Is now a good time to get a new computer?

64 bit systems are more plentiful but Windows 64 is not out yet. Windows Vista is in Beta testing I think. And how long beyond Vista will Microsoft and program vendors support Xp and programs for it since if I bought a computer now that's what would be on it and Xp is about five years old? In short should I wait? I wasn't quite sure where to post this .

 

I would wait to buy a computer for the simple reason of getting Vista. The prices are continuously going down.

XP should be supported for at least 5 years after Vista comes out. The switch will take time.

 

If you are satisfied with XP, the comps are cheaper right now than ever before.

 

Thank's for the opinions guys.

 

Perfect time to buy a computer.

 

While prices are generally always going down and specifications always going up, you tend to see better bargains after major buying periods (Christmas especially). However the main factor should be your own needs - do you have to have a new computer? Bear in mind that 64-bit systems won't offer much until memory configurations pass the 4GB level (the limit for 32-bit OSes) and XP64 does have compatibility problems with 16-bit software.

 

if anyones interested, u can get windows xp x64 oem at newegg. for me, i have an athlon 64 processor just to be future proof, but ill stick with windows xp 32-bit until more security programs and hardware drivers become available.

 

The last info I had was Windows Vista was being delayed until the third quarter of 2006. So if I was thinking of waiting to buy until after Christmas. I might as well hold off until the fall. I feel perhaps erroneously that support for 16 bit software will have to end eventually and maybe this is when they will do it. No I don't really need the latest and greatest computer. But when Vista comes out I am sure that you will be able to do things with it that you cannot do with XP and perhaps it will be a little more secure. It was two month's after I got this computer that Xp was released. So I was thinking it would be nice to get a computer that had Vista pre-installed instead of having to upgrade again. If you recall Microsoft and some companies (Dell for instance) had web sites where you could determine whether your computer could be upgraded to Xp. Well acording to Dell my computer which was running Windows 98SE could be upgraded to Windows 2000 but not XP. I upgraded to XP anyway and had no problems,but I may not be so lucky next time.