Clean Vista install on the X60T recommended?

[karlth]

I have read some grave stories of "processor overload" with the shipping XP (due to all the utilities and tools) that comes with the X60T and the effect it has on performance and battery life.

Would you recommened a clean Vista install as an alternative?

[jdhurst]

I have read some grave stories of "processor overload" with the shipping XP (due to all the utilities and tools) that comes with the X60T and the effect it has on performance and battery life.

Would you recommened a clean Vista install as an alternative?

These "grave" stories are generally untrue on most ThinkPads. Whether you use XP or Vista:
1. You will have to set it up properly. XP is very fast when set up.
2. You will have to load all the requisite drivers that come with the preload. Only a few are not necessary or useful.
3. The "clean" install has to be cleaned up anyway as the install process leaves lots of unnecessary stuff behind in the registry.

You should think through what is best for you and do it.

[karlth]

I have used a Thinkpad before and loved everything about them apart from those zillion utility programs that are spoonfed on startup.

Is it perhaps possible to uninstall them?

[jdhurst]

First run Task Manager and minimize it into the system tray (needs an option set to Hide). Then look at it. Is it always showing bright green? CPU running all the time? Then look at Processes to see what is doing it. My CPU runs less than 2 percent more than 95 percent of the time, for example. So unless you see a problem, don't worry about it. ... JD Hurst

[karlth]

Wouldn't it be more accurate to look at the "CPU Time" column, at least if sensing battery drainage by specific processes?

But I'll take your advice. Start with XP and see how it goes.

Thanks for the help.

[jdhurst]

Wouldn't it be more accurate to look at the "CPU Time" column, at least if sensing battery drainage by specific processes?

But I'll take your advice. Start with XP and see how it goes.

Thanks for the help.

It is more accurate as you say, but you have to know what you are looking at. CPU is usage, not time, and often shows stuff that is either benign (System Idle Process at 99 percent) or comes and goes and causes no issues.

BTW, I am not advising XP particularly. You should make your own decisions. For me (only for me) Vista does not yet run critical business software and so cannot be used. XP works perfectly well for me, and I expect I will be able to tame Vista when I get there.

Good luck, ... JD Hurst

[dfumento]

There is much discussion in the Vista portion of this forum about this topic. I myself did an upgrade install of Vista Ultimate and it works fine. If you do a Vista install, check the sticky I wrote at the top of the Vista forum first.

[snife]

I don't think CPU is the problem, the HDD is the bottleneck normally. The new preloads are nasty due to Norton Antivirus and Google Desktop, without these it runs much better; the new preloads for X41 Tablet make it almost unusable due to the smaller HDD it absolutely grinds to a halt. The X60 Tablets i've seen are fast enough that these apps don't really cause an issue though.

I did a fresh install of Vista on an X60 Tablet and it works like a dream, faster than XP Tablet imho and thats with only 1GB of RAM. Its a bit of a pain as I dont trust System Update to install 'everything' so it took me over 25 downloads/installs to get all drivers and utilities installed which is really odd as there were very few devices not working from the initial install.