Which version of windows was the best?

These are the most well-received versions. Which one was better in your opinion?

Windows 98 2
Windows XP 5
Windows 7 13
Windows 10 12
Help us keep this site organized and clean. Thanks!
[ Report Post ]
Comments ( 36 )
  • Holzman_67

    Stayin’ Alive 95!

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • dirtybirdy

    The kind you can see through and open and put pretty curtains on.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
      -
    • It took me a moment, I just read a long comment about computers from the 90s

      Comment Hidden ( show )
    • RoseIsabella

      This!

      Comment Hidden ( show )
  • Boojum

    The first PC I owned came with Windows 3.0 installed, and I bought the upgrade to 3.1 shortly after it came out in early 1992. (I still have the stack of 3½" floppy disks it came on somewhere in my boxes of ancient computer hard- and software.)

    I've had all the subsequent versions of Windows on my machines over the years, and I wouldn't willingly go back to any of them from Windows 10.

    I'm not an MS fanboy (although I am whatever the opposite of a fanboy is when it comes to Apple), and I do have some sympathy for those who are riled by what they perceive to be bloat and spyware on Windows 10, but all I care about is that the interface works and is stable. Windows 10 achieves that with the software that I and my family want to run, even though the oldest motherboard and processor in one of our machines came out in 2008, and the three other PCs we use were ex-business machines that were bought on ebay over the last five years for around £100 each.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
      -
    • Vanta_White

      If you don't have an affinity for Microsoft and you have an aversion to Apple, might this suggest that you prefer Linux operating systems?

      I'm fond of various Linux operating systems. Virtually all supercomputers use Linux but Microsoft and Apple continue to dominate the mainstream consumer market. Much software consequently never sees a native Linux version. While I can generally "coerce" such software to run on Linux via compatibility layers, it's usually simpler for me to either dual-boot or maintain multiple systems.

      Comment Hidden ( show )
        -
      • Clunk42

        You've just got to use a VM. Everyone using Linux should be technologically adept enough to make a VM.

        Comment Hidden ( show )
      • Boojum

        The only PC I own that I wasn't able to get Windows 10 to run on is a mid-level Dell laptop that first came out in early 2005. It would occasionally start up correctly, but most of the time it booted up to a black screen. Plugging in an external monitor showed the normal Windows interface and it worked correctly, but something weird was clearly going on at a low level. There were lots of suggestions for how to deal with this issue on trouble-shooting forums, but none of them worked for me.

        After a lot of faffing about with trying to figure out how the hell to install Linux and which distribution I preferred, I installed Mint. It ran fine on the laptop, so just for the hell of it, I got an adaptor that allowed me to replace the slow and noisy IDE HDD with an SSD.

        The laptop reliably boots up, and it gets to the Linux home screen in about 45 seconds, which I'm sure is at least twice as fast as it managed when it was new and running XP. It is usable, although just for fairly basic stuff since the processor is 1.3 GHz single-core, it's maxed out at 2 gigs RAM, and the maximum disk size the mainboard can handle is 120 Gb.

        I keep the laptop updated just in case some weird shit comes down which means that all my family's Windows 10 machines suddenly stop working, but I don't use it regularly.

        I do see the appeal of Linux for those who want to opt out of both the mainstream OS providers on principle and for those who like the flexibility of Linux because they're into messing around with computers at a low level. But the absence of native Linux versions for much software is a problem for me. I'm sure I could figure out some way of dealing with this, but I've spent a good part of my life struggling with computer software and hardware, and I'm far beyond the point of finding it fun. These days, it's just a pain, and there are more rewarding and enjoyable things I can do with my time.

        Comment Hidden ( show )
  • controversy

    98 was unstable and crashed a lot.
    xp was good after all the updates.
    windows 7, ive not used much.
    windows 8 is bloated, is badly designed, but stable.
    windows 10 ive not used much.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • megadriver

    I'd say Win7... I still have it on my laptop. Very stable, rarely crashes and works perfectly fine with modern software/ 2019-2020 videogames.

    I also love the streamlined design. Windows 8/10 feels like it's a smartphone OS... Too much bloatware and it's slow to start and I hate 10's menu... My parents have Windows 10 on their laptop (It's a decent spec one) XP was solid, but 7 improved on everything, 7 is the best for me.

    No that my preference matters... My next pc/ laptop (have not decided yet) is gonna have to have Win10 on, cause 7 is pretty close to being obsolete.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
      -
    • bbrown95

      I hate the Smart Phone/tablet design of Windows 8 as well. If I wanted a tablet, I'd just get a tablet, but if I'm going for a computer, I want it to have a computer's layout.

      Comment Hidden ( show )
  • geek_god_101

    I liked Windows 3.11. Easy to manipulate drivers and program. Caused very few problems as less was required. Some of you on here probably didn't have the opportunity to use it due to it's age.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • Tingles18

    98 was cute because nostalgic and aesthetic, but it had only a few good features.
    XP was OK, but it was often very slow.
    Windows 10 is like 7, but with some stalking coming from very secretive groups.

    So, therefore, Windows 7 is the best.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • Fussmann

    Trick question, 2k was best.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • olderdude-xx

    There was a good version of windows? You could have fooled me, and I've used virtually every version of MSdos and Windows there has ever been (except Windows 8).

    Most people these day's don't understand that before MSdos (which evolved into Windows) it was 100% totally unacceptable for the base operating system to freeze and require a reboot.

    I used several versions of the previous "cpm" operating systems prior to MSdos (and later Windows). TRSdos was the best (Tandy Radio Shack dos). IBM was loosing substantial client base to Tandy (Radio Shack) who could install desktop computers running TRSdos with business office software and not need mainframes. They needed something; and purchased MSdos from Bill Gates (who had a friend who wrote it) - even though it was not stable, and would otherwise have been totally rejected by the computer market - except that IBM was marketing it. MSdos became Windows some years later.

    Some years ago I timed a comparison: Old about 1980 Tandy computer (fixed keyboard; 2 5.25" floppy drives) vs 2012 Dell computer with Windows 7.

    Tandy computer booted faster, loaded the word processor faster, and because of that I could write a simple letter (with bold and italics at different places) faster than the Dell Computer with Windows 7 and Word.

    Of course, the Tandy word Processor did not have 100 different fonts and limited the character size and line spacing options to just several, and could not paste a picture into a word document. I was just able to do a simple letter in half the time (and get on the internet in 1/4 the time too).

    Edited to add: My memory is that Tandy computer had 64K ram memory. It came with a word processor, spreadsheet, and database program for contacts or other things. You had to buy separate programs and a modem for the internet as the current internet did not yet exist, although a form of email did exist and you could get and exchange data files from universities and other organizations on the Arpanet.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
      -
    • Clunk42

      Oh yes, compare the lightweight text-based user interface to the complex graphical user interface by using a lightweight text-based word processor and a complex graphical word processor in two different computers without mentioning the specifications of either one.

      Comment Hidden ( show )
  • CDmale4fem

    I liked XP, It seemed pretty stable to me. I never had much problems with it.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • bigbudchonga

    Windows 1.0

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • Mammal-lover

    7. You can play fallout 3 on 7. The best fallout to ever grace the serires

    Comment Hidden ( show )
      -
    • bigbudchonga

      The power armour from 4, and the first-person-shooter aspect of it was awesome. Shame that the writing was so shit :/. Have you ever played fallout 2?

      Comment Hidden ( show )
        -
      • Mammal-lover

        Not yet no, I will after I finish 1. They did make power Arnold really cool and ive always been a slut for power armor but they made it way to easy to get in 4 wich ruined kind of the specialness of it.

        Comment Hidden ( show )
    • Clunk42

      I can't tell if you're serious or not. I hope not.

      Comment Hidden ( show )
        -
      • Mammal-lover

        I am, best map, best story best everything. Fallout 3 was amazing. And windows ten cant play it and it pisses me off cause you can play every single other fallout game on 10 expect my favorite one

        Comment Hidden ( show )
          -
        • Clunk42

          Fallout 1 is the best Fallout, in my opinion.

          Comment Hidden ( show )
            -
          • Mammal-lover

            Yea? I bought thosevorigionals I'm still playing through 1. It's not bad. Definitly diffrent

            Comment Hidden ( show )
  • Bazinga

    XP rocked. I had it running for six months once without a reboot.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • Nikclaire

    NT 4.0 had the tightest kernel. Only version worth it's salt.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • donteatstuffoffthesidewalk

    i never had 98 on anythina mine

    of the other three 7 was the best features without all the bloatware and stalkerware of 10

    and how come it takes like 3 fuckin seconds to click between each pic in the win 10 photo gallery?

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • Walk

    I used to play pinball and checkers on XP

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • sausagemolester

    Vista for life <3

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • bbrown95

    That's a hard choice. Between the ones I've used the most, I'd say XP and 7. I liked 95 and 98 (though I was a kid the last time I used them), as well as 2000/Me!, and I actually liked Vista and didn't understand why everyone hated it.

    I hated Windows 8. The most stupid redesign ever. They were trying to combine a tablet setup with a computer. If I wanted a tablet, I'd get a tablet and not a computer that wants to be a tablet.

    Windows 10 is alright.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • BleedingPain

    Windows Vista was so bad, you didnt even make it a poll option 😂

    Comment Hidden ( show )
      -
    • bbrown95

      I actually liked my Vista laptop! I'm no computer expert by any means, but it served its purpose for me well.

      Comment Hidden ( show )
        -
      • BleedingPain

        I had a dell that ran XP but was Vista compatible... i was 12. I can say I am personally a mac os person on the sole basis that I can navigate around better.

        Comment Hidden ( show )
  • Tommythecaty

    They’re all shit and gates is a kook

    Comment Hidden ( show )
  • KholatKhult

    I didn’t even know there was different versions

    Comment Hidden ( show )