Topic: Best operating system for D3

[VANGUARD]

I bought Vista when it was brand new.

[Shroudeye]

I bought Vista when it was brand new.

Ow...

[-<WillyP>-]

@ Foil: I suppose that makes sense...I still say Microsoft has a funny numbering system, though.  

Yeah, it's a bit inconsistent, but at least the article shows their version conventions.

Well, that is just it, it is their convention. Any numbering system is arbitrary, and at the whim of the developers.

Anyway, I am still using XP and other than the fact it won't play DarkSeed I am pretty happy with it.

[Pumo]

IMHO, Win 7 is a really good Operating System.
In many regards, I could say it's the best Operating system I've used from Microsoft, with XP being the second.

So, unless you have some bunch of old programs that may not run on 7, I highly recommend an upgrade to Windows 7 (or like me, install both systems in a dual-boot scheme).

[VANGUARD]

Never used 7. personally anyway. there are some at my job but I use it for one or two things. I can't say I love XP, but it's the best Windows OS I ever had.

[TechPro]

I've made my living as a computer tech for nearly 22 years and have worked with DOS since ver. 2.0, worked with every version of Windows since ver. 2 (Windows 3.0 was awesome compared to ver. 2), worked with OS/2 (before IBM destroyed it as OS/2 Warp), worked with all versions of Mac OS from version 6 to Lion (the newest), and played around with a number of Linux flavors over the years ... and I gotta say that Windows 7 is hands down the best version of Windows, ever.

Which OS is best for running Descent 3... I have to say Windows only because it was first designed for Windows and is thus inherently fits with it better.  Which version of Windows is best for running Descent 3 is ... A bit subjective because how well Descent 3 runs depends a LOT on the stability of the given system (regardless which OS version), the performance and stability of the drivers (again, regardless which OS version), and the performance of the computer's hardware.  Other than that, it's almost a toss-up between XP and 7 because if the hardware and drivers are well matched to XP, Descent 3 should run well and can take advantage of the hardware performance.  With Windows 7 being a much better OS, you may be able to do even better, but because Descent 3 wasn't designed for the technology of Windows 7 there are (and probably will be) certain issues.  It also doesn't help that Descent 3 has it's own annoying issues due to it's own flaws (can anyone say "Main.Exe error"?).

I will not say which OS (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.) is best simply because "the best" does not exist and each is superior in it's own way.  If the OS meets your needs, works good on your hardware, you're happy with it, and you don't need a different OS for some reason, then you've got the right OS for you. 

[VANGUARD]

1. Mandriva Linux
2. Windows XP (64bit Pro)


What a big difference between 98 and XP; lke online.

In some cases, I think Linux can run windows software better because windows can bog down quickly.

[TechPro]

That's because Linux does better memory management than Windows XP or earlier.  Windows 7 (especially 64bit) manages memory a whole lot better than previous Windows versions.

[VANGUARD]

yeah. I installed Windows XP, CLEAN installation. ONLY ran Call of Duty 2; and it started to bog down some.

[Alieo]

What I want to know is, and this is probably a bit off topic, but what OS or more specifically "system requirements" are best for handling D2X-XL with ALL high quality features turned on and up to the max... full lighting, coronas on, smoke, shadows, etc? Because on the Windows 7 laptop I have, which is circa late 2009, it does not allow to let all those features be able to run without it getting too bogged down. I have to turn all smoke, shadow and other dramatic effects off. Graphics are excellent, but effects are PPPTTTT!!! Freezes worse than a Canadian winter.

[Scyphi]

I only know of one machine capable of running all of those effects at the max, and that's Diedel's wonder machine of a computer.  And I think even he confessed once that it got laggy at times (feel free to correct me, though).

[Foil]

...what OS or more specifically "system requirements" are best for handling D2X-XL with ALL high quality features turned on and up to the max... full lighting, coronas on, smoke, shadows, etc? Because on the Windows 7 laptop I have, which is circa late 2009, it does not allow to let all those features be able to run without it getting too bogged down.

The problem is not the OS.  D2X-XL runs well on Windows 7.

The reason for the effects slowdown on your rig is that it's a laptop.  Even with current graphics chipsets, the laptops are limited when it comes to rendering power.

Heck, even with my powerful gaming desktop rig, D2X-XL starts getting laggy if I turn all the effects on.