What's an ALT.NET Girl to do...

I ran into a lot of problems this week with VS2008 as I was trying to get my machine up to snuff for my geekSpeak on Wednesday. VS2008 wouldn't run properly last week and I couldn't do any WPF demos. So I uninstalled 2008 thinking I could re-install it. The re-install went worse and crashed all the time. So I uninstalled both VS2008 *and* VS2005 then re-installed 2008. After a few days of installing/uninstalling/re-installing, I finally got something up and limping and the demo went off without a hitch (I think VS only crashed once on me).

So now I'm on the precipice of  re-imaging my system to get it back to some kind of normalcy and I turn to you, kind and gentle reader.

What should Bil do:

  1. Re-install XP, spend a few hours updating service packs and hotfixes, knowing that it'll work and I'll be back where I am now but a little faster (always is after a re-install) and all my software will work.
  2. Install Vista Ultimate, hope to heck I can get all my tools working, and watch my Core 2 Duo crawl to Slothlike speed.
  3. Take a chance on installing Windows 2003 Server with no network or video drivers in the hopes that IJW
  4. Install Windows Server 2008 RC0, because you couldn't get enough of Vista on the desktop... now you can get it on your servers!
  5. Break down and convince my wife that buying a new MacBook Pro is a good thing (because she'll get my current Inspiron 9400 which is faster and better than her Inspiron 6000)

Decisions, decisions.

7 Comments

  • What would I do? Buy a MacBook Pro, VMware Fusion, and run W2K3 Server in a VM with a clean VS2008 installation.

    If you want to keep the 9400, install a flavor of Linux and VMware Server and run VS2008 in a VM.

    Another option, Windows XP, Virtual PC, and run W2k3 in a VM with VS2008.

    I would always install development tools in a VM since they change often and you can never tell when you're likely to have to revert to a save point and avoid having to install the OS clean again.

    I went the MBP route and haven't looked back since. For daily work, I would get a Windows keyboard for the VM to keep your regular speed but I've adapted to resharper on the laptop keyboard pretty well.

    Good luck with your choice and here's to another possible MBP convert!

  • Yeah, agree there - XP and set up a VPC image with your install the way you like.

    The save that image off as your template, and create copies to do each project/presentation in.

    I'm thinking of redoing my laptop and keeping all my junk/email/surfing in its own image, so I never cross that into my dev image.

  • I currently work on a MacBook with Intel Duo processor and VM-ware fusion. It works like a charm :).

    I do all my Microsoft consulting and my business partner who has the newest Acer Ferrari, is talking about getting a MacBook (or Pro) too.

    AND with an apple computer (doing MS development) you'll be the subject of discussion in the entire (developer) neighbourhood.

  • If you're talking about a laptop I'd say throw it out the window and build yourself a desktop. If you must have a laptop then I can't help much :-) As far as the OS in my opinion and experience the best OS from MS is by far Windows 2003. It takes a bit of tweaking in the beginning, but after that it's smooth sailing. I was able to find drivers for it; sometimes the XP drivers work if you can't find drivers specifically for 2003. W2008 needs a bit more polishing IMO, but it's not out yet.

  • Allow me to echo the people with the VmWare Fusion + Mac combo. I always do presentations within VMs! Easier to ensure clean machines.

  • Unless you're running 640KB of RAM, go ahead and move up to Vista. I upgraded my old Core Duo 6600 from XP Pro to Vista Ultimate about ~9 months ago, and have experienced absolutely no performance degradation. If anything being able to use ReadyBoost with a fast 2GB flash stick seems to have sped things up in some cases.

    I'm running VS 2005 and Beta 2 of 2008 on it daily. I may just be the luckiest person on earth, but I have had no trouble at all with Vista.

  • VISTA == THE LAMERZ

    Don't do it Bil!!

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