The Vista Checklist - Before you buy
Before you buy Vista, You may want to go through the following list.
To come back to this page, Click the Vista Checklist in the top menu
1- Do you have the hardware for vista ?
The bottom line in this is not the minimum requirements, the minimum memory you will need to run Vista is 500MB RAM, 1GB is the real minimum if you want your applications to run at a reasonable speed, Windows gives the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 graphics card a windows experience index of 2 (max is 5.9), so even if you have a good graphics card, think twice before buying, The 128MB card above is minimum to run vista effectively in my opinion, Your processor, 800MHz ? they must be kidding. Anyway, Visit the Hardware Requirements page if you are not sure about anything
2- Do you need vista ?
This is a harder question, and this is why we reviewed vista in the first place, Vista looks better, Makes some tasks easier, and is more efficient for New Hardware (can utilize new hardware better), otherwise you need to check the vista review pages to find out if what you are looking for is in vista.
3- Will vista run my applications ?
The vast majority of windows XP software does run on vista, But if you use your machine for specific applications, You should check with your application manufacturers before you pay $100-$380.
4- What edition of vista do you need ?
Of Vista's 4 editions (Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, And Ultimate), the Ultimate has every feature found in any other edition, Windows Home Basic has very little of what the other editions offer, So, the best way to find out what edition you will want to buy is by comparing Windows Vista Home Premium to Windows Vista Business), Then you should see if you want features from both, get Ultimate, If you do not need any features from either, Get Home Basic, and if you need features from only one, you know what edition to buy, Please note that you can upgrade between editions as well
5- Are you buying a new computer soon ?
Vista is not cheap, But it is less expensive when you get it pre installed on a new computer.
So if you are buying a new computer soon, maybe you should get it pre-installed there rather than buy a boxed edition. , You can also buy an OEM at a much cheaper price, the problem with that is, you can not move your windows to another machine, So you are stuck with the motherboard you install on first time. (If you insist, scroll down to see the OEM buy links)
6- Where is the best price found ?
The best prices we found for windows vista are in the table under (and on the right margin), We will update if we find a better price anywhere else
And to buy the OEM (No tech support, and only installs on 1 computer (can not be transferred to another computer)
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From: Vinceswift@supanet.com
Subject: Vista Ultimate | | I have A Dell inspiron 1300 note book running on windows XP Home, I wish to install Vista Ultimate can you advise me what I may have to purchase as well to run the new format.
512MB total Physical
59.34 Available
2.00GB Virtual
1.96GB Available Virtual | From: John Gallo
Subject: Upgrading XT-Pro with a Blocked Volume License Key | | I live in Mexico and wanted to Upgrade my Windows '98 2nd Edition to XT-Pro about a year ago. Since I was unable to get an English Version down here, and I did not want it installed by downloading it online, I had my niece in California purchase one for me and ship it down to me. She found a Full-Version one with SP-2, for sale in The Recycler, that had a Product Key Number (PKN) which I could Register with Microsoft, so I gave her the go-ahead to get it for me. My local computer man installed it for me and the PKN worked for a year. In the past couple of weeks, Windows has notified me that my PKN is now an invalid, blocked, Volume License Key (VLK). They have offered to make my installed XT-Pro a legal version for $149 by downloading a valid PKN, which PKN will also be e-mailed to me for my records, and they will ship me a CD with the full XT-Pro Version with this same PKN. They also advertised the 4-different Vista Upgrades: Ultimate @ $259; Business @ $199; Home Premium @ $159; and the Home Basic @ $99.95. However, they did not make it clear if the Vista Upgrades would only apply AFTER I make the XT-Pro legal again with the purchase of the PKN; or, if I could bypass that and go straight to a Vista Upgrade to make my underlying XT-Pro and the Vista Upgrade completely valid/legal/legitimate again. I prefer not to discuss this with Microsoft Windows as I suspect that they use every excuse possible to get into my current system to bugger things up a little more each time as a means to force me into a purchase decision sooner than later. I believe that they were doing that with my '98 2nd Ed., (which was a very legal installation), to try to "encourage" me to Upgrade to the several new Windows that had come out. I am a retired person living on a small Social Security Old Age Pension, and need to stretch my bucks, but I also need something that will work with a Product Key Number that will ALWAYS be valid... WITH NO MORE SURPRISES! This current problem was a new one to me, and I did not even know such things existed. I've tried contacting the Seller of the XT-Pro, but he is not Replying to my e-mails to him, which are NOT bouncing back. I live about 2,000 miles from him and so there is not much else which I can reasonably do with the Seller.
Thank you!
P.S. With all that, I really did not ask my question: If I go straight to a Vista Upgrade, will I be free of any future problems caused due to the underlying XT-Pro with SP-2, now being a blocked Version with a bad PKN? I do realize that it would be considerably cheaper to buy the Vista Full Version, than it would be to purchase the XT-Pro PKN, and then the Vista Upgrade, if I would have to go this way. Thank you! | From: gary
Subject: Vista | | Vista is less than groovy ! | From: acwjzmrj
Subject: acwjzmrj | | Can I backup my computer software?
| From: health
Subject: Unknown | | Cool guestbook, interesting information... Keep it UP. excellent site i really like your stuff. | From: sweeta-hx
Subject: Unknown | | Sorry, but what is kimerikas?
Jane. | From: mimaxa_dq
Subject: Unknown | | From: vltiq ktbmld
Subject: aqfpb zgxjnsp | | kritlx oaziltk jvpoky bxunye txbph aewfnr ojpvzl | From: Vinceswift@supanet.com
Subject: Vista Ultimate | | I have A Dell inspiron 1300 note book running on windows XP Home, I wish to install Vista Ultimate can you advise me what I may have to purchase as well to run the new format.
512MB total Physical
59.34 Available
2.00GB Virtual
1.96GB Available Virtual | From: John Gallo
Subject: Upgrading XT-Pro with a Blocked Volume License Key | | I live in Mexico and wanted to Upgrade my Windows '98 2nd Edition to XT-Pro about a year ago. Since I was unable to get an English Version down here, and I did not want it installed by downloading it online, I had my niece in California purchase one for me and ship it down to me. She found a Full-Version one with SP-2, for sale in The Recycler, that had a Product Key Number (PKN) which I could Register with Microsoft, so I gave her the go-ahead to get it for me. My local computer man installed it for me and the PKN worked for a year. In the past couple of weeks, Windows has notified me that my PKN is now an invalid, blocked, Volume License Key (VLK). They have offered to make my installed XT-Pro a legal version for $149 by downloading a valid PKN, which PKN will also be e-mailed to me for my records, and they will ship me a CD with the full XT-Pro Version with this same PKN. They also advertised the 4-different Vista Upgrades: Ultimate @ $259; Business @ $199; Home Premium @ $159; and the Home Basic @ $99.95. However, they did not make it clear if the Vista Upgrades would only apply AFTER I make the XT-Pro legal again with the purchase of the PKN; or, if I could bypass that and go straight to a Vista Upgrade to make my underlying XT-Pro and the Vista Upgrade completely valid/legal/legitimate again. I prefer not to discuss this with Microsoft Windows as I suspect that they use every excuse possible to get into my current system to bugger things up a little more each time as a means to force me into a purchase decision sooner than later. I believe that they were doing that with my '98 2nd Ed., (which was a very legal installation), to try to "encourage" me to Upgrade to the several new Windows that had come out. I am a retired person living on a small Social Security Old Age Pension, and need to stretch my bucks, but I also need something that will work with a Product Key Number that will ALWAYS be valid... WITH NO MORE SURPRISES! This current problem was a new one to me, and I did not even know such things existed. I've tried contacting the Seller of the XT-Pro, but he is not Replying to my e-mails to him, which are NOT bouncing back. I live about 2,000 miles from him and so there is not much else which I can reasonably do with the Seller.
Thank you!
P.S. With all that, I really did not ask my question: If I go straight to a Vista Upgrade, will I be free of any future problems caused due to the underlying XT-Pro with SP-2, now being a blocked Version with a bad PKN? I do realize that it would be considerably cheaper to buy the Vista Full Version, than it would be to purchase the XT-Pro PKN, and then the Vista Upgrade, if I would have to go this way. Thank you! | From: gary
Subject: Vista | | Vista is less than groovy ! | From: acwjzmrj
Subject: acwjzmrj | | Can I backup my computer software?
| From: health
Subject: Unknown | | Cool guestbook, interesting information... Keep it UP. excellent site i really like your stuff. | From: sweeta-hx
Subject: Unknown | | Sorry, but what is kimerikas?
Jane. | From: mimaxa_dq
Subject: Unknown | | From: vltiq ktbmld
Subject: aqfpb zgxjnsp | | kritlx oaziltk jvpoky bxunye txbph aewfnr ojpvzl |
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