Angus Kidman09 February 2007, 4:14 AM
The easiest way to get Vista working on a notebook is to buy it pre-installed, but that doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune. We've tracked down some options for discount notebooks.
For new computer buyers, there are two widely acknowledged facts. Firstly: the odds that you're going to purchase a notebook rather than a desktop are already close to even, and moving steadily in favour of the portable option.
Secondly, one of the biggest problems with trying to get Vista to work is the lack of drivers, and those problems can only be exacerbated when you're dealing with weird notebook components. So buying a new machine -- one that's already been tested with Vista -- is probably the order of the day.
 Dell's cheapest Vista notebook: Crank up the memory and let her rip. |
For this edition of Deal Hunter, we've tried to identify the best prices available for notebooks certified to run Windows Vista Home Premium. That automatically eliminates the sub-$1,000 category, which by definition is a Vista Home Basic market. If you absolutely have to buy in this price range, sticking with Windows XP is really the only sensible path to take.
There's a case to be made for using Vista Ultimate as a notebook OS -- it's the only way for individual buyers to get access to BitLocker encryption, for instance. However, that's automatically going to push the price up as well, especially as Ultimate-installed notebooks tend to have lots of pricey components.
While your choices in the Home Premium range aren't wide, they're not non-existent either. Centre Com are selling LG's Core2 Duo-based W1-KPDIA for just under $3,150.
If you want a much lower price, Dell's entry-level XPS1210 can be had, complete with Home Premium pre-installed, for $1,848. (It's probably worth spending an extra $300 or so to double the memory from 1GB to 2GB, however.)
If the specs are right, one other option is to purchase a machine running XP but which is eligible for the Express Upgrade program. While this isn't quite as neat as having the OS already installed, it could still prove a reasonable deal . For instance, you can pick up a Compaq NX6325 for around $1,250, and then upgrade away. (You'll quite likely get the best deals with this approach by actually visiting stores rather than shopping online.)