Mike, many people share your situation. XP has proven to be stable. It's really had most all of the bugs worked out by this point. Windows 7 is better in just about every way, from performance, to its built-in automatic maintenance features that take care of housekeeping that you used to do by hand, to vastly improved security. For anyone getting a new DAW, we absolutely suggest that you start out fresh with Windows 7. Lots of audio gear and software combinations can be recommended now that will yield fast and stable performance on Windows 7. For people with an existing XP-based DAW, though, you probably want to wait until you upgrade your equipment before changing OSes. The OS change, particularly when dealing with scenarios like working with DAW equipment and software, leads you down a trail of making sure that you have components that not only work, but work well together, that you have the correct firmware and driver versions for everything, plus the delays of re-installing and reconfiguring an OS, drivers, and software. If you have a DAW builder do the work for you, it will mean down time. If you do it yourself, it will mean even longer down time. In either, case, if your DAW is making you money, that will mean that you'll be out of business for a bit. At least with regard to a DAW, unless you're just technically adventurous, it's probably best to just save all of this for a full equipment and software refresh every second or third year, in order to keep the chaos to a minimum. Bryan -----Original Message----- From: ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Mike Tyo Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 3:30 PM To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ddots-l] Re: JFW 12 Well - it's like this. For some of us guys, it's a money issue. The economy's in the toilet, and some things are hard to come by these days. I'd love to be constantly up-to-date with everything, but when I'm told of a possible 60 % increase in my rent that may be happening in three months, belts have to be tightened. Moving is not the answer at this point as most landlords are charging more than what I'm paying now for places that are infurior to mine. I have to say that my DAW runs pretty good on my machine, and I do the utmost to take care of it as best I can. I don't take it for granted, and I'm very thankful that I even have this thing. Cheers! Mike ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nickus de Vos" <bigboy529@xxxxxxxxx> To: <ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 03:31 Subject: [ddots-l] Re: JFW 12 Sometimes its good not to get all the latest and gratest software until everythings stable and working. One thing i can't understand though, why is so many people aspecially guys using daws with sonar and cubase, still stuck on windows xp? Sure vista was a disaster and crappy but windows 7 is awesome and runs sonar like a dream even better than xp. PLEASE READ THIS FOOTER AT LEAST ONCE! To leave the list, click on the immediately following link: ddots-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ddots-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx and in the Subject line type unsubscribe For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the immediately following link: ddots-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq or send a message, to ddots-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx and in the Subject line type faq PLEASE READ THIS FOOTER AT LEAST ONCE! To leave the list, click on the immediately following link: ddots-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ddots-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx and in the Subject line type unsubscribe For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the immediately following link: ddots-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subjectúq or send a message, to ddots-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx and in the Subject line type faq