As this year draws to a close, there will be more temptation than usual to buy a new notebook.
For one thing, prices are expected to be especially low this holiday season. With the release of Windows Vista for the consumer market delayed until January 30, 2007 (assuming Microsoft meets its projection), PC makers are discounting their products to entice you to buy now.
Another reason to buy now is to get a tax deduction for 2006. Or you might simply want to start a new year with a new computer.
If you're in the mood for a new notebook, read on. This week I discuss the question of whether you should wait for Vista. Next week I'll offer tips on how to find the notebook that's right for you.
Microsoft's Windows Vista promises to be a significant upgrade to Windows XP. Vista is expected to contain hundreds of new features, including a new interface, improved searching, new multimedia tools, easier peer-to-peer networking, and enhanced security. For details, read "Windows Vista: Done--For Now" and go to the Vista home page.
Currently, Microsoft is offering coupons for free or discounted upgrades to Vista to anyone who buys a Windows XP computer now.
So, should you wait until February to buy a new notebook with Vista preinstalled or just go ahead and buy one now?
If you're in no particular hurry to get a new notebook, and the current discounts aren't that important to you, I suggest holding off. Senior Technical Editor Rex Farrance is highly skeptical of the idea of going with a Vista coupon upgrade, and installing an operating system upgrade can be tricky.
For example, depending upon the Windows XP version that your new notebook runs and the version of Vista that you want to upgrade to later, you may need to do a clean install--which is fairly time-consuming, because you'll need to back up all of your data, applications, and settings to an external drive or computer (which you should do anyway), then reinstall everything. By comparison, an in-place upgrade retains your files, applications, and settings.
How do you know if you'll need to do a clean install or could get away with in-place upgrade? Check out Microsoft's Upgrade Planning chart. Nonetheless, you never know exactly what you'll get when you upgrade an OS, so you should be prepared for the possibility of needing a clean install regardless.
My advice? If you're the least bit squeamish about upgrading your operating system, wait until February to buy a new notebook with Vista preinstalled.
If you truly need a new computer right now, go for it. You could drive yourself crazy waiting for just the right moment to buy a notebook.
Are you the type who waits for a service upgrade before migrating to a new operating system? If you are, go ahead and buy your new notebook now--you could be waiting a while for that upgrade. The first generations of Microsoft's OSes have a reputation for being problematic, due to device driver incompatibilities, security holes, and so forth. In fact, some companies routinely wait for the first service pack upgrade before transitioning their computers to a new Microsoft operating system.
According to a recent IDG News Service report, many companies are not planning to upgrade existing computers to Vista, opting instead to upgrade to Vista only when a new computer is purchased, to minimize disruptions.
At any rate, if you plan to buy a Windows XP notebook now, decide in advance which version of Vista you're most likely to eventually want.
Most versions of Vista (except for Home Basic, which lacks the advanced Windows Aero graphical environment), will require more system memory and other resources than XP does to run properly. Your goal should be to buy a notebook now that you know for sure will easily support the Vista version you'll want to run later.
Most current Windows XP notebooks fall into two categories; "Windows Vista Capable," and "Windows Vista Premium Ready."
A Windows Vista Capable computer includes an 800-MHz or faster processor, 512MB of system memory, and a graphics processor that supports DirectX 9 (for multimedia tasks). Vista Capable computers can run Vista Home Basic, the lower-end version. Most users will likely be disappointed with Vista Home Basic, however, as it lacks the attractive user interface that's gotten so much buzz.
Windows Vista Premium Ready computers can run Vista versions that incorporate the Aero environment, such as Vista Home Premium and Ultimate. Vista Premium Ready PCs include a 1-GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor, 1GB of memory, and 128MB of graphics memory or more.
Whatever you decide, the most important thing is that you end up with a notebook that will meet your needs today and tomorrow. Tune in next week for tips on finding the portable that's best for you.
Apple has added Intel Core 2 Duo chips to its consumer-focused MacBook notebooks. The company claims the new models are 25 percent faster than previous MacBooks. Prices are pretty much unchanged, with the entry-level model going for $1099 and the most expensive MacBook--the one in black--retailing for $1499.
NTP, the company that filed a patent infringement lawsuit earlier this year against BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, has filed a similar suit against Palm. NTP alleges that Palm's Treo devices use NTP technology in its mobile wireless e-mail and has asked a U.S. District Court judge to stop Palm from selling the devices.
Remember the Toshiba Libretto?
Is there a particularly cool mobile computing product or service I've missed? Got a spare story idea in your back pocket? Tell me about it. However, I regret that I'm unable to respond to tech-support questions, due to the volume of e-mail I receive.
James A. Martin
