Windows Vista on a new laptop
I am looking to buy a new laptop. It will be used for powerful programs like achicad, film editing, musical applications etc. I’ve already found a suitable model with enough power (Toshiba A300/M00), but it comes with Vista Home Premium built in.
Would you recommend Vista yet, or would you hold off for a while until Microsoft releases more software updates?
Also is there a way to change the operating system of a laptop with Vista already pre packaged?
You can “downgrade” a computer to Windows XP but it’s time consuming and expensive. Generally our advice is to stick with the operating system that comes with the computer.
The important thing with Vista is to make sure you have plenty of memory on the system and good fast hard drive. The Toshiba M300/M00 is a reasonably well specified machine that shouldn’t have any problems with Vista.
We would recommend getting the three year Toshiba extended warranty on the unit and, if the budget allows, upgrade the memory to 4Gb.
The only way you’ll come unstuck with Vista is if you are trying to connect to older equipment or install software that’s not the current edition. Many packages struggle with Vista’s security measures.
If you have an adequate computer and you are using newer technology, then there should be no problem with Vista.
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July 29th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
I bought a Toshiba A300/M00 about 7 days ago. I paid NZ$2,000 for it (including the laptop bag) and it came with an Intel Core-Duo T9300 2.5 GHZ, 2G RAM, ATI 3650 video card with 512 mb of RAM and Vista Home Premium. I needed a reasonably cheap laptop that was good for business that I could also use for gaming. I had my concerns about Vista, it turned out they were baseless. The A300 is an excellent laptop. Its fast with office applications and plays all the latest games including Crysis (25 FPS average @ 1024 * 768)well. Setting it up on my wireless office network was a breeze, Vista didn’t give me any problems at all. I was actually torn between the XPS 1530 and the A300, but I’ve got 3 other Toshiba laptops (older ones) and I trusted Toshiba’s reputation for building reliable and rugged business laptops. If you’re looking for a powerful laptop that does graphics, business and entertainment well without breaking the bank–you can’t go pass the Toshiba A300/M00. Its an excellent buy.