What's the difference between Windows vs. Linux?

Linux vs Windows XP SATA Hard Drives and Video Editing and more?

• Ok now I am confused! I asked a question a short time ago on here about why my three year old computer seemingly doesn't like its new hard drive, a 500 gig SATA I bought to add with the two 200 gig IDE hard drives. My thinking was install the OS, Windows XP on the 500 gig hard drive and use the two 200 gig IDE drives as storage only. The first answer I got was a tutorial on how to install the drive, which when you consider the question I asked originally, I had mentioned the problem well after the drive was already install. So that was no help what so ever. So I asked the question again adding even more information hoping that somebody with a similar problem would turn up and answer, but I get told to switch to a free Linux OS instead completely ignoring the question. I investigated the Linux use, and for what ever reason I doubt Linux is going to do what I want. Basically here is my problem! I have a three year old computer that I built to edit video. Though nothing I do seems to allow me to do what I want! I first ran the computer with slow 200 gig IDE hard drives, though they are 7200 RPM drives both were exactly the same model and everything. I use my computer for for surfing the web, making and listening to MP3's, and editing and storing photos, but really want to get a bunch of home movies converted to digital, so I could finally get rid of the large quantity of video tapes I have laying around. The processor is a 3.20 GHz and I run for now 1 gig of 400 MHz DDR RAM. I have a Firewire card installed, and a Pinnacle 700 PCI card with Studio 10 (video capture card) installed. I really can't afford to run out and buy a host of new stuff that seemingly isn't going to fix the problems, and it would be nice if I knew how to fix it! For the guy who told me I was a fool for running a 12 year old OS, after looking into the features of free Linux, and unix OS's I find that it is a shooting match to find one that just works. While I am seriously entertaining the idea of possibly buying Windows 7 (which I am dreading), I want to know what I am doing right, and doing wrong, to make something that is seemingly simple for everybody else but too difficult for me! My question now is if I install Windows 7 on a partitioned hard drive will it recognize the NTFS format of the Windows XP, or does all the drives have to be reformatted? Thank you all for your time!

• Answer:

  if you will install linux, the partition will be done for you by the linux OS, you can install linux side by side with your windows XP, no need to buy windows 7, for now NTFS ? don't worry about it, linux will do everything for you. just install it then update it, all programs will be downloaded, for additional video player or video editing software, you can also download it free thru ubuntu software center which comes with the live cd of linux .. applications>ubuntu software center> linux will run better on your old computer, windows 7 will have incompatibility issue on old hardware.. same as linux, some incompatibility on hardwares and or softwares.. but since you intend to give life to your old computer, better to use linux instead, try it first before spending money on windows7, linux is free, if it will not satisfy you, then go buy windows7...but give linux the first try... for free live cd linux www.ubuntu.com