Windows XP 64 or Windows 7, which?

[tumblez]

I own a MacBook Pro 15 inch (8GB), and I use VMWare to run Windows XP 32bit. I set my Windows to use 5GB, but learned to my dismay that XP 32bit will only use 2GB max. So, I need to upgrade to XP 64 or Windows 7.

My thought is XP 64 will be easier than Windows 7 to upgrade to. Wanted to find out if anyone has any recommendations as to which would be best to use.

 

[Nermal]

There is no supported upgrade path from 32- to 64-bit. You'll need to reinstall from scratch, so I suggest just using whichever OS you're more comfortable with. XP 64 is probably available for cheap these days.

 

[Consultant]

xp 64 bit lacks drivers

 

[MacDawg]

xp 64 bit lacks drivers

Is that an issue just in Bootcamp or Fusion as well?
The OP is using Fusion

 

[Nermal]

VMware includes the necessary drivers for XP 64.

 

[GoCubsGo]

VMware includes the necessary drivers for XP 64.

But are they supported or are you on your own?

 

[Synchromesh]

I run XP64 on my main gaming rig. That OS is a lot easier on hardware than W7. Vast majority of drivers are supported, however, some specific stuff is occasionally lacking so you must make sure in advance that the drivers for your hardware are available otherwise you may end up with some nonfunctional devices. XP64 does vary in setup slightly as it is essentially 2003 Server with XP face grafted on but nothing excessive.

Over 99% of programs work just fine and using it for a while I only ran into issues once or twice which is about the same rate as XP32. But XP64 is far more stable being a server OS to begin with. Imho W7 is nice but certain setup procedures are intentionally more complicated so it's your call if you want to deal with this stuff for the sake of having a more modern OS.