[BC] Re: Windows Vista

[r.j.carpenter]

Sorry to hear of Richard's Vista problems.  I have avoided Vista as the 
plague.  My most important software is really DOS-based, but it works 
fine with XP.

I've bought a couple of machines in the past year from Dell's
"Small Business" web area. In both cases XP came at no extra charge. 
Those days are over.  Although Dell will install XP on the machine 
before shipment, they charge $99 extra - which I think is a Microsoft 
requirement. One advantage of buying from the Small Business part of 
Dell is that a year of next-day on-site service in included. (After 
on-line diagnosis.)

The Small Business area no longer seems to offer the flexible 
configuration options that I used. I suspect it still does, if I knew 
where to look.

Some times one can "save too much money" by buying at the lowest price, 
especially if your time is worth anything.

Best wishes, Richard.

Bob c.  (whose middle name is Johnson)