While Dell recommends Vista on its desktops and laptops, Windows Vista doesn’t support all the applications. This is particularly true of professionals who rely on it highly for high-end graphic design and so on. Which is why, they still prefer XP any day.
However, if you are only into PhotoShop, Excel and Powerpoint and so on, Vista shouldn’t pose a problem. However, if you have 1GB RAM, then Vista cannot fly because it needs atleast 2GB to stay afloat, and experts say that a 3GB RAM is better if your system is fuelled by Vista.
But since not many know of this, they fall into a trap. Most laptop manufacturers offer Vista Home Basic or Premium, with either 1GB RAM or 2GB RAM. People who are unaware of this buy into the deal and later realise that the system is too slow for their operating comfort.
So the next time you buy a laptop and want a Vista, make sure it’s atleast 3GB RAM. And yes, go for the intel Core 2 Duo rather than Dual Core if you want killer processor speeds.
And if you are looking for a cross between a netbook and notebook, there’s Acer Aspire’s 3810T (without DVDRW) and 4810T (with DVDRW). And if Vista becomes a problem, downgrade to XP and you shouldn’t have much of a problem. These laptops just weight 1.6 kg, offer 8-hour battery life, 2GB RAM, 250GB hard drive space and an Intel GMA video card to run movies and low-end games. Njoy!
P.S: If you are buying a system which has genuine Vista that allows you to freely upgrade to Windows 7, I would advise you not to. Wait and watch what the world has to say before trying it out. Knowing Microsoft, there might be many bugs that will ruin your life as it stands today.