dk_ wrote:
> I have an old IBM laptop A20m running a Celeron 500MHz with 512 MB RAM,
> running Windows 98SE.
>
> The laptop is a hand-me-down and it is not actually registered to me in any
> way. I do have the original IBM disks.
>
> I would like to upgrade to XP.
>


I'm afraid, given those specifications, that the the word "glacial"
comes to mind, and you'll want to upgrade to at least 512Mb of Ram and
probably a larger hard drive if you're planning on installing many
applications. The CPU will be the bottle-neck, I'm afraid. Frankly, I
wouldn't put any OS more demanding then Win2K on that old a platform;
you may also have problems finding WinXP-compatible device drivers for
the laptop's components.

Acceptable performance is, of course, a matter of personal opinion
and depends entirely upon what *you* expect to do with your computer. If
all you want to do is play WinXP's built-in games, send and receive
simple emails, browse the Internet (while avoiding the more "ornamental"
web sites) etc., such a machine may well meet your needs. If, however,
you plan to take advantage of WinXP's multimedia capabilities, play
graphic-intensive games, or do advanced word or data processing, such a
machine would probably be woefully inadequate.


> Here comes the dumb questions...
>
> Do I purchase an upgrade, or a stand alone XP full version?


Your choice. The Upgrade license would cost less.


> And what about
> which service pack#?


The latest Service Pack (2) should be already be built into any
installations CDs available on the retail market. If you buy an older,
used copy, you may need to install SP2 separately.


> And Home Edition or Pro?
>

Again, that's up to you. Which OS best suits *your* needs?

The WinXP Home and WinXP Pro editions are _identical_ when it comes
to performance, stability, and device driver and software application
compatibility, but are intended to meet different functionality,
networking, security, and ease-of-use needs, in different environments.
The most significant differences are that WinXP Pro allows up to 10
simultaneous inbound network connections while WinXP Home only allows
only 5, WinXP Pro is designed to join a Microsoft domain while WinXP
Home cannot, and only WinXP Pro supports file encryption and IIS. (Oh,
and WinXP Pro usually costs roughly $100 USD more than WinXP Home.)

Windows XP Comparison Guide
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/h.../choosing2.asp

Which Edition Is Right for You
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/whichxp.asp

Windows XP Home Edition vs. Professional Edition
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase...p_home_pro.asp


> Where is the best legitimate place for making the purchase? What should I
> expect to have to pay?
>

The best place would be your local software retailer. Several on-line
businesses, such as NewEgg or Amazon are also trustworthy sources.

If at all possible, avoid any on-line "auction" sites, such as eBay.
Getting a legitimate software license of any kind from an auction web
site is something of a crap shoot, as they generally make no prior
effort to ensure that such sales are legitimate. The problems stem from
two completely different sources, but have the same results: the buyer
gets ripped off. First of all, a great many people don't fully
understand the terms of the license they own, and don't understand that
they cannot legitimately resell it. Secondly, and - worse still - there
are a great many sellers who do know that they're selling bogus
licenses. Auction web sites react only when someone files a complaint,
and then all that really happens, especially in the case of the many
deliberate fraudsters, is the seller of the pirated software returns
using a different alias, to continue selling illegitimate licenses.


--

Bruce Chambers

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