Which Windows shall I buy?

Moved from Parallels Desktop for Mac

Could someone please advise me as to which Windows version and flavor to buy? I have no particular application in mind, but only to demonstrate the dual-OS feature of my machine. There seem to be an overwhelming number of different options and limitations at various prices. What do these terms mean -- Home or Business? Professional or Ultimate? WIN PRO? Upgrade? Premium Upgrade? Premium Express Upgrade? Basic? Full Version? Full Vista? OEM? Vista or XP? 2000 or 2000 XP? 32-bit?

If I find something on eBay, how can I know whether it will work with Parallels?

Would "WINDOWS VISTA XP PROFESSIONAL HOME WIN 2000 PRO $9.99 Buy It Now" work with Parallels?

Maybe you have something for sale that you know will work?

--Gil

 

I believe that there are currently issues with using vista bootcamp with Parallels, so if bootcamp is important to you, I would go with XP.

Personally, I went with XP Pro. I think that there are legal ramifications with using XP Home in a virtualized environment, but I'm not very sure about that.

Even if Vista in bootcamp is not important to you, you'll probably not see the full aero-glass effects of Vista when running under Parallels, due to Parallels' lack of 3D acceleration support.

 

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The version that will give you least licencing / activation problems is 2000 pro. It does'nt require internet activation, which could be a real stumbling point with xp or vista purchaed from ebay.

Vista home edtions are not allowed to run in a VM. So, if you wish to have vista, you'll need one of the more expensive ones.
.

 

Read this thread before you decide. You don't have as many choices as you think:
http://forum.parallels.com/thread11690.html

 

I suggest you use Windows 2000 Professional or Windows XP (either Home or Professional will do). I do not recommend using Windows Vista at this time. Windows 2000 does not have software activation so if you just want to run Windows in a VM under Parallels that is what I would recommend, if you can still find it.

If you want to install Windows via Boot Camp and then use that installation under Parallels, then you should use Windows XP. Windows 2000 or Windows Vista won't work in this case.

The problem of buying from eBay is that you may not know whether the software had been activated previously (in the case of Windows XP or Windows Vista). In such a case you may have problems activating your copy after you install it.

 

Thanks for your responses. I find this very confusing; however, I now realize that most of the sellers on eBay are advertising things that work with the Windows OS, rather than the OS itself. So my candidate, ""WINDOWS VISTA XP PROFESSIONAL HOME WIN 2000 PRO $9.99 Buy It Now" must be a list of the kinds of OSes that the thing for sale, whatever it is, works with. I had no idea what these poor PC people have had to put up with.

I very much appreciate all your suggestions, especially JB's assurance that Windows 2000 is probably adequate for my purpose, so long as I do not care to use Bootcamp. That will do. Thank you very much for some quick answers.

--Gil

 

OEM WinXP Sp2 in the cheapest version available form a "build your own" computer component shop on a street near you

avoid eBay for current stuff
it may be faked or an updater (like the student versions) which won't make a native install

Vista is a no no for at least a year
and it is full of media copyright protection code that uses a lot of cpu cycles

my cousin in Australia emailed me
"Warning do not install the new MS Vista it's a shocker!"
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/02/drm_in_windows.html

Hugh W

 

I was wondering what that meant. Did you think it meant that they would sell you Vista, XP, Windows 2000 Home and Pro for ten bucks???

 

I have never even considered buying an OS on eBay and I presume neither have PC people. The usual procedure is to buy a computer with an OS and/or to buy the OS in a store (or download or order it, if Linux).

There is no difference between Mac users and Windows users there.

If you are a Mac user, why did you assume that Windows should be bought on eBay? Just do it the Mac way, buy it in a store.

Vista Ultimate runs fine on Parallels. I have 2 GB of memory and assigned 512 MB to it. It works and I have had no problems whatsoever.

 

keep in mind, that older versions have almost the same functionality, but works much faster.

 

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2000 will be the cheapest to source. You may even be able to find somewhere to download it for free. All you need is a valid product key for installation, and that will almost definitely be available at the same location.

It does not matter if it has been installed in none or one thousand locations previously, as no activation process is necessary.

Further to that, 2000 has, for all intents and purposes, the same functionality as xp.

Forget vista.
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I dislike the new VISTA also, get XP (Pro) or 2000...