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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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 TECH REVIEW 
5

Buying a Computer? Wait for New OS

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(Newser) – It’s a bad time to buy a computer, writes Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal. And that makes it an equally awkward time for his annual computer buying guide. Both Microsoft and Apple will release new operating systems in the fall, and it’ll be easier to buy a computer with the new software preinstalled. But if you can’t wait, here are some issues to consider when buying an upgrade-ready PC.

  • Cost: Prices are way down. A low-end Windows laptop can be had for $500.
  • Mac or PC: Apple costs more, but “if speed, ease of use, and stability matter more, buy a Mac.” Still, based on the beta, Windows 7 will be a huge upgrade.
  • Memory: You’ll want 2GB, even on cheap machines.
  • Graphics: Discrete graphics processors will be more important than ever on the new OSes.

A Microsoft Windows Vista advertisement on display at Best Buy in Mountain View, Calif., Monday, Sept. 17, 2007.
A Microsoft Windows Vista advertisement on display at Best Buy in Mountain View, Calif., Monday, Sept. 17, 2007.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
The new Mac mini is on display at an Apple store in Palo Alto, Calif., Tuesday evening, March 4, 2009.
The new Mac mini is on display at an Apple store in Palo Alto, Calif., Tuesday evening, March 4, 2009.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Apple's new 17-inch MacBook Pro is seen on display at the Macworld Conference and Expo in San Francisco, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009.
Apple's new 17-inch MacBook Pro is seen on display at the Macworld Conference and Expo in San Francisco, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
In this Oct. 23, 2008 file photo, Microsoft Windows Vista upgrades are seen on display at Costco in Mountain View, Calif.
In this Oct. 23, 2008 file photo, Microsoft Windows Vista upgrades are seen on display at Costco in Mountain View, Calif.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, file)
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5 comments
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AClotfelter
Apr 23, 09 10:57 AM CDT
Gotta love the heard mentality... “if speed, ease of use, and stability matter more, buy a Mac.” of course a devout Mac guy is going to say that! And it's an easy recommendation, because Macs are "hip"... The vast, vast majority of people panning Vista have NEVER USED IT. "Windows 7 will be a huge upgrade." I have run Vista for 2 years, and have been running Windows 7 Beta for a few months... the two are 95% the same... under the hood they are 99% the same. Windows 7 is just a Vista service pack... and that's a GOOD thing... Reply
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Snowleopard
Apr 23, 09 2:56 PM CDT
Hands down, Mac is a faster and more stable operating system. It's better written code (btw, I do computer programming for a living)
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wwwonderer
Apr 23, 09 12:38 PM CDT
I do think the new OSs will be improvements. Looking forward to Windows 7 64-bit. The joke all the electronics stores that need to move inventory before then. When people ask me for recommendations for a machine, I often say that technology has moved so fast that a 2-year-old amchine is still kick *ss for the average email/internet/entertainment machine. Reply
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gregconquest
Apr 23, 09 4:41 PM CDT
Please. If you use the computer for internet browsing, email, youtube, and word processing, just buy a PC with ubuntu or another variety of linux on it and don't worry about upgrades. They're automatic, unobtrusive, and free. ............... If you use Excel, check into OpenOffice compatibility first. If you're a gamer, go Windows or console. Reply
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MrBisme
Apr 23, 09 7:36 PM CDT
HP's new tablet, the txz2, has the multi-point touch screen that should be of more use in windows 7. Just something to think about as far as the new technology being developed along with the OS. Reply
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