New Laptop

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
J

jmr

Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2006
Messages
11
Location
Canton, Ga, USA.
I am in the market for a new laptop and have no idea as to the market. I will do email and a little home office. I have grandkids that will also play a few games. Help!
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
I would buy a MAC. I have had Windows and MAC's and supported Windows for years and with the current version of Windows (Vista) I think the best thing you can do is stay away from Microsoft.

Just my opinion of course.
 
If you do decide to go with Windows try to find a laptop with Windows Xp Professional.
I would also advise you to stay away from Vista. I recently was able to purchase a laptop for use in our church directly from Toshiba that had Xp Professional installed on it and the person who uses it is very pleased with its performance. Too many problems with Vista to recommend it.
 
You can also purchase Dells with XP Pro installed. My personal preference is Dell but that's because I supported them and own 3 so it's familiar.
 
If you want an XP machine, better hurry. I read something the other day about MS not supplying or supporting manufacturers that still provide XP. I think they're trying to force Vista on people, because it sucks so bad that they aren't getting the reception they had hoped it would. :(
 
I prefer the Wondows XP Pro myself. As said, Microsoft is trying to phase into Vista. But I don't think it'll go.

And I've had Toshiba notebook for years. Very decent, reliable machine! But my desktop it Sony VIAO. IMHO, stay away from Compaq.
 
The major (vendors Dell, HP, etc.) are no longer allowed to sell computers with Windows XP. The current version of Vista, SP1, is available on all of the new machines and works just great as long as you have 2GB or more of RAM. The majors now offer laptops with Linux if you are adventuresome. In terms of home office stuff, search for Open Office and downlaod this free MS Office-compatible software suite.
 
I had a new Dell with 4 GB of ram and Vista SP1 and I got so fed up with poor performance I passed in on to one of my co workers and made the boss buy me a MAC. He was having problems with his as well so he bought one for him and one for me and I have not had a better laptop in years.

If I could buy one with XP, I probably would but I just run VMWare Fusion and only run XP and Vista on my MAC when and if I need it.

I also highly recommend Open Office. I have had it on my windows PC's for years and also now have it on the MAC.
 
Sorry Lou

DCBluesman said:
The major (vendors Dell, HP, etc.) are no longer allowed to sell computers with Windows XP...
Click to expand...

I must disagree with this. You can still get XP from most major vendors. Of course you have to order it. You can't buy it off the shelf.

The plus side is you will still get XP and you will have Vista for the time it actually becomes functional.

I think most of them are making you pay about $99 to "upgrade" to XP.

Look in the Small Business section of the vendors site. Those PC's don't come loaded with nearly as much garbage as the ones you can purchase from the "Home user" sites.

I captured this link just to demonstrate what's available. $1,000 and you get XP and Vista with 2G ram. I've been buying these for work. They are pretty sweet.
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/latit_d830?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd

OO is great unless you are a power Excel user.
 
Last edited:
You are right, Mark. What I intended to convey is that all new computers from the majors comes with an OS other than XP. To have XP added to the existing load requires an additional payment.

From Time Magazine - June 30, 2008
(REDMOND, Wash.) — Microsoft Corp. is scheduled to stop selling its Windows XP operating system to retailers and major computer makers Monday, despite protests from a slice of PC users who don't want to be forced into using XP's successor, Vista.

Once computers loaded with XP have been cleared from the inventory of PC makers such as Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co., consumers who can't live without the old operating system on their new machine will have to buy Vista Ultimate or Vista Business and then legally "downgrade" to XP.

Microsoft will still allow smaller mom-and-pop PC builder shops to buy XP for resale through the end of January. A version of XP will also remain available for ultra-low-cost PCs such as the Asus Eee PC.

A group of vocal computer users who rallied around a "Save XP" petition posted on the industry news site InfoWorld had been clamoring for Microsoft to keep selling XP until its next operating system, Windows 7, is available. The software maker has said it expects to release Windows 7 sometime in 2009.

Last week, Microsoft said it would provide full technical support for six-year-old Windows XP through 2009, and limited support through 2014.
Click to expand...
 
On July 2, I ordered a XP Home edition from Amazon while they still had it - for LOML to use on her Mac with Parallels, which is what I have on my Mac too.

On several occasions at meetings, my 2 year old Mac laptop with Parallels and XP Pro (installed 2 years ago) has done program opening, web search, and Excell calcs faster than several of the Dells and HPs in the room at the same time, whether they were running XP or Vista.

That shouldn't be (in my opinion), but XP Pro does work well on the Mac, even in virtual mode.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom