Quote Originally Posted by ForeverAutumn
... but that if I wanted something that would get me through the next five years that I should go higher end with a faster processor and more RAM.

He also told me that a lot of the initial Vista issues were the result of people trying to use Vista on machines that didn't have the capacity to properly run it (i.e. RAM and processor) and others have been worked out in SP1. He also said that I can disable the little pop-up that shows up every time something new is installed.
Ja, it's interesting in an unscrupulous way how manufacturers are still putting out machines with underpowered parts capitalizing, I believe, on the a perception that what was top-of-the-line still is. Tons of cheapies out there that when push comes to shove won't cut the mustard, as it were.

My own machine is about midline, decent but still faces challenges and certainly would be completely unacceptable for any advanced use. I've tried manipulating the Performance/Appearance ratio on the advanced features but it really has little effect. If ya get more than five or six windows open the system shuts down and forget about using multiple video applications at once.