I'm looking for a laptop to buy in prep for Uni in Oct, shall I get one with Vista or Xp? ?

Question

After asking a couple of questions, I've decided to get a laptop in prep for my Maths degree starting in Oct. The course is for 3 years so I'm looking into the specs for one that would see me through till 2012.
I've always used Xp at home and after some googling and 'discovering' on Y! Answers, most people seem to prefer Xp. My dilemma is, I can still get one with Xp now(before it gets completely phased out) which requires little ram but too slow to upgrade OR one with Vista and more ram(4GB?) but still not compatible with many things however allows me to upgrade to Windows 7 when it comes out.
Does anybody know when Win7 is coming out, I don't really need a laptop until the start of Oct. Perhaps the laptops available then will have Win7 pre-installed?
I just feel a bit pressed with time coz I'm worried that a few months down the line, xp will not be available anymore.
What's the rough cost to upgrade a o/s? Will Xp see me through the degree anyway?
Finally, can anyone give me some suggestions as to what specs I should be going for?(I've been looking at Dells(both direct and on ebay(ndc and the chef01 for returned ones)) I need it for MS Office, wireless web surfing/access to Uni net, email/msn. No games/watching dvds required, I've got other equip for those.

Thanks for reading.

Answer 1

You asked a host of questions, but as far as I'm concerned, go with XP. Vista has too many bugs already, where as XP is pretty stable now. You can do everything you require with XP as it is a fully functional OS, and you can always upgrade as and when you feel the need to. I know some people who still use Win 98, and it still does the job they want it to, so don't just jump on the Vista train until you are 100% sure you can work with and around it. You should be able to find a laptop with lots of memory running XP, but you can always upgrade before you buy.



Windows 7 should be out already, but don't know how stable it is. I still use XP, as Vista is just too much of a headache!



Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Don't let the myth fool you. If you're buying a laptop, everything will be compatible with Vista, including all of your accessories. Vista is a fine operating system, just a little different to use than XP. And by all means, don't get anything under 4gb if you plan on keeping it useful for the next 3-4 years.

Answer 3

If you want it for 3 years then i would say go with vista however alot of people still like xp because it is a lot more stable and has less problems with programmes but alot of problems people have are user issues.

windows 7 will be released before the summer so if your buying the laptop for oct then it will come with windows 7

Answer 4

xp is out..although techanical questions are still been handled...

but i doubt it will see you through 3 years...as their plan was last year to phase out in 3 years..