what is better Windows XP Professional or Window Vista and why?

[TOXICITY]

I can't choose which one to get please help me out...XP Professional or Vista?

[Rhapsody]

What do you want to use it for?

If you're in any way serious about PC gaming, then Windows Vista is probably the better bet. It's not so hot for gaming right now, but games in the next few years are going to start requiring DirectX 10, which is not (officially) supported on Windows XP. You'll need a fairly powerful video card (GeForce 8/9 or similar) to actually take advantage of DirectX 10 though, less powerful cards won't be able to take advantage of it.

If you're not serious about PC gaming, then Windows XP is a more tried and tested choice at the moment. But if you should find yourself with a new video card and intentions to play some high-end PC games, you may find yourself in the situation where you need to buy Windows Vista, meaning you just wasted your money.

So, what do you want to do with your new OS?

[Kajitani-Eizan]

are you getting vista for free with a new computer? if so, get vista, unless you have a specific reason not to. otherwise, don't get vista.

[gyozilla]

same as kaji. it's a little better with SP1 now, but still.
if you get it, get home premium. don't waste your time with home starter or home basic.
vista home premium is to xp professional as vista home basic to xp home.

[Kajitani-Eizan]

unless you have a need for joining a domain, or being a remote desktop server, or other XP Pro-specific stuff, in which case you'll want Vista Business or Vista Ultimate. but otherwise, in general, Home Premium is the way to go. you want Aero, don't you?

[pedrocasilva]

XP pro for me; more stable (from a bugs/holes/glitches stance), less resource hungry, less eye candy, no aeroglass... I also like the menu's better on XP and find them half assed on Vista, for example I hate what they did with the destop properties (broke them into dozens of tabs accessed separately when they were merged before) while they didn't even do the same thing to the Taskbar ones (hence, feels like a integration job half done, even if I dislike the change to start with)

[Rhapsody]

I've a short story that's probably relevant here. Back in 2002, I was getting a new PC made, and was told by the people who were making it that it was best to have Windows 2000 installed on it rather than Windows XP. I ignored them, and had Windows XP installed instead.

In retrospect, I don't really see that I gained or lost anything significant by choosing XP over 2000. Product Activation may have been irritating if I'd had to reinstall, but I never did, and it never played up on me (though Windows Genuine Advantage may have been causing problems, I never got to the bottom of that).

If I was to choose between XP and Vista for a new PC today, I'd probably take XP. But then I think that Windows has been getting steadily worse for a while now, which is why I migrated to Kubuntu Linux in 2006. Never looked back.

[TOXICITY]

yes I will be using it a lot for high graphic gaming... 

[Kajitani-Eizan]

well then, your choice is clear. it's the vista way or the highway, as far as DX10 gaming is concerned. you do want to make full use of that shiny new graphics card i'm assuming you're getting, don't you?

[Rhapsody]

I agree. Windows Vista is the best way to go for gaming. If you want something more sensible for everyday use (and a few people I've talked to have), you could dual-boot with Windows XP or some version of Linux.