New Laptop/Windows XP/Vista

[kathynewman]

Looking at buying a new laptop as the hard drive has gone in my old (very) machine. Also had been thinking of changing office desktop so now thinking about just getting new laptop.

All laptops I can find are preinstalled with Windows Vista and had only really just convinced myself to upgrade from Windows 2000 to XP

So couple of things:
a) am I right/wrong to stay away from Vista
b) if right, does anyone know where I can get a laptop with XP!
c) any recommendations for laptops - read on forum while ago that ACER seemed good but that was couple of months ago and things do change

Kathy

[gabrielcrowe]

You are right to get away from vista.

Dell has options to get a cheap lappy with XP on it. Quite a few manufacturers do actually.

[Stereo Steve]

a)Wrong. We run our whole business on Vista machines with no problems. Has some excellent security, backup and usability features that speeds everything up nicely.
c)Acer seem to have a lot of DOA problems and they have been slammed for their backup service although last I heard they were promising to sort it. When I last bought a laptop I looked at all the cheaper brands and ended up going for another Vaio as the price was no higher for the spec. That or HP or Toshiba I would say.

[leehack]

Kathy i think you should be thinking more about freeing your husband from his incarcaration than spending even more money on presents for yourself. Sheesh, is there any end to the madness.

[TraceyHand]

FWIW, I've used Acer's warantee service twice on a laptop we have and it's been faultless (the service, that is..the laptop problem was my fault)

[kathynewman]

Em - 1 yes, 1 no and one get Steve out of the chains - think I might wait and see what other have to say!

FYI Lee he is getting closer to being let out - he's currently reconstructing the built in wardrobe in dressing room - which means after that only the actual painting to do plus building putting together the new bedside tables and a draw unit and then he's done I think

[leehack]

Do you breathe fire?

[kathynewman]

No I'm very nice really - can't be too bad or he wouldn't have stayed around for nearly 25 years (and yes I was a mere child when I met him )

[leehack]

Kinell does he realise you can get less for murder nowadays?
If he's incarcarated, he doesn't really get a choice to leave does he?

I think we should call him Paul Sheldon from now on, i guess that makes you Annie Wilkes.

[Mark H]

I've slated Vista before on this forum (and I'm just about to buy an Apple Mac for this reason), but I think the situation has improved over the last few months, ie more things work with it. Also, Microsoft have had such bad press over it that they must bring out something (Service Pack?) soon which makes it all better?!

We run Actinic on Vista, and no matter how much some people dislike it, If I were buying a new PC (as opposed to baling out completely to Mac) I would go for Vista at this point.

The irony is that although I'm buying a Mac because I'm sick of Microsoft's attitude to its smaller customers, I will probably end up putting more money in Gates's pocket as I will still have to buy a full version of Vista and probably a new version of Office

[kathynewman]

Just had to go and look up who Paul Sheldon & Annie Wilkes were! Promise the only thing I have in common with Annie Wilkes is the same first name as the actress who played her.

Got to go can hear some chains rattling upstairs

[leehack]

Got to go can hear some chains rattling upstairs

LOL Kathy, hire the film and watch it, there's a scene involving an ankle bone and a sledge hammer which looks really painful. Good film.

[pinbrook]

I still prefer XP - XP is still the OS prefered by business. If you go to any one who sells to business you will find plenty of XP machines still for sale.

If you go to PCWorld all machines in the shop are Vista, but if you go to the business website for PCWorld you will find they have a wide range of XP.

Having said that i wouldn't necessarily buy from them- i'm just using it to illustrate a point.

FWIW i had a Acer to 2 years it was great, my nephew has had it for the last 12 months and not managed to wreck it yet. My replacement was a Tosh with XP.

The thing also to consider with Vista is not all your current peripherals will necessarily work.

[kathynewman]

The thing also to consider with Vista is not all your current peripherals will necessarily work.

Thanks Jo - had heard that - think that means that Vista is out of picture for now - don't want to have to go faffing around getting new printers etc or have problems networking to an old machine running W2K - so will go with XP for now I think

Think got it down to 4 now - Dell, Toshiba, HP or ACER

Kathy

[pinbrook]

or have problems networking to an old machine running W2K

you may still have issues with w2K and XP...