it certainly doesn't put any restrictions on what software you can install. If you don't want fancy UI features or Windows Media Centre, of any of the business edition features, then it works as well as any other version of Vista.

There is no "XP Basic" to compare it to - there is "Windows XP Starter Edition" and "Windows Vista Starter Edition" - both of which are distributed at very low cost in developing markets and are very restricted, but they are entirely different from Windows Vista Home Basic.

Priapus · 3 Mar 2007 at 12:11

PinkPig said:
There's nothing particularly wrong with Vista basic - it certainly doesn't put any restrictions on what software you can install. If you don't want fancy UI features or Windows Media Centre, of any of the business edition features, then it works as well as any other version of Vista.

There is no "XP Basic" to compare it to - there is "Windows XP Starter Edition" and "Windows Vista Starter Edition" - both of which are distributed at very low cost in developing markets and are very restricted, but they are entirely different from Windows Vista Home Basic.

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. I meant if he went the Vista route, he can install the above software no problem. I also meant Windows Starter Edition. But was too lazy to type it out fully.

Edit* I also thought he was referring to the Vista Starter Edition, not the Home Basic.

Diss · 3 Mar 2007 at 12:39

thanks for the help guys - i'll go discuss the pro's and cons and see what they say

i think that if i get something that can be upgraded i'll go for vista basic

Diss