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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Windows XP - Size?

RobinS - Jun 22, 2007 - 9:24 am

I looked at some versions of Windows XP on the net. They range from 4+ gb's down to less than 1 gb. How can this be? What should the size of a recent version with the appropritate service packs be?

RobinS - Jun 22, 2007 - 9:27 am

Forgot to mention the Professional version, not the Home version is what I need clarification on. I thought it comes on a CD which would indicate about a 700 mb maximum size. I'm baffled.

DeltaMac - Jun 22, 2007 - 10:53 am

Hi Robin!
Yes, a CD usually holds 700 MB of data, but a Windows installer is highly compressed.
I have a install CD that a friend of mine found on the 'net that has 9 different Windows XP installs, all on the one CD. All with no activation. No, I won't tell you where that came from, that's up to you!
The resulting expanded Windows install will vary, depending on the hardware.
Mine is about 2.4 GB as a clean install. There's no way to predict what an image that you download might have.
Why not locate a 'real' install, so that you know what you get?

- Dale

RobinS - Jun 22, 2007 - 12:00 pm

Thanks - that makes sense.

I just need to load another operating system (Jas OS X) since I don't know Linux at all. It probably won't work as I'm using a slightly different motherboard than the Apple developers used. 945 instead of a 915 chipset. Nevertheless if I can get it working it will be interesting to see how the speed compares with the old Mini. I'll have 4 gb's of 667 mhz ram instead of 1 gb of 333 mhz ram so that should help. Also a 2.6 ghz P4 CPU instead of a 1.25 ghz PPC as well as no onboard video. What I'm really curious about is how OS X will work on a 965 chipset with a Core 2 CPU, 8 gbs of 800 mhz ram, 2 x 10k Raptors in Raid 0, on a 22" 1680 x 1050 DVI monitor. That might be cool. Total price: about $800 with video card and DVD burner. Life is rarely boring.....

But I'll probably just get stumped and end up getting an Intel Mini, and replacing the notebook drive with a full size Sata. Unfortunately the optical drive is IDE otherwise one could use 2 Sata drives in Raid 0 and put the optical drive on a firewire external case. Maybe in a future incarnation they will put a eSata plug or 2 on the back.