FYI - Hard to Find Win XP systems!

[Casper1]

For anyone out there thinking of buying a laptop or desktop, and who doesnt want Vista...you may want to consider buying now!

I just found out Dell NO LONGER sells systems new with XP, only Vista (except two obscure $2000+ laptops).  Only refurbs otherwise.

I peeked at circuit city and it looked the same.  Heads up!!!  MS is pushing Vista onto ALL OF US.  AHHH!!!

[llama]

I've been dealing with this with clients recently too. Very annoying. All is not lost, however.

1. Any white-box clone shop can still make a computer for you, notebook or desktop, with Windows XP on it. In Southern California and other western states, PCClub isn't a bad place to go. They have internet sales too, so you can be anywhere and get a PC from them. I would imagine there are innumerable smaller computer chains that can build an XP box to suit.

2. From Dell, instead of clicking "Home/Home Office" as who you are, click "Small Business" or "Medium Business." Most, though not all, of those PCs can be had with either XP or Vista pre-installed for a small/medium business. The model numbers of the computers can be different, but the hardware is essentially the same. Just buy a good video card from Newegg and almost any of those "business machines" would be a good AH computer.

3. Call one of these vendors (Dell/Gateway) and tell the sales droid that you are prepared to buy a computer today, on this call, if it has XP on it. You never know...

4. Buy an Intel-based Mac. No, seriously. They don't come with Vista. Then install BootCamp and install XP. It is a nice, clean install that works just great.

5. Build your own, and install your own OS.

-Llama

[airspro]

Got mine here
They have numerus operating systems to pick from .


eagl gave us the Hardcop website to look at and found this maker there as they had a good rateing .

==

Fun to read how they order something like u or I would , not letting them know they were reviewing the tower they orderd  

Here's that link

[Blackwulf]

At least for now, Dell will put WinXP on any desktop PC if requested, and last I checked, all of the "SLI ready" computers still come with WinXP since Vista does not currently support SLI.  This is of course subject to change without notice, and will likely only be a "while supplies last" of the oem disks/licenses they have on hand.
BTW I got my new Dell without all the "AOL preload", "bluelight preload", and "trial version software" crap by telling the sales zombie specifically not to install it.  I was even able to have it built without some of the "standard" bloat hardware I didn't need even though it showed no option to do so in the package listing. There are a lot of options at Dell they don't tell you about, it pays to ask or state a preference up front.
Of course, it never hurts to support your local comp builder either.  (My only reason for going Dell to be honest, is that I get a decent discount through my wife's employer which brought it down to a competetive price with building it myself)

Blackwulf

[Gypsy Baron]

Originally posted by Casper1
For anyone out there thinking of buying a laptop or desktop, and who doesnt want Vista...you may want to consider buying now!

I just found out Dell NO LONGER sells systems new with XP, only Vista (except two obscure $2000+ laptops).  Only refurbs otherwise.

I peeked at circuit city and it looked the same.  Heads up!!!  MS is pushing Vista onto ALL OF US.  AHHH!!!

I'm expecting my new HP NX6325  laptop, with XP Pro to be delivered
today or monday. I ordered it from NewEgg at the beginning of the
week.

When my old Toshiba died last week I began a searc h for a replacement,
using "WinXP" and "1024x768" as requirements. I'm not a fan of the
new "wide screen" craze so a 15" TFT with the above resolution was what I wanted.

I, too, noticed that ALL laptop models at CompUSA that offered XP in
the add were "Sold Out", while none of those with Vista were

I also ordered and recieved a copy of XP Pro Sp2 last month, which is
to be used when I decide to build up my next #1 machine and relegate
this 4-year old macine to #2 status.

( My #3 & #4 macines are running Win95 and Win98. My #2 machine just
 stopped booting to Win98SE but I'm trying to reserect it )

    =GB=