To Xp or not to Xp?

[dOdGE dIZ]

I'm about to (re)install my RT2500 based rig, which worked fairly well for the last six months both under W2k Pro/SP2 and Xp Pro, only this time I'll choose one OS only and it will be a video-dedicated machine - ONLY system software/tools, drivers and Premiere/MVT will be installed. All other software will be in a second computer, including the Matrox VFW software codecs, and the two machines will be linked via Ethernet port, thus (hopefully) increasing productivity: while capturing or rendering video with the RT-PC , I can be working in Photoshop or editing in Premiere or also rendering in the other, etc..

Having said that I have a couple of simple, straight-answer, questions for whomever would be interested to help.

1. OS (for the RT machine): W2k Pro or Xp Pro?
1.1. If W2k: SP-2 or SP-3?
1.2. If Xp: SP-1 or not?

2. Premiere: 6.01 or 6.5?

One more thing: How advantageous the use of Gigabit Ethernet would be while transferring >10GB video-files between computers? Tenfold over 10/100 Fast Ethernet?

Last question, specially for anyone in Europe: WHERE THE HELL CAN I BUY A TBSC/VideoLogic SonicFury ONLINE AND HAVE IT SHIPPED TO CONTINENTAL PORTUGAL???

Your help is appreciated. Thanx.

My current ensemble:

-AMD 1.2Gh
-GigaByte GA-7DXR+
-256MB DDR-PC2100
-Matrox G400 32MB DH
-Matrox Rt2500
-Adaptec AHA-2904 (scanner)
-Intel PRO/100S (ADSL)
-Creative CT5880 (onboard,...AAAAAARGH!)
-Lite-On LTD-163 (DVD) & LTR-24102B (CD-R/RW) drives (IDE1)
-IBM 40GB/ATA-100/7200rpm x2 (IDE2)
-WD 100GB/ATA-100/7200rpm x2 (Promise)
-AOpen HX08 full-tower (300W,wonderful case)
-Samsung SyncMaster 900SL

[KRSESQ]

My $.02: Win2K Pro and SP2. Premiere 6.5.

Just my personal preference/prejudice. Don't ask me to back it up with facts or anything like that. (Although plenty of folks like XP Pro, also. Personally I think the GUI was designed by/for 5 year olds.)

Kevin

[Dr Mordrid]

Agreed on Win2K SP2 and Premiere 6.5 for the RT-2500.

Dr. Mordrid

[SitFlyer]

I'll 3rd that.

[Technoid]

I'll 4th that.

[Elie]

Well I do 5th that but also had great experiences with XP as well to the point where I strictly run XP now with SP1.

Cheers,
Elie

[Hulk]

My laptop runs 2000 and my desktop XP home. Both are great. I hate to admit it, but the look and feel of XP is starting to grow on me. I would go with XP since it would seem likely that future support will be better.

[Indiana]

XP is slightly slower (even if you turn all the childish Fisher-Price looks off) and not better stability-wise.

If there's no particular reason for you to need XP, I'd go with Win2k.

I have yet to manage a longer video-capture without slight audio-/video -desynchronization in WinXP, something I NEVER had any problems with in Win2k.

(The main reason I have WinXP is the capability of Firewire networking. It's just nice to connect my Notebook and my Desktop via Firewire for FAST data-transfer. This is claimed to be possible in Win2k as well, but I've not yet managed it...)

[wkulecz]

W2K

No "product activation" to contend with should you have hardware troubles in the middle of an important project.

My stuff only breaks when I don't really need to use it, I wish!

--wally.

[Dave Lawton]

https://www.Dabs.com

https://www.simply.co.uk

https://www.scan.co.uk

The above have them in the UK, had a quick look and only Dabs implied that they shipped outside the UK. Worth an email to each to see if they would ship to you.

Dave

[Evildead666]

Yup Win 2K no probs, but why SP2?
Is there some known problems with SP3?

Just wondering if there was something i should know about....

Jez

[Indiana]

If I read the EULA of SP3, there's no friggin' way I could click on the "I agree" button...

[KRSESQ]

You can read one of the objectionable elements of the SP3 EULA here:

http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/about.asp?

The Register has their own take:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/26698.html

Kevin

[dOdGE dIZ]

NOT to Xp.

Ooooo... K. That will teach me to read every single EULA, top to bottom, CAREFULLY, from now to the end of times. And by the look of things Xp SP-1 should be pretty much the same.

Actually this just confirmed that the "Win 2k Pro/SP-2" path is the way to go. It resembles a working environment rather than a playground and that's fine by me.

On the other hand it seems that installing Premiere 6.5 with the RT2500/MVT3.1b isn't as simple has one might think. Apparently it's necessary to first install Premiere 6.0 AND THEN upgrade it AND THEN hot-fix it. Hmmm... Dunno. It seems too much hassle not to mention that I don't like upgrading/hot-fixing "versions". Unless there are very compelling reasons (are there?) will stick with 6.0 until the next MVT release (yeah,right. better not hold my breath).

About the "online-shopping" bit, thanks for the suggestions. I know for sure Scan.co.uk ships to UK/Eire residents only. The other two look promising though.

About the "Gigabit" bit... Still waiting.

Thank you very much to all.

[gt40]

Win2k all the way!