Before we get to that, let me ask you all a question: Why do you use your laptop to begin with? Do you use it for gaming? Do you use it for business needs that require a large amount of word processing? Heck, do you use it for business needs that require a lot of processing power (think computer aided drafting, etc.)? If so, you might be aware that most types of operating systems are absolute memory hogs. Windows Vista is probably the worst offender; the OS is a bloated monster. It’s the epitome of terrible programming that reduces your computer’s performance to a level that shouldn’t be seen with today’s faster processors. Who wants that?
Well, nobody wants that. That’s exactly why we advocate looking at a Windows XP laptop instead of the Vista variety. Now, before anyone says it, yes, I’m well aware that XP isn’t exactly very good with memory usage either. However, with the later service packs that have come about as a result of complaints upon complaints hurled at Microsoft, Windows XP actually became, well, halfway decent. That’s my opinion at least…I’ve used XP extensively on several laptops, and Vista extensively on others. The XP laptops blew the Vista laptops clear out of the water. While Vista takes an hour and a half for a 1.6 GHz processor (such as I have) to boot up and become useful, XP seems to take much less time and half the resources. By the way, just to give you guys an idea: My Vista system right now is running the standard start-up items, one Excel spreadsheet, one Word document (which I’m writing), and the task manager. It’s currently using up 880 MB of 2 GB total physical memory. Add in iTunes and perhaps Firefox and you’re done.
Now, don’t even get me started about the FAT32 operating systems (Windows 98…does anyone still have that?). If you love the blue screens of death, you’ll love these. I think they’ve mercifully gone the way of the do-do at this point, but I’m sure there are people out there who still use the abomination we called Windows ME. If you’re one of those users, light your computer on fire right now!
Yes, XP laptops are really the lesser of all evils. I suppose that’s not saying much, though. But, if I were you I’d definitely look into buying Windows XP laptops instead of their counterparts. No question.
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