Could simply be a driver issue - either the hardware is crap (which in your case you make a good point is not the case), or a blue screen is basically a kernel error (unlikely) or a driver issue. Even with Beta i would put it on a driver somehow not handling something proper Happens.
Just make an image (Ghost or Acronis), install the new OS and test it. If not satisfied put back the image and continue with your old OS. The easiest solution.
Another sheep. No we shouldn't bother to upgrade of course. I run XP pro and Win2k and Win 98. XP Pro is shit compared to Win2k. I would like to have Win 2k on all my machines, but unfortunately ahole developers don't see it that way. They have taken our lifes over. I am starting a movement against upgrades and the scam that the IT industry is. I don't upgrade anything, ANYTHING. The IT indutsry has nothing revolutionary to offer anyway, you are not missing out on anything, unless you are a sheep , need your iPod, iPhone and Blackberry shit and think you are missing out because your buddy has upgraded and you not ... I recommend you send a letter to your broker (you know who ) saying you will not upgrade anything in the next 5 years and will close your account if they stop supporting your current setup.
I have an Intel Core 2 Duo E6600, with 4 gb of ram. Unlike Vista, Windows 7 RC1 works perfectly. I've had no issues with performance, stability, or compatibility. It runs well enough that I often times forget the operating system even exists. I focus on the program i'm using, without the operating system irritating me in some way (like with Vista). If you have a decent enough computer, I would recommend the upgrade to Windows 7. (But do a clean install).
I still run 'Dows 95 and get 2 ms trade speed. It's a well kept secret that 'Dows 95 was the fastest most stable OS every developed. The big boys didn't like the competition so they got it demoted. W2k is shit compared to 'Dows 95
I'm curious about Chrome. I'm a light-duty trader and I don't use a powerful resident application, so it might work well for me. I'm making an effort to migrate to the cloud for my non-trading tasks such as abandoning Outlook and Word. Chrome could serve my long term goals in that respect. One problem is that I don't see any prospects for an Excel cloud equivelant yet. I transitioned (upgrade ain't the word) from XP/workstation to Vista/PC last spring. It's been a hassle and I can't recommend that path. I also went from Quicken to Money and the transition went great, but then Microsoft announced that they're abandoning the product because the proliferation of cloud-based applications is taking market share (that in itself is a major indication of future OS philosophy, the pathetic irony notwithstanding...) I'll look to possibly short MSFT when Chrome is released. Vista is a dog and I say let Michael Vick adopt it.
Well, we are experimenting here at the moment with clouding out our trading desks Switched the first over as a test to a virtual machine running Windows 7 + Ninja Trader and then going in with Remote Desktop - which thank heaven finally supports multi monitor setups. Advantages? * Faster connection to the exchange - which is good for all things NOT done by the user (Trailing stops etc.) * Higher reliability (no power / internet issues) as my servers are hosted.... in a data center. * Finally.... more bandwidth Works fine so far. I do NOT believe in Chrome of the browser for a high end trading setup. Just wont work. Multi monitor sync is hard enough WITHOUT the browser.
I did try out W7 on a virtual machine with multicharts. Problem with a virtual machine is that it is running everything on single core and cpu was high. I have a quad core and MC runs great when it can utilize all cores. I installed W7 on a seperate HD and installed a hot swap internal hd bay. Now I just pop in the hd with W7 and trading apps and it runs as fast as possible. Then I can swap back to xp for browsing and downloading