What version of windows is best

[MarkSF]

I built a new Windows 10 PC for playing games, a couple of months ago. It's been incredibly stable. I have about 100 hours of Witcher 3 and Fallout 4 now, without a single crash, both on the highest graphics settings possible, which is really a tough test of stability. Very impressed.

Buying Windows 10 on a USB stick makes for a very easy, fast install.

[seandepagnier]

I wanted to point out that windows 10 get BOSD when you try to create a modem for an iridium.

[petter5]

Opencpn will even run great from a Xinutop live USB stick. This way you can try Opencpn under linux without any installation and decide for you self. A big advantage of the Xinutop live USB is the posibility to load and run the complete system including Opencpn from RAM witch makes even a old computer blistering fast. From my point of View:

If you have a computer / laptop that you use for everything and sometimes want to run Opencpn, then you can use any windows version from XP and up.

On the Other hand, if your main goal is Navigation and a robust system, then use Linux. I has tried both windows and Linux and has found the linux way more robust.

[Littlechay]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

I wanted to point out that windows 10 get BOSD when you try to create a modem for an iridium.

Slightly OT but it relates to windows 10 which I find fast and stable on my nav computer.

I can't decode BOSD ? but I got around that Iridium problem by using the Iridium installer for Iridium direct 3.2 from the Iridium site. Not ideal I know but it worked OK.

I use Airmail for on-board email and disabled everything except TCP on port 50 in the Windows Firewall and allowed all outbound provided it matched the other rules.. or however it's worded. I think that means that it allows anything though as long as it is TCP on port 50. Seems to work.

I couldn't find exactly what airmail is calling to communicate as if I only allow Airmail3.exe through the firewall it is still blocked so it is calling something else.

Cheers Chris
--
SY Morgane
www.tweedsworld.com

[MarkJ]

Even though the Windows hater will tell you windows is useless past 3.1 the reality is the pages windows will always be the best.

Thus I run OpenCpn on the latest Windows.

[Mirage35]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

Linux Mint or XP for a low powered computer system. Both of these run fine on older / underpowered hardware. XP because it's old and Mint because that's it's niche and it's also based on the popular distribution Ubuntu which means that there's plenty of online help available.

I use Mint on an old ToughBook running OpenCPN and a host of other apps and it runs just fine and dandy.

Second this - I'm playing with it using Linux Mint on an antique laptop and haven't had any problems so far.

[Vipe6]

Btw, if you're only using the carputer for Opencpn, why not install Navigatrix as OS. Very lightweight on the hardware and Opencpn is already integrated.

[jdazey]

BSOD = Blue Screen of Death, a long time Windows feature.

[belizesailor]

Better to run almost anything but Windows. As a former software developer, I got drug kicking and screaming into that abominable OS. Finally freed myself from it a few years ago...couldnt be happier.

That said, XP was in my experience the most stable.

[petter5]

Originally Posted by Vipe6

Btw, if you're only using the carputer for Opencpn, why not install Navigatrix as OS. Very lightweight on the hardware and Opencpn is already integrated.

Navigatrix has a lot of features, but lightweight?? nope. If a old computer use Xinutop, If you have plenty of cpu and ram, Navigatrix will be fine.

[Littlechay]

Originally Posted by jdazey

BSOD = Blue Screen of Death, a long time Windows feature.

Ahh could get my head around it... it's not the only OS that crashes

Anyway I don't get the BSOD when I try to install an Iridium modem but do run into some kind of security issue where I can't enter any extended commands... the Iridium setup seems to manage though

[hpeer]

I have an older laptop with XP and a SS hard drive. I don't consider myself vey compute savvy anymore, NOT a software guy.

I downloaded Navigatrix to a thumb drive, it seemed to run fine so I did the whole dual boot thing.

My experience was painless and simple. Everything seems to be fine now.

I've not really had a chance to give all the features a good workout but that will come in a few months.

[ArtM]

Anything prior to XP is now AGRESSIVELY "dissupported", although it was in fact the most stable for a very long time.

The good news is that this aggressive stance seems to have successfully "forced" the hands of most software producers, and Windows 8 and 10 have enjoyed HUGE compatibility and stability gains.

You can run applications in a Virtual Machine if you positively want/need Linux or XP or some other variation, as long as you don't need that software to robustly access peripherals.

So I say go with windows 8 or 10 - both are good, and plan to live without anything that needs an earlier OS.

EDIT: Macintoshes should be in the running too. Although nearly invisible in some parts of the country, they are by far the single most popular laptop brand in many parts of the US and have fantastic popularity and compatibility with software makers.

Since MacOS is actually a UNIX variant, essentially every UNIX based software on the market is natively supported on any modern Apple computer. Windows will run in a virtual machine in case you run into a software you need that is not Unix or MacOS compatible.

[Reefmagnet]

I read this interesting article on one aspect of Windows 10 today which I'd never really thought about before. I'm certainly glad I ditched Windows post Win 7 after reading it.

http://www.howtogeek.com/224805/the-...in-windows-10/

Sent from my SGP521 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[ArtM]

Carputer? The answer is "Whatever OS was delivered when you bought it".


Any other OS version may be difficult or impossible to find all the drivers you'd need to enable all the functions such as the touch screen, whatever kind of sound or wifi you've got in there, the hard drive (if it even has one), etc.

It's unlikely to have a CD-ROM drive, so you'll have to find a way to load it with whatever variant OS you come up with- a project that could occupy weeks of frustrated failure.