Mainly they just look different and and switching from XP to Vista is more of a visual change and the layout of some areas will be different.
The computers I worked on with Vista took an extra click to OK some actions.
I didn't care for that with my rsi, but it is a safety thing I guess, so people don't accidentally delete or remove something by mistake.

For the basic things of going online, making a video or typing a document it would be pretty much the same.

[Is there something else that XP, or VISTA can do? Or is it just the operating system?]
as soon as you pc boots up you are using the operating system.

Operating Systems {OS} general info
Win 98/XP /Vista are what makes the computer do things like the brains.
If you had no Operating System you would have a pile of parts that does nothing.

Linux is also an OS - and has many distro's and is free. Generally they use less system resources that the Windows OS and are less susceptible to viruses. But Microsoft got the mainstream in sales and back then Linux was more for geeks. But now they have some distros' that are very comparable to the Microsoft OS.

And there's Apple/ Mac which has it's own OS & hardware system.
you can't put a Mac OS on a pc and you can't put MS OS or Linus on a MAC computer.

unless you use a program to allow the conversion/emulation - but that's getting pretty deep into things LOL

[I go to the computer store, tell the guy there that all I want is the tower. I take a look at VISTA (hopefully he'll explain stuff to me but I doubt it). I then buy the computer and go home and simply unplug the stuff from the back of MY tower, and replug the stuff into the back of the NEW tower, and everything should light up, sing songs, my modem will be in sync and I'll lg on and go online, only with the new one, EVERYTHING WILL BE FASTER???]

Yes = faster more details below-
It should recognize everything for you, if not you can go online to get what you need.

I suggest playing around on one of the laptops at the store to "test drive" Vista - to see if you like how it looks compared to your XP. Around here they always have the darn things on all the time at the big stores .
do that before a salesperson is hanging over you. LOL

I think many of the big box stores have a keyboard & mouse along with the actual computer , if so you'll just have spares. Usually the monitor is sold separately.

You might even be able set up Vista to look more like XP if that is what you want to do. control panel /appearance/themes etc.


With a new computer you will not have any bookmarks/favorites/pictures/passwords etc...

so any of those that you want to have to put onto the new pc you will have to save as files and copy to a cd, flash drive or something so you can load them on to the new one.

BUT if you are concerned about possible viruses/Trojans/spyware on the old pc do full scans of those files before transferring to the new pc.

or you could write out all your passwords & websites and add them in manually.
same for any emails/ settings/ saved messages

anything on the old pc that you want to save to add onto the new one.
Of course you'll still have the old one around to get the info off of if you need to. I wouldn't toss it out if it still works.
Keep it around for awhile as a back up in case you need to get files off of it.

Most new pc come with 30/60/90 days free security on it.
I didn't care for the Norton layout so I removed it from parent's system and installed Zone Alarm sine I had a license/key for 3 pc's.

So you can do that too and put on what you prefer.

For what you use your pc for- you don't have to max out the memory/ram same with the hard drive size {is yours full now?} - just look in your price range and see what they come with.

I'm using an 80G hd and only 1/3 full, but I have a back up 200G and a USB 250 G external for long term backups and in case of major crashes.
Of course it all depends on how much and what you save and how often you clean it out.
my Ram is 1.5G so anything above that should work fine for you.

basically the more windows or programs you have running at one time the more ram you will need.
Gaming & intensive video/photo editing stuff are what requires more horsepower LOL

Okay, !!!! I THINK I GET IT.

Now one more question. (actually 2).

Aren't favorite places on the server side (I have mozilla).

do you mean we have to take a cd rom and put it in the lightscribe thing and copy the favorites to the cd? I have no idea how to do this. ALAN has so many favorites I cannot copy them all by hand and write them down.

I thought if we got a new computer and signed into Mozilla (now how stupid do I sound, who wigns into mozilla firefox?).

I guess I just answered my own question.

So how does one copy favorite places.??

Thanks much

Melody

Oh, one more question. If we decide to get a laptop, then I gather all I do is unplug the computer I have now, remove it from the desk (monitor too), and just place the laptop there and plug it in?

Is this right?

Thanks

Melody

Your bookmarks /favorites are on your computer only- nowhere else.
same with saved emails and your email address book {unless you sync'd/copied it with you online email address book}

Bookmarks-
you can save them to a file very easily on both FF & IE - if you have some there too. basically it about the same procedure.

Go to bookmarks / organize bookmarks
a new screen will come up & you should see Import & Backup near the top
click that for a drop down list and then click Backup
It should open a little window showing where to save the file - desktop, documents or what ever you choose.
and click the save button at the bottom and that's it.
of course you'll want to remember where you saved it so you can copy it to a CD.


here's a link with more info from Mozilla-
http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/...ur+information

Have you ever burned {copied}any files to a cd yet?

after you get those files saved for the new computer, or in case of a crash or reinstall on the old one...

then you just copy them to the cd burner drive and burn them onto the cd.


yep with the laptop you could even use your larger monitor ,keyboard & mouse if you wanted to.
as long as it has plug ins for all those things.
I have connector to hook my laptop up to my TV if I wanted to & I prefer to use a mouse instead of the touch pad.

I am going to replace my old laptop with a desktop. I don't know yet what to get. I need to have something that will edit video and I create a lot of illustrations and need a really good program for that... powerpoint video presentations... I need a lot of memory and whatever else. It will be an investment. But since I retired, I was spoiled with my computer at work and now have time to do some things at home... buy not with this laptop dinosaur.

I've looked a Dell..? They have a pretty fast copier/printer which I need something for publishing children's books Right now I"m printing everything on Hp and is really slow. My profits don't look to great if I figure the time put in...

Well I'm rambling a bit.... I may need to pick your brain later. I'm just doing a lot of reading and searching and taking notes now. I want to make a good decision.

Anyway, back to the thanks.... You've added to my notes!!!!

Okay!!! I have now saved my bookmarks to my desktop. It's there marked 'ALL MY BOOKMARKS".

So how do I burn this to a cd. I have MEMOREX 4X Rewrite speed CD-RW Rewritable Platinum 650mb x 74 mm ( I have no idea what this means)

So do I just pop in the cd in my lightscribe thing and go to my desktop and copy it to my cd in the lightscribe thing. I have 3 songs on this cd thing already.

I think I just might experiment and try to copy it.

can't hurt. I might even learn something.

be back later.

Melody

well, i think i did it. i did something, i know that!!!

I put the cd in the LIGHTSCRIBE CD-WRITER.

I then went to my desktop and saw the MY BOOKMARKS ICON.

I then clicked on that icon, and chose SEND TO-

I then chose the DRIVE E.

I gave me some problems at first telling me THERE IS NO WRITABLE CD IN THE DRIVE, OR THE DISC IS FULL".

I only had 4 or 5 songs on that disc so I deleted them all.

So essentially I had a blank disc.

so I started over, and Sent the BOOKMARKS FILE TO THE DISC IN DRIVE E.

It worked.

Now I wanted to see what I actually had on the disc, so I went to the Start menu, I clicked on EXPLORE, I cliced on Drive E and there was the file (or folder, or whatever it's called).

I double clicked on that and guess what happened next?

I get a message asking me 'HOW DO YOU WANT TO OPEN THIS.?

It gave me a long list of options, once of which is Firefox.

Do I click on Firefox to see what is on the disc in Drive E?

And if this is so, that I gather that once I buy my new computer, I put the Bookmarks CD in the cd rom thingee of the new computer, and

WHAT DO I DO NEXT?

So

1. How to I get to view what I just copied to this disc.

2. When and if I buy a new computer, how do I get the bookmarks for viewing when I go online? I gather I just copy them to the bookmarks folder in Firefox (???), I mean, when I get the new computer, and I am on Firefox, and I click on Bookmarks, will they be there?

Thanks much.

HEY I'M LEARNING, I'M LEARNING!!!

lol

Melody

yes you want to go ahead and check the cd files to make sure they copied .
I usually go to the My Computer icon clicl that to get all the drives listed and then right click the the cd drive icon and select explore.

but which ever way that you get to see what you have on the cd is fine - you can't hurt it.
Just don't hit delete or format it LOL

so once you verify the files & info
you label the cd - I just use a permanent marker , so i know what it is for

and then when you need to put it on a computer just pop in the cd and copy the files on to the new computer - where ever you can find it best
I put most things like this in My Documents folder.
then all you do is open FF and go to bookmarks and use the import --just the reverse of saving it.

Some programs use an end closing code to close a RW disc when you put music on. That is probably what happened.

When you wiped it, the code closing it was removed.
The program you used to download that music might have had a reopen command if you had looked for it.

NON RW discs cannot be modified ever.

I find this all very complicated myself!

YOU FIND IT COMPLICATED??? I'm just trying to comprehend end closing codes!!!!

lol

I shall try opening it with SOMETHING and we'll see what happens.

Tomorrow we shall be going out to see Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. Alan got his new custom molded shoes so FOR NOW, NO MORE BOOT!!!

Good Lord, I'm getting to go out and see a movie (and to Japanese for dinner).

LOVE THEIR CALIFORNIA ROLLS.

Thanks to all of you for all the good info.

As soon as I find out if I'm buying a new computer I shall come here forthwith.

Happy 4th of July to everybody.

Melody

just to give you an idea of costs for if you only added a new hard drive and another gig of Ram.

I don't know what the labor costs would be in NY though, or the exact cost of the parts.
but here is approximate costs in my area.

HD - depending on size of course - 80G -46.00 to 500 G - 64.00 and up

Memory - they would have to know the details of your system to get the correct kind and probably would be best to get a matched 2 G set - prices run from 32 - 99.00 here.

It is pretty simple to install a hard drive and memory so it shouldn't cost much by way of labor at all.

Looks like you can order them on the website too- plus lots more info about the whole recovery Cd process.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...cname=bph07143

if you go that route, next step, once those are installed

would be to decide if you want a new install of windows on the new drive and then keep the old HD and OS as spare { it can stay in the machine and stay connected, but you wouldn't use it, except to get or store files}

When I was working on a Compaq/hp I called and requested a replacement CD of their windows XP OS - in was only 18 bucks!
just had to have the serial number and answer a few questions.

If you don't have restore CDs or they don't work, that is what you will probably need to do.

actually that might be the thing to do anyway, just to have it already in case you decide to do it this way.