[gl861]

My husband & I are wanting to buy a new pc..We have a presario with Windows xp home now.We are wanting to find a pc that has Xp on it,but since Vista has come out,all of the pc's we have looked at have Vista preinstalled.Is there anyway to still buy a pc that has Xp on it?

[Wheeler]

Sure you can find computers with XP on them,I just had a custom computer built and went with XP so i don't have to worry about all of vistas bugs.Just go to your local computer shop and tell them you want a new computer with Windows XP as your operating system.Cheers

[dgrassi]

I have watched the new computer market closely since August 2006 when the new Core 2 Duo Intel chips started to become available with new machines. The story seems to be that the big box stores certainly are anxious to get rid of their 2005 and 2006 stock with XP and the older chips. However, if you want a 2007 computer or wish to buy one from Dell for example with a Core 2 Duo chip they have already loaded their new machines with Vista pre-installed. I am facing the same dilemma, as I want the Core 2 Duo chip and am concerned that the bugs have yet to be discovered about Vista such as working with previously bought peripherals and software written for XP.Secondly, to run Vista, it is recommended you have 2,048 MB of RAM although it will run on 1,024. Additionally, the hard drive must be far larger to run it. Therefore, if you buy a computer with XP on it now which may be perfectly suited for XP even though it could potentially run Vista, you will need a faster chip than an older moldel, larger hard drive and more memory. So, don't expect to purchase an older model for the long term. Then it becomes a question if that makes sense in the long run. Going cheap now will ultimately catch up with you.Intel and Microsoft will constantly be using us as pawns and it is unfortunate that although prices on computers adjusted for inflation may be less than a few years ago, ultimately due to bugs, faulty hardware and poorer customer service requiring service contracts, we ultimately pay in some way or other.Hope this helps. :unsure

[mphenterprises]

GL861, there is some good advice here so far. I just would like to add my two cents. I have been building PCs for about 6 yrs. I will never go back to retail computers. You can tailor your custom computer to have exactly what you want and nothing that you don't want. In saying this, I would recommend you find someone in your area that knows how to build computers. Tell him or her exactly what you told us here in this forum. Express that you want Windows XP and any other hardware and software requirements you may have. This way, you never have to worry about what you are going to get. Furthermore, you will save ALOT of money in the process.If you choose not to get a custom computer, any retail store should have Windows XP computers. If they say they do not and try to steer you towards Vista, just go somewhere else.

[reggie64]

I REALLY don't want to say this, but ebay probably has computers that have computers running XP on them (I know, I'm crazy for thinking ebay) however, some of these places have better warranties then Dell, Gateway, etc. because they build the computers about a month or less than before you get it, meaning some parts have 3 year warranties on them, which is good in the case that something bad happens to your PC after a year of using (e.g. Hard Drive Failure) also, depending on price range, ebay will be cheaper than if you bought from Dell or somewhere else (anything over 1,000 bucks will generally be cheaper) I hope this helps. Finally, now that I think of it, I think over at Dell you can buy a PC w/o an OS, meaning you can pick up one at www.newegg.com, where XP comes with a free upgrade to Vista (REALLY GOOD DEAL!!!!!!!!!!!) so any of those options should help you out.

[mphenterprises]

I would have to disagree with your first point, reggie. It is way too risky to buy component parts from ebay auctions, you never really know what you will get. If they are going to go that route, they might as well go retail. It's just way too risky.

[reggie64]

Well, I wasn't too sure about ebat (I built my own PC from newegg, lol) but some sellers I noticed DID offer original warranties from the manufacturer. But Newegg I think has PC's still under XP, but i'm not certain. Newegg would be the place to buy becuase they are THE BEST PC Parts/electronics place out there. There customer service is great, and there prices are fantastic. So PLEASE look there first.

[Wheeler]

Sorry Reggie64 theirs no such thing as a free Micro$oft upgrade unless you bootleg it.I just finshed filling out my redemption form for a upgrade version to Vista home premium and it cost me 90 bucks with the shipping.To get Vista home basic its gonna coast ya 49.00+shipping :shock:

[dgrassi]

And I heard that the so-called Vista express upgrade is pure fiction.:!:

[Cosmo]

[quote name='dgrassi']And I heard that the so-called Vista express upgrade is pure fiction.:!:It exists, it just takes a long time to get the upgrade.PC World Article

[reggie64]

yes, the upgrade does exist, but like I said before, you have to buy XP with it. look at newegg yourself. The only thing is that it does take a really long time to get (I shipped the form out about a month ago, got the conformation of shipping Vista to me today, in 6-8 weeks) Just would like to reiterate the deal to anyone confused.

[dgrassi]

I would suggest anyone who bought a Vista-ready computer read this excellent article by David Berlind of ZDNet. Buyers beware what you wish for!http://blogs.zdnet.com/Berlind/?p=347