MS-DOS isn't Windows, bro.

I prefer Windows CE Embedded, myself.

System 7

i like most versions of windows, especially the ones that weren't that sucessfull:
windows 98se: excellent for both dos and 9x gaming
windows me: like 98se for 9x gaming but with integrated usb and better networking
windows 2000: excellent stability and reliability
windows xp: really great longevity, it can run on hardware as old as 1996(with top of the line hardware of that year, not great) up to 2016 (not very useful due to software)
windows vista: i like aero a lot, and it wasn't that bad
windows 7: really good and reliable, sadly it's starting to get less hardware support
windows 8.1: more optimized than windows 7, but fewer hardware support
windows 10: it's cute, but i don't like the "windows as a service" model (really slow internet=no windows update)

I like KolibriOS, since it's so organic.. Also Win 2.x,Win 3.1x.
For experimenting, 98SE/XP, since it can run useful devilopment software.

Windows NT 3.51 stable and it did have that classic look.

Windows 3.1 will be probably my all time favourite, because I learned so much during its time, and it still runs 286s. I loved playing around with icon editors to create icons for all my DOS games and stuff. Also was intrigued with multitasking and the likes.

Windows 95 also was pretty nice. Allowed for some serious gaming. I switched away from windows during the Win2000 era, first to Linux, then OSX. Only recently due to work requirements I am now running Windows 10 on my work laptop. It is ok, I guess. Doesn't get much in the way, but then again, I run a Linux VM most of the time... 😉

Has anyone used Windows XP Professional 64-bit version? What's it like?

I did in the day (06ish) and.......

- no security software available (at the time)
- drivers in general weren't available for 64-bit or well tested in it. Too early. (i.e. no sblive drivers)
- Certain games' asshole drm doesn't work for the lack of a 64-bit driver (*cough*StarForce*cough*)
- No 16-bit stuff of course 😜

My favourite is Windows 3.1: it is the only release of windows that I used extensively as my main OS. In the Win9x era I switched to IBM OS/2 and later on to Mac OS X. The windows partition was used only to play games.

Client:

Windows for Workgroups 3.11 because it has better networking than 3.1
Windows XP stood the test of time. Quick and rock solid for the most part (I may be a bit biased here being MS certified on it)
Windows 7 like XP I can see this outliving its proposed EOL date by quite some time

Server:

NT 3.5, fun to mess about with and you actually have to think about what you are doing (no hand holding here) so you have to have at least some clue as to what you are doing.
2003 (also certified on this (done at the same time as XP)).
2008
(sadly due to machine limitations that is far as I can reasonably get emulating servers with any hope of truly knowing what they are like. Glacial performance does tend to cloud ones judgement.)

Since you dumped MS-DOS in with Windows I guess I can come out and say OS/2 Warp 3?

Errius wrote:

Has anyone used Windows XP Professional 64-bit version? What's it like?

I tried it out of curiosity and for home/gaming use it was pure shit.

the ones that let you do automated installs

Windows 98SE and XP Pro 32 bit. Rock solid operating systems, I put those two on just about every system I had.

I was pretty happy with 7. 98SE and XP are pretty solid too, though.

Oldskoolmaniac wrote:

Windows 98SE and XP Pro 32 bit. Rock solid operating systems, I put those two on just about every system I had.

You could describe Win98 with many superlatives. Reliable was not one of them.

XP, VISTA, 7, 8, 8.1, 10

I don't have a problem with any of these OS. Anything before that and I'm very suspicious of. Win 3.x is a garbage DOS overlay. Win 95 and 98, 98SE are unreliable and eventually eat themselves. XP was the first actually reliable Windows OS for long term.

Yes I maintain and enjoy systems with DOS,Win 3.11, Windows 98SE, etc but I would not consider them reliable or good operating systems. Install the wrong update on a 98 machine and it will never boot again, particularly when dealing with Direct X support.

Windows 2000

Shagittarius wrote:

XP, VISTA, 7, 8, 8.1, 10

I gauge an OS' stability by the number of support requests I get from my father-in-law, who has a knack for knackering his installs. Windows 10 wins - I don't think he's managed to cock that up once, touch wood.

Windows 7 for me - pretty solid, looked nice, and I could still find all the settings I wanted to twiddle. I hate how 8+ hide the good stuff to protect myself from myself.