Need a new PC. Why get Vista? Why buy new? And more stupid questions.

[policywonk]

Good morning techy peoples

I kind of need a new PC, but would really like to keep the budget right down (don't need a new monitor or any add-ons). When I say 'down', I'm talking £300 or less. I only ever use Word and Explorer, because I am dull like that - no need to play games or anything.

I read a recent thread about this and someone was saying YOU MUST GET VISTA - why? Will I not be able to open Vista files in XP? What sort of processor should I get?

Is it OK to buy second-hand computers on eBay, or will I be cursing? What should I look for?

Please help me, I am stupid.

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released, even...

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God bless you all, with your links and your advice. Group hug!!!

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Well, I've got a big old monitor right here

Admittedly, it is MASSIVE depth-wise and takes up most of my desk - but a flat one would cost mucho wonga, no?

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That's true about a skanky monitor, I forget because DH works in IT he seems to have a neverending supply of free monitors.

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*looks around at all the fucking annoying lovely free monitors cluttering adorning her house.

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I love you Mellow. Here, have some of this home-grown.

Mind you, we are back to PC World and Vista. The twin horsemen of the apocalypse.

*looks shiftily at MellowMa

You want monitors? I can get you monitors....

You are rather far away from me though. Am in Midlands. And I can only CRTs.

There are ALWAYS monitors on freecycle.

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Oh you must get a flat screen monitor. Honestly.....

Look, if you want Vista, then go for it. But prepare to have to continually download patches from Microsoft.

I have a new PC with Vista, pw. It also has Office 2007 and I did get in a bit of a tangle with Word recently (for which I received much help on here ) because it's laid out completely differently and is New and Strange (eek) but as far as Vista itself goes I haven't really noticed any diff (except that I can't cheat my Freecell stats by opening a new game in another window any more )

[technonumpty]

HTH

Oh oh oh

Word is the thing that I really NEED to work properly (I'm a copy editor and do Everything In Word). How different is it, Wendy?

Re-reading your post, I see it's Office 2007 that is the problem, rather than Vista?

Haven't read whole thread but do bear in mind that Vista uses double the memory of XP pro and alot of laptops/ pcs can't cope with that plus other applications. I'm sticking with XP with my new stuff until they sort Vista out - it will be better eventually.

I work in Word too, pw, but I'm a rank amateur - I'm always eg touching a button by accident and finding bullet points have appeared (I should do a course )

It does still do all the same things, and prob a lot more too, and now I'm used to it I can bumble along as before, but things are in different places - you need to ask a Word pro how it compares but I believe the consensus is that it is better than whatever the previous version was (I think mine was 2000 before)

Thanks WW and W

OK, here's a question: if I buy a PC that has Vista installed, can I uninstall it and put XP on instead, or is that just utter madness?

yes you can but it would be cheaper to buy a pc with xp on in the first place. Make sure it's dual core though at least (now give you are bogarting the hg)