Upgrading Your Computer

[CelticRoz]

My sis just got a new IBM laptop. Well it has Windows 95 on it. Is that good? I was hoping she would get an XP, but she didn't. Is this a good version and if not, can she upgrade to an XP as I have the means to do it for her. Or should she keep it to Windows 95 or something else? Wanted you alls advice first.

[talleyrand]

Pardon me a polite chuckle.

And just to clarify, she bought a new to her laptop but a previously owned machine? The reason I ask that is no one is selling laptops preinstalled with Windows 95 these days.

The rest of this is just a guess based on what I'll assume the specs are for a laptop that would have had Win 95 on it.

Windows 98 would be a better choice than Windows 95 if you're going to stay the with Windows family. I sincerely doubt it'd have the processor speed or more importantly the amount of memory required for Windows 2000 much less XP. One thing I'd recommend her doing is to either take it to the local computer repair shop and tell them to max it out on memory which shouldn't be too expensive of a proposition (assuming they can scrounge up the appropriate sticks) and will make the machine as good as it's going to get.

That help any? Specs on the actual machine (processor speed, amount of memory and hard drive size) could help the geeks on here figure out what the machine could handle. Final question, which should have been first, is what does she want to do with it? If it's just to surf the web, type papers, etc, I wouldn't worry about it.

$.02

[Aaediwen]

See Also: PM Strangely echos the above tho.

[Aragorn]

I would agree that Windows 98 SE would be a better choice unless she is going to be using any USB devices. Since Microsoft is not supporting Windows 98 or Windows 95, a lot of other companies are following suit and not coming out with any Windows drivers for these operating systems. I really do not like Windows ME, it is awefully buggy but it is still supported and has USB hub and controllers. So, all in all if she is not going to be using any USB devices on the laptop then Windows 98 SE, if she is then look for a different OS unless she has all the device drivers she needs.

[CelticRoz]

Well thanks guys for your advice. I feel kind of stupid asking this question, but it is her first computer..............and she knows nothing about them..........and I obviously don't know any more than she does. So when she told me she had Windows 95 on it, I was a bit disappointed. She mainly just wants to surf the web for research, do and receive email and write papers in the word processing. It was a used machine that she bought from someone else for what she thought was a really good deal. Many thanks again!