am I missing something here, or is this laptop a steal?

[Caliga]

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4545456&csid=ITD&body=MAIN#detailspecs
Princesca needs a new laptop for work.  I was pushing her to get a netbook, since she always bitched about her last laptop being a pain to lug around, but a friend of hers suggested this offering from Acer.

Only thing I can see "wrong" with it is that it's got 32-bit Vista.  At this point I would prefer a 64-bit OS, and while it will qualify for a free Win 7 upgrade, the upgrade will also be the 32-bit version... you can't get a free upgrade to 64-bit, it seems.

[Caliga]

Whenever I buy anything prepackaged (which I don't usually do, since typically I build my own desktops from components), the first thing I do is reformat the HD with the included install disc.

So I guess your question is an important one and I ought to see if I can find the answer.

[Berkut]

Someone once remarked to me about getting a free upgrade to Win7 when you buy Vista - where are the details on that?

[Caliga]

If you buy a license (for home use only, I believe) for Vista after June 23rd, 2009, you get a free upgrade to the equivalent version of Windows 7.

[Iormlund]

You mean Windows 7 will still have 32-bit versions? Seriously? 

[Caliga]

  Yes.  Not everyone has a CPU capable of running a 64 bit OS, believe it or not.  Yet, Micro$oft likes being able to sell their products to as many people as possible.

Granted, my home desktop is on Vista 64, of course.

[Barrister]

and apparently there are still people running 16-bit legacy code that a 64 bit Windows simply can not run.

[Caliga]

and apparently there are still people running 16-bit legacy code that a 64 bit Windows simply can not run.

When I saw that you'd posted I assumed I'd be reading an unwanted Apple ad.

I'm proud of you for refraining Beeb 

[Barrister]

I could still give you an Apple ad if you wanted.

You know they dropped prices of their laptops and you can get a very nice MacBook for under $1000.   

[derspiess]

Is 64-bit that much of a "must" for a laptop (espec. if it's for a girl)?  Anyway, I say go for it.  Amazing how cheap you can get a decent laptop for these days.

[Iormlund]

Those still with 32bit CPUs won't have enough memory to run that Win7 fluently, or even at all. As for legacy code users, those would be stupid to upgrade at all (which is part of why Vista business penetration is abysmal).

[Barrister]

Is 64-bit that much of a "must" for a laptop (espec. if it's for a girl)?  Anyway, I say go for it.  Amazing how cheap you can get a decent laptop for these days.

It's really only a RAM issue for most people I believe.  And since this particular laptop maxes out at 4GB of RAM I wouldn't think it is an issue at all.

[Caliga]

Is 64-bit that much of a "must" for a laptop (espec. if it's for a girl)? 

Normally no, but she plays computer games.

[jimmy olsen]

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4545456&csid=ITD&body=MAIN#detailspecs
Princesca needs a new laptop for work.  I was pushing her to get a netbook, since she always bitched about her last laptop being a pain to lug around, but a friend of hers suggested this offering from Acer.

Only thing I can see "wrong" with it is that it's got 32-bit Vista.  At this point I would prefer a 64-bit OS, and while it will qualify for a free Win 7 upgrade, the upgrade will also be the 32-bit version... you can't get a free upgrade to 64-bit, it seems.

That's an amazing deal! I bought a desktop with similar stats a little more than two years ago for 3 times that much. Before the hard drive difficulty it still ran anything I installed on it without problem.

[Viking]

I found this

http://pcdecrapifier.com/

for the pcilliterate this will get rid of most of the crap you get pre-installed on your computer.