64-bit vs 32-bit

If you plan for the future, install Vista 64 bit and make sure your motherboard supports at least 8GB RAM. Vista is smarter than XP in memory management; if you have 4GB in your machine and your applications use only 1GB, vista will use the remaining memory for cache (i.e. improve performance).

Today's applications also know to benefit from large memory: firefox and explorer will gladly use hundreds of megabytes for their internal cache. There are also games, virtual machines, databases ... you really can't have too much memory.

One advice: install hardware from popular brands only, to avoid driver issues.

 

Thanks for the post. Clearly you've experienced vista and it suits you, but from the number of traders on ET that say vista just doesn't suit them, it seems that for me, it would be prudent to stay with XP for the trading machine and upgrade down the line, when all is stable.

 

Is anybody using Windows Server 2003? Comments, suggestions?

 

It's essentially Vista Ultimate SP1, with some UI and multimedia functions stripped, and some server functions added. Apart from configuration settings (see attachment), there is no deep internal differences.

One benefit - you can install VMWare Server on it, absolutely free and absolutely legal. There is also Microsoft alternative - HyperV - didn't work for me.

 

There is nothing Vista can do that XP can't. I installed it simply because I am a geek and love everything new and shiny.

 

The utility is to help 32 bit OS see beyond 4 GB of memory. I do not have the links at hand, but a quick Google search should net you some results.

 

No, that's not right...Windows Server 2003 based on XP. Windows Server 2008 based on Vista.
I think going with Windows 2003 server for trading is a good idea.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Windows

 

Interesting.
What about security-wise? Win2k and XP had lots of bugs that required fixes, patches and the like almost non-stop. Is Server 2003 better?
Thank you guys.

 

I should increase font size on my monitor, thought it was "8" at the end

 

agree 100%. go with xp 32-bit or vista 64-bit. which one you get depends on what you need and will use it for. just last week i saw at best buy a gateway desktop amd phenom quad-core vista ultimate with 8gigs of ram for under $600.