Pocket Change - Shopping Blog

If you have the misfortune of being stuck using a PC at home, you’ve probably heard that Windows Vista is a dud. Ever since it launched, there have been major bugs in the operating system, with many devices and drivers not working with it, and the interface was changed significantly enough to make doing even familiar tasks confusing and frustrating.

Many people have held off from upgrading to Vista for these reasons, but unfortunately, many new PCs come with Windows Vista already installed on them. If you find yourself in this situation, you may want to consider purchasing Windows XP Home with SP3 OEM to downgrade your operating system to the older version.
So why downgrade to Windows XP? As I mentioned before, the user interface of Vista was significantly revamped, so that navigating the computer is a different experience than it was in XP. While some of these changes are arguably better, many of them can just be confusing, and it can take a significant investment of time and effort to figure out how the layout of the new OS. Sticking to Windows XP can save you that time and effort, so you can spend time using the computer to do what you want it to do, not trying to master a new operating system.

Another benefit of Windows XP Home with SP3 OEM is that it runs faster, and with a smaller memory footprint. The developers of Windows Vista went all out in developing all these extra features and eye candy for their new OS, but this had the consequence of increasing the memory requirement, and actually making the operating system run slower on most machines. If you don’t like the idea of being dragged down by your operating system, Windows XP Home will do what you want it to do without getting in the way and slowing you down.

Ok, so we know why Windows XP is great, but why Windows XP Home with SP3 OEM? Let’s break down a few of those acronyms. SP3 means “service pack 3″. Windows, unfortunately, is a big target for hackers, and is riddled with bugs that can allow malicious hackers to take over your computer. Microsoft periodically releases updates to its OS, called “service packs”, which help to patch some of these problems. Windows XP Home with SP3 OEM already comes with this upgrade installed, so you know you’re getting the latest version of the OS with the security upgrades installed.

Secondly, OEM stands for “original equipment manufacturer”. This is a somewhat confusing term, but generally means that the software was purchased from the original manufacturer in bulk, resulting in a lower price. Bottom line is that OEM software is significantly cheaper than the same software out of the box, which is great for you since you’re paying extra already to downgrade your system to Windows XP.

So those are just some of the reasons you should consider getting Windows XP Homr with SP3 OEM, if you find yourself stuck with a new computer with a less-than-stellar operating system. This is one instance where getting an old copy of Windows is actually better for your new PC. Of course, you could just save yourself all of this hassle, and buy yourself a Mac, which in my opinion has a better operating system and hardware, but to each their own

-Takeshi, shopping blogger and mac lover