to JoMar and Allen:

Thanks to you both for your nice EASY answers.

what the heck does one do with an operating system??. With Windows XP, well, it didn't matter if it was 98, XP, CZ OR OX.

I just went on line or I went into word pad and typed some documents, or I went into my logitech camera thingee and did some videos and then went online and uploaded to YOUTUBE.

See, I know how to do LOADS OF STUFF, NOW DON'T I??? lol lol lol

But I can't for the love of me, figure out what is the difference between vista and other operating systems. (My first one had DOS by the waY)

For example, yesterday I was at the lady across the street's house and she has Vista. I just made her type in her password, and then got her online. So what is the big difference between VISTA and XP??

What the heck does one do with an operating system, other than go into your other applications, or go online.

I know how to do word processing, and I've played games, but I can't figure out what the difference between VISTA and XP, (probably because I have XP. When I got this one, I had previously had Windows 98.

so I got this HP media center with XP (5 years ago), and I didn't use the XP, I just used my wordpad, and went online, and did my logitech videos, and played games on my computer.

Is there something else that XP, or VISTA can do? Or is it just the operating system?

So if you can clear me up on THAT QUESTION, that would be great.

so here's what I know for now.

Okay, here's what I know so far. Just say YAY!!! or NAY!!! if I got anything wrong or right.


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???

Oh, right now I have an Athlon, 1.0 gb memory, and 200 GB hardrive. What do I look for in the NEW one. 3 gigs of ram. A million hard drive GB???lol

So let me hear a YAY or a NAY!!!!

Oh, and this is funny!!

You see, the computer guys around here are all 20, and when they see a 60 year old walk in, they walk the other way. I've tried this and it HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. They think we are complete idiots.

Only once (and this happened in the phone store), when the guy was explaining the phone to me, and I said "I am thinking of buying a new computer and he looked at me with amazement and said "YOU KNOW HOW TO USE A COMPUTER???" and I looked him dead in the eye and said:

"My dear, almost 35 years ago, my company picked ME OUT OF ALL THE EMPLOYEES, and sent me to IBM computer school where I learned the first desktop system. I had a dot matrix and I did Multi Mate Advantage software."

The look on his face was priceless. I then really jabbed it home when I said "Oh by the way, I know that URL means Universal Resource Locator, and HTML means Hypertext markup language".

He nearly fell over the counter (I get some good ones in now don't I).

That's when he began answering some of my computer questions, but then this was a SPRINT PHONE STORE and not a computer store.

I can just imagine when I walk into one of those today and the guy takes one look at me and walks away. What the heck do I do, run after him and say:


"Hold on there young-un, I'm here to buy a Computer".

this should be VERY interesting.

See, I'm like a boy scout. I like to BE PREPARED.

Alan (my hubby), just wants to sit down and start typing. He knows NOTHING about software, hardware or anything. He won't even carry a cell phone (sigh).

So my dear Allen and Jomar

THANKS SO MUCH!! Couldn't do any of this without you!!!

Oh, one more thing. Right now I have Verizon Internet Security Suite. I know that any new computer will come with it's own anti-virus thingee.

And I know that you can't have TWO anti-virus thingees on a computer.

So I gather than when I get the new one (if I ever do that I mean), I bring it home, I then call up Verizon and they will help me download a version for the new computer. And then I uninstall the McAffee or Norton, or whatever is on the new one? Or do I do this first, BEFORE I DOWNLOAD VERIZON INTERNET SECURITY SUITE. I love the Internet Security suite because every time I had a problem, I just called up Verizon, and they helped me EVERY TIME. I pay an extra 5 bucks a month but the peace of mind is really good.

so any opinions on this one would be welcome.

Thanks much

Melody